Category: Age

hi. im an 18-yo and i have been having alot of paranoia about my hair. it seems that in many phases since jr. high ive noticed rapid hairloss and then following up it will grow back to normal. but this last shedding phase it seems to be really affecting my hair. i have a mature hairline in the front and i am comfortable with it because it hasnt changed whatsoever, but the crown where the part of my hair is getting noticeably thinner. you can see my scalp and the area around my part is noticeably thinner. i have always had very thin hair in the first place but in my entire family line that i know of on both sides there is no genetic hair loss, just thin hair. would taking a percription drug like propecia be right for me? or is there an alternative method?

There are 2 drugs that are FDA approved to treat hair loss — minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia). These are the only 2 medications that I recommend, as they have been proven safe and effective. I can’t tell you if Propecia is right for you without seeing what you’re dealing with, but if you do have early hair loss from genetic causes (do a miniaturization study of your scalp) then Propecia is likely to give you benefits. You’ll have to discuss this with your doctor, though.

Hey Doc,

I am experiencing thinning at the middle-front of my hairline, and my doctor has prescribed me Nizoral 2% and Rogaine.

However, after reading your post at Why Do Hair Loss Treatments Not Work in the Frontal Hairline?, I realize that you say “finasteride does work to slow down or stop hair loss in the frontal area, particularly if caught early enough.”

I have caught it early (I am only 16), and am taking every measure I can to control my hairloss. Does Rogaine not help with the hairline? Only Finasteride? I need to gather all the information I can so I can talk to my doctor about prescribing the proper medication for my situation. Thank you so much.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) does not stop the genetic balding process like finasteride (Propecia), so the use of minoxidil may not be the right move for you in the long term. Either medication may help with the hairline, but results have been more consistent in the top of the scalp.

First, I would want to do a mapping of your scalp for miniaturization to be sure that you are actually in the genetic balding process. If I confirmed that and I was your doctor (which I am not), then after understanding much about you, your medical history, your growth history, and doing a physical examination, I might prescribe this drug. I can’t make a blanket statement about prescribing medications to men I haven’t communicated with beyond a single email and prescribing a medication that is generally not recommended for a 16 year would require special circumstances to be considered like where you growth is at this time (height, bone growth, etc..)

Dear Doctor,

I am 19 years old and my hairline has receded a bit at the front and a bit more at the temples starting about a year ago. I am considering using rogaine to halt the loss but I read on the website that it could cause a significant increase in hair loss during the first stage of use. my questions are:

1. is it safe to assume that because I am relatively young, my hair wont fall out as much during this stage?
2. I read that rogaine does not work for everyone. If I experience the initial excessive hair loss, then stop using rogaine, will most of that hair grow back?

In addition, I would be more than happy to have your opinion on what path of treatment I should take

Shedding from minoxidil use does not occur for everyone and should be temporary, and there is no connection between this shedding and your age. See Hair Loss Worse After Rogaine for more.

You’re focused on Rogaine (minoxidil) and at 19 years old, your hair loss most certainly will be genetic. Propecia (finasteride) is the best choice for genetic hair loss in a 19 year old, without a doubt. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization, have your doctor make a diagnosis, and then get him/her to think through a Master Plan with finasteride (Propecia) in it.

I recently turned eighteen years old and have noticed a recession of my hairline in the corner’s of my hairline. My grandfather’s father and father both have hair loss and my mother’s father as well, though not as significant.

I recently went to see a doctor(after a long wait, grr) and he wouldn’t give me a prescription for Propecia because of the effects on hormone’s for someone my age. But as I recall, reading through this site, Propecia ought to be most effective for someone my age.

He referred me to a dermatologist, whom is booking for November(my god, about 5-6 months…).

My question is ‘What are the effects on the hormone’s on someone my age taking Propecia and is it worth the successful hair regrowth which should come from someone my age?’

Thank you.

It is not unreasonable for an 18 year old with proven genetic hair loss to take Propecia (finasteride 1mg). You’re likely past the age of puberty, so I don’t understand what problems your doctor has with the medication. Propecia does work best when the genetic hair loss is caught early.

To prove that you have genetic hair loss (and not just a maturing hairline), then you should get your hair mapped out to see if there is any substantial miniaturization behind the mature hairline, and if so, then this drug will be effective and generally indicated. Your doctor will make the final determination on prescribing you this medication, however. Also, you might consider asking your doctor to refer you to a different dermatologist — one that doesn’t have you waiting half a year to see him.

I thought I’d send you the picture of my current hair situation for use on your Blog because it’s hard to find pictures of men who are truly in the early stages of balding. And not just a maturing hairline or are in the more advanced stages. It’s also hard to find any good pictures on the internet because of camera quality, lighting and such.

This is a picture of me three and a half months ago when I went to Dr. Bernstein for a consult. He put me on Proscar and said to comeback in a year.

So far, I’m starting to see small hairs growing out above my temples in the 1/2″ area of my hair above my temples that I lost about two and a half years or so ago when I was 22. This loss caused a more pronounced widows peak and moved me from a NW2 to a NW3. You can also clearly see the thinning in the anterior mid-scalp. I’m not sure when this started because I used to use gel and leave my hair wet which made the loss undectable. But you can better explain what is going on in this picture, so I’ll let you do it. Do you normally see a good response from Proscar with this type of thinning? Thanks for all the great help this Blog offers!

Thank you for allowing me to publish your photo. Click it to enlarge.

It is difficult to assess your hair loss from the photo you provided, but if Dr Robert Bernstein found miniaturization during an in-person exam, then it is there. Since your hair loss is quite early, finasteride should do wonders for you. I should note, however, that if you were prescribed Proscar (finasteride 5mg), you are only to take 1/4 tablet a day to treat your hair loss. After a year on finasteride, another miniaturization exam will show whether the medication was beneficial for you in halting your hair loss. I suspect that it will be.