Am I going bald!???

[Norcal]

Ok, so I'd never really taken a mirror to the back of my head before. I'd always kinda felt a hair whorl/cowlick back there. One day I looked at the back of my head and was very concerned! It appeared like I was going bald. I just turned 20, so I realize that its within the realm of possibility. My dad didn't start losing his hair until he was in his early 30s, but now is pretty sparse on top as he is about to turn 50. One of his brothers still has a full head of hair, and the other lost his hair in his early 20s. My mom's dad started balding in his 40s, although I've heard that the whole mom's side of the family thing is false. Anyways, I'll post some pics, and give me the honest truth. I asked both my parents and they said I wasn't, but my roommate in college commented on how it looked like I was balding in the back because he can see a circle!! Here they are. I'm definitely not balding in the front, but the crown is what I'm worried about. That's where my dad started to lose his hair too!

 

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Akajjred/?action...rent=09082008010.jpg

 

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Akajjred/?action...rent=09082008009.jpg

 

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Akajjred/?action...rent=09082008008.jpg

 

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Akajjred/?action...rent=09082008007.jpg

 

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Akajjred/?action...rent=09082008006.jpg

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

Norcal-

Welcome to the HTN.

From the looks of those photos, I can see that you do have some thinning occurring, most likely MPB (male pattern baldness) which is due to DHT which affects the growing follicle.

At your age, the most cost effective behavior you can

adopt is to begin taking finasteride at a dosage of 1mg/day.

The most inexpensive way to obtain and take this medication is to

purchase the 5mg tablets and break them into quarters, taking 1/4 tablet daily.

In 90% of men, this will stop or greatly slow your hairloss.

Of that group, 10% will experience re-growth of hair, and that phenomena is most evident primarily in the crown.

At your age, surgery is NOT advisable, especially surgery related to the crown area, in view of the benefits you may garner from medical treatment (finasteride) alone.

Also, rogaine used in addition to finasteride has a synergistic effect when used together, i.e., 1+1=3.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

[badger_01]

I couldn't really tell..looks really minimal to me. Like Dr Carman said, get on Propecia/Proscar and Rogaine and don't worry about it!

If you do start to lose more, feel secure knowing that there are great options for restoration these days...you're a several years away if you ever need it!

[vijai]

Most of the hair loss occur due to heat body.drink water often.

take meditation.without proper sleep you cannot control your hair loss because of without proper sleeping our body heat will increase.

 

(promotional link removed)

[HealthyLiving8]

You can detect the early signs of male baldness in the photograph. But don't worry much, with the progress in science, we are now able to transplant naturally growing hair.

[Amit Jain]

yah vijay you are right that body temperature increase our hair loss problem, but i don't think that drinking water often can occur the hair loss problem, please explain how come this is possible

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

Norcal-

Did you decide to get on the med(s)???

[Norcal]

Hey guys,

 

Yea, I've been on Propecia and have started using over the counter Nizoral (1%), for a month now. I've kinda come to terms with my hairloss, which I think is good. If I go bald, so be it. If the propecia works, great, if not I'll have to live with it. I don't want to use Rogaine because it seems like too much of a hassle. As for sides from Propecia, I've only noticed one. My semem is definitely more 'watery', but it hasn't affected my sex drive or my erectile function so I can't really complain. Right now, I'm still shedding hairs, but I think that's to be expected. I'm not sure if I'm shedding more than I was before really, maybe a little, but nothing ridiculous.

Also, I should note that my hairloss was a bit more extensive then those pics show. I got my haircut right before going on propecia, and it was clear that I was definitely a diffuse thinner all over the top. I had bloodwork done to make sure it wasn't anything with my thyroid (which my family has a history of). The dermatologist I saw was convinced it was MPB anyways. I'll keep you guys posted though. Sorry if I don't visit the site a lot, but I'm really trying not to think about it that much and just focus on other things.

 

Norcal

[john36]

Originally posted by Dr. Timothy Carman:

Norcal-

Welcome to the HTN.

From the looks of those photos, I can see that you do have some thinning occurring, most likely MPB (male pattern baldness) which is due to DHT which affects the growing follicle.

At your age, the most cost effective behavior you can

adopt is to begin taking finasteride at a dosage of 1mg/day.

The most inexpensive way to obtain and take this medication is to

purchase the 5mg tablets and break them into quarters, taking 1/4 tablet daily.

In 90% of men, this will stop or greatly slow your hairloss.

Of that group, 10% will experience re-growth of hair, and that phenomena is most evident primarily in the crown.

At your age, surgery is NOT advisable, especially surgery related to the crown area, in view of the benefits you may garner from medical treatment (finasteride) alone.

Also, rogaine used in addition to finasteride has a synergistic effect when used together, i.e., 1+1=3.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

 

Hello Dr.Carman

 

1.

