Age 21, is it too soon for me to use finasteride?

Finasteride is a prescription drug that is used to treat hair loss. The medication is approved for male patients above 18 and is one of the most extensively studied medications for male pattern baldness. Topical formulations are available and appear to have fewer side effects, but they may be less effective.You may want to consult a hair loss expert in your area. He will examine your scalp and advise you on the best treatment options and how they might affect you.

Provided you understand the risks and benefits and all the alternatives and provided you have reviewed your hair loss issues in detail with a physician and had the scalp properly examined then 21 may not be too early. Finasteride is approved for males 18-39. I don’t have all your medical information in front of me and haven’t examined your scalp so I personally can’t tell you if you should take this medication or not. I also don’t know if you have any contraindications to finasteride. You and your doctor can work through these issues. If you are not sure where to get topical finasteride it might be a reflection that you have not spoken with physicians who are knowledgeable about topical finasteride in your country. Topical finasteride appears to have a better safety profile than oral finasteride and may have good efficacy. Of course, good studies of topical finasteride compared to oral finasteride are still pretty rare. But the ones that have been done suggest similar side effects to placebo and reduced side effects compared to oral. It’s never too early to put a solid treatment plan in place for patients with androgenetic alopecia especially when you have staggered treatments like you have done and now have good evidence that the first treatment used was helpful. I would urge you to sit down with an expert and review all options and whether or not it is appropriate to start off label topical finasteride in your country.