Hair Transplant on a 20 year old...

[G]

Hi... i'd like to thank the creators of this site for giving hope to people like me who, until finding this site felt doomed to a life of zero confidence. Thanks.

 

Anyway, i'm a 20 year old male who is going through a rather traumatic time right now. I'm a student, and I have diffuse thinning of the entire scalp. My hairline is moving back and the hair is becoming thin and unmanagable.

 

My regime or Regaine 5%, Proscar 1mg and Nizoral seems to be doing nothing... (4 months in)... I have been forced to wear a cap everywhere I go and cannot bear the thought of my friends finding out (all of whom have excellent hair... Grrr).

 

My problem is, I know that in years my hair will go to resemble my dads, who has the horse show (but still some coverage, if you understand). I feel that a hairtransplant is the only real option for me right now... I dont want it to progress any further.

 

My question, is would a doctor be prepared to operate on me at my age knowing that the hairloss will worsen? I do have the money to go for a HT, but I feel several will be needed over the years...

 

Any help/suggestions, i'd be happy to read them to put my mind at ease.

Thanks...

[G]

Hi... i'd like to thank the creators of this site for giving hope to people like me who, until finding this site felt doomed to a life of zero confidence. Thanks.

 

Anyway, i'm a 20 year old male who is going through a rather traumatic time right now. I'm a student, and I have diffuse thinning of the entire scalp. My hairline is moving back and the hair is becoming thin and unmanagable.

 

My regime or Regaine 5%, Proscar 1mg and Nizoral seems to be doing nothing... (4 months in)... I have been forced to wear a cap everywhere I go and cannot bear the thought of my friends finding out (all of whom have excellent hair... Grrr).

 

My problem is, I know that in years my hair will go to resemble my dads, who has the horse show (but still some coverage, if you understand). I feel that a hairtransplant is the only real option for me right now... I dont want it to progress any further.

 

My question, is would a doctor be prepared to operate on me at my age knowing that the hairloss will worsen? I do have the money to go for a HT, but I feel several will be needed over the years...

 

Any help/suggestions, i'd be happy to read them to put my mind at ease.

Thanks...

[uncjim]

G,

I understand your feelings as I started loosing my hair at the age of 19. It was pretty much all I thought about.

 

What I see is what might be the very beginning stages of baldness. At this point, your hair looks quite good.

 

Give the regime of medication more time. The odds are very good that it will at the very least help with maintaining the hair that you have now. Any responsible doctor will tell you to relax and keep doing what you're doing.

 

A hair transplant at this time of your life is not a good idea.

 

Jim

[luckoftheirish]

Hairlines are dynamic if you are balding or not. If you can keep what you have with meds you will not look like you are balding, you will look normal.

 

Hang in there dude.

[arfy]

At only four months on Propecia, you need to wait and stay the course with your meds. This is a long-term treatment, and it takes time to see results. Give it a year at least.

 

The best case scenario is that the meds work for you, and you can avoid hair transplant surgery. You still have a ton of hair, you are young with recent hair loss... you are a prime candidate for those meds and should see results. At a minimum you should be able to keep the hair you still have right now.

 

A small percentage of guys are non-responders to medication and hopefully you are not a member of that group (although it is way to early to tell). These drugs do not work that well on reversing hairloss, but they usually work very well at stopping (or seriously slowing down) your hair loss.

 

If you stay the course and are a responder, you will never have to be bald. Other drugs and better treatments are in development too, so keep your head up.

 

The best candidates for a hair transplant are older guys (30s at least, in my opinion) with more advanced hair loss than you, and a distinct pattern of baldness.

[Guest]

G,

I think everyone here understands where you're coming from. I was in your shoes too, long hair and all. I noticed that my hair looked a little thicker when I cut it shorter. You might try it.

I also agree with what everyone is saying. 20 years old is too young. Stay on the meds and hang in there. I know it can be tough, but look for the postives in your life and try not to dwell on the negatives.

[G]

Thanks for the replies guys... I do intend sticking out the treatments, and I am considering a hair cut which is scarey... Dont know the last time it was short.

 

i'll slug it out, heh, but if worse comes to worse, I know I have the option of a HT...

 

Thanks again

[Core9]

G,

I am 34, and have LONG hair...started really losing it when I was 26, got my first transplants at ages 26 and 28 to rebuild my hairline. From the pics I saw..you are fine right now and what you are noticing no one else is. I thought my hair was in bad shape when I was your age, but once it REALLY became bad I realized I wasted 5 years worrying about something that wasn't even bad yet. In other words, enjoy what you have right now... don't cut off your hair (there are not enough of us), keep taking the meds, and hang in there. I would kill for a head of hair like yours at this point. I've had 6 small sessions in the past 8 yrs, I refuse to cut off my hair. Hope this was helpful.

[Guest]

Man, I feel for ya dude. I started thinning when I was 20 and it was absolutley devastating. I was used to being a good looking guy (I used to model), and take on each day with confidence. I felt I had both taken away from me. Trust me when I say that your hair loss is at it's beginning phases and can be stopped or even reversed. Your regimine is sound. Stick with the Proscar. You've only been on it for 4 months, which isn't enough time to tell anything at all. I didn't notice any real regrowth til the 9 or 10 month mark and am at 15 months now and still notice more and more each week. Do what I've done and exhaust the meds. And then and only then, proceed with an HT. And one that is reputable and on this site.

 

Cheers,

 

danger

[Smoothy]

G,

I understand you "emotional pain". I myself a decade ago started loosing my hair at the same time as you did. I had my first HT when I was 23 and in hinesight should have waited a couple more years. My first HT was just for my temples receeding area-- but should have waited. I didnt have the meds back then like now. I didnt start the meds your on until 6 yrs ago. The meds, for me, didnt regrow hair but limited/reduced the fallout. They should by you more time and I woul HIGHLY recommend trying to wait a few more years. You have long hair-- Like I did at one time.

A great solution-- which a stylest to the stars told me; is cut your hair short. The longer your hair is, the "thinner" it looks because of the weight of the hair. Cutting it should-- especially in the front hairline area, makes the hair "standup" and thereby giving an illusion of thicker hair.

When I did cut my hair short in the front and compared to my before pics-- it looked like I had thicker hair. Try this and I think you will be really surprised.

Continue the meds and by 12 months they should kick in-- DONT GET OFF THE MEDS.

Also, try combing your hair forward if your receding hairline bothers you a lot.

Good luck and in 3 years, technology will be even better than it is now.

[G]

It's good, that you guys can sympathise with this condition. (it would be better if we didnt have to at all though)

 

I really appriciate your input because I get days, and you may too, when I just get so down I wanna bury myself in the floor.

 

Now, to cut it or to not cut it?

 

Its such a tough one now... lol...

 

Thanks guys...