Am I balding at 15?

[John1991]

2 hours ago, THE TRUTH said:

I disagree with your statement Melvin and also with OP's parents statement that it is impossible to bald before 18. 

This is just not true. 

In this particular case it is debatable whether OP is balding. 

But generally speaking there are MANY cases of young guys starting to bald as early as 15-16 in high school. 

I had a friend of mine back in the day with extremely agressive Male Pattern Baldnedd who started going bald at 15.

He is now a full Norwood 6-7 at 30 with a shaved horseshoe. And he is extremely depressed because of this situation. 

OP I think you shouldn't wait and get on oral Finasteride/Dutasteride IMMEDIATELY. 

Remember, time is off the essence when it comes to fighting the evolutionnary curse of Permanent Male Pattern Baldness. 

Worst case scenario with these drugs is they will slow down your potential hairloss VERY significantly to the point that it doesn't affect your life. 

Trust me that will save you tens of thousans of dollars further down the road. 

Once you lose your hairline completely or get a slick bald spot in the crown then none of these drugs (not even some extremely hardcore stuff like castration, lupron with estrogen)  can regrow it and you will have to get several hair transplant surgeries...And as you know now by researching on this forum transplants are very expensive and   uncertain. The truth is they can never recreate native hair density and you'll have to deal with combover and Toppik, SMP for the rest of your life. 

Drugs like Fina/Duta are fantastic or  preventing things from getting worse and in SOME rare cases regrowing existing miniaturized hairs but they absolutely do not regrow hairlines or bald patches and often do not even reverse diffuse thinning.

Keeping what you have by getting on medication early is a billion times easier than trying to play catch-up with transplants once you are far gone....

I would suggest OP gets on oral Dutasteride 0.5mg daily and oral minoxidil because I suspect an agressive version of Male Pattern Baldness. This is what I would do personnaly if you could go back in time. (I wish I could haha....) 

Now some of you may think "Bro this is too extreme you're crazy !!!" 

Well okay but I think the very minimum he should consider doing is 0.25mg finasteride daily or 1mg 3 times a week + topical minoxidil mixed with tretinoin. 

It is safe to use finasteride and dutasteride once puberty is over. If you have doubts then I would consult a very experienced endocrinologist + a hair transplant surgeon. 

However in case you do not want to use oral Finasteride (which I totally understand bro 👍) then I would get on minoxidil & topical finasteride to "buy you some time" until you are 18. 

But definitely take SOME action. Don't wait.  

Can this guy be banned for suggesting this to a 15 year old?  The dude says it every time and its reckless to jump on Dut generally, even more so for a 15 year old 

[RTC]

I'd have to agree, AR blockers for a child going through puberty is not on, at all.

DHT is literally responsible for penile growth. Imagine having a micro penis but saving your hair...

[SteveUrkel02]

7 minutes ago, RTC said:

I'd have to agree, AR blockers for a child going through puberty is not on, at all.

DHT is literally responsible for penile growth. Imagine having a micro penis but saving your hair...

LMAO😂, I have to agree. Wait at least until you are 18 before you begin blocking DHT and if you are a late bloomer possibly until 19-20. But first you have to visit a dermatologist in order to clarify if you suffer from MPB.

[Britanium]

@thebullyeagleIt is likely you’re hair is shifting in to its “mature hairline” phase, which does seem early at 15, but certainly not impossible. It can usually occur at around age 17, but others can experience it earlier. As you mentioned that you will see a dermatologist then they can certainly take a look and investigate what’s happening. Absolutely nobody should even be considering Fin at you’re age, no Dr/Gp would even consider prescribing it. You already mentioned this in you’re first post. There is a difference between receding and a mature hairline, it is possible to lose hair from a early age, but I don’t think this is MPB. Definitely other options can be considered when you reach 18, if needed. With a high likelihood of future balding possible (family history) then it’s better to be proactive, i understand the concern here. Best advice ? Seek medical help as you intend too, dermatologist/trichologist etc. 

[thebullyeagle]

6 minutes ago, Britalien said:

@thebullyeagleIt is likely you’re hair is shifting in to its “mature hairline” phase, which does seem early at 15, but certainly not impossible. It can usually occur at around age 17, but others can experience it earlier. As you mentioned that you will see a dermatologist then they can certainly take a look and investigate what’s happening. Absolutely nobody should even be considering Fin at you’re age, no Dr/Gp would even consider prescribing it. You already mentioned this in you’re first post. There is a difference between receding and a mature hairline, it is possible to lose hair from a early age, but I don’t think this is MPB. Definitely other options can be considered when you reach 18, if needed. With a high likelihood of future balding possible (family history) then it’s better to be proactive, i understand the concern here. Best advice ? Seek medical help as you intend too, dermatologist/trichologist etc. 

