Balding at 20 with long hair, need advice

[Captain]

So I'm 20 years old and male pattern baldness (which I got from my father who starting losing his hair even younger than me) is starting to get noticeable, my hair line is receding and my hair is very thin on top. But what makes the situation worse for me is that I have rather long hair which I'm extremely attached to and always have been, we're talking past nipple length here.

I wish someone had told me I was going to lose my hair at a young age before I started growing it out as like I said I'm rather attached to it and it's part of who I am. I suffer from anxiety and depression and unfortunately tend to obsess over my appearance but I've often found my hair has sometimes made me feel more confident about myself.

Having said that I'm also extremely insecure, to the point where I'm scared that my girlfriend will find me less attractive with short or no hair and will end up leaving me.

So naturally I'm pretty scared and I'm really not ready to give it up, I've looked over the options and whilst propecia does sound like what I'd be looking for because I'm more concerned about keeping my existing hair rather than growing new hair. but as you've probably guessed I'm extremely concerned about the side effects. Especially as I'm in a relationship and I care about my girlfriend so much, I'd hate to disappoint her sexually and I could see that being a major issue so I've pretty much ruled that option out. Not to also mention that I already suffer from depression and wouldn't want to risk taking anything that could potentially make it worse.

I've also looked at Regaine but read here and elsewhere about the shedding process, I'm a bit confused as to how this might happen with me, if I started using Regaine and old hair were to fall out and be replaced with new hair then wouldn't I have a mixture of the old really long hair and new really short hair? That would just look ridiculous!

So if anyone takes the time to read this then thank you, I'm really concerned and this whole balding thing, it just feels like another addition to the list of things that are out to get me down.

Any advice would be great, thanks again.

 

[swingline747]

Talk to her and let her know your looking into propecia and of the possible sides. Let her know they are temporary and you can always stop and they should reverse.
In the middle time get a few toys to use with each other in case

 

[Da Crow]

If it helps...

I've been on finasteride for about a month and a half and my erections are just as strong and especially swollen when I am consciously channeling energy into my sexual areas and arousing myself or just seeing a beautiful woman can put me in that instant erection just by looking at her just like its been since age 11ish lol

I am someone who would much rather shave my hair off than risk impotence, and after reviewing scientific literature, I am confident that it won't happen. There are too many variables that cause it, and one of them could be seeking lawsuit money. Lol

 

[swingline747]

If it helps...

I've been on finasteride for about a month and a half and my erections are just as strong and especially swollen when I am consciously channeling energy into my sexual areas and arousing myself or just seeing a beautiful woman can put me in that instant erection just by looking at her just like its been since age 11ish lol

I am someone who would much rather shave my hair off than risk impotence, and after reviewing scientific literature, I am confident that it won't happen. There are too many variables that cause it, and one of them could be seeking lawsuit money. Lol

I would say I agree but it took me eight months to get sides. Before that I was long and strong.
Just be safe and watch close but don't psych yourself about it either.

 

[GoldenMane]

"I wish someone had told me I was going to lose my hair at a young age before I started growing it out as like I said I'm rather attached to it and it's part of who I am. I suffer from anxiety and depression and unfortunately tend to obsess over my appearance but I've often found my hair has sometimes made me feel more confident about myself."

This could have been something I said...

I have crazy long hair too man, probably longer than yours, and I think it's much tougher for long hair dudes to lose their hair than short haired guys, though I'm not underestimating the pain for short haired guys either. I started taking propecia (proscar quartered) two months ago. No side effects, no loss of libido or ED. Very few guys suffer side effects and the ones that do are far more vocal than the guys who don't. People who don't tend to get on with life rather than hang out on forums. Take finasteride, if it doesn't cause any side effects (and it almost certainly won't) then stay with it, and if it does, try a topical DHT inhibitor instead.

I started on rogaine 6 weeks ago, I think I had a bit of a shed after 2 weeks, but nothing major, I'm starting to see fine villus hairs growing (I think), a tiny bit more thin visibly, but nothing major, (I'd say I lose about 50 hairs a day now, so I think (hope) it's stopped. Even if you do have a mixture of long and short hair, the short hair will give greater thickness near the scalp, it will look fine, and you can use nanogen or toppik to cover up a bit if shedding gets bad, until it starts coming through thick for a few inches. Better a temporary shed and thinness now but a lifetime of good hair.

Just take finasteride and rogaine, save that mane of yours, and don't worry about the side effects unless they actually happen, and chances are they won't, the odds are in your favour, good luck!

 

[Captain]

Thanks for the replies, I'm trying to decide which would be worse, losing my hair or potentially my libido, especially after hearing that it could be permanent. I get that the side effects don't happen to everyone but it would make me extremely anxious if they did occur. Are there any possibilities similar to propecia without the side effects? Or is that asking for a miracle?

 

[Agahi]

Asprin has a much higher chance of side effects, let alone permanent ones.

 

[swingline747]

Asprin has a much higher chance of side effects, let alone permanent ones.

That's a bold statement.
Aspirin doesn't affect and resize the prostate. Look up transgender and finasteride.....
It is a very strong hormone medication really.
Some people get bad sites others don't. I got bad one s

 

[GoldenMane]

Take finasteride. If it causes side effects then quit, and you'll be back to normal in a matter of days/weeks. If it doesn't cause side effects then keep taking it. You have nothing to lose by trying. A few weeks on finasteride won't mess you up for life, any negative changes that may (although it is unlikely) occur will go away once you quit.

I don't get what the big deal is, try it and see if it agrees with you, no harm in that.

 

[Captain]

Take finasteride. If it causes side effects then quit, and you'll be back to normal in a matter of days/weeks. If it doesn't cause side effects then keep taking it. You have nothing to lose by trying. A few weeks on finasteride won't mess you up for life, any negative changes that may (although it is unlikely) occur will go away once you quit.

I don't get what the big deal is, try it and see if it agrees with you, no harm in that.

Ok thanks for the advice, I'm glad you get where I'm coming from with the whole long hair thing! The reason I'm so concerned is that if I do get side effects then I'll have to stop taking it and lose my hair! One of the other side effects are depression and I'm doubtful as to whether or not my doctor will even give me the pills as I wouldn't want to take anything that could potentially make it worse. Not to mention the stories of people who kept experiencing side effects after they stopped taking the drug.

Hope this makes a bit more sense

 

[GoldenMane]

I went to a specialist doctor, and he said that losing hair is more likely to cause worse depression than the finasteride. Tell your doctor that. Just tell him losing your hair would make you more depressed than any medication side effects, he'll see reason. Take some anti depressants with finasteride if you do notice it as a side effect, very unlikely you will though.

Ignore those horror stories. Finasteride is off patent, companies making in patent drugs have agendas and their own products to push, undermining effective off patent treatments is in their best interests if you know what I mean. 90% chance you get no side effects, and 99.9999% chance if you do get sides, they'll stop too.

Last time I'll say it, just try it, if it doesn't agree with you then quit finasteride and you'll be no worse off than if you'd never started finasteride.