I’m 23 Years Old and Losing Hair Slowly

Hi Doctor,

Well at 23, I’ve finally come to terms with it: I’m slowly going bald. I’ve probably been thinning since I was 18-19, and right now I stand as a 2 on the Norwood scale. And honestly, for the first time, I feel like I can’t let this get out of hand any more. Now, I’ve read your blog and figure it’s time to jump on the Propecia bandwagon. So I was hoping, since you have so much experience, could you tell me what my prospects are- How many years of damage can I repair? What are the chances I’ll fully recover my hairline? or rather, how often does a person of my age and degree of balding recover any bit of their hairline? Yes I am looking for hope :)

Thanks so much for your answer ahead of time!

I’m sure it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s difficult to give percentages or even estimations for this kind of thing, especially considering I haven’t seen you. The medication works differently for each person, so some might see greater benefits than others. For a 23 year old with early balding, I’ve seen Propecia work very well in halting hair loss. Regrowth in the hairline isn’t as common, but certainly keeping the hairline from receding further is something I’ve seen many, many times. You’ll want to meet with a physician for the prescription, and you’ll definitely want to find out if what you’re seeing is even male pattern baldness at all (Norwood 2 may not even be balding, but a mature hairline). If there’s genetic hair loss going on, there’s no need for the medication.