Does Minoxidil Halt Hair Loss or Does it Just Regrow Hair?

Hello,
I’m an 18 year old white male. I first started wondering if I was thinning a little over a year ago. Since then I have gone back and compared photos and noticed a huge difference. I can no longer grow my bangs out without them looking thin and scraggly, particular the hairs coming from the temples. I have gone to a shorter haircut, and am still very satisfied with the amount of hair I have left on my head. Most people would think I was crazy if I told them I was balding, but given my family history (Father and Grandfather started balding at 17, every adult male in my family is bald)and the thinning I’ve seen, I’m certain the process has begun. Since I’ve started studying my hair, I’ve noticed some changes in the color of the hairs on the top of my head (brown to a lighter almost blond) particularly on the crown. I appear to have a very preliminary bald spot.

So finally to my question. I have done a lot of research about hair loss and I understand the concept. It is my understanding that Minoxidil is used to stimulate new growth but won’t fix the route dht problem. Only Propecia can do that. I’m really worried about the side affects of Propecia, even though I believe that a lot of what is on the web is junk. Would Rogaine be an effective treatment to halt my hair loss? Or would you recommend propecia. Also, I’ve been using Nizoral over the counter for almost 4 months and appear to be seeing better growth and thickening. So final question. Will Rogaine halt the loss or should I just go see a Doctor about Propecia. If so, what kind of doctor?

Thanks for all your help. I love your website.

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is the best approach for men with early hair loss, not minoxidil. Minoxidil can grow hair in the crown in some people, but it doesn’t halt the loss (because it doesn’t block DHT, as you mentioned). Propecia, on the other hand, halts the loss and regrows hair. The side effect risks of Propecia are about 1% and if you get them, you can deal with them if you have a doctor managing you. It is insane to worry about a side effect you probably will never get while your hair loss progresses.

Find out what is going on now! You need to have your hair mapped out for miniaturization, so that you can establish a baseline for where your hair loss is today. This mapping procedure will give you a metric that you can compare over the years.