26 and crown thinning / Saw Doc but still concerned about what to do

[ushy]

Hi guys. Recently after a haircut, which was a short trim, to about a 1/2 or 3/4th an inch on top and very short on the sides I noticed in the bathroom mirror some scalp visible in the crown area. Now... I can say I never noticed this before, but I can also say that I never looked for it. Recently however, I have been obsessing about it, which I know isn't healthy. But I follow the trend many do at first glance I believe.
So I come to you guys for some honest insight. Regarding hair loss in my family, I can say that my dad is currently 60 with no hair loss minus a minor receded hairline. My fathers dad had a full head of hair when he died. Out of my dad's 3 brothers, only 1 went bald. On my mothers side I know that her dad went semi bald but at a very late age, Maybe 50s-60s.

I went to see a Doc today and told him I was concerned about this. He wrote a prescription for Rogaine 5% which I guess isn't over the counter unlike the 2%, and told me to proceed if I wanted to or to come back within a week to talk about it(my decision). Anyways, after reading some posts over the net about Rogaine I have noticed many shed before anything starts working months down the road, if at all. I read that this is normal and a sign that it's working, but I am afraid to shed, and at the same time, I want to stabilize this thinning at least :\ . With my pictures attached below and at the stage I'm at what would you guys do in my position?

P.s. Let me say that ever since I was young my hair has ALWAYS been very fine, or thin however you wan't to put it. So this may indeed be why i am seeing more scalp but I am not sure.


Thanks guys, very appreciated, and awaiting some responses.

[ushy]

Bump, sorry :\. On top of my questions above, if I did choose to use the minoxidil, would the Equate brand be as good as the Rogaine brand? It's half the price if that.

[mpb47]

Well I am conservative so keep that in mind. By that I mean I use the least amount of drugs I can get by with. Save the stronger stuff for when I need it. So maybe start with 2% and wait 6 months/1 year and then go to 5% if you need it. The walmart brand is fine as that is what I use..good luck!

[ushy]

Hey thanks for your reply. Naturally I like to go by what you say and don't like using pills and so forth. As for the minoxidil, the only thing I'm worried about is the shedding from using it and from what I understand if you get off minoxidil products the problem continues? Please enlighten me about this if anyone can, thank you!

[Tracy C]

With my pictures attached below and at the stage I'm at what would you guys do in my position?

Your pictures are too dang big - but no worries.

If this bothers you, you should treat it. You are catching it very early. So
you are actually in pretty good shape for recovering lost hair.

Shedding is associated with every treatment for hair loss that actually works.
Not just Rogaine. Shedding is also associated with Propecia and LLLT.

Rogaine works for most people who use it. The shedding is temporary. To
honestly be able to tell if Rogaine is working for you, you need to commit
to using it for a full year. Many people who try it do not do that. Regrowth
starts at about four months and it is very downy - like baby hair. This
downy baby hair slowly transforms into normal hair over time and hair cycles
if you continue to use the medicine. If you stop using the medicine, you
will loose any gains you have achieved. If you stop using the medicine
abruptly, you could initiate a massive shed, so don't do that.

When you start using Rogaine, start with the foam if it is available where
you live and taper up to the full twice a day dose over time. This will reduce
the freak out factor associated with the "dread Shed". If you decide to stop
using Rogaine, taper off of it slowly. Never stop abruptly.

It is important for you to understand that the best way to combat hereditary
hair loss is to address the cause. Rogaine stimulates hair follicles that can
still grow hair to grow hair - but it does nothing to address the cause of
hereditary hair loss. Propecia addresses the cause of hereditary hair loss -
but it does nothing to stimulate hair follicles to grow hair. Propecia simply
"allows" hair follicles that can still grow hair to grow hair. It is best to use
both these medications. However, you need to talk to your doctor about
Propecia before deciding if it might be right for you.

[ushy]

Thank you Tracy for that reply, really. I guess I have to decide whether to get on it or not. I will see friday what the doc thinks of Propecia. I will also ask to get full blood work done to see if all is normal as I don't think I've ever had it done. I'll update the post when I have new information, thanks again all for being helpful!