What is the safest medication to take for balding?

[fmlfml]

I'm 18 and suffering from male pattern balding. I have never had a very good hairline and throughout high school I have observed my hairline receding on the temples.
So I have started researching about medication to take to stop balding, and apparently, nothing is safe. I understand the concept that there is always risk involved, but the risk all surpasses the reward by far. Here is my uneducated conclusion of my research thus far, please correct me if I'm wrong:-finasteride: the forums has made sure that I will stay away from this, seems many people become impotent for life from this drug, not to mention the tons of (un)sexual side effects.
-Minoxidil (Rogaine): this seemed promising until I read some testimonies about it. Apparently it may cause irreversible shedding of hair as opposed to regrowth.

In the end, the only medication without crazy side-effects is Nizoral shampoo.
Am I missing anything, can anyone suggest a better medication to take without crazy side effects? Or should I just roll with the nizoral until my head shines? :[

Thanks for any help

 

[Beingbaldsucksass]

If you want to save your hair you have to take propecia period, it's the only drug fighting male pattern baldness from the root, you got minoxidil that is for regrowing hair you lost, those two are the only real medicines, don't believe any "magical" products who promise to stop your hairloss in seconds

 

[Azn_Tiger]

fmlfml,
it sucks to lose your hair at such an early age man, Im 31 and I started to lose mine around 27. If you want to save your hair, atleast try the big 3. That is what im doing to save what I have left. I got on finasteride and minoxidil last week. I havnt had any crazy sides as people stated, then again I just got on it. Try it for yourself, before its too late. Gl to you man.

 

[Quadzilla99]

Nizoral is the safest.

 

[fml]

I'm 18 and suffering from male pattern balding. I have never had a very good hairline and throughout high school I have observed my hairline receding on the temples.
So I have started researching about medication to take to stop balding, and apparently, nothing is safe. I understand the concept that there is always risk involved, but the risk all surpasses the reward by far. Here is my uneducated conclusion of my research thus far, please correct me if I'm wrong:-finasteride: the forums has made sure that I will stay away from this, seems many people become impotent for life from this drug, not to mention the tons of (un)sexual side effects.
-Minoxidil (Rogaine): this seemed promising until I read some testimonies about it. Apparently it may cause irreversible shedding of hair as opposed to regrowth.

In the end, the only medication without crazy side-effects is Nizoral shampoo.
Am I missing anything, can anyone suggest a better medication to take without crazy side effects? Or should I just roll with the nizoral until my head shines? :[

Thanks for any help

I think for you personally, you should stick to nizoral until your head shines, as you put it. Other medications are not right for you. I suspect you will feel you are getting severe sides whether you really do or not.

 

[abcdefg]

Right now its kind of the hard choice between letting nature take its course and propecia. I personally dont think you stand a chance at changing the natural course long term without propecia. I do think in 5 years we will have something much better like hopefully CB or a powerful topical that is safe and stronger then propecia so we can take it regardless of whether we are actually going bald or just worried and want to prevent. Propecia still carries some risk to just take for prevention and its ability to keep a Norwood 0 is questionable.

 

[Philly78]

I do think in 5 years we will have something much better like hopefully CB or a powerful topical that is safe and stronger then propecia so we can take it regardless of whether we are actually going bald or just worried and want to prevent.e.

I hope you're right but so far we've seen only 2 treatements that are actually working in the last 25 years: finasteride and minoxidil.

 

[fmlfml]

I hope you're right but so far we've seen only 2 treatements that are actually working in the last 25 years: finasteride and minoxidil.

But those have adverse side effects... what about nizoral? it proves to work and has no big side effects

 

[abcdefg]

I hope you're right but so far we've seen only 2 treatements that are actually working in the last 25 years: finasteride and minoxidil.

True but any person in the stock market can tell you that history is not always perfect predictor of future or we would all be rich. The people 25 years ago figured hair loss would never be a treatable condition until propecia came out and completely revolutionized hair loss by giving men a chance to do something. So I guess I am more optimistic.