Advice On Hair Loss And How To Treat It...

[PastaForMe]

So, I'm currently 22, and my hair has been defusing since I was about 19, at first the doctors didn't think it was male pattern baldness, as there's no history of it within either side of my family.
But after they did many tests to try determine the cause, they couldn't find anything, I find it so hard to believe it's actually male pattern baldness, because of my family history, but I'm at the point where I have to ask myself, what else could it be???
I've looked into treatments, I currently use nizoral shampoo once a week, and regaine twice a day (though idk how much it can help, as I'm defusing, and I can't put it everywhere), and its only getting worse.
I have been very anti-finasteride, and still am, just because the side effects and horror stories truly terrify me. But for the past month of so, I've been getting really depressed, and very close to suicide at a couple of points, because I feel like losing my hair is almost like losing the youthfulness I see many people my age still have. It's really made me reevaluate if the risks of these drugs are worth the... risk, for the potentially happier life I could get back from it.

I plan on speaking to my doctor for advice on the matter when I go home next week, but I also wanted to post on here seeking advice too, from people who have used/actively using the drug, to know what your experiences were with it, and what results you got from it... Also half hoping someone might have some wild idea on why I'm losing hair which isn't male pattern baldness, but that won't happen lol

Thanks in advance!

 

[Michael1986]

Are the back and sides of your hair thinning too, or is it just the front, top and/or crown? If you could post some pictures on here of your hair then we would be able to give you our opinions on whether it is male pattern baldness. With no family history at all of male pattern baldness, it is possible your hair loss could be something else. If it is male pattern baldness, your options are pretty much finasteride or nothing until something better eventually comes out (if it ever does).

 

[Ollie]

DIfficult to give judgement but little is really known about male pattern baldness. We as men get our Androgen receptor gene (AR) from our mothers with it being found on the X chromosome, but even so with baldness being present on our fathers side making it more likely we also go bald - so it could mean that you got a mixture of genetic traits from each side of the family that unfortunately attributes to the development of male pattern baldness.

Keep an eye on your hair and take pictures and decide later on if you want to try different treatments available .

 

[Finjunkie]

I started on finasteride at 24. I was a bit of a late bloomer so I was still in school at the time. I was surrounded by friends that were mostly 3-6 years younger. They didn't care about my age, but some of their friends did, and especially their parents.

I looked younger than I was and this helped enormously with what could otherwise be a sticky situation. The parents of 18-19 year olds would sometimes freak out about their kids going on spring break or camping or even to the store with a guy that was 25. I quickly learned to just never mention my age unless it was relevant.

I was involved in a lot of social activities with the school to make up for lost time screwing around working shitty jobs for years after highschool. With that lifestyle, being around younger students was basically unavoidable.

The only way to remain fully in my social circle was to look young. To this end, hairloss was unacceptable to me. If it was obvious I was "old" it would mean exclusion from many social events and basically an end to my way of life.

Despite the risks of finasteride, the effects baldness would have on my life seemed worse than any potential side effects.

I've been on it for over five years now. Luckily it seems to work pretty well for me, I haven't lost any hair or had any side effects. My hair has held out well past the end of college and any need to blend in with younger people, but I see no downsides to continuing finasteride. As crap as it sounds, looking young seems to lend advantages throughout life

 

[LocoRoco]

I started on finasteride at 24. I was a bit of a late bloomer so I was still in school at the time. I was surrounded by friends that were mostly 3-6 years younger. They didn't care about my age, but some of their friends did, and especially their parents.

I looked younger than I was and this helped enormously with what could otherwise be a sticky situation. The parents of 18-19 year olds would sometimes freak out about their kids going on spring break or camping or even to the store with a guy that was 25. I quickly learned to just never mention my age unless it was relevant.

I was involved in a lot of social activities with the school to make up for lost time screwing around working shitty jobs for years after highschool. With that lifestyle, being around younger students was basically unavoidable.

The only way to remain fully in my social circle was to look young. To this end, hairloss was unacceptable to me. If it was obvious I was "old" it would mean exclusion from many social events and basically an end to my way of life.

Despite the risks of finasteride, the effects baldness would have on my life seemed worse than any potential side effects.

I've been on it for over five years now. Luckily it seems to work pretty well for me, I haven't lost any hair or had any side effects. My hair has held out well past the end of college and any need to blend in with younger people, but I see no downsides to continuing finasteride. As crap as it sounds, looking young seems to lend advantages throughout life

good on u

 

[LocoRoco]

Just go minoxidil if ur a pussy

 

[PastaForMe]

Are the back and sides of your hair thinning too, or is it just the front, top and/or crown? If you could post some pictures on here of your hair then we would be able to give you our opinions on whether it is male pattern baldness. With no family history at all of male pattern baldness, it is possible your hair loss could be something else. If it is male pattern baldness, your options are pretty much finasteride or nothing until something better eventually comes out (if it ever does).

Unfortunately it is just on top, which definitely points to male pattern baldness.

I started on finasteride at 24. I was a bit of a late bloomer so I was still in school at the time. I was surrounded by friends that were mostly 3-6 years younger. They didn't care about my age, but some of their friends did, and especially their parents.

I looked younger than I was and this helped enormously with what could otherwise be a sticky situation. The parents of 18-19 year olds would sometimes freak out about their kids going on spring break or camping or even to the store with a guy that was 25. I quickly learned to just never mention my age unless it was relevant.

I was involved in a lot of social activities with the school to make up for lost time screwing around working shitty jobs for years after highschool. With that lifestyle, being around younger students was basically unavoidable.

The only way to remain fully in my social circle was to look young. To this end, hairloss was unacceptable to me. If it was obvious I was "old" it would mean exclusion from many social events and basically an end to my way of life.

Despite the risks of finasteride, the effects baldness would have on my life seemed worse than any potential side effects.

I've been on it for over five years now. Luckily it seems to work pretty well for me, I haven't lost any hair or had any side effects. My hair has held out well past the end of college and any need to blend in with younger people, but I see no downsides to continuing finasteride. As crap as it sounds, looking young seems to lend advantages throughout life

It's great to hear it's worked out for you, did you get any regrowth???

 

[Finjunkie]

Unfortunately it is just on top, which definitely points to male pattern baldness.


It's great to hear it's worked out for you, did you get any regrowth???

No regrowth at all, but no visible loss. Most guys maintain on finasteride but significant regrowth is rare. I would consider any hair you've already lost as gone in your consideration of treatments. If thinning has progressed to the point where hairloss is obvious you could try finasteride, but I wouldn't get hopes up too much.

I started taking it to make it easier to maintain a youthful lifestyle so I feel your pain man. A brighter way to look at it is by time time you're 30 around 30% of guys will be losing their hair, so you're not alone. Most of those guys aren't treating it so if finasteride works for you you'll eventually go from the balding guy to the guy with the most hair.

 

[PastaForMe]

No regrowth at all, but no visible loss. Most guys maintain on finasteride but significant regrowth is rare. I would consider any hair you've already lost as gone in your consideration of treatments. If thinning has progressed to the point where hairloss is obvious you could try finasteride, but I wouldn't get hopes up too much.

I started taking it to make it easier to maintain a youthful lifestyle so I feel your pain man. A brighter way to look at it is by time time you're 30 around 30% of guys will be losing their hair, so you're not alone. Most of those guys aren't treating it so if finasteride works for you you'll eventually go from the balding guy to the guy with the most hair.

That's a very good point, I was also considering getting a hair transplant once I'm old enough to be considered for it, so hopefully I won't react badly with finasteride