I wanted to briefly outline my story for you all and hear what you had to say about it.
Just after my 20th birthday I noticed some hairline recession for the first time. I became very paranoid and nervous about it and told my parents immediately who brushed it off. Against his will my dad took me to a Dr. appointment with a dermatologist shortly thereafter. She remarked that my hair loss was very very minor and that given the pattern and my family history it did look like the beginnings of male pattern baldness.
She said however that starting treatment at this young of an age would be such an advantage. She told me to start using rogaine. I did this for a year and in my opinion had no results. I had to stop this after about a year because it realy made my scalp uncomfortable coupled with the lack of results. However, despite the increased recession and thinning people still remarked about how great my hair looked. After a year of no results (now 21 years old) she prescribed propecia. I took propecia for 6 months and watched my hairloss continue (and in my opinion accelerate)...I remained on the propecia and decided to seek out a second opinion.
To no let bias enter any of your evaluations of my situation I will leave this next doctor unnamed. However, i will say this doctor is a hair loss specialist and specializes in hair transplantation and is very well regarded in the area. When I went for this appointment I was treated very well, a lot of time was spent evaluating my hair. I was given a hair check and all of the numbers were recorded. I was taken off generic 1 mg propecia prescribed by my derm and placed on 1.25 mg of a compunded finasteride medication.
Once I started on this medication that is when i started to notice things taking a turn for the worst. My parents now notice my hairloss and so do my friends. My girlfriend dumped me and things have been going so poorly. My hair made me an entirely different person. I was "popular" and attractive and now I am insecure and introverted. However, the doctor I am still seeing continues to claim every time I go in for a checkup and he performs another haircheck that my numbers have improved. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! My hair loss is now noticed by all those around me and yet now my numbers are better? It is completely illogical and I am just doubting everything right now. Does anyone have any knowledge of situations like this?
It just seems that since I started treating my hair loss things have gotten much worse and not better and I just have spent money frivolously. I really wish I hadn't even treated anything and let nature take its course.
I am going to get pics from my doctor to post as baseline for you and then once I have those I will post with current results.
I am just so down and don't know what to do. I am moving up to a new city in 5 months to start my new job and I do not want to be trying to meet new people and make friends with hair loss as a young person. Any help or motivation or advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for venting. Lots of built up sadness and frustration. I have been a long time reader and just officially joined the site.
Just after my 20th birthday I noticed some hairline recession for the first time. I became very paranoid and nervous about it and told my parents immediately who brushed it off. Against his will my dad took me to a Dr. appointment with a dermatologist shortly thereafter. She remarked that my hair loss was very very minor and that given the pattern and my family history it did look like the beginnings of male pattern baldness.
She said however that starting treatment at this young of an age would be such an advantage. She told me to start using rogaine. I did this for a year and in my opinion had no results. I had to stop this after about a year because it realy made my scalp uncomfortable coupled with the lack of results. However, despite the increased recession and thinning people still remarked about how great my hair looked. After a year of no results (now 21 years old) she prescribed propecia. I took propecia for 6 months and watched my hairloss continue (and in my opinion accelerate)...I remained on the propecia and decided to seek out a second opinion.
To no let bias enter any of your evaluations of my situation I will leave this next doctor unnamed. However, i will say this doctor is a hair loss specialist and specializes in hair transplantation and is very well regarded in the area. When I went for this appointment I was treated very well, a lot of time was spent evaluating my hair. I was given a hair check and all of the numbers were recorded. I was taken off generic 1 mg propecia prescribed by my derm and placed on 1.25 mg of a compunded finasteride medication.
Once I started on this medication that is when i started to notice things taking a turn for the worst. My parents now notice my hairloss and so do my friends. My girlfriend dumped me and things have been going so poorly. My hair made me an entirely different person. I was "popular" and attractive and now I am insecure and introverted. However, the doctor I am still seeing continues to claim every time I go in for a checkup and he performs another haircheck that my numbers have improved. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! My hair loss is now noticed by all those around me and yet now my numbers are better? It is completely illogical and I am just doubting everything right now. Does anyone have any knowledge of situations like this?
It just seems that since I started treating my hair loss things have gotten much worse and not better and I just have spent money frivolously. I really wish I hadn't even treated anything and let nature take its course.
I am going to get pics from my doctor to post as baseline for you and then once I have those I will post with current results.
I am just so down and don't know what to do. I am moving up to a new city in 5 months to start my new job and I do not want to be trying to meet new people and make friends with hair loss as a young person. Any help or motivation or advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for venting. Lots of built up sadness and frustration. I have been a long time reader and just officially joined the site.