Should i get on finasteride at age 18?

TowardsFuture · Dec 29, 2011

I started receding at the age 16 and now after two years im a thick nw2 which i can still easily deal with. Last summer my hairloss got worse and after adding nizoral to my regimen i havent lost ANY hairs when i shower or comb my hair, my hairline also got a little thicker. The problem is that my father also started receding at young age ending up to nw4 before his 40's. All my uncles from my mothers side and also my mothers father lost their hair at yong age (Norwood 4-5 before their 30's). So at the moment im living a happy student life, doing sports and dating a girl and hairloss doesnt really belong to my future plans.. I also used minoxidil for some time but it didint really help and it was messy and embrassing to use. So the question is should i get on finasteride at this young age to maintain my hair? Ive heard that it can cause hormone imbalances and sexual side effects for about 2% of people. Do doctors refuse from presribing finasteride for youngsters? Is there any other effective dht blockers available to use?

rtc84 · Dec 30, 2011

If you think male pattern baldness runs in your family, you should start finasteride now. There's lots of guys here that wish they started finasteride at 18, but many were in denial of hair loss at that age. I've been in finasteride for 4 months with no side effects. Doctors normally would not be reluctant to prescribe it to an 18 year old.

Ende · Dec 30, 2011

Quit the drug immediately if you notice any sexual side effects. Do NOT continue to use the drug despite of side effects like Merck encourages you to, because it could easily lead to a complex case of secondary hypogonadism.

I strongly recommend that you do a blood test before starting treatment with Propecia, and check LH, FSH, testosterone (total and free), estrogen, prolactin and SHBG. These will be your baseline values in case you develop PFS.

hiinEnkelte · Dec 30, 2011

To the OP,

I can relate.

I was 17 when I started losing my hair (diffuse thinner). I am now 24.

I am surprised that nizoral worked that well for you. That is excellent, though!

I started finasteride when I was your age and have seen absolutely NO side affects, sexual or otherwise since (well, apart from keeping me hair). I have even taken the jump to dutasteride recently and have no complaints. Everyone is different though. I would follow the advice of the prior poster and be cautious! If you think it necessary, feel free to email me.