32 years old, thinning hair, treatment options

[tony1]

Hello all!

I’ve joined this forum to see if I can obtain some advice as to how I should treat my stage of hair loss. My story begins in my teenage years.

My father is bald and from looking at photos of my parents dating, he was noticeably balding by age 23. I naturally began to wonder and worry if that too was my fate. The hairline at my temples began to slightly recede to about a N2 in between the ages of 20-23 and then completely stopped. I basically had a full thick head of hair and began to think the bald gene had skipped over me. My Mother’s father’s hair slowly thinned over the course of his life and I assumed I was taking after him. I stopped worrying and cruised through the next 8 years, until I started to notice more receding.

At 31, a friend took a photo of me bent over with my scalp showing and you could see thinning hair towards the back of the crown. I also noticed the back of the crown feeling colder when the temperature dropped. So, before I panicked, I figure I would monitor it throughout the year. It did thicken up a bit, but thinned even more towards the end of 2018. So, in October of 2018, I came to terms with the fact that I was starting to loose my hair and that the bald gene was going to get me in the end.

So where am I now? I’m a N3 and I want to try and slow it down, since it appears that my MPB is the slower kind. I first went and got blood work done and I am in excellent health. I then figure I would start with supplements and then add chemicals to my routine. I’ve been taking Collagen, Biotin, Vitamin D, and Saw Palmetto, in hopes for strong and healthy hair growth. I then went out and got a prescription for Nizoral 2% shampoo and started dermarolling. I researched Minoxidil and Finasteride and decided to hold off on fin because of the insane amount of horror stories that I have read. Minoxidil seemed to be the route for me, but I experienced some sides (fast heartbeat, fatigue, minor swelling). I did this for a month and switched to the lower dosage of 2%. The heartbeat side seemed to dissipate, but I still experienced fatigue and minor swelling. So, I stopped and went to a hair restoration clinic to see what my options were (Dr. Troy Fallon Beaverton Oregon). Since I’m not bald yet, I am a candidate for PRP treatment, a transplant, or fin. He wrote me a prescription for fin and he assured me that fin was safe and that if I were to experience any side effects that they would go away after treatment stops. I went to the pharmacy and got a bottle of it. I have not taken it because I’m honestly afraid to try it.

I know this was a very long winded personal story to read, so I thank you for your time. My questions are: Knowing my history, what are some suggestions as to how I can move forward with available treatments? Are the stakes of taking fin worth it? Are fin horror stories blown out of proportion? Does PRP treatment work and if so, for how long? Was the hair restoration doctor I saw, reputable? Are there any other treatments out there that are available?

Thank you!

-Tony

[clee984]

I take finasteride with no problems, and so do thousands of guys. Every medication has potential side effects. If I was you, I'd give it a try.

[realnamedexter]

Hey Tony,

You need to seriously think about how balding will affect your quality of life and confidence level. If you can be happy being bald, throw out the medications and accept your new self. If you can't accept it, then you need to treat it. It's that simple.
All the things you were taking are not likely to work. I suggest trying propecia 1mg daily, and minoxidil (2%) if you can't tolerate the 5%.
These are the only treatments that are evidence based.

You may also wish to do a hair transplant- but this is won't prevent further hair loss- which is inevitable in your case.

I am taking propecia 1mg daily- I was also scared to start but I haven't experience any side effects- this medication is actually tolerated quite well my the vast majority of people.

I am a physician by the way.

[tony1]

Thank you clee984 and realnamedexter for your responses.

I'm a professional musician and around a lot of younger people, so I think being the older balding guy will impact my life to some degree. The complete shaved head is not an option for me. I could get away with a short buzz and hope for the best.

I have seen some improvements on the crown over the last three months. I contribute that to the dermarolling and the Nizoral 2% shampoo. The back of my crown was itchy/red for many years, and since I started using the shampoo, my scalp looks healthier than ever. I'm just using it once a week after I dermaroll. I know that this will not slow the process of MPB, so I'm considering trying the 2% minoxidil again.

As far as finasteride goes, I'm still thinking about it. When I was a teenager, I took Accutane and it completely cleared up my acne. I remember hearing similar horror stories about that drug and I had no side effects. If anyone reading this post has taken finasteride, please leave a comment with your experience. More physician comments are also welcome. I just want to be well educated before starting the drug.

Thank You!