I have hereditary hair loss, but few would say I am noticeably balding yet. Is it too early to start applying minoxidil?

Question

I've seen a dermatologist and he confirmed that I have male pattern baldness. I'm curious to know whether it is a good idea to start using minoxidil, and suffer its inevitably frightening shed, this early into my thinning process. I'm 22 and seem to be a diffuse thinner, but my hairline hasn't taken too bad of a hit. Is it best to start minoxidil as early as possible? Will it lose its effectiveness if I do start it too early?

Serkan Aygin, MD · Answer

Minoxidil belongs to a group of medications known as hair regrowth treatments. It is a topical treatment that is applied directly to the scalp and is used to treat male pattern baldness. It seems to work best in certain circumstances: when hair loss has been present for less than five years, when the hair loss is mostly from the crown of the head and when the area that lost hair is less than 10 centimetres in diameter.
Although it is FDA-approved and has proven science behind it, the stumbling block is that minoxidil doesn't work for everyone. The improvement rate varies from person to person. If hair growth is going to occur with the use of minoxidil, it usually occurs after the medicine has been used twice daily for at least 3 to 6 months and lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used.
Minoxidil will not cure your hair loss. Hair loss will begin again within a few months after minoxidil treatment is stopped. Given your age, I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hair loss expert to go over your condition and advise you on best treatment options.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

If you believe you have hereditary hair loss, see a doctor for confirmation and treatment options.  It is a good idea to have an exam before starting treatment.

Michael Markou, DO · Answer

Now is the time to not only get on minoxidil ( i recommend the foam) but also see your doctor about propecia (finasteride).  Propecia will actually stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the hormone that causes hair loss.  The goal would be to of course stop further hair loss and to perhaps grow back some hair over 6months to a year.  You will need to continue this as long as you want the benefit of it.  Low level laser is also a valuable addition to helping your hair loss.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Treatments for AGA work best in the early stages. It's hard to predict if you'll be a responder or not ... but if you are you will have a relatively safe treatment to slow your hair loss. Shedding can happen, yes, but not in everyone. If you truly are a diffuse thinner, (a condition called DUPA - diffuse unpatterned alopecia), hair transplant may not be an option. So medical options are the key. Speak to your dermatologist about further advice. In general, treatments work best when started early. Other treatments to discuss include finasteride, LLLT and platelet rich plasma.

Michael Meshkin, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

If you are suffering from hair loss, using minoxidil can slow down or prevent furthere hair loss.  There are clients that start using using minoxidil at a very young age with minimum side effects. Usually shedding happens once you stop minoxidil abruptly. Therefore, if you start using minoxidil and for any reason you decide to stop, it is recommended that you tapper off Regaine gradually to reduce the amount of shedding.

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear monkey_alt,

Male pattern hair loss can occur very early on depending upon
your genetic risk for reduced or diminished 5-alpha reductase activity in the
anterior third, middle third and posterior third of your scalp.  Diffuse non-pattern hair loss is quite common
and very distressing when it occurs at a young age.  This diffuse non-pattern hair loss is not
associated initially with recession of the temporal hairline or crowning, but
is rather a shedding of the entire top of the central oval of the scalp.  In general, diffuse thinning at a very young
age in the early phase of diffuse thinning at a very young age surgery is not
usually your best option, but medical management is.

Medical management certainly includes the use of Minoxidil
and specially compounded serums with up to 15% Minoxidil can be acquired and
this can be combined in conjunction with low level light therapy, oral
antiandrogen suppression with medication such as Finasteride (Propecia) and
injectable stem cell therapy such as plasma enriched protein.  All these medical treatments can be combined
in a coordinated program and can retard or delay the male pattern hair loss and
diffuse thinning that you’re experiencing. 
Ultimately, as the diffuse thinning tends to dominate hair restoration
with densification of the anterior middle of the front and middle third of your
hair may become a good option, but not until thinning and balding has dominated
over shedding.

Seek the advice of a certified hair restoration both surgical
and non-surgical physician and stay focused on current and available medical
treatments.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.

For more information, please review the link below.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

I have hereditary hair loss, but few would say I am noticeably balding yet. Is it too early to start applying minoxidil?

Answers (6)

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