If I act quickly will I be able to save my hair?

Autumn Sundown

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Here is a quick bit of family history...
My father is bald as are the rest of the men on that side of the family. I asked my mother when he started losing his hair and she said she didn't remember and that he always had really thin, straight, stringy hair so it was kind of hard to tell. I've seen some their wedding photos though (he was 27 at the time) and he is pretty much completely bald, so my guess is he started pretty early.
No one on my mom's side of the family ever lost any hair. My grandfather died with a NW2 hairline and all his brother's have the same hairline as him, along with the same thick, wavey hair.
All the genes I can see and think of seem to come from my maternal grandfather (height, weight, eye color, hair color, wavey hair, acne, semi-oily hair, very thick nails, very thick hair, facial shape, thick eyebrows, facial hair appearing at an early age, etc.) I'm praying that my male pattern baldness genes came from that side too and I can show off a dignified NW2. :ermm:

I'm 17 and my hairline is pretty straight. Even if it's wet and I pull it back it still appears to only be a slightly high NW1 (which is what I think it always has been.) I wouldn't even suspect that I was losing my hair except that I shed like crazy. I would estimate that I lose about 500 hairs a day, almost all of which seem to come from the front and top. This may sound like an exaggeration, but I assure you, it's not. I can't even eat a meal without having SEVERAL of my own hairs fall out into my own food. My hair has been shedding like this since I was at least 14, it makes me wonder how my hair could have possibly stayed this thick for so long. My mom says her hair sheds the same way, she has always complained that she sheds an incredible amount of hair (she has the same wavey, dark hair that I do) but I always figured this was because she dyed her hair once a month.

Basically, to sum everything up, if I decide to start using finasteride when I'm 18.5 is there a good chance that I will be able to keep my hair?
Would it keep my hair as it is, or would it only slow down the process?
Is there any truth to the "weathering the storm" theory? For example, if I genetically start losing my hair at 18, but my hair loss is destined to stabalize at 28, would using meds to keep my hair strong during that time period stop my hairloss forever? If I come off meds after this "storm" period would I lose the hair I kept and end up with the hairline I would normally have at that age?

I plan to talk to a dermatologist and find out whether it is or isn't male pattern baldness before I start anything. My hairline is straight and my hair is thick, so I don't plan on doing treatments for the purpose of regaining hair, I simply want to keep what I have.
 

s.a.f

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Until you actually see some evidence (on your head) of balding then you dont need to do anything. Shedding is irrelevent children shed, women shed, Brad Pitt sheds if you shed alot of hairs you obviously have alot there in the first place.

There is no way of accuratley predicting m.p.b ie what age but if you do go onto meds you'll have to stick with them if your follicles are predisposed to m.p.b then they will go whenever your genetics are 'programmed' to.
 

metropolis

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S.a.f. is absolutely right. It's true that the sooner you start the treatment the better, but you shouldn't take finasteride until you know for sure that you suffer from male pattern baldness. Hair falls out constantly, that's perfectly normal and doesn't necessarily mean that it is male pattern baldness. Talk to your doctor before you decide to take any action.
 

metropolis

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Autumn Sundown said:
[...] I plan to talk to a dermatologist and find out whether it is or isn't male pattern baldness before I start anything. My hairline is straight and my hair is thick, so I don't plan on doing treatments for the purpose of regaining hair, I simply want to keep what I have.

Yes, that's it. Clever boy.
 

TEDDYRUXPIN

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For one, you are not receding. So why would you want to even try finasteride just yet?

Start it at 18-19 yrs old and not receding? Don't try it.

I would recommend you don't do anything until you notice receding. Once you do, go and see a doctor or hair specialist to determine this. If any of your family [mum or dad's side have male pattern baldness], you are most likely going to get this. I do recommend that you wait at least 21 yrs old until you use finasteride. The body does not officially stop growing until 21 [average]. Bones still thicken until then and especially the eyes do not stop settling until then.

Anyway, be smart and stop stressing. Hair can actually lose up to 500 hairs a day, even in normal individuals.
 

Autumn Sundown

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TEDDYRUXPIN said:
Hair can actually lose up to 500 hairs a day, even in normal individuals.

Well, normally I wouldn't be worried about shedding. My fear comes from the fact that nearly all of it comes from the top and front.
I'm just always shocked by how much I lose. I never dreamed that I could lose so much hair and still have some left on my head. I just saw a hair dangling into my eyes, I ran my fingers through my bangs to get it out and I ended up with 7 hairs in my hand. :(
I don't think the hairs are getting any thinner, the hairs themselves all seem to be average thickness. The only place I have tiny, little hairs is the front of the left side of my hairline. To be honest, I think they've always been like that.

You make a good point, I won't start on medication until I'm 21. I just hope my hair doesn't start to rapidly go downhill before then. I don't want to rely on finasteride bringing hair back, I just expect it to help me keep what I have (looking at the men on my dad's side of the family, any hair at all, no matter how thin, would make me feel rather accomplished.) My fear is that my hair will end up being so bad by the time that I start on medication that it will be too late to do much for it. :(
 

toocoolforhair

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I wouldn't panic just yet as you don't have any noticeable hair loss. However, should the worst happen then it's not the end of the world. You might actually look good with a buzzed/shaved head. Or you could use concealers.
 

patagonia

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if_ I _was in your shoes with Dad and all the males in his side loosing it young, I would start using the shampoos now... if you happen to be male pattern baldness immune you will still benefit from a healthy scalp...

2 or 3x per week : Nizoral 1% (at any shop) and or Piroctone Olamine shampoo (body shop and others)

and for no nizoral/PO days

a tea tree oil shampoo (Jason and others)

keto, PO, TTO are antiandrogenic, antiflamatory and stimulate growth.

use the search function on this site to look up the info/science on this shampoos and how they work.
 

Oknow

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patagonia said:
if_ I _was in your shoes with Dad and all the males in his side loosing it young, I would start using the shampoos now... if you happen to be male pattern baldness immune you will still benefit from a healthy scalp...

2 or 3x per week : Nizoral 1% (at any shop) and or Piroctone Olamine shampoo (body shop and others)

and for no nizoral/PO days

a tea tree oil shampoo (Jason and others)

keto, PO, TTO are antiandrogenic, antiflamatory and stimulate growth.

use the search function on this site to look up the info/science on this shampoos and how they work.

Yeah I agree, I wish I did this when I had a straight hairline.
 

Autumn Sundown

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patagonia said:
if_ I _was in your shoes with Dad and all the males in his side loosing it young, I would start using the shampoos now... if you happen to be male pattern baldness immune you will still benefit from a healthy scalp...

2 or 3x per week : Nizoral 1% (at any shop) and or Piroctone Olamine shampoo (body shop and others)

and for no nizoral/PO days

a tea tree oil shampoo (Jason and others)

keto, PO, TTO are antiandrogenic, antiflamatory and stimulate growth.

use the search function on this site to look up the info/science on this shampoos and how they work.

I'll definitely do that. It won't hurt my hair at all if I don't have male pattern baldness, will it? There's no chance of it causing the onset of it, right?
 

patagonia

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No. The shampoos wont hurt you if you dont have male pattern baldness.They will promote a healthy scalp/hair. If you have seb derm or dandruff for example, they will get rid of that.

nizoral and or PO 2-3x week and the rest whatever you like... (I think TTO is good stuff).
 
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