Ye I thought it was a mature hairline at first but it's been like a few months ever since it started and it's only that one side. The other side is completely healthy and normal and shows no signs of thinning. But I'm not sure tho.

[Britanium]

Just now, thebullyeagle said:

Ye I thought it was a mature hairline at first but it's been like a few months ever since it started and it's only that one side. The other side is completely healthy and normal and shows no signs of thinning. But I'm not sure tho.

Monitor for any changes, it could easily take longer for the other side to also show signs of maturing. If it stays localised in one particular area then although more unusual it might show a different issue. Basically none of us armchair experts will know just by some pics, it’s going to take a professional eye/examination in person. 

[RTC]

1 minute ago, Britalien said:

Monitor for any changes, it could easily take longer for the other side to also show signs of maturing. If it stays localised in one particular area then although more unusual it might show a different issue. Basically none of us armchair experts will know just by some pics, it’s going to take a professional eye/examination in person. 

How come you disappeared for so long sir?

[Britanium]

11 minutes ago, RTC said:

How come you disappeared for so long sir?

Needed time out ! This gets very repetitive you know 😂

[SimpleLife]

2 minutes ago, THE TRUTH said:

 

I never changed my advice. You didn't take enough time to read my first post carefully and you are making assumptions. 

Everything you said until now is absolutely pointless and irrelevant. 

What is your point ? What are you trying to say specifically ? What are you trying to demonstrate ? 

 Mr. IMMEDIATELY, I literally quoted you🤡

You are conflicting yourself

And on top of that ur randomly throwing out dosages (talking about being pointless, the irony lol) without factoring in anything else other than he is balding. For example, the kid has acne, so a doctor needs to check if its wise to take hairloss medication (IF his diagnoses is MPB) alongside things like accutane (or something similar, if the is taking it) at his age. The risk/reward here is completely different than someone that is fully mature

2 minutes ago, THE TRUTH said:

I feel like you are just trying to argue with me without bringing any construstive argument at this point. 

Let me tell you. 

This forum has been created precisely and exactly for guys to share their experience and share advice. 

Dont think these forums should be for 15 year olds after reading all of this. Atleast he asks some questions, but another desperate teenager might read all of this and jump onto anything just to get his hair back, ignoring all warnings..

2 minutes ago, THE TRUTH said:

Of course he is going to visit a legit medical professionnal regardless of your advice, or my advice or any information he may have come across online. 

''Of course''? This is just an assumption.. From what I've read so far he has no intention to see someone specialized in hair. He is just going to ask his dermatologist about it, thats it

[THE TRUTH]

1 hour ago, John1991 said:

Can this guy be banned for suggesting this to a 15 year old?  The dude says it every time and its reckless to jump on Dut generally, even more so for a 15 year old 

You are not a medical professionnal and obviously you don't what you are talking about.

It is not "reckless" to jump on Dutasteride like you say. Again, your statement is pure lack of knowledge  based on hearsay and  basic cheap fear mongering around something you have no clue about. 

Dutasteride is still one if the most effective treatments and is very commonly prescribed off-label to treat Androgenic Alopecia.  The scientifical evidence suggest it is better than Finasteride.  I suggest you ask any good hair specialist  doctors like Pinto, Freitas, Mwamba etc...They are all big advocates of Dutasteride. 

 

[NickJ]

I think any sound Dr. will reject the idea of giving Finasteride to a 15 year old.

I know a lot of doctors even refuse to give it at 18-19 and would rather wait until 21-22

[THE TRUTH]

24 minutes ago, SimpleLife said:

 Mr. IMMEDIATELY, I literally quoted you🤡

You are conflicting yourself

And on top of that ur randomly throwing out dosages (talking about being pointless, the irony lol) without factoring in anything else other than he is balding. For example, the kid has acne, so a doctor needs to check if its wise to take hairloss medication (IF his diagnoses is MPB) alongside things like accutane (or something similar, if the is taking it) at his age. The risk/reward here is completely different than someone that is fully mature

Dont think these forums should be for 15 year olds after reading all of this. Atleast he asks some questions, but another desperate teenager might read all of this and jump onto anything just to get his hair back, ignoring all warnings..

