Hello everyone, I was a previous veteran poster of this forum. I'm been dealing with this horrible issue since 2001 when I was 20. I am now 33 and have some perspective on it and thought it would be valuable to share. First of all I want to thank this website for all the help, information and support it provide me during some very difficult times. Now on to the advice. Here's what I recommend for anyone starting this journey... If you think you have male pattern baldness, you do. Don't deny it, you're just wasting time. Start on the big 3 (rogaine, propecia, nizoral) or whichever of the three you can handle based on your lifestyle. Prevention is absolutely key. Anything beyond the big 3 should be well researched. After that, ride things out. See where the hairloss takes you. In most cases it will stop and slow things to the point where you can catch your breath and figure out a good longterm plan. For me, it bought me 10 years. then I started to thin to the point it was really visible. Now I thought about hair transplant. Maybe you'll be good with just the big 3? I researched surgeons thoroughly then chose one. In the interim I used Dermatch (or whatever cover up product you like, Toppik or something similar) to look like a non-thinning guy. These are a good products. Seriously, the dermatch never ran or looked suspicious once. This allows you to buy some time while you decide if hair transplant is right for you and allows you to look "normal" to the outsiders and provide a crutch for transition from post hair transplant surgery to final hair transplant result, which will hopefully be a match of how you look with topicals (except you won't have them on because you will be post hair transplant and it will be real hair). Be smart about the hair transplant hairline and realistic about the goals. Be conservative early on. If you get a great hair transplant, then maybe you get 10-15 more years, then the non-transplanted hairs fall out... no big deal, you save up, and get a second one by that time, or a third if needed. You were smart, so 6000 grafts over a lifetime will still grant good coverage. All the while you never really looked like a significantly balding guy, only a guy with hair that was supported by medications, topicals and surgical intervention, with no one being the wiser. It takes some work, but my friends the cure for baldness is out there.
Here's other pieces of advice
Swallow your pride, go find someone will write you propecia and go buy some damn nizoral and rogaine. Stop waiting.
Side Effects: Yes, people get side effects but in my experience these are rare. If you get them, just go on the other 2/3.
hair transplant: I had one. The surgery was pretty painless, Take 2 weeks off if you can. If you have some hair to cover things up, 2 weeks is enough to be unnoticed. If you are pretty bald, people will likely know, so prepare for that unless you can wear a hat or work from home or something. They look natural if done right.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to all.
Trent
Here's other pieces of advice
Swallow your pride, go find someone will write you propecia and go buy some damn nizoral and rogaine. Stop waiting.
Side Effects: Yes, people get side effects but in my experience these are rare. If you get them, just go on the other 2/3.
hair transplant: I had one. The surgery was pretty painless, Take 2 weeks off if you can. If you have some hair to cover things up, 2 weeks is enough to be unnoticed. If you are pretty bald, people will likely know, so prepare for that unless you can wear a hat or work from home or something. They look natural if done right.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to all.
Trent