20 years old and losing hair? I need help from the community. Picture is attached.

[gallup56]

I am 20 years old and I am losing my hair. I have been losing my hair since the age of 18. I am a class 2 on the Norwood Scale. To be more specific, I have a receding hairline.

 

My hairloss has been a serious cause of stress in my life because my dating life has gone down and all my friends bag on me for it all the time.

 

Now I have tried minoxidil foam .05% but, later found out that it does not help with a receding hairline.

 

Than, I purchased the Hairmax LaserComb- I have been using the LaserComb for 10 months and have very little improvement.

 

I wanted to try propecia but, I was afraid of the side effects.

 

Now, I want to try hair restoration surgery

 

I went in for a consultation with Bosley and HairClub. They were both expensive and I personally liked Hairclub better.

 

The physician who would be operating on me would be Dr. Jon Gaffney..who has performed over 13,500 procedures.

 

The surgery would cost $6000 for 1200 grafts.

 

Now here come my questions and if you guys could answer them, I would really appreciate it.

 

1)Would it be too soon to start a hair transplant? I am 20 1/2. If not now, what's a good age to have the procedure?

2) I am still losing my hair, what can I do to keep what I have? The LaserComb does not work!

3)If I was to have the restoration surgery now, would that protect me from a further receding hairline? I mean, if they were to transplant 1200 grafts in the front, would the receding hairline stop or would I keep losing my hair from the spot where they started the grafts going back ( I understand that I will lose hair on the crown later in life and will have to go in for another procedure)

4) #3 in other words....would the restoration surgery prevent further recession of my hairline from the front?

5) Does anybody know anything about Dr. Gaffney? I here he works on the stars and he is very good

6) Would you recommend anyone else?

7) Is 6000 too expensive? and if so, what price range should I be looking at for this surgery?

 

I have the money ready for the surgery but, I want to get all the facts from the community before I make a decision. Please help me. I would greatly appreciate any knowledge on the subject.

[gallup56]

I am 20 years old and I am losing my hair. I have been losing my hair since the age of 18. I am a class 2 on the Norwood Scale. To be more specific, I have a receding hairline.

 

My hairloss has been a serious cause of stress in my life because my dating life has gone down and all my friends bag on me for it all the time.

 

Now I have tried minoxidil foam .05% but, later found out that it does not help with a receding hairline.

 

Than, I purchased the Hairmax LaserComb- I have been using the LaserComb for 10 months and have very little improvement.

 

I wanted to try propecia but, I was afraid of the side effects.

 

Now, I want to try hair restoration surgery

 

I went in for a consultation with Bosley and HairClub. They were both expensive and I personally liked Hairclub better.

 

The physician who would be operating on me would be Dr. Jon Gaffney..who has performed over 13,500 procedures.

 

The surgery would cost $6000 for 1200 grafts.

 

Now here come my questions and if you guys could answer them, I would really appreciate it.

 

1)Would it be too soon to start a hair transplant? I am 20 1/2. If not now, what's a good age to have the procedure?

2) I am still losing my hair, what can I do to keep what I have? The LaserComb does not work!

3)If I was to have the restoration surgery now, would that protect me from a further receding hairline? I mean, if they were to transplant 1200 grafts in the front, would the receding hairline stop or would I keep losing my hair from the spot where they started the grafts going back ( I understand that I will lose hair on the crown later in life and will have to go in for another procedure)

4) #3 in other words....would the restoration surgery prevent further recession of my hairline from the front?

5) Does anybody know anything about Dr. Gaffney? I here he works on the stars and he is very good

6) Would you recommend anyone else?

7) Is 6000 too expensive? and if so, what price range should I be looking at for this surgery?

 

I have the money ready for the surgery but, I want to get all the facts from the community before I make a decision. Please help me. I would greatly appreciate any knowledge on the subject.

[M&M]

Gallup56 - welcome to the forum!

 

First of all, I'm glad that you found this site and are seeking advice before you take that first plunge. I'm not sure how much Bosley discussed the HT procedure with you, or how your donor hair is limited (finite) as I know they didn't with me and just 'dug right in' on me at the age of 20 with a NW1. I was just a paranoid 20 year old and they loved it! So would I recommend them? On ethics alone, no. And on results and using the latest technology, no again.