''Of course''? This is just an assumption.. From what I've read so far he has no intention to see someone specialized in hair. He is just going to ask his dermatologist about it, thats it

 

24 minutes ago, SimpleLife said:

 Mr. IMMEDIATELY, I literally quoted you🤡

You are conflicting yourself

And on top of that ur randomly throwing out dosages (talking about being pointless, the irony lol) without factoring in anything else other than he is balding. For example, the kid has acne, so a doctor needs to check if its wise to take hairloss medication (IF his diagnoses is MPB) alongside things like accutane (or something similar, if the is taking it) at his age. The risk/reward here is completely different than someone that is fully mature

Dont think these forums should be for 15 year olds after reading all of this. Atleast he asks some questions, but another desperate teenager might read all of this and jump onto anything just to get his hair back, ignoring all warnings..

''Of course''? This is just an assumption.. From what I've read so far he has no intention to see someone specialized in hair. He is just going to ask his dermatologist about it, thats it

I feel like you are either trolling or arguing purely for the sake of arguing. 

I am not conflicting myself at all. Again, read my posts. Everything makes sense and my reasonning is logical. 

Anyways, the point is. 

Kid, 

A. Get a proper diagnosis first from a legit medical professionnal. Ideally a good hair transplant surgeon or a specialized  trichologist. Not a general practicioner. Also consult an endocrinologist. 

B.  Follow his advive and start treating your hairloss as soon as possible with legit treatments (if any) 

Your doctor will determine which specific treatment is best adapted for your particular case and severity of androgeni  alopecia (if any) 

Period 

Good luck ! 

[Britanium]

Just now, NickJ said:

I think any sound Dr. will reject the idea of giving Finasteride to a 15 year old.

I know a lot of doctors even refuse to give it at 18-19 and would rather wait until 21-22

Correct, at least that’s the case here in the UK, elsewhere I’m guessing it’s 18+ too. 

[THE TRUTH]

3 minutes ago, NickJ said:

I think any sound Dr. will reject the idea of giving Finasteride to a 15 year old.

I know a lot of doctors even refuse to give it at 18-19 and would rather wait until 21-22

Some doctors do prescribe it to guys under 18. I've seen it.

That said, I agree that there are decent topicals  alternative to oral Finasteride Nick that can be used to buy some time until the you're 18-19

[NickJ]

Just now, THE TRUTH said:

Some doctors do prescribe it to guys under 18. I've seen it.

That said, I agree that there are decent topicals  alternative to oral Finasteride Nick that can be used to buy some time until the you're 18-19

Well in Belgium my experience (and some of my friends) was that you already need to have a visible hair-loss before getting it prescribed to you. You couldn't get it preventively. So most people have to wait until they're 20-21 to finally get it.

Which besides extremely aggressive cases of hair-loss is not a bad thing IMO as some male end puberty later (19/20 years old)

[SeanT1]

At such a young age it could also be a dietary thing, or even how rough you might be with styling hair.
Both of these can be fixed without medication of course.  Just make lifestyle changes.

Also you're too young for finasteride and all that, perhaps take some biotin supplements.  

Edited July 27, 2022 by SeanToman

[GoliGoliGoli]

8 hours ago, THE TRUTH said:

Or if he doesn't want to use it then topical finasteride & topical minoxidil + tretinoin or a topical AA. 

I've read about tret + min being better than just min. Is anyone selling this pre-mixed. Or are people mixing it on their own? 

[nks123]

12 hours ago, THE TRUTH said:

 

OP I think you shouldn't wait and get on oral Finasteride/Dutasteride IMMEDIATELY. 

 

You are literally crazy for recommending finasteride and dutasteride to a fifteen year old boy. His body needs testosterone and DHT. And yes, balding may be a side effect of that.  

[Britanium]

Just now, nks123 said:

You are literally crazy for recommending finasteride and dutasteride to a fifteen year old boy. His body needs testosterone and DHT. And yes, balding may be a side effect of that.  

Reckless advice for sure, absolutely nobody should be giving medical advice here, especially to someone so young. 

[Melvin- Admin]

6 minutes ago, nks123 said:

You are literally crazy for recommending finasteride and dutasteride to a fifteen year old boy. His body needs testosterone and DHT. And yes, balding may be a side effect of that.  

I’ve given him a 2-month suspension. Frankly, his advice is reckless. Telling patients they’re botched before having the facts, and when they’re at 6 months. Bad advice, which is actually harmful to the community.

