nocombover123

I've been taking propecia for 12 months now. It has only helped the back third to be honest. The front third seems to be getting worse. This has had a really bad effect on me. I've seen pics on this site of guys my age who have more aggressive hairloss than me, but that doesn't make me feel better. I saw a great post on here called "dear young guys" which i found really insightful and helpful. I've been trying to go to the gym a lot to take my mind off it, but it seems to be only a temporary rest bite before i feel sad again. One of the other interesting things from that post was described as something like "we see ourselves through the way others see us" and that is something which bothers me terribly. Fairly frequently, I see people look at me in the street as if to say "I can't work out how old this guy is" because i look young but my hair gives the opposite impression i guess. It is very disconcerting for me and makes me feel really self-conscious. It's tough enough for me being the short guy of the group, but being the short bald guy would be horrific in my age group. I realise how important it is to view hairloss rationally and not emotionally after reading these boards. It's easier said than done though. Sometimes it stops me from sleeping. It often stops me from studying (I'm in my final year at uni). When I was 17,18,19 I would go to a hairdressers rather than a barbers to get me hair cut. It's more expensive but i did it because it gave me an enormous sense of pride and confidence. Now I dread having a haircut and find the whole experience quite humiliating. I think the most hurtful thing about all of this is that this is a really important time in a young guys life. A lot of my friends are getting into relatonships, but I feel like I've lost my confidence. There aren't many balding guys our age so it makes it all the more difficult. When I look through these boards and see 30-40 year old guys with great HTs it gives me great hope. But it also makes me quite angry because they are not the guys who feel the effects of hairloss the most. It is guys in their early 20s who do and yet we are the guys who are generally not candidates for a HT. I'm sorry if all this was long winded and a bit jumbled, but I really wanted to air my thoughts. I'm going to see dr lindsey and spex next month in London so I'll hear what they have to say about my situation, but I fear they will say I'm too young for a HT.

Now I'm not talking about guys who were butchered in the 1980s or others who got butchered by unethical practices like Bosley more recently. I was wondering how many guys who had a HT under the age of 24 with an ethical doc via FUE or FUT regret their decision? If so, why? I've come across some great results of people 1 year after their transplant, but what happens to them a few years after their first HT at such a young age?

Okay thanks for your replies guys. I've nearly reached the 1 year mark with propecia so I'm considering my options re transplants etc. Thanks again for your help.

Hey guys, I've been looking at some family photos recently. There seems to be a clear pattern in the way my brother and my dad lost their hair. I feel like I may also be balding in a similar pattern (i.e balding from the front at the temples with an increasingly thinning hairline). One of the main arguments against young guys having hair transplants is that the balding patten has not fully emerged yet. But is that always the case? I'd say I'm a norwood 2a/3. I'm 22 years old.

Hey guys, Well I'm 22. I've been on propecia almost a year now. The med has definately helped in the mid calp and back region. But basically I'm still concerned about the miniturisation in the front third. I feel like I can predict where the hairloss is going to continue particularly after seeing photos of the hairloss my brother had around the same age. It is basically balding from the front so the forehead gets bigger and bigger and the hairline turns into a bunch of curls. I know hair transplants at my age are not always advised, but what do you guys think? I feel like I should reassess my position now that I'm coming up to the 12 month mark of using propecia.

Thanks again for replies- much appreciated. Yes Matt it is very difficult to tell if the situation is worse or whether the hair loss has stabilised. I find myself looking it mirrors all the time trying to figure it out I guess. I think the hair at the front is thinner than 9 months ago. But the rest may have simply stabilised. I'm based in the UK. Minoxidil seems really expensive and annoying to apply. Maybe I'll do it in the summer when I'm not uni. Can't face anymore shedding whilst I'm still at uni. Thanks for the info on the pill as well!

Thanks for the replies guys. My dad is a norwood 6. My brother is probably between a norwood 5 and 6 at the moment. I had a haircut today- I think I'm moving from a 2a to 3 fairly rapidly so I think this is an important time for me to think about changes in regime. Minoxidil is a tough one- it seems both expensive and is only effective for around 40% of users I believe. Could give it a go I guess. Do you know where i could buy it cheaply? s there a tablet form for minoxidil as well? Thanks.

Hi everyone- new member here. I've been taking propecia for just over 9 months. I shed badly in the first 3 months of using propecia, but that isn't so much of a prob anymore. However I'm concerned that I have aggressive male pattern baldness. Literally all my uncles, grandfathers and both my dad and brother went bald when they were in mid twenties. I've always had a more pronounced forehead, but that doesn't both me so much. What bothers me is that the hairs on the front are so thin and the hair in the middle is almost see through. So: Should i increase from 1mg of propecia to 2.5mg (if this is possible). Or should i change to dutasteride? Am i likely to suffer shedding again on this new treatment? Or should I do nothing until after 12 months use of propecia before re-assessing my situation? It's really difficult because I'm keen to address the problem as early as I possibly. I looked through the pictures of my brother. He lost most of his hair quickly within the space of just a few years (between the ages of 21 and 24).