I'm not sure what else i can do...

[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.

[IamShedding]

Hey NoComb

 

I saw your photos on your earlier post about switching meds. I can't tell for sure, but it looks as if your hair is fairly dense on the sides and I would assume on the back as well. You could get a transplant and it may look good for a year or two. But if you're genetically predisposed (did I say that right?) to lose all of your hair by the time you reach 30, the transplant would be a waste of time and money. Not to mention the fact that you would have permanent scars as a result. I wouldn't want to make that gamble.

However, there are other solutions. I don't necessarily advocate any of them, but you may want to look into them.

 

(A.) Dr. Feller made a recent post about platelet rich plasma as a hair restoration treatment. (I'm still doing research on that one)

 

(B.) If you look good with a shaved head, (I don't) you may want to consider that.

 

(C.) Apparently there have been great advancements in hair pieces and systems. And once again, I'm not advocating. If you read other threads on this forum, you'll see strong arguments for and against. I'm just trying to make sure you're aware of all your options.

[Blake Bloxham]

NoComb,

 

Thank you for sharing your story. It's disheartening to hear how badly hair loss is affecting your daily life, but I think you've made a good decision in being proactive and coming to forums for advice.

 

First, at your age (which I assume is early 20s based on the "university" comment) taking preventive medications is the best thing you can do. You're probably a bit young for an actual hair transplant procedure, but sticking with the finasteride and considering adding minoxidil (Rogaine) and maybe even a shampoo like Nizoral could really help stabilize and reverse some of the loss and make a transplant a realistic possibility in the future.

 

Additionally, if you haven't done so already, I do recommend making an appointment with a dermatologist or hair restoration physician to undergo an evaluation of your hair and current loss pattern and create a restoration plan suited for your particular case.

 

I hope this helps! Please, feel free to ask any additional questions. Good luck.