Hello. I have a 19 year old son who is an actor and his hair is thinning so much we can see his scalp. He takes singulair and advair for asthma and I was wondering if you know if any of these could be a cause. My husbands’ side of the family has a lot of bald men as well as his mom’s brothers. Not my family so much, except my mom and sis have pretty thin hair. He is really worried as he is an upcoming actor. Propecia is so expensive…Is there anyway to get it cheaper and how would one know if stress is the cause..Applying to colleges was very stressful and being a freshman as well. I know he could eat better and have told him to take vitamins. I just don’t know how to help him! Would appreciate any advice..

Genetic balding in men is commonly known as androgenic alopecia (AGA) or male pattern baldness (MPB). It does not matter if the mother or father or grandparents had a full head of hair. It does not always follow a specific family tree pattern. Keep in mind that even if you have hair loss, it does not necessarily mean you will go completely bald. It varies for many men. While there is no cure for AGA/MPB, there are medications and surgery which can help. As far as over-the-counter supplements, vitamins, shampoos, or other products, they promise a cure but they often fall way short. Consumers will spend millions if not billions each year on such promises of hair growth. In the end, even proven medical and surgical treatments have limitations.

I highly doubt asthma medications (Singulair, etc) or stress has much to do with your son’s hair thinning. If your son (not you) is bothered by the thinning, he should see a physician to discuss his options, such as Propecia (finasteride 1mg). Propecia is a brand name drug that is relatively expensive because of its U.S. Patent protection. Propecia is the only FDA approved oral medication for the treatment of AGA/MPB. Since Propecia is under patent protection, generic finasteride in 1mg strength is not available in the United States; however, generic finasteride in 5mg strength is. As such, in the interest of finances, some patients (after discussion with their physician) may choose to have a prescription of finasteride in 5mg strength and break it up in the equivalent dose as Propecia. Ideally this would be breaking up the pill in 5 pieces, but that is not practical and most patients break it up in 4 pieces.

I am a 20-year-old male and just began Propecia about a week ago. I have been looking and feeling my hair a ton since I began the drug. To me, it seems almost as if my hair is worse after starting it? My crown feels thinner to the touch and my hairline seems a little more sparse. I have two questions for you.

1) Is it possible that Propecia can make my hairline and crown thinner rather than help?
2) If so is it possible that it could have done it in a week?

Thank you for your reply

While there have been some rare complaints from people that say they have shedding since starting Propecia, I would doubt that something this severe occurs in a week. You should follow up with your prescribing doctor.