15 Years Old. Help Please. :(

[Mat18]

Hey Everyone!!
I have looked around this site very frequently for information the last year. And i have finally decided to post.
Heres my story.
My name is Anthony. I'm 15. My hair has been falling out like CRAZY the last 8 months or so. But its been falling out for about the last 2 or so years. I really don't know what to do.
I have been taking a few vitamins the last few months...not just for my hair...but because i want to start being a little more healthy. I am currently taking :
Vitamin C
Vitamin B-50 Complex
Centrum Complete
Ginko Biloba
Do any of these vitamins bad for you hair?? Also, are there any other viamins i should be taking??
Also i took minoxidil for over 6 months starting in Feburary....but i didn't notice any hair starting to grow out, so i stopped...should i pick that up again.??
I really need tips ON ANYTHING that i could buy that will make my hair more healthy and strong.

Also, my mom is taking me to see my doctor next weeek, and im just wondering what types of things i should be getting checked out.

ANY onformation you guys can give me i would GREATLY appreciate. Ive been getting very sad lately thinkning about how much longer i will have my hair for. Im only in grade 9 and it would be terrible if i was bald by the time im in gradde 10.

Im gonna start putting the advice people give me in this post so i can keep track:
-Nozoral 2% Shampoo
-Rogaine 5% Foam
-Thickening Shampoo

 

[Hans Gruber]

hey man thats pretty tough

as far as im aware those vitamins wont harm your hair.

im really not sure if you have to be 18 to use minoxidil but if you are allowed to take it (see what the Doctor says) then you should try rogaine 5% foam,its much better than the liquid variety and could help you a lot

if you do try it give it at least a year and assess how ya hair looks then


you could also buy nizoral 2% shampoo

http://www.amazon.com/Nizoral-Dandruff- ... B000PCJ5C2

its an anti dandruff shampoo but it also has anti dht (dht makes you lose hair) properties ,use it 3 times a week ,it will help also with general scalp health

im sure there are other supplements that may help but im not particularly well versed on them but im sure a few other people will reply soon

i know its easy to say but try not to stress too much,stress isnt so great for hair

having said all of this as you are 15 im sure the doctor will check you over thoroughly to see if its some other reason rather than male pattern baldness

good luck man,anything else just hover round the boards,plenty of people to offer advice and support

 

[Dogs3]

your too young for propecia but you may not have male pattern baldness. See the doctor and listen to what he has to say, it may be unrelated which could be a good thing because it may grow back once your illness is identified. To help thicken your hair cosmetically you could use (in addition to nizoral 1 or 2% like Libertine suggested) a thickening shampoo. a good thickening shampoo is Jason's thin to thick. Good luck and try not sweat it until you see the doctor, keep us posted.

 

[Mat18]

thanks for the tips..>
anything else guys??

 

[Maxpwr]

Yeah one thing you should probably keep in mind is that if you are just going to be seeing a general practitioner you may want to make sure they know what they are talking about before taking what they say as gospel. While doctors are skilled in most areas, hair loss is often overlooked as a "real" problem, and some of them just have no idea. In your case you want to be getting the best advice possible, not just being told "you're overreacting" and being shooed out the door with a script for some crappy concoction made of walrus faeces.

I suggest doing a bit of research on these forums for an hour or so - get clued up about the causes and possible treatments for hair loss. Get some questions ready for the doctor about male pattern baldness, DHT, minoxidil, finasteride etc. and if it seems that they don't know what they're talking about, you may want to get a second opinion... maybe even see a dermatologist.

As Libertine said, the Doctor will most likely want to do a full checkup anyway. Make sure you get allergy tests done too. I'm not sure what's involved in having your testosterone levels checked or having your thyroid checked, but these things may help eliminate possible causes too, in the event that it is not MBP causing the loss. Maybe ask the Doctor about this too.

But good luck with it anyway...

 

[RaginDemon]

damn thats tough, have you consulted with a derm yet?

15 is way to young to start hair loss, many other factors aside male pattern baldness causes hair loss, you should find out the cause of it before you start treatment. GL!

 

[Mat18]

damn thats tough, have you consulted with a derm yet?

15 is way to young to start hair loss, many other factors aside male pattern baldness causes hair loss, you should find out the cause of it before you start treatment. GL!

ya it really sucks...
and its been going on for the last couple years...
and it stresses me out all the time...and i know i should try not to worry about it.

So if i go to a dermatologist will they send me for a bunch of tests? or do i have to ask to be sent for certain tests , etc.

 

[Dogs3]

i think a good doctor and derm will be able to determine if it is male pattern baldness. The thing is, because of your age they may pay extra attention to you. The common complaint of a lot of people here is that the doctor they went to see didn't really do anything to help with the hair loss but thats mainly because most of use are over 18 and the doctors assume that it is simply occurring naturally as we age, so they don't pay much mind to a cosmetic problem.

However, in your case they probably will pay close attention and will want to rule out any other illnesses besides male patter baldness, so i really think that you probably wont have to ask them to run tests, they will be thorough. Be sure though, and you can always try another derm if you arent satisfied with your doctor's care. However, go there and try not to sweat it until after you see him and keep us posted.

Also, don't let it get to you too much, I know at 15 hair loss seems like its a terrible thing to happen to you but in a couple years you'll find by the time your in your late teens/early twenties you'll look around and discover that its happening to a lot of people your age.

 

[Mat18]

Also, don't let it get to you too much, I know at 15 hair loss seems like its a terrible thing to happen to you but in a couple years you'll find by the time your in your late teens/early twenties you'll look around and discover that its happening to a lot of people your age.

