It is quite common for men to lose their hair, and it affects over 80% of men. But if you are still a young man under the age of 21, it can be devastating to be already losing your hair.
Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is caused by a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). For some men, that hormone is very strong and therefore causes hair loss at a much faster rate and starts at an earlier age. If a family member like a mom, dad, an uncle, or a grandparent also suffers from hair loss, there is a high chance that you will too, because androgenetic alopecia is a hereditary trait. Men will first start to notice thinning and eventually balding around the frontal hairline and temporal lobes. The balding will eventually start in the crown area, typically called the “bald spot”, until the frontal hair loss and the crown hair loss meet in the middle and leave you “bald”.
Hair loss isn’t enjoyed by anyone, but if you are still a young man just getting ready to start your way in life, having hair loss can really have varying detrimental effects on you. It can affect you emotionally by lowering self-esteem. It can also have financial effects if you try to stop, fix, or reverse the hair loss at a time when money is not necessarily available.
The good news is that there are many ways to treat this hair loss. A very specialized hair restoration plan is necessary for patients that fall into this particular criteria.
The first step is to make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Torgerson at the Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic. He will start by assessing your hair loss and what the cause is of the early onset of losing hair. It is also important to review all past medical history and make sure that nothing else could be responsible that would require an alternative to the treatment plan for early stage male pattern baldness.
It is important to know that you are not alone in this, that your concerns are being addressed, and that your best interests are always the most important.
Typically in a hair restoration plan for men who are under the age of 25, a hair transplant is never the first option. There are certain circumstances for going ahead with a hair transplant on men at this age, but that will be determined at your consultation and after a full assessment. A hair transplant is the only way to replace hair that is lost, but it is not the most important part of a hair restoration plan. Doing something to stop the hair loss is far more important.
This will typically include a plan that includes finasteride (Propecia) to block the DHT that is causing the hair loss and therefore slow down the loss.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is also a main factor in reducing hair loss because it stops the miniaturization and thickens the hair. This means that you will have fewer hairs falling out.
The most effective treatment for hair loss at this stage, which we have seen some great results from in recent years, is PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy. This treatment uses all of the growth factors in your own blood to stop hair loss and super stimulate hair growth.
The first and most important step is to seek the advice of a specialist such as Dr. Torgerson. The second most important step is to follow the plan that is put into place for you.
