37 Y/O and MPB has kicked into overdrive... And it Stinks!!!

[stopfallingout]

Hi Everyone. I've been quietly viewing this forum for several months. Started last fall after I really started to notice some thinning. Like many others, I freaked out and started searching for info. I'm glad I found this place as it seems like good, knowledgeable people looking to help. I wanted to jump right into a HT but quickly found out from you good people that is not the answer. Research is the key.

I had some thinning for several years that was moving at a snail's pace. It was nothing noticeable to anyone except me and it didn't bother me. But for whatever reason it went into overdrive last fall. I noticed more hair in the shower, on the pillow, everywhere except for my damn head!

I still have good coverage at the moment with a tiny bit of thinning in the crown and my hairline is a bit receded but nothing major YET. But I can see the writing on the wall!!

My goal now is to maintain what I have for as long as possible. So I decided its time to put up or shut up!!!! I went to a derm, who didn't know squat about hair. He looked at my hair for 5 seconds and said yes its MPB but for someone your age, your hair is fine. He suggested I do nothing! But after some prodding I told him I'd like to try Propecia and he prescribed it.

I filled the prescription and think I finally will get the courage to start taking it! I am definitely a bit nervous about the side effects that I read about on this forum. But I hope they are not the norm and there are many people using Propecia w/o the sides. I used to complain that my hairline was a bit further back than I would like, but now that MPB is going faster, I'd LOVE to just keep what I have.

It's really crazy the emotional effect hair loss has on people. I thought I was being a whining whimp!!! But after talking to a friend who is already bald and viewing this forum, I am happier to know that I am not alone in wanting to keep the hair!! I can definitely tell the younger guys on this forum that if you care about hair now, you'll still care when you are "older". Although, I defintely agree that it is much worse to lose it at 18, 19, 20 like many of you are as compared to your mid 30s like me! I remember back when I was 18 or so and I just started college. I think I must have gotten my "mature" hairline then and it freaked me out thinking I was losing my hair. I wasn't thankfully. But I remember thinking just give me hair until 40 and I'll be happy. Well I'm almost 40 and I still don't want to lose it.

I'm hopeful the Propecia will stop the loss for now! And really hopeful some better treatments come along SOON. I guess we'll know about Replicel here shortly!

Take care everyone!