RSS FeedHair Loss Starting at 20. What to Do?Posted by doctorhasson on January 25th, 2010
I am turning 20 in a couple of months and have been experiencing hair loss for a year now. My temples are slowly receding and my hair is becoming flimsy and thin. My hair loss is at a point where it is only really noticeable to myself and I comb my hair in a way that hides it. I have hair loss on both sides of my family with the most extreme form being type Va. What can I do at this point to help my deal with the hair loss? I will need a transplant one day, but right now I still have hair on my head, although I can tell its thinning and I will eventually lose it. Is there any way that you can predict a patients hairless while they still have enough hair not to be considered bald? I don’t want to wait until I am completely bald to fix my hair. — M.S.
Thanks for the question, M.S. It is difficult to predict the eventual state of your hair loss. You may follow the pattern that other family members experienced but it isn’t necessarily the case. The best course of action at your age is to see a doctor about a prescription of finasteride. Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) slows or stops thinning in the mid-scalp and crown and may also promote some regrowth in those areas. It is only occasionally effective for slowing hair loss in the hairline. After taking the medication for a couple of years, a hair transplant doctor will be in a better position to know whether surgery is a good option for you. For now, you’ll have to wait and see.
— Victor Hasson, MD.
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Hi,
I guess I am lucky as I have got to my forties with what I’ll call cosmetically acceptable hairloss. I have never tried any treatments, including finasteride. But now I am beginning to develop a balding arc from temple to temple (as well as recession and thinning on the crown and mid-scalp, but I’ve lived with that). Should I therefore be trying finasteride, if it is rarely helpful at the front? My preference would be to avoid drugs (side-effects) and consider the one-stop solution of a transplant. Or do you recommend patients take finasteride after transplant? In which case, I might as well try it first?
Many thanks.
June 16th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Hello.
Finasteride is worth a try. It usually helps with the crown, is sometimes helpful at mid-scalp, though rarely an aid to hair loss in the hairline. The side-effects you are concerned about occur in a minority of men and can be adjusted if you do experience them. We have thousands of patients successfully taking the medication without issue. You also have the added benefit of safeguarding your prostate as Finasteride is the drug used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), a condition of aging that affects so many men.
You may want to consult a doctor to try Finasteride to see if they gain any benefit, and yes, the majority of our patients will use finasteride after a hair transplant. Why? Because although the transplanted hair is DHT resistant, the native hair will still be at risk. Hair loss tends to be progressive. You don’t want to be “chasing hair loss” with further hair transplants if you can avoid it. So, consult a doctor about Finasteride and see if it works for you. Remember that it may take months before there is any benefit.
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Thanks for the question. As per the usual disclaimer, this is not intended as medical advice. If you have any health concerns including concerns about hair loss, consult your family physician, or, book an appointment at the Hasson & Wong clinic.
Victor Hasson, MD.