Should I Be Proactive with Family History of Hair Loss?

Hello Doctor,
Thank you for your blog !
I have a few questions. I am 24 yr old male with no history of hair loss/thinning. But my dad started balding at 34. I have a full set of hair as of now but the chances seem high that I will eventually start losing/thinning. My brother is only 21 and he is already thinning. I was wondering if I should be proactive and start on propecia/minoxidil so as to delay/avoid the hair loss? What are the downsides to this (if any)? Will the fact that I take minoxidil or propecia even though I have full set of hair affect my hair in any negative way or initiate the process of hair loss ? Even if any of those medications grow further hair .. will I lose all that hair or even my original hair if i discontinue taking them? Please advise. Thanks!

There is an old American saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. That fully applies to you. You are correct to be slightly concerned at this time, so the best way to find out what will happen to you is to obtain a good hair doctor’s examination and get yourself followed yearly to detect the very first signs of miniaturization. You should not start treating it now, but if or when the process begins, then Propecia will probably be the best approach to preventing or slowing the process down, that is, unless another better drug comes on the market by then. It is not infrequent for generations to be skipped, so please do not obsess over the balding prospect.