I went to a hair clinic for a consultation to get someone experienced to examine my hair and I have a couple questions, but I’ll give you the story first. I’m in my early twenties and a NW I or somewhere between a I & II at most, so I wasn’t considering surgery (felt guilty “wasting their time” but oh well). I hoped they’d focus on miniaturization/magnification, etc… But unfortunately it wasn’t until the end when I asked them did they actually use magnification. The guy didn’t really take the time to examine me thoroughly and after looking quickly at a few areas said there was possibly miniaturizing near the hairline but everywhere else was consistent and thick. He said my recession was minor and (adult hairlines are 7-8 cm from the brow?) that I had 1-2 cm before I was even at an adult hairline. My questions are:
1) The consultation advisor was very helpful and nice (unlike the M.D. who basically seemed annoyed that he wouldn’t make money from me, which I guess is understandable. The advisor implied that Propecia has little effect on any frontal areas. Is this true? I’m questioning this because he was sincerely advocating the laser comb, which seems ridiculous.
2) My brother gradually thinned and is noticeably thinner on top at in his mid-twenties. If my hairline is changing isn’t that still a form of hair loss? I’m just worried and trying to take preventive measures.
3) How certain/significant are the results of the HairDX gene test? Would you say it is worth the $250 it costs?
Thanks very much for your time taken to read this.
Not all clinics use magnification during a consultation, and it doesn’t make much sense to me that they try to rush you out the door if you’re not a candidate for surgery. It’s a good idea to call ahead and make sure that you will be able to have your scalp mapped during your initial consultation, so that you don’t leave disappointed.
- It is unfortunate that your doctor wasn’t caring or gave an annoyed impression. Not all doctors are like that, but I suppose it is better than having your doctor scam you into an unnecessary surgery. Your advisor was right though, Propecia has minimal effects on the frontal hairline other than slowing down the hair loss, but on occasions I have seen some reversal of the hairline in very young men (under 27 years old).
- Changing hair characteristics occurs with aging and it is not balding when it occur, but it does occur when a person is balding in its early stage. That is why bonding with a good doctor is a good idea. Think long term.
- I think I’ve answered this question before. The existence of miniaturization in the patterned hair loss areas is the best way to diagnosis balding, for if you have it, the test will be positive. If it is not clear and you are concerned about what is going to happen to you, then you need to ask yourself how much you’d pay for peace of mind. Remember, HairDX will tell you if you carry the gene, but not if you will lose hair, to what degree, or when it might occur.
It is generally not a great idea to transplant hair into a non-balding 20 year old, because you must take into account the possibility that you might bald as you get older. Imagine that you got the right side evened out and then began balding to a Class 4A pattern. You would have a wing of hair where the transplant was done and then be bald to the Class 4A pattern.
For those that aren’t familiar with the Fraxel laser treatment, it is an outpatient procedure that renews the look of your skin. The depth of these lasers do go into the dermis and therefore create a partial 3rd degree burn, but apparently the damage is limited to a narrow column which is claimed to heal quickly. If the laser took the burn into the depth claimed, any hair could be killed… and in theory, there could be an infection risk, as 3rd degree burns open that possibility, even if it is an a narrow column.
I’ve not heard anything from my patients nor have I read anything in the medical literature about finasteride (Propecia) effecting the voice. There’s one young reader that sends me questions through this site from time to time suspecting his speech was altered by Propecia, but I have no way to verify that it was the medication or that it actually occurred.
The pill doesn’t seem to contain anything that would cause hair loss (
Dutasteride (marketed as Avodart) is being used by many men, prescribed by some doctors to treat hair loss despite the absence of FDA clearance. In the phase 3 dutasteride study done in Korea, there was no mention of sperm or sterility. This is a concern to me, and I do not believe that this drug will be approved for treating hair loss until issues like that are studied further. That’s my opinion, and I’m sure I’ll get plenty of emails from people telling me how I’m wrong or I’m narrow minded about this medication. Ultimately, going to market is in the hands of the drug company that manufactures it. I am reluctant to prescribe dutasteride, because without clinical clearance from the FDA, I do not know the risk of sterility for those taking the drug for their MPB treatment.
I’d say that yes, a Norwood Class 1 (see art at right) and a mature hairline are basically the same. The hairline you saw at 12 years old is your childhood hairline and it is completely normal for your hairline to mature to some degree a dozen years later. You can not tell at your age for sure, but with a good mapping of your scalp and measurements looking for