20 Years Old, Just Started Minoxidil and Proscar

Hi. Dr. Rassman,

I am a 20-year old male and have been experiencing hair loss since around the end of high school (when I was about 18-years old). It wasn’t bad then, just a little noticeable on the sides. However, over the past 2 years, it has gotten progressively worse, and now the crown area is getting really bad. In September, I started doing laser therapy, but it haven’t seen any new hair growth and am still experiencing hair loss. About a month ago, I added minoxidil and proscar to my hair care regimen in hopes of not losing any more hair and if possible, growing some of it back. However, when I shower, I still lose hair when I shampoo (with Nizoral) and when I apply minoxidil, hairs still come off my head and I can see them in my hands. It seems like none of these products are working for me, and I am really deciding whether or not to get a hair transplant procedure done. I am going to attach some pictures to this e-mail so you can see what my hair looks like, and I hope you can tell me, by looking at the pics, if I should be patient and continue with the minoxidil, proscar, and laser, or if I should just forget about that and just do a hair transplant. As I said previously, I am only 20 and losing my hair is constantly on my mind, which sometimes interferes with my studying and my thoughts when I am around other people (I always think they are going to stare). Can you PLEASE let me know if a hair transplant is out of the question for me or not, or if I should wait a bit and see if proscar and minoxidil work? Thank you so much for your time and patience, and I hope that you have time to reply. Thanks again!

If you want to be proactive with your hair loss problem (as I see that you are with your finasteride and minoxidil regimen) you should be evaluated by a doctor and have your scalp hair mapped for miniaturization. Your photographs are a start, but you should really seek a private consultation with a physician. This site is not meant to give personal or private medical advice.

You must wait and give the medications time to work (about a year). Get yourself evaluated now and again in a year. Hair transplants may be out of the question at this time, but if your medication fails to work and you continue with frank balding patterns emerging, then a reassessment is worthwhile.