According to the National Institutes of Health, minoxidil is most effective in stimulating growth and slowing balding in people with recent hair loss who are under the age of 40.
I’m 50. Using minoxidil for 20 years. Never thought it was doing much but was never sure what would happen if I stopped. It can’t still be effective after all these years can it?
If you stop it, your minoxidil dependent hair can fall out. After 20 years of use, I would stay on it.
Hi Dr.Rassman,
Thank you for this great blog. I have found it to be very honest and informative. My question is regarding Propecia. I hear everyone talk about how it is wearing off or losing its effectiveness, etc. It is possible that Propecia works better for some over time? I have been on the drug for 8 years and i notice from pictures my crown looks better than it did 3-4 years ago. Keep in mind, I never did an actual hair count, but I take pictures in identical settings (same spot, lighting, no flash) every year to keep track of my hair loss.
Even in that small 10 year study, there was a significant portion of people who actually looked better than the 5 year mark. They’re reasoning that MPB is a slow progressive process, reversing it can be a slow process also. Or something along those lines. I’m 38 years old and I know that MPB starts to slow down at this age. I was just also wondering if Propecia would have more impact as the person gets older?
Thank you so much.
We actually do not know the answer. People respond in different ways. Some people remain sensitive to the drug for years and they are the ones that probably get the best results. If it is working, just stay on the plan to keep taking it. When and if it should reduce its effectiveness, certainly go back to your doctor and get his/her advice.
my 6 yr old son cries excessively during a haircut and when i wash his hair. Being african american I also brush his hair while washing it to make sure it’s clean. It seems when he’s getting his haircut it’s not painful to me, but he says it hurts when he’s getting his haircut. Is there anything that can be done or should I be worried about anything inside his head or anything. Please help?
If you have curly, kinky hair and someone is brushing it out, I would think that would be painful. Perhaps this is what your son is experiencing. There may be rare scalp conditions that cause pain, but that would need an examination. You should follow up with your child’s pediatrician.
doctor,
since we know DHT is a cause of hairloss, why do some people start showing sings of male pattern baldness later in life? I know a few family friends pople who have had extremely thick beautiful hair norwood 1, with no signs of balding in their 40’s and late 40’s. then in their 50’s they started get thin and crown balding. if dht is the cause then i’m sure these guys had dht in their body in there 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. why all of a sudden in there 50’s the dht decided to choke the follicles?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the cause of hair loss when it is associated with the genetic disposition of male pattern baldness. The genes that cause hair loss are preprogrammed and often express themselves at different ages.
For example, some men and women get grey hair in their 20’s, whereas some never do. Most men with the balding gene will go bald in their 20’s and 30’s, but there are always exceptions to the rule as you pointed out.
Is it ok for a 17 year old to take propecia?
started losing hair at the age of 15 now im 17. i have a NW2.5 with a diffuse pattern leading to NW 6. Hairloss is strong in my mother side of family but they have a diffuse pattern. My dad is a nw3 but the rest of his hair is thick and he is the only one losing hair from his side of family.
if my doctor (GP) says i can take propeica, should i just take it or should i ask him to do some test on me? i have done blood test for FBC (Full blood count including calcium) and thyroid the test showed that i had low iron the reason i have low iron because i have beta thalassemia trait
If my GP says yes i will most likely to take it. i’ve gone desperate when water hits my hair, my scalp is showed too much. i also have anxiety due to hair loss
You should follow your doctor’s advice. Make sure that he takes good bulk measurements of your scalp hair to confirm the diagnosis and establish metrics for miniaturization at different areas of your scalp to see the benefits of the drug on the miniaturized hairs.
Propecia is likely safe to take at 17 years old if you’ve already hit puberty, but taking the medication is a decision between you and your doctor (and a legal adult guardian).
Why is it that when a baby’s hair is growing in, it starts with the pattern of the receding hairline? Thinner on top with a forelock and nothing at the temples?
On another note…is the hair at the temples and crown slightly thinner in even non balding people? I notice that women and children also seem to have lighter/thinner looking hair at the temples.
