Age – Page 37 – Balding Blog

June 18, 2007

20 Years Old, Just Started Minoxidil and Proscar – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi. Dr. Rassman,

I am a 20-year old male and have been experiencing hair loss since around the end of high school (when I was about 18-years old). It wasn’t bad then, just a little noticeable on the sides. However, over the past 2 years, it has gotten progressively worse, and now the crown area is getting really bad. In September, I started doing laser therapy, but it haven’t seen any new hair growth and am still experiencing hair loss. About a month ago, I added minoxidil and proscar to my hair care regimen in hopes of not losing any more hair and if possible, growing some of it back. However, when I shower, I still lose hair when I shampoo (with Nizoral) and when I apply minoxidil, hairs still come off my head and I can see them in my hands. It seems like none of these products are working for me, and I am really deciding whether or not to get a hair transplant procedure done. I am going to attach some pictures to this e-mail so you can see what my hair looks like, and I hope you can tell me, by looking at the pics, if I should be patient and continue with the minoxidil, proscar, and laser, or if I should just forget about that and just do a hair transplant. As I said previously, I am only 20 and losing my hair is constantly on my mind, which sometimes interferes with my studying and my thoughts when I am around other people (I always think they are going to stare). Can you PLEASE let me know if a hair transplant is out of the question for me or not, or if I should wait a bit and see if proscar and minoxidil work? Thank you so much for your time and patience, and I hope that you have time to reply. Thanks again!

If you want to be proactive with your hair loss problem (as I see that you are with your finasteride and minoxidil regimen) you should be evaluated by a doctor and have your scalp hair mapped for miniaturization. Your photographs are a start, but you should really seek a private consultation with a physician. This site is not meant to give personal or private medical advice.

You must wait and give the medications time to work (about a year). Get yourself evaluated now and again in a year. Hair transplants may be out of the question at this time, but if your medication fails to work and you continue with frank balding patterns emerging, then a reassessment is worthwhile.

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May 25, 2007

Hair Loss InformationWhat’s the Average Hair Transplant Patient Age? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hey doc, i’m considering a hair transplant down the road. whats the average age of transplant patients ? I am in my early 50’s and have been a nw 6 since my thirties. I am trying to decide if there is any point in getting a hair transplant at my age. I would just be doing it for myself and not to impress anyone

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22 years old The average age by my estimate is in the 40-50 year old range, but many young and older men will have hair transplants. I have done transplants on men as young as 22 (see photo of 22 year old patient at right) or old as 89 (see late 60s year old patient ZU). In the end you need to have a Master Plan for your hair loss. Most men decide on having a transplant not as a vanity issue or to impress others. It is mostly a personal issue about how it makes them feel and addressing something that has been bothersome to them for many years. I often hear regret from patients that they should have done it earlier than later on in life. It takes courage for a man to admit to themselves that they are vain, and to have a surgery to do something about it. There is a great deal of justified fear based upon the number of sleazy doctors in the field, but you need to do your research, for there are many good doctors as well.

May 24, 2007

Doesn’t Every Man Have SOME Degree of Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr Rassman, congratulations on your blog which I find very useful. I am almost 29yo and I have been experiencing hair thinning for a couple of years. I am using minoxidil which has cause my hair loss to stop (or slow down). I have become obsessed with people’s hair and noticed that most people my age have a much worse hair problem than me. I would say that hair loss affects almost everybody, but people usually won’t notice a slight hair thinning as I did. Am I right? I mean, when you look at people about 35-40yo they almost always have some degree of hair loss or thinning.

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Bill Clinton Generally about 50% of men have some degree of balding or visible hair loss by the time they are 45 years old. Some men outside this statistical group also develop senile alopecia with aging. If you are noticing thinning to a point where it is socially noticeable, you may have the gene(s) for male pattern balding (MPB). If you are thinning, you should have your scalp hair examined for miniaturization.

To answer your basic question, some men never experience hair loss at any level. Ronald Reagan was, I believe, one of them and Bill Clinton is another one.

May 22, 2007

Oozing Bumps on My Son’s Head for Years – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My son has had big bumps on his for two years. these bumps are sore, oozing white-yellowish thick puss. they never heal. The sores have spread to the cressses behind his ears. lately he’s complain about chills and fevers the only medicine been prescribe is antifungus. What’s left to do?

What you describe seems horrible and in need of a medical attention. Please see a doctor or get a second opinion from another doctor. There is no way for me to tell you what he has from your descriptions, but it must be identified by a competent doctor.

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May 4, 2007

Hairline is Thinning, Face is Aging — Stress? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
I began noticing a very slight loss on my front right side at about 29yo, though everyone told me I was crazy. Since then, I have moved to NY and have remarkably increased stress level. After being here 2 years now, I’m 32 and have noticed my hairline thinning more and my face aging. Is this all due to stress, or is it just the aging process coincidentally starting at the same time my stress level increased? Btw, I’m a male; my father was not bald until he had chemo at 50; my uncles all have their hair; my grandfather on my mom’s side was bald. Since graduating college at 28, I have been through a lot and my diet has gone downhill for lack of money. I was a vegetarian for 8 yrs until about 28.
Thanks.

We have seen aging differences in twins where one is more stressed than the other so, yes, stress changes the rate at which we age. Male pattern balding is a genetic process that is certainly accelerated by stress. If you can barely see it, then you should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization so that a diagnosis can be made.

