16 Year Old with Frontal Hair Loss — Should He Take Rogaine or Propecia?

Hey Doc,

I am experiencing thinning at the middle-front of my hairline, and my doctor has prescribed me Nizoral 2% and Rogaine.

However, after reading your post at Why Do Hair Loss Treatments Not Work in the Frontal Hairline?, I realize that you say “finasteride does work to slow down or stop hair loss in the frontal area, particularly if caught early enough.”

I have caught it early (I am only 16), and am taking every measure I can to control my hairloss. Does Rogaine not help with the hairline? Only Finasteride? I need to gather all the information I can so I can talk to my doctor about prescribing the proper medication for my situation. Thank you so much.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) does not stop the genetic balding process like finasteride (Propecia), so the use of minoxidil may not be the right move for you in the long term. Either medication may help with the hairline, but results have been more consistent in the top of the scalp.

First, I would want to do a mapping of your scalp for miniaturization to be sure that you are actually in the genetic balding process. If I confirmed that and I was your doctor (which I am not), then after understanding much about you, your medical history, your growth history, and doing a physical examination, I might prescribe this drug. I can’t make a blanket statement about prescribing medications to men I haven’t communicated with beyond a single email and prescribing a medication that is generally not recommended for a 16 year would require special circumstances to be considered like where you growth is at this time (height, bone growth, etc..)