 

I would definitely try Propecia as it worked wonders on me allowing me to only have to concentrate my grafts on the frontal third (zone 1 & 2) vs. any crown work. Give it a shot and then see if it will improve your hairloss as it has worked very well for many people. And remember, only a small fraction of people actually have side effects.

 

Do you happen to have any top-down photos to show your overall pattern?

 

Now onto your questions:

 

1. Too soon? Well, honestly, I would say 'yes', but with an asterisk. I have always been in favour of staying ahead of hairloss vs. waiting until I hit a full blown NW3 and then starting as I always wanted to conceal that I had any work done. However, if you were to start at this age, you must consider many variables.

 

First, remember that once you start, you can not turn back. This is especially true if you go with a strip surgery. You will never be able to decide later in life to just 'shave your head' as you will have a scar. Now, you can get great scars now, but it's still a scar. Perhaps some FUE? Well, although the scarring is much less visible, the results are 'iffy' (in myh opinion) unless you go to a very select group of doctors.

 

Next, what are your expectations? Chances are, you want the hairline your friends currently have. Or you used to have a couple of years ago? Well, that is not going to happen. Some doctors can provide it for you (ie. Armani), but you will later regret it. Dense packing a low hairline on a 20-year old who could recede considerably in the future is not a wise decision. You must be very conservative in your approach if you decide to continue.

 

I would simply recommend getting on propecia and rogaine foam for the next 12 months to see how you respond and then re-evaluate from there.

 

2. See the comment above - use Propecia and Rogaine Foam. LaserComb not working? Not surprising. Jotronic did a great writeup on it and its FDA approval. All the approval says is that it does not harm the hair, but nothing about it actually working to grow hair.

 

3. If they put in some grafts into your hairline now, they could cause shockloss to weaker hairs of yours making the end result only marginally improved from where you started from.

 

But it is important to emphasize that no hair transplant ever stops hairloss. Your transplanted hairs will last a lifetime, but the hairs around it are not so lucky. As an example, if they put in 1200 grafts now, they would space it amongst your existing hairs. Once those hairs disappear, then you will need another transplant to 'thicken' it up again. And then you will need another hair transplant to cover zone 2 behind the HT hairline and so on. That's why it's so important to see how you respond to the medication first and what you are trending to.

 

4. No. Chances are, you will need another surgery down the road. It will help, though, but not be the end of it.

 

5. No, I know nothing about him. But who told you he works on the stars? Dr. Gaffney? And who told you he is very good? Did you meet any of his patients? Did you see numerous before/after photos from HIM - not another Bosley doctor? You see, Bosley is a chain and in my 4 surgeries I never had the same doctor twice. I didn't think anything of it then, but I certainly do now!!

 

Anyone can say they work on stars but they 'can't tell you who because they need to remain anonymous'. And even if it is true, stars are not immune from hair loss or making bad decisions.

 

6. Definitely! Take a look at the recommended doctors on this site.

 

Shapiro, Hasson & Wong, Feller, Rahal, Alexander, etc. all do great work and all do great work on the hairline. Take a look at their photos, do an online consultation and be open minded but ready that some may say 'no you are too young'.

 

7. $6,000 for 1200 sounds pricey. But don't let price or location deter you. First, find the right surgeon, then let everything else fall into place (pricing, travel, etc.).

 

Overall, though, you are young, and you need to take your time and make a well informed decision. Do not rush into this! Consider the pros and the cons, consider shaving your head and how you like the look, etc.

 

Good luck!

[Dewayne]

I'd personally stay the heck away from Bosley. Where are you? There are some fine doctors in many regions of the U.S.

 

In the West, I'd try Alexander in Arizona, Carman in Cali, and the guy in Vegas.

 

The South? My preference, of course, is Dr. Cooley down in Charlotte. But, Charles in Florida is great and there are others.

 

Northeast? Feller, Bernstein, Shapiro, Lindsey are all great. I hear there's a great one in Detroit as well.

 

Northwest - Go over the border to Canada and you'll be pleased with H&W and Nokosutsi (I have no idea how to spell it) in Central part of Canada.

 

But, yea I think you're too young but in the right hands you might very well be a candidate. My fear, if I knew you personally, would be that the Bosley doc will set you up to look funny in 10 years or so. He might be great, but from what I've seen it's 50-50.

 

One of those I mentioned are probably 99% success rates vs. 50% with Bosley or another chain. It looks like the money part won't be a difference with a top clinic vs. Bosley either. So, I can't see why you'd consider them personally.

