another confusing dermatologist visit

[viceroy]

Quick recap of my situation (which was posted in the propecia forum) -
I'm 26, started thinking maybe sorta I was losing density at the crown... but not sure. A few hairs on the ol' pillow often, hairs in the shower often. I saw my general practicioner, he said I was trippin' (not in those words, of course), and I was probably just seasonally shedding, and I was hyperaware of hairloss and overreacting.

This didn't satisfy me, of course, so I got a referral to see a dermatologist. Now to add to the confusion - he said it was too early to think about Propecia. He said that it is common for guys to lose density and/or hairline in their 20's, and here's the kicker - he said it can stabilize and be not so much to worry about. He pointed to his hair - he's 37, had a slightly receding hairline, but it looks fine. He said that he and his brother both freaked out in their 20's that they were going bald, but the problem stabilized and they both look fine going into their mid-late 30's. With no treatment at all!

It should be noted that he said he would not refuse me a prescription, because he does not like to make that decision for people, but he was pretty assertive that I should not start propecia.

I was hesitant about posting this, because the last thing I want is for somebody in their 20's to use this as a rationalization to not seek treatment when they should be... so please everyone take this with a huge grain of salt if you haven't already.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kramer3]

Viceroy: I hate to say this but your derm was right. Allot of men do begin to see slight recession and general thinning on their crown as they age. Their hairline changes to a more "mature" hairline and can often times stablize for a long time. The problem is determining whether or not your one of those guys.

Personally if i was you i'd give propecia a try for a while to see how it works for you. If you have no side-effects from it then you really have nothing to lose even if your not a responder (most people do respond). Also since it seems like you have minimal loss propecia should prevent you from losing anymore and maybe even grow back the hair in the thinning patches.

You could always wait it out to see if it's going to stablize but then you risk losing hair that will be impossible to ever regain.

 

[Vampa]

Well, the first thing you should do is probably analyze your situation. Let's face it, 99% of hair loss is due to genetics. Is anyone in your family balding? If not, your doctor might be right (although personally I've never heard of "seasonal" sheds). If you have family members (especially someone closely related to you) that are balding in the same spots, I'd get the prescription. According to propecia's website, if you were to have side effects, they (most likely) would stop if you discontinue using the drug.

If you do choose to go on it, remember to stick with it for as long as you can. If you get side effects, keep using it for a few weeks and see if it subsides. Otherwise, you should report back to the dermatologist for his opinion.

But like I said, first find out about your family history. Where I'm receeding is where my dad is (although his is further back than mine), so I have a strong chance of having something long term.

*edit* One more thing, when you look at your family for recession, look at your old pics. You might've always had a semi-recessed hairline and you're just noticing now. My hairline, while it is recessing, was always sort of recessed anyway.

 

[viceroy]

Personally if i was you i'd give propecia a try for a while to see how it works for you. If you have no side-effects from it then you really have nothing to lose even if your not a responder (most people do respond)

I hear you, and appreciate the advice, and that seems like sound logic certainly... but then there's that awful fear that there IS something to lose... that taking propecia will make everything worse. There are just no absolute guarantees, and we all fear those horror stories (albeit non-scientifically-verified horror stories) that propecia can make your hair worse forever and ever and ever beyond the expected shedding and it would be better to just wait it out... and also those horror stories of side effects that never go away <cue sick feeling in gut>... now admittedly none of these may be real or valid, but it just seems like too much of a gamble to start taking propecia unless you're absolutely certain a) you have male pattern baldness and b) it's not just gonna 'stabilize' acceptably as you get older...

but then you're right back to the problem of catching it early. the longer you wait, the more hair you risk losing to never be retained by the propecia... vicious vicious circle

 

[Hinde]

dude, deciding whether to use propecia is not a difficult one. get on it. forget about waiting to see if it stabilizes. male pattern baldness is a progressive condition. it only gets worse. side effects are slight, and i think most who report them are psychosomatics. compare merck's propecia users in their study to the placebo users -- the percentage who experienced side effects were virtually the same. for instance, i don't think i would even noticed watery ejaculate if it weren't mentioned as a *possible* occurence. it's all bull sh*t.

get on propecia. at worst it's harmless and at best it's very helpful.

 

[Guest]

Quick recap of my situation (which was posted in the propecia forum) -
I'm 26, started thinking maybe sorta I was losing density at the crown... but not sure. A few hairs on the ol' pillow often, hairs in the shower often. I saw my general practicioner, he said I was trippin' (not in those words, of course), and I was probably just seasonally shedding, and I was hyperaware of hairloss and overreacting.

This didn't satisfy me, of course, so I got a referral to see a dermatologist. Now to add to the confusion - he said it was too early to think about Propecia. He said that it is common for guys to lose density and/or hairline in their 20's, and here's the kicker - he said it can stabilize and be not so much to worry about. He pointed to his hair - he's 37, had a slightly receding hairline, but it looks fine. He said that he and his brother both freaked out in their 20's that they were going bald, but the problem stabilized and they both look fine going into their mid-late 30's. With no treatment at all!

It should be noted that he said he would not refuse me a prescription, because he does not like to make that decision for people, but he was pretty assertive that I should not start propecia.

I was hesitant about posting this, because the last thing I want is for somebody in their 20's to use this as a rationalization to not seek treatment when they should be... so please everyone take this with a huge grain of salt if you haven't already.

Any thoughts?

Sounds reasonable to me!

 

[Guest]

. at worst it's harmless and at best it's very helpful.

I think this statement is not supported by the data nor experience of folks who visit here.

There is some risk with ALL drugs. And, propecia is quite effective against male pattern baldness.

 

[KrazyK]

I think you should wait it out. Unless your starting to see it really fall out, then get on Propecia ASAP. Does your father have male pattern baldness? If he doesn't, then I definately think you should wait. If he does, I'd say you should maybe go on it. It's a tough situation.

 

[blue]

The side effects are not all bullshit....there are some people on this site that admit the sexual side effect hasnt ever gone away and its alot harder for them to "get it up".