23 and balding rapidly

[badandy]

First off, I'd like to say hello. I'm currently 23 and I started balding around 18. I've always worn a hat everywhere I went to hide it, I even tried going the shaving it all off route, but didn't like it. I want to do something about this, I know it's horribly unattractive and a pain to style and I just can't stand looking at it in the mirror anymore. I'm not expecting a 100% full head of hair with a "normal" hairline, I'd be happy with fixing just what I have to work with.
I've been looking around and as best as I Can come up with, propecia(sp?), provillus, and rogaine seem to be the best options.. any advice is welcome.

Here's what I'm working with..

This picture is about 8 months ago:


and this one is about 2 months old:


Thanks,
Andy

[amadeus]

Propecia is what most doctors recommend to stop hair loss and some say to use both Rogaine and Propecia. Provillus is said to be a scam product so stay away from that. It looks like you've lost a lot of hair so hair transplantation might be an option for you also but make sure you see an IAHRS doctor to get checked out.

[Limmer HTC]

Andy:
Based upon the photos and information provided, I would encourage you to be aggressive with medical management and hold off on considering a transplant until after you have a chance to evaluate your response. Propecia and Rogaine are the corner stones of your treatment plan. I also tend to encourage a dandruff shampoo (Nizoral or Head and Shoulders) along with 2-3mg of Biotin per day.
It will take a few months to start seeing a response and 9-12 months to evaluate overall effectiveness. A good way to monitor your response is taking photos every 3 months.
Brad Limmer, MD/jac

[SpencerKobren]

First off, I'd like to say hello. I'm currently 23 and I started balding around 18. I've always worn a hat everywhere I went to hide it, I even tried going the shaving it all off route, but didn't like it. I want to do something about this, I know it's horribly unattractive and a pain to style and I just can't stand looking at it in the mirror anymore. I'm not expecting a 100% full head of hair with a "normal" hairline, I'd be happy with fixing just what I have to work with.
I've been looking around and as best as I Can come up with, propecia(sp?), provillus, and rogaine seem to be the best options.. any advice is welcome.

Here's what I'm working with..

This picture is about 8 months ago:


and this one is about 2 months old:


Thanks,
Andy

[badandy]

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely see a doctor and go from there. Unfortunately, hair transplants are out of the question as I just can't afford it.

Andy

[hugehair]

Propecia is what most doctors recommend to stop hair loss and some say to use both Rogaine and Propecia. Provillus is said to be a scam product so stay away from that. It looks like you've lost a lot of hair so hair transplantation might be an option for you also but make sure you see an IAHRS doctor to get checked out.

Author has a great results. Propecia has shown the most benefit in clinical studies + real world practice in the crown area. Its benefits are less pronounced as it nears the hairline. This has been my experience. Hair loss stopped within 6 months, significant re-growth @ 9 months. Re-growth continued thru 18 months, then has pretty much slowed down / stopped. I have 3 close friends who also take it, all have had excellent. results. For all who take Propecia, wait a full year before making a decision to discontinue. Easy, one tab in the AM. That's it.