If You're Young and Going Bald, Talk to Your Doctor

Growing up, I thought that I was invincible. I was rarely sick growing up, never hospitalized, and in general experienced great health. I thought that I would never get old. Boy, it sure didn't take long for life to smack me in the face with a major reality check. At the ripe old age of 22, I began to lose my hair. 

At first, I just noticed a few hairs falling out here and there. Then, I noticed my hairline starting to creep back and my forehead starting to get bigger and bigger. But, I thought that I was really the only one that noticed. Then one night I was out at a bar having a drink and the bartender, who is a friend of mine, said "Hey, Rob, you know, I think you're going bald." That sealed the deal...something had to be done. 

I did some research and quickly figured out that 99% of the "baldness remedies" out there are a bunch of crap....I knew early on that I would be sticking to one of the handful of FDA-approved hair loss treatment options. Not wanting to have to see a doctor, the first one I tried was Rogaine (minoxidil), a topical treatment that is available over the counter. With in a few days, I knew that Rogaine wasn't going to work for me...I found that it made my hair greasy and having to apply it twice a day was extremely inconvenient. I knew that I needed another option. 

After a few more hours of internet research, I decided to take the plunge and talk to a doctor about getting a prescription for Propecia, the only FDA-approved pill to treat male hair loss. I didn't really have a primary care doctor at the time, so I looked on the Propecia website and found the doctor on their list that was closest to me. He happened to be a dermatologist. I called and scheduled an appointment a few weeks out. 

The "big day" of my appointment arrived and I was nervous...I certainly wasn't "bald" by any stretch of the imagination and I thought that the doctor was going to look at me like I was crazy. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. The doctor agreed that I was in the very beginning states of male pattern baldness and that I might benefit from trying Propecia. After a quick 10 minute discussion, I left with a prescription for a year of Propecia in my hand and a lot of hope that my hair loss could be stopped, if not reversed. 

While I don't have the time or credentials to discuss all the side-effects, benefits, and limitations of a prescription drug in this article, Merck, the manufacturer of Propecia, maintains an excellent website.  In addition, your doctor would be more than happy to give you all the information you need to make an informed decision.

I got the prescription filled, and it wasn't cheap. Insurance does not cover Propecia, so you have to pay the full price out of pocket, and I find that it generally costs me about $60 a month. As soon as I got my hands on my prescription, I began dutifully taking one pill of Propecia every morning as prescribed...and then I waited. And waited. And waited some more. 

Three months into it, I was ready to give up....even though the doctor had told me that most people don't see any results for at least 6 months. My brother encouraged me to keep taking it, noting that I had already invested a lot of money and another month or two wasn't going to break the bank. I'm so happy that I listened to him. 

At about 4 and a half months, something amazing started to happen. All of a sudden, I noticed that you couldn't see my scalp near the front of my head any more...the hair was starting to get thicker. I also noticed that I didn't have nearly as much hair falling out. Within a few more months, I noticed that my hair was noticeably thicker all over and my hairline was beginning to return to its "normal" position. 

For me, Propecia has been a wonder drug. A year and a half after I started taking it, I no longer even give any thought to losing my hair (except when I'm shelling out money for the pills). My hair loss has been completely reversed, and I don't feel like I'll be going bald any time soon. I know Propecia might not work for everyone, but for me it did and I want to shout it from the rooftops. 

I promise that I'm not some sort of paid writer for Merck or anything of the sort. I'm just a young guy who was losing my hair, and now I'm not and I think more guys my age should know about their treatment options. Even if Propecia isn't right for you, there may be other treatment options that are. You'll never know unless you ask. 

The fact of the matter is, the earlier you start treating your hair loss, the more likely it is that you'll have hair in the future. That's a proven, scientific fact. Get over the hour or two of "embarrassment" that you're afraid of, talk to your doctor, and find out if Propecia is right for you. Ten years from now when you have a full head of hair, you'll be glad that you did. 

What I Don't Like About Rogaine Solution

What I don't like about Rogaine solution is the fact that it takes so long to dry.  I put it on, and then go to scratch my head like an hour later, and my fingers get all greasy because the minoxidil solution hasn't dried yet.  And, as you saw from the pictures in my previous post, I don't have much hair! It shouldn't take nearly as long to dry as it does....sometimes it can take 2 or 3 hours.  Plus, every time I rub my head and get the minoxidil solution all over my hand, I'm scared I'm going to end up with hairy palms...and everyone knows what that means.

I feel like I'm able to get more of the medicine on my scalp with Rogaine solution as opposed to Rogaine foam.  But I'm not sure if I would buy the solution again.  Although I think I'll end up using more of the foam, thus going through it faster and paying more money, the solution just doesn't seem nearly as convenient for me.  I like how quickly the foam dries and that it's not greasy.  That's worth the extra money to me. I just worry that the foam won't work as well.  Only time will tell.

Thirty and Balding

One of the things that has really bothered me over the years is my male pattern hair loss.  It started when I was about 22 years old...all of a sudden I noticed that my hair was really thin, and that a bald spot was developing at the top of my head.  A couple of years later, things had gotten so noticeable that I decided to see a dermatologist about my hair loss.

The doctor told me that there were two FDA approved treatments for balding (at the time).  The first was Rogaine--topically applied minoxidil solution.  The second was a pill called Propecia, also known by the generic name finasteride.  At the time, I wanted to stop my hair loss, and my lifestyle didn't allow for a twice-daily topical treatment, so I opted for Propecia.  I took my pills as prescribed for two years, and my hair loss stopped with little side effects.

I lost my job in 2008, and Propecia got too expensive for me, so I stopped taking it.  For a couple of years I didn't notice a difference, but then last year people really began to comment on my thinning hair.  Once other people were noticing my hair loss enough to ask me about it, I knew it was time to do something to regrow my hair.  Here's a few photos of where my hair loss stands today:

My hair is buzzed short in these photos, but as you can see my bald spot is very apparent.  According to the manufacturer, minoxidil solution is the only FDA-approved treatment that is clinically proven to regrow hair, so I have decided to give Rogaine a try.  I started using Rogaine solution (and later Rogaine foam) on Feburary 4, 2013.  These pictures were taken on February 28, 2013.  So far, I have not noticed my hair growing back, but the maker of Rogaine says that it can take 4 months to see results. For me, that means that I should start to notice something by early June 2013.

We'll see how it goes.  So far, I've been very faithful about using Rogaine twice a day.  There was only one day in the past month that I missed a single application--which the manufacturer says should not affect my hair regrowth outcome.  I bought a bottle of the solution before I bought the Rogaine foam, so I switch back and forth between the minoxidil products depending on what I am doing for the day.  If I need to look clean and ready for work, I'll use the foam...but if I'm just lounging around the house and it doesn't matter if my hair looks wet for awhile, I will use the Rogaine solution.  Both products contain 5% minoxidil as the active ingredient so it shouldn't really make a difference switching between the two.

I am really hoping this works.  I have been very self-conscious about my hair loss recently, and I hope that my investment in this treatment was worth the money.  So far, I haven't had any side effects from the Rogaine, and it fits into my daily routine easily for the most part.  I will keep you posted of any changes...and I hope to have some amazing "after" photos of a full head of hair to show you in a couple of months!