Thanks all contributors, particularly Thana and Mike. I'm 22 and am on the verge on taking "the plunge" as they say.
Over the past year or so while living beneath the auspices of hair loss hell, I've tried to maintain a practical and intelligent approach to solving this problem. The issue is of course young age and future loss. I've thought through all the possible future consequences of getting an ht versus not getting one, and I've drawn many of the same conclusions that Thana beautifully articulated: ultimately, the utility of our younger years is of such importance to warrant an intelligent gamble of an ht (as all hts are, essentially, gambles).
The fear of an unknown future is indeed threatening, and we're often reminded of this from older ht patients. But calculated risk is not the same thing as a shot in the dark. If I had to wait until I as 40, even if I got ALL my hair back, I'd be lamenting the loss of much more than my hair ...