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April 30, 2007

Hair Loss InformationThinning Hair in 16 Year Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi. i’m only 16 and for a year my hairs been thinning and scalp showing. i usually grow it out very long then shave it. now its shaved and once in a while theres mini hairs no more than 5 millimeters long here and there. i was also on a lot of steroids like protopic and hydro-cortisone for my eczema.

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You steroids could be responsible for thinning. You need to discuss this with your doctor. There’s not much more I can offer without knowing more of your history and examining your scalp.

April 26, 2007

Slightly Thinning at 16 — My Parents are Fine With Me Having a Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I am 16 years of age, I have a full head of hair, however i notice slight thinning nearer to the temple, but not too much thinning, just light hairs. I am using products to strengthen it though. I was just asking if it is possible to get a FUE hair transplant to straighten my hairline to have a juvenile hairline?

Is it possible to have one, at my age, and my parents are fine with me going through the procedure?

Age sixteen is too early for presence of male pattern hair loss, but it does occur at rare times. You need to be seen and examined by a hair loss doctor for possibility of other types of hair loss. If you are only seeing some thinning in the frontal hairline, you may be experiencing early maturing of the hairline. If this is the case you have to wait until your hairline maturation completes. If it progresses toward male pattern baldness, then medical treatment would be your first step in managing this condition and you absolutely should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to put a metric for following the progression. By any means, hair transplant is rarely recommended at your age.

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April 19, 2007

At What Age Am I Safe From Going Bald? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
Is there an age at which Im “safe” from going bald? Im currently 25 and my hair has thinned a bit since I was 21, going from Norwood Class I to Class II in the last 4 years.

I have a brother who’s 37 and has a full head of hair. I also have a brother who’s 31 and has had Norwood Class Va-VI since he was in his early 20’s. I have a similar family history, where half my uncles are bald and half have a full head of hair.

Is there typically an age at which, If Im not bald yet, I will no longer have to worry about the prospect of going bald? Or is it something that can happen at any age? Does my family history give me any insight as to what to expect in the coming years?

Look to your family history on what you might expect. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and that may give you a good metric for your balding process, especially if measured over time. Most balding slows or stops at about 45 years of age, but that is not a hard, fast rule as I have seen some men start balding at 50-60 years old.

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April 18, 2007

Young Teen Girl Experiencing Major Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello. I have been experiencing excess hair loss, which is making me very stressed out. I am scared to brush and wash my hair that its so bad. I am only a 13 year old female, and I really do not want to go bald by the age of 14. Yes, I do have a full head of hair, and no, it is not getting thinner. My parents set me up an appointment with a very good dermatologist. Nobody, on both sides of my family, have any hair loss problems. Everyone has extremely thick hair, including me. I have a few questions though:

I have experienced major vaginal yeast infections, so could this be the problem?

Can puberty cause hair loss? If so, is it permanent or temporary?

When you say hair loss can be temporary, how long is temporary?

Can the Hair, Skin, and Nails vitamins treat hair loss?

Please pleaseplease please help me, sir. I can not force myself to have fun, when I know I am losing 150-160 hairs a day. I’M SCARED! HELP HELP HELP!
Thanks for your time, and have a good day Dr.

Vaginal yeast infection is not a cause for hair loss.
Puberty can trigger changes in hair character because hormones do influence hair thickness, but this report is unusual. I would rather look for other causes of your hair loss.
Hair loss, if it is temporary, may return after a few months to a year as the hair cycles over the course of many months, but you must be healthy and I would first check out the various causes of hair loss in young women with your family doctor.
Vitamins do not cure hair loss, but many supplement advertisers want you to think so.

You need to have a complete evaluation by a good family doctor as the cause of your hair loss most likely lies there.

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April 13, 2007

22 Years Old and Balding – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I have looked all over the web for credible physicians, and New Hair is definitely the best I’ve found! I have heard horror stories and I want to make sure if I’m making an investment that the job is done right!

Now here’s my question. I am quite interested in what you might have to offer. I’m a bit younger, 22 and thinning rapidly all over my scalp (front and back). I’m on Propecia but the thinning still has not stopped. I expect that by next year, a large chunk of my hair will be gone. Unfortunately, I live in the mid-west. I’m a student and only have so much financial stability. I was wondering if there is anyway to estimate how much hair you could transplant, how much donor hair I may have, etc.. without seeing me in person. Unfortunately, I can’t afford constant flights to LA in addition to the cost of a transplant, so this would be quite helpful. I don’t have much of a desire to just cover part of my scalp (I figure I might as well just shave my head at that point) and want to know if it’s worth a shot. Also, I’m curious about your availability. How far in advance would I need to book an appointment for a transplant?

Thank you for your time and help. I hope to hear from you soon!

First, I want to thank you for your kind words about NHI.

Generally, I do not do hair restoration surgery on 22 year old men, because the final hair loss pattern is not usually evident. I always want to set up a Master Plan to determine where you are going and to ascertain your donor supply. Propecia (finasteride) works well to slow the process, which may be inevitable to whatever your final pattern will be. I do miniaturization studies to try to determine what that pattern may be and knowing about your family history will also help. Before you get into making an appointment for a hair transplant, let’s start off with photos. I would need to see (at the least) pictures of your head from various angles — enough of them to see the full extent of your thinning. Please reference this blog post when sending the pictures.

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