I'm a 29 year-old guy (turning 30 next month). I just started taking Propecia this past week, because I’d been noticing some thinning at the temples, and my hairline appears to have receded a bit. I’ve only recently been paying close attention, so it’s tough to say exactly when it started, or how much I’ve actually lost. I’m basically just going by how it looks to me at present. I’ve worn my hair shaggy for the past 5 years or so, but I recently got it cut shorter so I could keep a better eye on things.
I was sort of freaked out about it when I first started noticing. But now that I’m actively trying to do something about it, I’m a bit more calm, and can see my condition for what it is. In all honesty, I’d say it’s pretty mild. I checked out the Norwood scale, which would appear to indicate that I’m a 2. My hairs in front do appear to be a bit thin and wispy to me (especially when wet), but through trial and error, I’ve sort of figured out how to style them to look pretty decent. The top of my head seems quite thick and full, and I have no hair loss at the crown. I’m actually pretty happy with the amount of hair I have. The reason I decided to start taking the medication was because I was concerned with what appeared to be the beginning of male pattern baldness, and I just wanted to catch it early, so I could simply maintain the hair that I have. I don’t feel that attempting any actual hair regrowth is necessary for me at this point.
I expressed my concerns to the dermatologist, and she recommended I go on Propecia. But now I’m hearing all these horror stories on this forum and elsewhere about Propecia ruining their life, how they start shedding their hair rapidly before it grows back (and sometimes claiming it doesn’t grow back), how they have all these weird side effects, and it’s getting me thinking, did I jump the gun? Right now I have a reasonably decent looking head of hair, and whatever hair loss I’m experiencing is pretty mild. Will I just be making my situation unnecessarily worse and more complicated by being on the drug? Or was it a smart move to get on it early, before it actually becomes a real problem? I don’t know. Seems the more I learn about it, the more confusing it gets.
I was sort of freaked out about it when I first started noticing. But now that I’m actively trying to do something about it, I’m a bit more calm, and can see my condition for what it is. In all honesty, I’d say it’s pretty mild. I checked out the Norwood scale, which would appear to indicate that I’m a 2. My hairs in front do appear to be a bit thin and wispy to me (especially when wet), but through trial and error, I’ve sort of figured out how to style them to look pretty decent. The top of my head seems quite thick and full, and I have no hair loss at the crown. I’m actually pretty happy with the amount of hair I have. The reason I decided to start taking the medication was because I was concerned with what appeared to be the beginning of male pattern baldness, and I just wanted to catch it early, so I could simply maintain the hair that I have. I don’t feel that attempting any actual hair regrowth is necessary for me at this point.
I expressed my concerns to the dermatologist, and she recommended I go on Propecia. But now I’m hearing all these horror stories on this forum and elsewhere about Propecia ruining their life, how they start shedding their hair rapidly before it grows back (and sometimes claiming it doesn’t grow back), how they have all these weird side effects, and it’s getting me thinking, did I jump the gun? Right now I have a reasonably decent looking head of hair, and whatever hair loss I’m experiencing is pretty mild. Will I just be making my situation unnecessarily worse and more complicated by being on the drug? Or was it a smart move to get on it early, before it actually becomes a real problem? I don’t know. Seems the more I learn about it, the more confusing it gets.