5mg finasteride devided by 4 is 1.25 mg

2.

Propecia is 1 mg finasteride.

3.

Your recomendation is 25% more than the FDA aproved

4.

If 1 mg and 1.25 mg predicate expressions that differ in their quantity extension, then the concept expressed by your recomendation of dosage is distinct.

 

 

Patient question:

1.Why does your recomendation differ from the FDA aproved dosage?

2.In order to provide complete and correct accounts of the quantity of the dosage of finasteride,for hair loss sufferers, are you having knowledge,or at least have some understanding of a given concept,that the FDA doesn't or didn't?

3.

How does one aquire (or as you say,purchase)5 mg

finasteride?Is there a market for that?

Only medicine,that I know of,other than Propecia,that is consisted of finasteride is Proscar which is prescription drug for prostate enlargement.

4.

Can a doctor prescribe Proscar which is covered under health insurance plans to substitute Propecia which is not?

 

Just curious...I want to be on the safe side.

[john36]

If you ejacuate as you say more watery semen now at 20 years old because you started finasteride treatment I would tell that to your family doc,not HT doc .Your family physician.

 

Kid,you are not bold and you are 20.I know getting bold can bother u.It bothered me.

 

But bro think please.

[Norcal]

Ok, so I took propecia for 3.5 months. From what I could tell, it was really working. Hair seemed stronger and much fuller already. It worked. Having said that, I will NEVER touch the stuff again. After having done my research and seeing the permanent side effects it can cause. NO thanks. I'd rather have a sex life and be bald then, have hair and be impotent. The side effects definitely crept on as well. First it was the watery semen. Then, a lowered sex drive. Then the day I quit was when I had trouble getting it up to masturbate. I finally did orgasm, but there was very little feeling. I felt like I gained weight in my stomach. Stopped the drug in january and thank god everything went back to normal.

 

So I waited about a month and then started using rogaine. I used rogaine for about a week, when I noticed that my ED came back with a vengeance. I did not put 2 and 2 together at first because I was not aware rogaine could cause ED. I stopped, and a few days later back to normal.

 

Tried it again, took it for a month this time. Seemed to be working, but the ED was too much. Quit it. A week on, and the equipment downstairs is improving, but by no means fixed. I still use the nizoral shampoo. I am now pretty much resigned to buzzing my head down, and eventually shaving it. My uncle has a shaved head, looks fine. I feel like I made a much bigger deal about the hairloss than I had to.

[kalta1]

I don't think you are going bald. Maybe a little paranoid?

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by john36:

Originally posted by Dr. Timothy Carman:

Norcal-

Welcome to the HTN.

From the looks of those photos, I can see that you do have some thinning occurring, most likely MPB (male pattern baldness) which is due to DHT which affects the growing follicle.

At your age, the most cost effective behavior you can

adopt is to begin taking finasteride at a dosage of 1mg/day.

The most inexpensive way to obtain and take this medication is to

purchase the 5mg tablets and break them into quarters, taking 1/4 tablet daily.

In 90% of men, this will stop or greatly slow your hairloss.

Of that group, 10% will experience re-growth of hair, and that phenomena is most evident primarily in the crown.

At your age, surgery is NOT advisable, especially surgery related to the crown area, in view of the benefits you may garner from medical treatment (finasteride) alone.

Also, rogaine used in addition to finasteride has a synergistic effect when used together, i.e., 1+1=3.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

 

Hello Dr.Carman

 

1.

5mg finasteride devided by 4 is 1.25 mg

2.

Propecia is 1 mg finasteride.

3.

Your recomendation is 25% more than the FDA aproved

4.

If 1 mg and 1.25 mg predicate expressions that differ in their quantity extension, then the concept expressed by your recomendation of dosage is distinct.

 

 

Patient question:

1.Why does your recomendation differ from the FDA aproved dosage?

2.In order to provide complete and correct accounts of the quantity of the dosage of finasteride,for hair loss sufferers, are you having knowledge,or at least have some understanding of a given concept,that the FDA doesn't or didn't?

3.

How does one aquire (or as you say,purchase)5 mg

finasteride?Is there a market for that?

Only medicine,that I know of,other than Propecia,that is consisted of finasteride is Proscar which is prescription drug for prostate enlargement.

4.

Can a doctor prescribe Proscar which is covered under health insurance plans to substitute Propecia which is not?

 

Just curious...I want to be on the safe side.

 

The best explanation I heard on this was in a post Dr. Cooley made a few months back. If you search his name you could find it. But basically, he said the 1mg was just the dosage that was tested and approved. They didn't test 1.25 mg or .75 mg and say that was too much or too little.

 

So, some doctors believe a little more for younger patients might be applicable, less for maintenance, etc. But, he has definitely provided you with a cheaper alternative than the propecia.