Should I start rogaine? My father is bald everywhere except at the sides of his head, and he lost his hair fairly early (Photo)

This medication will not stop balding. Your biggest enemy is the progressive thinning leading to a balding pattern that is not evident at this point in time. The degree of thinning that you are experiencing would suggest that you should see a doctor who most likely will get Bulk Measurements of your hair to determine the degree of the thinning that you are presently having. If the diagnosis is early genetic hair loss (the most common cause of hair loss in young men), then the best treatment would be the drug finasteride which is highly effective in men of your age and may not only stop the hair loss but possibly reverse it. If you are developing a more advanced balding pattern the HAIRCHECK test will determine the Bulk Measurements of your hair and put a number on that hair loss (a metric) and this will show, over a one-year time frame, how effective the treatment will be. Once you know this information, then you and your doctor need to develop a MASTER PLAN which will define what you need to do over the years to come.

With a strong family history of hairloss and you noticing hairloss at a young age, it is a good idea to consider preventative medications.  Usually men who start to lose hair in their early 20s will continue to lose hair throughout their lives.  They usually eventually develop a Norwood class 6.  This may be where your father is currently.  Knowing this, it is important to start early.

Minoxidil is a good place to start.  5% twice a day is the recommended dose.  You must take it regularily for at least 9 - 12 months before you can see if it is helping or not.  For most of my patients I will also have them consider using the once daily finasteride.  It is prescription only, so you must see your doctor first.