Thanks for the advice.
Ya i know i shouldnt worry about it....but its just so hard.
Its not even hair loss that bothers me. If i were 22 or 25 or 30, etc... i wouldnt really care, because i know eventually when im older i will be bald...because my dad and his whole side of the family the guys are all bald...and on my moms side my grandpa and my uncle are both bald...
so the odds are against me....
i just dont want people to notice....
and you really can begin to see it now....i am still able to cover up my hairline even though it has receeded quite quickly...but i just want to stop the hair on the top of my head from falling out...
i just hope i can keep it until im 19...after that i wont really care as much...


update: i just talked to my mom and she said she'll book an apptment with a dermatologist.

 

[30_going_on_60]

hey buddy. I started losing my hair in high school too, Its REALLY tough. You seem to have a possitive attitude which is awesome. IF it is male pattern baldness, and I'm not saying it is, take some possitives out of it. If you're going to lose your hair anyways, its probably a good thing to get it out of the way. There probably isnt much of a confidence boost in thinning rapidly compared to being bald. Baldness doesn;t suck, its the balding that gets to people. Look at it this way. You won;t have to spend 15 of the best years of your life checking the mirror and wondering when it will get worse. And hell..it might not even happen at all. I wasn;t 15, but I DO know what you;re going through. Hang in there, it will all work out. Best of luck!

 

[Mat18]

hey whats the difference between finasteride and dutasteride. I know what the actual work for finasteride is, but i dont know what it is for dutasteride....which products use these??

also, do both have the same side effects.?

 

[Dogs3]

dutasteride is brand named avodart. It is a more powerful dht inhibitor and therefore some people have slightly better results. However, it is not cheap and although the side effects are similar to finasteride, they tend to be more drastic because it is a more potent drug. A lot of people with early significant loss think about using it. Its your call though but i think getting on propecia is the best bet while your young, however, at 15, most doctors im willing to bet will say your still too young but its worth it to ask them about both drugs. research the archives about dutasteride if you want to learn more, just use the search feature.

 

[Mat18]

dutasteride is brand named avodart. It is a more powerful dht inhibitor and therefore some people have slightly better results. However, it is not cheap and although the side effects are similar to finasteride, they tend to be more drastic because it is a more potent drug. A lot of people with early significant loss think about using it. Its your call though but i think getting on propecia is the best bet while your young, however, at 15, most doctors im willing to bet will say your still too young but its worth it to ask them about both drugs. research the archives about dutasteride if you want to learn more, just use the search feature.

ooo ic ic thank you.
so avodart isnt inteded for hair loss though right....
its for prostate right? and people use it because it has dht reducing elements??

 

[Hans Gruber]

dutasteride is brand named avodart. It is a more powerful dht inhibitor and therefore some people have slightly better results. However, it is not cheap and although the side effects are similar to finasteride, they tend to be more drastic because it is a more potent drug. A lot of people with early significant loss think about using it. Its your call though but i think getting on propecia is the best bet while your young, however, at 15, most doctors im willing to bet will say your still too young but its worth it to ask them about both drugs. research the archives about dutasteride if you want to learn more, just use the search feature.

ooo ic ic thank you.
so avodart isnt inteded for hair loss though right....
its for prostate right? and people use it because it has dht reducing elements??

yup,same as finasteride(active ingredient in propecia) is

 

[Dogs3]

dutasteride is brand named avodart. It is a more powerful dht inhibitor and therefore some people have slightly better results. However, it is not cheap and although the side effects are similar to finasteride, they tend to be more drastic because it is a more potent drug. A lot of people with early significant loss think about using it. Its your call though but i think getting on propecia is the best bet while your young, however, at 15, most doctors im willing to bet will say your still too young but its worth it to ask them about both drugs. research the archives about dutasteride if you want to learn more, just use the search feature.

ooo ic ic thank you.
so avodart isnt inteded for hair loss though right....
its for prostate right? and people use it because it has dht reducing elements??

yeah, exactly what libertine said, its just like propecia but it may be a bit stronger. Most people just go with propecia though becasue with avodart theres a higher risk of side effects and it isnt fda approved for hair loss.

 

[RAKBS]

I'm 14, hair loss since 13, so I'm in the same boat as you.

My parents won't let me use Propecia (which I don't want to use anyway) or Rogaine, so I've had to stick with an all-natural regimen. So far, these past 4 months I've maintained my hair, and by now I'm pretty sure it's working. I do suggest Rogaine/minoxidil if you can get it, and Nizoral as well.

 

[k3nn7i]

thread-starter 15 yrs old
and RAKBS 14 yrs old...

man, you two are too young to be here of course. You guys sure, its male pattern baldness?

RAKBS, we had similar family background. My dad and his bro are all bald. My mom's side which is my uncles are balding but much later of course, at the age of 40s...I will say. For you to lose at 13? man, I am just SHOCKED :freaked2:

 

[Mat18]

Ooo ic RAKBS>
im gunna start taking some of those vitamins in your regimen..

im really getting discouraged though....yesterday i took a shower and there was TONS of hair on the shower floor when i was done...i just don't know what to do...i cant go to a dermatologist until after the new years because my parents are working like crazy and can't take me...

k3nn7i....ya ive been losing hair for a long time as well.....i dunno if i was 12 or 13 when it started....but it has started to lose heavily in the last year or so...

ALSO...i have one last question...in the shower i am usually afraid to really massage my scalp and lather it all in because i think i lose more hair....but is it more healthy for my scalp if i do massage it in more, despite losing more hair?

 

[philly]

...

 

[k3nn7i]

hey mat18, massage is good. but if it caused you more hair loss, better don't do it too long.