I’ve Been Losing My Hair Since 14 Years Old!

Dear Dr.Rassman,
I am so scared about my hairloss because it is so severe. I started to have a receding hairline around 14 in which I had a NW3 hairline. Now at 17 (almost 18) it’s safe to say may hairline is fortunately still an NW3 however i am starting to lose a little bit of hair in the front of my head and at the crown. I cannot stop thinking about it and I don’t want to be bald by the time I’m 20. Am I too young for a hair transplant? If so am I old enough to use propecia? If not is there anything I can do to stop or at least slow down my hair loss? Please help me out!

First and foremost, do not let fear interfere with your choices. Empower yourself with education to learn about hair loss. Unfortunately, 50% of men will have some type of hair loss in their lifetime. When it is genetic it usually starts above the age of 18, though there are cases that I’ve seen start around the same age you saw your loss start. I can empathize that you are frightened and afraid of going bald, but if that is in your genes, it is something you are going to have to accept. Fortunately, taking Propecia may solve the problem if you have the correct diagnosis. Get a doctor to map out your scalp for miniaturization and with that metric in hand, if you have miniaturization present, then the drug Propecia is the right way to go. Propecia was studied in men as young as 18, and as you’re nearing that age you should be fine.

Just know that you have choices and there are treatment options and plans, but you need to first start by seeing a physician that will address your concerns and come up with a life-long Master Plan. Propecia can certainly help if you have male pattern baldness, but you need a diagnosis first. Something else to note — Propecia has limitations and it will not completely stop or reverse hair loss. Hair transplantation may also be an option later on, but it is very important that your physician address that master plan to determine a worst case scenario of how bald you may be not just one year from now, but 30 years from now. Right now, you are too young for surgery.