[Bill - Seemiller]

gallup56,

 

Welcome to our discussion forum.

 

M&M and Dewayne already gave you excellent and detailed advice.

 

I just thought I'd add that though hair transplants in the right surgical hands can be great for those who are candidates, keep in mind that they do nothing to prevent the further progression of male pattern baldness.

 

In other words, even if you do get hair transplant surgery now, you will most likely need more as your hair loss continues.

 

The fact that you are so young increases your risk of experiencing high levels of balding.

 

Therefore, not only is making proper use of your finite donor hair supply important, but financially preparing yourself to go the distance is equally as important.

 

See also:

 

What should I consider when researching hair transplant surgery?

 

Am I too young for a hair transplant?

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[gallup56]

Thank you all for the very very enlightening information! I couldn't have gotten information this valuable anywhere else.

 

I will go ahead and take my time and research Propecia a little more.

 

Hopefully, if I decide to use Propecia, it can stop my frontal hair loss. I know it probably won't grow my hair back but, it's something I will definitely start researching more.

 

 

Dr. Gaffney is a doctor with Hairclub. Bosley was horrible and I will never go back there. I will definitely research the doctors you all mentioned.

 

I live in the Los Angeles area. I have gone to clinics in all over Southern California. However, location isn't of concern for me.

 

I have another attached another photo so you all can see my overall patern. Any comments?

[gallup56]

Here is another attached photograph. So you can all see the pattern better.

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

gallup56-

Welcome to the HTN website.

I have looked over the three photos you have submitted; it appears that your hairloss is most evident in the hairline, frontal forelock and posterior frontal forelock area, is that correct?

At your age, I would be surprised if taking finasteride, at 1 mg/day, would have any physiologically dependant sexual side-effects. If that were to occur, those symptoms would reverse in 2 weeks following discontinuation of the medication.

I would recommend beginning that medication as soon as possible, as 90% of men taking that dosage will see a slowing or cessation of their hair loss. This is a very powerful tool in the overall battle to maintain your appearance. And although regrowth at the hairline is usually not observed, slowing or stopping the progression of your hair loss is the next best thing.

The decision to commit to a hair restoration procedure, especially at such a (relatively)young age should necessarily involve an in-depth personal consult and assessment of your current situation by an experienced Hair Restoration Surgeon. There you will also realize the importance of LONG RANGE PLANNING when it comes to designing and maintaining optimal cosmetic appearance through the next 50-60 YEARS!! Personally, it is not only important to me that my patients look good in one year, my goal is that they look good in 5, 10, 15 years from now. In a nutshell, you have "XXX" amount of hair follicles available to you throughout your lifetime. The art of this procedure is to make sure, as accurately as possible, that whatever restoration design is chosen, it is done so in such a conservative fashion that you will always be "ahead" (no pun intended) of the "supply-demand balance" at any given point following that initial design.

Right now, take your time, and, at the very least, see about getting a consult to consider beginning medical solutions (finasteride, rogaine)to help with your hair loss problem.

Hope this helps.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Timothy Carman

[Al - Moderator]

Originally posted by gallup56:

I have been using the LaserComb for 10 months and have very little improvement

 

I've found that a laser comb works better with Propecia. Laser combs help hair to grow, but don't do very much to stop the fallout. Propecia stops the hair from falling out, but doesn't do much for regrowth. Together you get both. The combination has been working OK for me.

 

Since you already have a laser comb, you may want to try using it again if you decide to start using Propecia.

[gallup56]

Thank you Dr. Carman and Behappy for your help. I will make an appointment with my physician to see if finasteride (Propecia) is right for me. I was using rogaine foam for 1 year and it did not stop my hair from falling out. My hair continued to fall out at an alarming rate and it was not till I purchased the Lasercomb that the hair loss stopped.

 

I understand now that I have a limited amount of donor hair and I will take my time and not rush into restoration surgery. I will keep you all updated and let you know what I decided to do when I see my doctor. Thank you all for your help.

 

I greatly appreciate it.

[hairbank]

Kudos to you for doing your homework and researching these things.

 

No matter what, I'd encourage you to try meds for awhile before getting a HT. I know some others will disagree with me, but, 20 yrs old is too young to get a HT. You have zero idea of how far and how fast your loss will progress, plus, your balding pattern overall seems undetected at this point............who knows if you'll start losing in the crown or thinning in other areas?