I just had my first grandchild on May 1st, and she was born with a Norwood class 4A balding pattern… so of course, the jokes ran around that we were going to transplant the new addition to our family. The proud daddy laughed and laughed. Over the course of 4 weeks, the hair loss pattern got better and now she almost has a full head of hair. I don’t have an explanation as to why some babies are born with less hair that quickly grows in, but it’s not uncommon. Some of my own kids were born with a gorilla look (hair-wise) instead of the class 4A pattern on my granddaughter. Don’t focus too much, as things in the hair side change rapidly in babies.
With regard to your second unrelated question, I don’t really see much of a difference around differing parts of the scalp, but hair in the very frontal hairline and the neck is often finer.
hi, my daughter is 4 years old. recently she had chicken pox after which she losses her hair every time with combing or sometimes without combing. the amount of loss hair is almost 30 or 35 hairs per combing. i really worry about her what should i do? thanks
The stress on the body from chicken pox could be causing your daughter’s hair loss, but you should take her to a pediatrician if you are concerned.
My daughter was diagnosed with Alopecia areata 2 months ago just recently the bold spots that looked like the size of a quarter are becoming bigger and bigger and its only in the back . I took her into the emergency room 4 days ago due to her high fever at 105 104 and she’s been having a recurrent fever every other day our the whole day just observing her.
I’ve been with 3 different pediatricians and none if them can answer me why? Where do I have to go to get answers? ; Who do I have go with? Is it an internal capability? Why the fever? Why the Vomiting? I just need to have some kind of answer
thank you.
I understand that you have a sick daughter who needs medical attention, but I am a hair transplant surgeon. Alopecia areata is not likely related to your daughter’s overall problem, which sounds serious. Vomiting is related to possible treatments that she might’ve been given for the alopecia areata, but I have no idea if she was treated with anything.
A good internist or pediatrician (if she is under 16 years old) is the doctor you might consider consulting. The doctors you have seen may not have a definitive diagnosis, but they should be able to assess and treat your daughter and answer your immediate questions.
I am almost 45yrs old and thinking about starting Propecia. Am I to old? What could I expect at my age. Basically, I have thinning in the frontal areas only. Also, should I be concerned about the side affects at my age?
You may not get the full benefit of the drug as you would have when you were losing hair in your 20s and early 30s. That being said, you’re not too old. The sexual side effects that most men worry about are either:
If you see a good, competent doctor, he/she will be able to estimate the value of this drug in your unique situation with good miniaturization and bulk analysis of your hair in the areas of greatest concern.
Dear Dr. Rassman,
Do you believe it should become standard practice for men to be checked for hair loss either by their primary care physician, a dermatologist or another type of doctor every two or so years between ages 18 and 40? This could be done with observation, hair bulk analysis or a miniaturization study.
We know that Propecia is a powerful medication for postponing and delaying hair loss, especially if used when a man still has a good bit of hair. But it seems the problem is that many men don’t realize they have hair loss until they’ve lost a lot of hair and it has become visibly apparent. Then they start researching what causes hair loss and maybe get on Propecia within a few weeks or months.
In my case, I noticed I was losing hair, mostly in the crown, at age 26. I was shocked to see how much I had already lost. I went for a study and it was confirmed. I’ve gone on Propecia and it’s done a reasonably good job preventing noticeable further loss.
But at age 24, or age 22, when my hair follicles started to shrink, it would have been great had it been standard practice for a physician to take five minutes to look for hair loss. I would have had the choice of getting on Propecia then and, hopefully, postponing my ultimate genetic fate that much longer. Or I could have observed more closely, and when I saw the hair loss was continuing, got on Propecia.
Your thoughts on making a hair loss exam as standard for men as a testicular exam?
Practically speaking, unless your health insurance pays primary doctors for hair loss exams, it will likely not be on the agenda. Hair loss is seen as a cosmetic issue and most doctors don’t know much about it. Perhaps if the majority of patients are willing to pay the doctor for a hair loss exam it would be more widely available.
We have many young men taking Propecia/finasteride, so obviously there are many that realize they are balding in time to do something about it. The internet really helps and it is free.