 

[GoliGoliGoli]

10 hours ago, SimpleLife said:

If he starts to use minoxidil for example and stops with it 6 months later, his hair will be much worse than what he has now. In order for him to be consistent he needs to know what he is doing, which is impossible as a young guy reading a zillion conflicting things online. Someone talking with him in real life hits different than reading a bunch of things here and there. 

 

I'm curious about this actually. I assume you mean because he may never recover from the shedding phase? I believe their was one study that claimed this not the case and that you basically can expect to always recover from the shedding phase in most situations. Obviously I'm sure their are some cases where people come away worse off from Min, but I think it's rare? Willing to be corrected though and I can dig up the study if needed. 

[John1991]

10 hours ago, THE TRUTH said:

You are not a medical professionnal and obviously you don't what you are talking about.

It is not "reckless" to jump on Dutasteride like you say. Again, your statement is pure lack of knowledge  based on hearsay and  basic cheap fear mongering around something you have no clue about. 

Dutasteride is still one if the most effective treatments and is very commonly prescribed off-label to treat Androgenic Alopecia.  The scientifical evidence suggest it is better than Finasteride.  I suggest you ask any good hair specialist  doctors like Pinto, Freitas, Mwamba etc...They are all big advocates of Dutasteride. 

 

You're the one typing in all caps telling a 15 year old to jump on the strongest possible DHT blocking drugs and mentioning how your bald friend is super depressed.  Those are the two most fear mongering statements you could make - especially to an impressionable 15 year old kid.  The "worst case scenario" you listed is that the medicine works...  That's best case.  Worst case is it doesn't work and you have really negative side effects.  I don't for a second believe the ED rates given in relation to Fin and Dut is roughly 20% stronger, so it's absolutely not something that should be taken lightly.  There is more to life than literally torching everything to block DHT as much as is humanly possible - especially when small dosages of fin are quite effective and significantly less likely to produce a negative response.  Lastly, if this kid is losing his hair at such a young age, there's a good chance he won't respond to the drugs at all - as that would be an indication of potentially quite severe MPB.

[Melvin- Admin]

4 minutes ago, John1991 said:

You're the one typing in all caps telling a 15 year old to jump on the strongest possible DHT blocking drugs and mentioning how your bald friend is super depressed.  Those are the two most fear mongering statements you could make - especially to an impressionable 15 year old kid.  The "worst case scenario" you listed is that the medicine works...  That's best case.  Worst case is it doesn't work and you have really negative side effects.  I don't for a second believe the ED rates given in relation to Fin and Dut is roughly 20% stronger, so it's absolutely not something that should be taken lightly.  There is more to life than literally torching everything to block DHT as much as is humanly possible - especially when small dosages of fin are quite effective and significantly less likely to produce a negative response.  Lastly, if this kid is losing his hair at such a young age, there's a good chance he won't respond to the drugs at all - as that would be an indication of potentially quite severe MPB.

 DHT is essential for puberty in boys. Boys who lack sufficient DHT in their development stages can have an array of issues including micro-penis. Absolutely reckless advice. My nephew is 15 years old. I would never ever suggest any hormone altering medication, whilst he’s still developing. 

[sukh123]

15 minutes ago, John1991 said:

You're the one typing in all caps telling a 15 year old to jump on the strongest possible DHT blocking drugs and mentioning how your bald friend is super depressed.  Those are the two most fear mongering statements you could make - especially to an impressionable 15 year old kid.  The "worst case scenario" you listed is that the medicine works...  That's best case.  Worst case is it doesn't work and you have really negative side effects.  I don't for a second believe the ED rates given in relation to Fin and Dut is roughly 20% stronger, so it's absolutely not something that should be taken lightly.  There is more to life than literally torching everything to block DHT as much as is humanly possible - especially when small dosages of fin are quite effective and significantly less likely to produce a negative response.  Lastly, if this kid is losing his hair at such a young age, there's a good chance he won't respond to the drugs at all - as that would be an indication of potentially quite severe MPB.

Listen he goes overboard sometimes , well a lot lol. But he does make  some good points most of the time . But recommending a 15 year old for dht blocker  is indefensible . 

[GoliGoliGoli]

There clearly is an understanding here about the importance of DHT during puberty. But for all the guys supporting Fin/Dut usage, do you not believe there is any use for DHT after puberty, or is maintaining hair count just more important ? Generally your body doesn't spend precious energy producing molecules it doesn't need - there is strong natural selection pressure against this. So why would your body produce DHT if their is no physiological function for this androgen?