[Hair Loss Photos] Suggestions on preventing hair loss

[newgaai]

I am a 23-yr-old guy and have been suffering from hair loss for the last 2-3 years. In these years, I have not taken any medication or changed my diet/lifestyle to cope with this problem. At 19, my hair had started greying. I have attached some photos.
I believe most of this is due to the stress, antisocial nature and diet, but I have also seen two of my cousins (aged around 28) losing almost all of their hair lately.

Can I regain the hair that I have lost and prevent existing ones from falling? What prevention measures should I take? What stage of the Norwood scale am I?

It feels really bad to look ugly at this point in time.

[35YrsAfter]

I am a 23-yr-old guy and have been suffering from hair loss for the last 2-3 years. In these years, I have not taken any medication or changed my diet/lifestyle to cope with this problem. At 19, my hair had started greying. I have attached some photos.
I believe most of this is due to the stress, antisocial nature and diet, but I have also seen two of my cousins (aged around 28) losing almost all of their hair lately.

Can I regain the hair that I have lost and prevent existing ones from falling? What prevention measures should I take? What stage of the Norwood scale am I?

It feels really bad to look ugly at this point in time.

I recommend you get a prescription for Propecia (finasteride). Rogaine foam will usually help a little as well. Don't buy the online versions available without a prescription.

Dr. Bernstein has some encouraging before and after photos of finasteride users.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[akai]

Kind of hard to diagnose your hair loss in those pictures. It looks like you maybe diffuse thinning (same as me) but you still have a good head of hair.

Once people start to realize their hair is thinning they immediately attribute it to diet and/or lifestyle. Not saying that can't cause hair loss or affect hair quality but if you're experiencing hair loss in your 20s (unless due to a deficiency or disease illness) it's most likely due to male pattern baldness. There is a shelter on my way to work that helps the homeless and drug addicted individuals that have little or no means. Some of them look to be in very poor health (missing teeth, bad skin, etc.) yet still have thick NW0/NW1 hair.

There are very limited options when treating hair loss. If you want to stop it or slow it down you're going to have to take a drug like finasteride.

The other treatment available is minoxidil although I've never used it as it seems like too much a hassle for the potential benefits.

If you're going to start taking finasteride you should add Nizoral shampoo into your regimen. The 1% formula is available over the counter, you should use it a few times per week.

You might get scared away from trying finasteride due to negative experiences posted by members on hair loss websites. Chances of side effects are a reality when starting any medication. Sexual side effects are the main concern for people who start finasteride, although research suggests the chances of this happening is pretty low, as this study on seventeen thousand individuals over a seven year span shows:

Duke University 7-year longitudinal study on finasteride:

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/99/13/1025.full

We assessed sexual dysfunction in 17313 PCPT participants during a 7-year period. A battery of questionnaires assessed sexual dysfunction (Sexual Activity Scale score); age; race; SF-36 Mental Health Inventory-5, Physical Function, and Vitality scores; body mass index; smoking status; and the presence of diabetes and hypertension.

Conclusions: The effect of finasteride on sexual functioning is minimal for most men and should not impact the decision to prescribe or take finasteride.

Good luck.