24 Years Old & Bald. What are my options?

[Paul Conners]

Hello all. First let me start by saying Ive been experiencing hairloss since about the age of 16. By 22, I was completely bald, as per the hereditary of my German father's side which also demonstrated baldness at a young age. My father was German, my mother was a Belgian pole dancer.

I am comfortable being bald but its gotten to the point where, even though I am comfortable with being bald, I acknowledge and understand that the amount of opportunities in life for men with hair far outweigh the opportunities for bald men.

I'm 24 years old and I dont have a good job, despite being a hardworker. Im not blaming baldness on my short-comings as a person, but hey, I think with a full head of hair my chances at being successful certainly would have been improved.




I am completely bald except for a bit of hair on the back of my head.

What are my options at this point as far as getting a full head of hair goes?

Hair transplantation must be done from my own hair is that correct? Can I use hair from other parts of my body?

As a final resort, and I dont mean to joke, but would it be possible to use my dog as part of the hair transplant? Im just genuinely curious. Would any doctors legally and ethically be able to transplant hair from my dog onto my head? Is this a realistic option for me? Can I use my dog for the hairtransplant?

Im a bit macho-type guy, and I find it feminine to wear a wig, so I think that perhaps this is the best option for me.

I have attached pictures of myself and my Dog which I might want to use in the hair transplant.

[Paul Conners]

Does anyone else think the hair of the dog would suit me perfectly?

Realistically are there any doctors who'd be willing to perform this procedure?

[Bromin]

I think there are other reasons why your out of a job... please go find a psychologist. This is not a joke, even if you were making one.

[VictimOfDHT]

Hair transplants only work if the hair is taken from your own body not from another person let alone an animal. Yes, they can take hair from other parts of your own body, not just the head.

[mattj]

I've heard it all now.

The shaggy-haired dog will give you better coverage.

As there's the tiniest chance that you're serious: no, you cannot use hair of the dog.

[Tracy C]

What are my options at this point as far as getting a full head of hair goes?

With the current treatments available, you are not likely to regrow a full head of hair. You would probably be able to stabilize it though. Since your hair loss is still relatively recent, you might be able to grow some back. The "big three" are your best chance of doing so.

If you choose to do something about your hair loss, start by talking to a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. The only products that work to treat hereditary hair loss are:

Rogaine - or generic Minoxidil.

Propecia - or generic Finasteride (for men)

Anti-androgens (for women)

Low level laser therapy

These treatments above do not work for everyone. Some people will get results from one or more of these treatments, while others will not get any results from any of these treatments. A male with your degree of hair loss should take a combination approach to treatment. The "Big three" are Propecia (1mg Finasteride), Rogaine (Minoxidil) and Nizoral (Ketoconazole). Talk to your doctor.

If after treating your hair loss for a full year or two you know you have stabilized it, you might be able to achieve the look of a full head of hair with hair transplant surgery. But you have to use your own hair. Using hair other than that from the back of your head is the absolute last of the last resort.

[mattj]

I felt I should give a serious answer as Tracy did, as you might be a genuine hairloss sufferer looking for real advice.


Some surgeons will use body hair when insufficient scalp donor is available, but not many surgeons work with body hair. There are good options, though, among the few. Personally I feel that if a decent result cannot be obtained through using normal scalp donor then falling back to the 'shave and forget about it' option is usually best. I think it's best used on patients who need to repair poor transplant work but who don't have the scalp donor. Emergency cases.

You might thicken the remaining hair on top by using the treatments Tracy told you about.

[TheFirst17]

Thank you for sharing your story Paul! We're all family here. And understand.
No, you will need your own donor hair for the treatment to work.
You seem to have a great personality - And I will build off that in the meantime to gain more confidence. If you do any surgery, I would suggest FUE. I just did one in early November 2011...

[ravegrover]

Paul, I feel ur pain brother. Hairloss, along with other forms of sufferings, does improve ones sense of humor. You are living proof of that.

[goldbondmafia]

If you choose to do something about your hair loss, start by talking to a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. The only products that work to treat hereditary hair loss are:

Rogaine - or generic Minoxidil.

Propecia - or generic Finasteride (for men)

Anti-androgens (for women)

Low level laser therapy

Tracy do you think the laser comb would be useful for anyone with short hair or a buzzed cut?

To Paul, I would recommend using rogaine or minoxidil as Tracy mentioned and take monthly pictures to see your progress. It will be difficult at your stage to get a full head of hair although future treatments look promising. If you get a HT chances are doctors will also recommend Finasteride, although read about the side effects (they scare me too much to try it). I would also buy nizoral shampoo and use it once or twice per week as it is very helpful to your scalp but do not exceed its usuage or it will be bad for your scalp as well! Good luck with your goals sir.