August 25 2009, 12:31 pm PT | Posted in: Age + Drugs
I went to the dermatologist this week to confirm that I had male pattern baldness, which he did confirm. I am only 18 years old, and since I am so young, I am not dealing with this very well. I cannot find much information on people close to my age balding, so I assume it is relatively rare. I am currently on 1mg of propecia a day and will start rogaine shortly. I just do not know how I am going to cope with this. I am so young, and it feels like balding will hinder my social life. I haven’t hung out with friends since I realized I was going bald. I don’t know how they will react of if they will treat me differently. I don’t know how I am ever going to get a girlfriend now. Do you have any advice on how someone as young as me can cope with the feeling that my life has been devastated?
Most of the young men I treat, like yourself, get great response from Propecia (finasteride) and do not show any balding when picked up early. I have even seen men of your age reverse the balding process. Make sure that what you are seeing is not the maturing hairline, because the drug will not reverse this. Speak with your parents and the doctor who prescribed Propecia. This isn’t a death sentence and you do have options. You should be commended for the courage to start the correct treatment early and I’m hoping you will be spared the balding problem for years.
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Sorry to hear you going through this. If it makes you feel better, and I know it won’t, I went through the same thing. It’s rough, and while you might constantly check your hair, you’ll start to feel better. Propecia’s a great step and at your age, if Propecia works, you can tide yourself over with a hair transplant and then hair cloning is right around the corner for you when you really need it.
Good luck
I know how you feel as I started to lose my hair at an early stage (18 years too). At 24, I decided to have a hair transplant. I had to visit the surgeon first, though, as the procedures are normally carried on those 25+. I have had my second transplant now and look forward to my third, and hopefully final one in Jan (or hopefully end of this year, if I can!)
However, the point of my post is to say that my social life was completely ruined by my hair loss. I’d constantly fret about going out all the time, wherever it may have been. I notice I do get the occasional ‘eyes wondering up’ moment when I go out now, but my hair transplant experience isn’t yet complete. But, despite this, I feel so much better in myself knowing something is being done about it.
You are not alone, mate, as I was in your exact position once too. Try not to let it get to you, but if it ever gets to the stage where you feel you really would like a hair transplant, then you wont regret it. It is, without a doubt, the best thing that i’ve done! All the best.