 

Hang in there, keep researching and, if you feel comfortable with them, see if the meds can help you at least hold on until you know more what you're dealing with in terms of an eventual overall loss pattern.

[Thinman123]

Gallup,

Do you stress alot from school, girl trouble, or anything like that? I am 22 yr old with much more severe hair loss than you. Like you, i began to shed hair at the age of 17. Now at 22, i have thinned into a NW6. I have taken Propecia, Rogaine, Procerin, Vitamins, etc. I took propecia for well over a year. It stops shedding, but for me it was too late because i was already thinned out. Dont delay, take Propecia A.S.A.P before things get worse. It works.

[Thinman123]

BTW, i just saw your pics. Your hair looks great man. Nothing too serious yet. Just get on Propecia. The side effects are minimal. Besides, IF, and thats a big if, you feel some sort of effect, just get off it. Nothing to lose but much to gain. Best of Luck.

[gallup56]

Thinman123,

 

I do not stress about girl troubles or school situation. I am doing well in school and I am very involved. I consider myself very popular with the ladies and my financial situation is great. So, I don't have that much stress. The main stress I have is from my hairloss. My dad is completely bald and my grandfathers on both sides are completely bald. My uncles are all bald and my older brother is going bald.

It's genetics. I have taken all of your advice and I have made an appointment with my doctor to see if propecia is right for me. My appointment is on Wednesday at 3:30pm. I will let you all know what happens. I think if I take propecia with a combination of the lasercomb, it would help. But, I will have to see. I will track my results very closely and keep you guys updated.

 

Thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate it.

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by gallup56:

Thinman123,

 

I do not stress about girl troubles or school situation. I am doing well in school and I am very involved. I consider myself very popular with the ladies and my financial situation is great. So, I don't have that much stress. The main stress I have is from my hairloss. My dad is completely bald and my grandfathers on both sides are completely bald. My uncles are all bald and my older brother is going bald.

It's genetics. I have taken all of your advice and I have made an appointment with my doctor to see if propecia is right for me. My appointment is on Wednesday at 3:30pm. I will let you all know what happens. I think if I take propecia with a combination of the lasercomb, it would help. But, I will have to see. I will track my results very closely and keep you guys updated.

 

Thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate it.

 

I remember being 21 - 23 yrs. old. I knew I was thinning pretty rapidly for a couple of years before it became obvious to most

people. A tough time, for sure.

[nm76]

Originally posted by M&M:

You will never be able to decide later in life to just 'shave your head' as you will have a scar. Now, you can get great scars now, but it's still a scar. Perhaps some FUE? Well, although the scarring is much less visible, the results are 'iffy' (in myh opinion) unless you go to a very select group of doctors.

 

M&M do you have examples of where the results by FUE are 'iffy'?. You do say it isn't when the select few doctors are performing that procedure. But that has me worried as I am thinking of having an FUE done myself - I just thought it was the next level after the strip procedure?

I suppose we could say the same thing about the strip procedure too no - results will be good when done by right doctor.?

Thanks

[M&M]

I suppose by 'iffy' examples of FUE, I tend to point in the direction of the largest proponents of FUE - Armani. It's not that the results are 'bad' in the sense that they are pluggy or anything, but the yield is not as strong as the results from his strip procedures. Therefore, you are using up more grafts (ie. 3,000) to get results that still pale next to the old 2,000 strip procedure. This is just my opinion and as more examples come forward, I may very well change my mind.

 

I've also seen some good FUE results, from both Armani, Feller, and ... I think that is it. It's certainly more rare to find good FUE results as there are really only a handful of doctors performing it.

 

I agree - it all depends on the doctor you select!

[HairTodayGoneTmrw]

A question that any good HT surgeon will ask you is what the hairloss is like in your family.

 

Since you said that most of your family members are now bald, it is a possibility that you too could reach a high degree (NW6+) at a fairly young age. If this is the case, I would advise against a HT as you will not only probably not get the density you would desire, but the hair transplanted might not be authentic permanent hair.

 

Believe me, you do not want to be transplanting hairs that could just fall out down the road and be left with a big scar.

 

Definately wait and see how things progress. Get on finasteride and try minoxidil. Give both at least a year to see how you react. You can even try shaving your head to see how you look, but do this before you opt in to any HT, as afterwards there is no going back =\