+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    38

    Default Potential first signs of balding, aged 21

    Hi guys. I just joined this forum yesterday so I could post this. I feel that my situation is particularly complex.

    My hair was fairly perfect up until six months ago. I then went through a stressful period, including the break up of a long term girlfriend, frequent exams, and my diet and sleep patterns became unhealthy. I also began to swim every day (without any special kind of chlorine removing shampoo).

    About three months ago, after a few weeks of vaguely being aware of the fact that my hair was suddenly much harder to style, I eventually noticed that my hair looked a lot less healthy and thick. The sides seemed to have receded a small amount (slightly more on the left hand side). The bits just left and right of the front hair have also slightly thinned out. It's hard to say, as my crown does feel slightly thin, but I'm not actually sure much has changed there in the last six months.

    In the last month and a half or so, my diet has improved, my stress has dropped a lot, and I am generally much happier. I have also been using the alpecin shampoo, which seems to have helped thicken up my hair a bit. I also have stopped swimming. My hair has slightly improved - mainly in terms of thickness- in this period.

    Currently my hair is still in a pretty good state. I don't think that anyone would notice anything yet. But I have a real issue with trying to correctly explain the reason for this hairloss. My dad, my uncle and their dad all went bald around 27-32, whereas my mum's father had very gradually receding hair from about 30. He still had decent coverage at 40. So whilst I am probably genetically destined to go bald, it doesn't seem likely that it would begin this early (I'm 21). Also, lots of other reasons that supposedly cause hair issues- stress, diet, chlorine etc.. have all been present in my life.

    I ordered some Rogaine foam, but I am now quite unsure whether or not to use it. In some sense, If i start now and maintain this level of hair (wouldn't even really need to regrow any area) then I would be very happy. Of course this is a big financial commitment. It is just a hard decision to make, because I could potentially be facing only a mature hairline, and not the onset of MPB. Or it could be that stress/diet etc caused the loss. I am worried that if I use Rogaine for three years hypothetically, I will be unable to tell whether it is 'working', or indeed, even necessary, because it could simply be that I wasn't going bald anyway. Then I'd face a difficult decision between staying on it and potentially paying for nothing, or coming off it, and suddenly shedding loads as it was maintaining a lot of hair.

    It's a difficult decision, starting nice and early, with a risk of jumping the gun.
    I really don't want to leave it, and then lose hair that I can never regain, and yet I don't want to be taking this rogaine stuff for years, without even knowing if it was necessary.

    Does anyone have any advice? The thing that seems most indicative of MPB is the bits just to the side of the front thinning out. I don't think that is just a mature hairline, but then I really have no knowledge. Does it sound like MPB?

    Sorry for the long post.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    428

    Default

    I think it's impossible for anyone to say whether you have early MPB without seeing you. I will say that the whole stress thing, in my opinion, is grossly overstated and is generally the first thing people point out when they're panicking about hair loss. When people have stress-related hair loss, it's generally from profound physical stress like a serious illness and it does not happen in a pattern but rather occurs throughout the scalp. You could very well be experiencing the maturing of your hairline and not the onset of MPB. To be sure, you need to go to a doctor who can but I microscope on your scalp and look for signs of miniaturization. Then you can either forget about it or devise a treatment plan to deal with it.

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Thanks for the input. I will upload some photos. Is it likely that I would be going bald a lot earlier than either side of my family? I don't really know what the genetic correlation is like in terms of the age when balding begins/occurs...

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Also, having just read around, I have now gotten the impression that Minoxidil is better for regrowing hair, and Propecia is better for maintaining hair. Is there any truth to this? Because if so, I'd obviously be much better getting propecia, although I was put off by its supposed side effects.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    428

    Default

    Propecia works much better for both maintenance and regrowth. It will pretty much stop your hair loss in its tracks (if you have it), thicken up what you have, and likely regrow some of what you have lost. The reports of side effects are overblown on the internet. They are real, but they don't affect most men. You will see a lot of guys on this board with side effects but this is a self-selecting group. I was on Propecia for 12 years with no serious issues and I have about a dozen friends on it and none of them have side effects.

    As far as when you start losing hair, I think it usually does set in around your early 20's for most guys. You may have noticed hair loss in your relatives when they were older but I'd be willing to bet that it started when they were younger. However, just because your father had hair loss does not mean you will. It can skip generations and even affect one sibling and not another.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    2,004

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ryan555 View Post
    Propecia works much better for both maintenance and regrowth. It will pretty much stop your hair loss in its tracks (if you have it), thicken up what you have, and likely regrow some of what you have lost. The reports of side effects are overblown on the internet. They are real, but they don't affect most men. You will see a lot of guys on this board with side effects but this is a self-selecting group. I was on Propecia for 12 years with no serious issues and I have about a dozen friends on it and none of them have side effects.

    As far as when you start losing hair, I think it usually does set in around your early 20's for most guys. You may have noticed hair loss in your relatives when they were older but I'd be willing to bet that it started when they were younger. However, just because your father had hair loss does not mean you will. It can skip generations and even affect one sibling and not another.
    Are you off propecia now?

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Thanks again for the information. I cut my hair really short today, and I have noticed a small bald spot on the side of my head. I'm not sure if this is more indicative of MPB or less. It is right in the middle of the side of my head, and is very very small, to the extent where it is only really noticable if I move the hair around.

    Any likely explanations for this?

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    428

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by clandestine View Post
    Are you off propecia now?
    Yes, been off for two years.

Similar Threads

  1. Potential new hair loss cure
    By gruaige in forum Cutting Edge / Future Treatments
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 07-19-2021, 10:29 PM
  2. 20 year old with early signs of balding. My Regime/ Story
    By WTF CANADA in forum Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 04-22-2012, 07:03 PM
  3. First initial concerns! Aged 23 (pics inside)
    By thistle in forum Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 08-22-2011, 01:37 PM
  4. Status of Potential Future Treatments
    By baldingpittfan in forum Hair Loss Treatments
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 12-11-2008, 04:48 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

» IAHRS

hair transplant surgeons

» The Bald Truth

» Recent Threads

1800 graft repair case results by Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Last Post By Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Navigating the German Job Market as a Kenyan Citizen
11-04-2023 06:31 AM
Last Post By Keegan212
Yesterday 03:51 AM
DR HAKAN DOGANAY/ 4500 GRAFTS / Implanter Pen+FUE
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
Last Post By Hakan Doganay, MD
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
The Mane Event for Thursday, June 15th, 2023
06-15-2023 02:59 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-26-2024 08:05 AM