I’m just kind of getting back into the groove of answering your hair loss questions again. If one of your questions got lost in the shuffle while I was on the road, please send it again and I’ll respond to it here. This question is from Sendi, a 17-year-old who says he’s lost ⅔ of his hair and would like some advice/input. Here’s his email:
Man, you don’t know how thankful I am. I never expected someone could create such a great site. I’m 17, suffer from hair fall; it’s not drastic, but I had very thick hair and now I have just maybe a third of it. I’m scared I will be bald in a few months. What do you think is the best way to deal with this? And which treatment do you personally recommend? I have read everything, but i’m still not sure. Have a great day and stay safe in these crazy days! Thanks, Sendi
Appreciate your question, Sendi, and as I say to many of the young, teenage readers who reach out to me, I’m truly sorry you have to deal with this. But it sounds like you have a positive attitude and I’m sure you’ll be fine, no matter what you choose to do. For what it’s worth, here’s my advice:
First, Consider Cutting Your Losses
It sounds like you’ve lost a significant amount of hair unfortunately. So you probably need to at least consider cutting your losses and buzzing your head. Maybe you’ll dig the look, who knows, many men do.
Second, Finasteride Could Also be an Option
Alternatively, you could seek medical treatment. I imagine finasteride would be the only potential treatment that could help you maintain your hair given the aggressiveness of your hair loss. While finasteride is not typically recommended to men under 18, it is prescribed “off-label” on occasion to balding teenagers who have finished puberty and who seek to treat their hair loss.
Minoxidil could help you buy some time, too. Topical finasteride also might be an option, as it typically yields less side effects than the pill — again, you’d need a prescription for that treatment. Then after you’re of age, assuming fin isn’t an option now, you could consider more potent meds like the aformentioned finasteride and perhaps even a dutasteride if things really get bad.
Make sure to get a parent or supportive adult involved if you can. And of course you’ll need to see a doctor in order to see if medication is a viable approach for you and to obtain a prescription.
You Could Also Cover it Up
I know high school is a special kind of hell and kids can be brutal, so if it bothers you, you could consider just kind of hiding under a hat for a while if it’s permitted. Eventually it’ll get better, and I promise and by the time you’re in college, many men will have begun the balding process in earnest.
Hair fiber products could also be used to help make it appear as if you have substantially more hair than you do.
All the best, Sendi, appreciate your comments and hope you’re staying safe too.
Here are a few related articles that may help you deal with this challenge:
Balding in Your Teens? – Here’s How to Keep Your Hair and Stay Sane
A Long, Hard, and Honest Look at Finasteride – Is it Worth the Risk?
The Bright Side of Baldness – The Top 7 Benefits of Embracing Hair Loss
Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.