Hello. First time posting here. I'll just try to say as much as I can about my story. I'm a 24 year old male. I've noticed my hairline beginning recession since I was 16, or rather, it was my hairstylist who pointed it out for me.
Over the years I've lost more and more hair until my temples are now fully receded and I have what would be my middle frontal hair beginning to thin.
I'm not certain, but I believe I'm in the beginning to middle stages of a norwood class 3. It still looks fairly good, but I'm reaching the point where my friends will definitely be able to tell I'm losing my hair now. Before, I would just have a style where my bangs covered the balding areas.
Anyway, I began dabbling with a combination of minoxidil 5% and propecia 1mg since I was around 21 years old, so almost 3 years now.
Back then, without the use of meds, my hair had receded into a later stage of norwood class 3 over the course of 5 years. I had virtually no hairline and what I guess would be a 'tuft' of hair in the middle. It was completely devastating. I even failed a semester of college courses out of depression. After being recommended the hair loss drugs by my physician and using the meds for a year, my hair finally stabilized greatly; it even regrew to the point where it appeared only as an early class 2 and I was satisfied with it. Sadly, the stability didn't last and eventually, hair loss resumed once again though at a slower pace.
Today, I've stopped using the minoxidil as of a few months ago. I began experiencing elevated and irregular heart beats that might be attributed from the drug so I didn't want to risk it further. However, I was thinking of upgrading to a 2 mg dose of propecia now since my hair loss is resuming slightly faster.
It's kind of hard for me because no one on either side of my family is balding. My grandfather was around his mid 60's when his hairline was receding. Perhaps my great or great-great grandfather was the bald one, but we don't have photos so I'll never know. My father is 50 now and his hairline would appear to be a norwood class 2 so only kind of receded. His photos showed him with a full hairline when he was still 20, what the hell. I've had blood-work done and things like my thyroid levels are fine, it's really just regular male-pattern baldness.
A little more about myself, I'm asian-american, so I have very naturally course, somewhat thick black raven hair and tan skin tone. I don't know how my hair density fairs but I believe asians tend to have lower density. It kind of sucks because almost all asian culture in general seems to have this fixation on good looking hair and hair styles.
I've been extremely depressed in the past as a result of my hair loss. That feeling of not wanting to go to the beach when your friends invite you because you don't want them to see you're balding or going out on really bright or windy days. Sometimes being so sad, you just want to stay at home all day in bed and do nothing. I hate it. And I hate that bald men are often viewed as individuals with no potential, or as if they were sickly and genetically unsuitable to be viewed as having self-worth. And no matter what you do, you may always have the label of "that bald guy". I try to think positively and disregard it. I try to believe that not everyone thinks like this, and maybe they don't. It seems like most people think this way though and it stings my self-esteem a lot.
Now, after reading several threads in the past, I may already know the answers I'll get but I'll ask anyway.
See, I was considering a hair transplant in the future, perhaps the near future and I just wanted to know, given my current stage of hair loss, the rate of my balding and my age, when would be an appropriate time to consider a hair transplant or would I even qualify as a candidate at all?
The way I thought about it, I honestly don't care about being completely bald when I'm 40, but I'd really like to enjoy my 20's and 30's with hair. I'm in my early 20's and I'll be graduating college soon. I'll be off to find a job, maybe meet a woman and eventually marry. I feel like it's an extremely important time and it's hard when you have shrinking hair follicles. There's a small feeling of doubt and inhibited self-confidence always in the back of your mind that prevents you from feeling adventurous, exciting and interesting when your hair is wisping away.
Over the years I've lost more and more hair until my temples are now fully receded and I have what would be my middle frontal hair beginning to thin.
I'm not certain, but I believe I'm in the beginning to middle stages of a norwood class 3. It still looks fairly good, but I'm reaching the point where my friends will definitely be able to tell I'm losing my hair now. Before, I would just have a style where my bangs covered the balding areas.
Anyway, I began dabbling with a combination of minoxidil 5% and propecia 1mg since I was around 21 years old, so almost 3 years now.
Back then, without the use of meds, my hair had receded into a later stage of norwood class 3 over the course of 5 years. I had virtually no hairline and what I guess would be a 'tuft' of hair in the middle. It was completely devastating. I even failed a semester of college courses out of depression. After being recommended the hair loss drugs by my physician and using the meds for a year, my hair finally stabilized greatly; it even regrew to the point where it appeared only as an early class 2 and I was satisfied with it. Sadly, the stability didn't last and eventually, hair loss resumed once again though at a slower pace.
Today, I've stopped using the minoxidil as of a few months ago. I began experiencing elevated and irregular heart beats that might be attributed from the drug so I didn't want to risk it further. However, I was thinking of upgrading to a 2 mg dose of propecia now since my hair loss is resuming slightly faster.
It's kind of hard for me because no one on either side of my family is balding. My grandfather was around his mid 60's when his hairline was receding. Perhaps my great or great-great grandfather was the bald one, but we don't have photos so I'll never know. My father is 50 now and his hairline would appear to be a norwood class 2 so only kind of receded. His photos showed him with a full hairline when he was still 20, what the hell. I've had blood-work done and things like my thyroid levels are fine, it's really just regular male-pattern baldness.
A little more about myself, I'm asian-american, so I have very naturally course, somewhat thick black raven hair and tan skin tone. I don't know how my hair density fairs but I believe asians tend to have lower density. It kind of sucks because almost all asian culture in general seems to have this fixation on good looking hair and hair styles.
I've been extremely depressed in the past as a result of my hair loss. That feeling of not wanting to go to the beach when your friends invite you because you don't want them to see you're balding or going out on really bright or windy days. Sometimes being so sad, you just want to stay at home all day in bed and do nothing. I hate it. And I hate that bald men are often viewed as individuals with no potential, or as if they were sickly and genetically unsuitable to be viewed as having self-worth. And no matter what you do, you may always have the label of "that bald guy". I try to think positively and disregard it. I try to believe that not everyone thinks like this, and maybe they don't. It seems like most people think this way though and it stings my self-esteem a lot.
Now, after reading several threads in the past, I may already know the answers I'll get but I'll ask anyway.
See, I was considering a hair transplant in the future, perhaps the near future and I just wanted to know, given my current stage of hair loss, the rate of my balding and my age, when would be an appropriate time to consider a hair transplant or would I even qualify as a candidate at all?
The way I thought about it, I honestly don't care about being completely bald when I'm 40, but I'd really like to enjoy my 20's and 30's with hair. I'm in my early 20's and I'll be graduating college soon. I'll be off to find a job, maybe meet a woman and eventually marry. I feel like it's an extremely important time and it's hard when you have shrinking hair follicles. There's a small feeling of doubt and inhibited self-confidence always in the back of your mind that prevents you from feeling adventurous, exciting and interesting when your hair is wisping away.