I have actually experience of this OP, I’m 42 now, my male pattern baldness started mid to late twenties, I find firstly that however much it’s said, nobody understands how bad this is for men, it is just as bad for men as it is for women to lose something that we are all given and then have to watch others enjoy as we lose ours, you lose your sense of masculinity, your identity and it makes you feel sub human, weak, ugly, that’s how you feel even before people start to make comments and jokes about it, but ultimately he is going to have to make one of two choices, he makes hiding this his life or he just accepts it and owns it, keep it short and move onwards. I understand how he feels at such a young age though, it’s not easy.
Obviously if he wants to pursue hair restoration he should go see various professionals about it, but here’s my experience if it’s of any use to you. Firstly topical minoxidil, you have to put on this greasy foam twice a day, every day, then you have to make sure you have styled your now damp thin hair to cover this, it’s not the best and it works in cycles of your hair shedding more then possible regrowth, didn’t work for me, and any regrowth you might have will be lost if you stop treatment.
Finasteride tablets have reported good results, they have to be prescribed, but there can be devastating side effects of depression, loss of libido and in some men permanent erectile dysfunction, yes PERMANENT.
Hair transplants, these are expensive and to be fair will need to be revisited if your hairloss is going to keep progressing, I think they only work for guys who’s MPB is just receding around the temples, but for us who look at our dads and know it will continue, hair transplants will never look good, they also need to be filled with hair fibres that you tap into the hair each day, look at Joe Swash, I think he uses hair thickening fibres to make his transplant look better.
Which leads me on to hair thickening fibres and sprays that cover balding spots. They can actually look great and boost confidence, however you do spend a lot of time paranoid in case someone notices or they wash out. It’s much more relaxing to just have very short hair and not have that paranoia.
Hair tattoos otherwise known as scalp micro pigmentation. The hair is shaved to a very low grade and the bald areas are tattooed to look like you’ve just got a shaved head. This is great in theory, but have seen this out in the wild and you can ALWAYS tell, plus it needs topping up as tattoos fade.
Hair systems, these are basically a modern way of saying toupee. They get glued on your head and styled by a professional, they stay on for months until your hair needs cutting and styling and new glue putting on. They actually look very realistic, there’s lots of YouTube videos about guys who wear them. The only thing I find troubling about them is you have to keep this going forever, you have to announce it to future spouses and if one day you want to remove it, you have a lot of explaining to do, and as great as they look, it’s not your real hair and that can feel disappointing.
Now if your son or anyone wants to try these things, absolutely go for it, I completely understand in EVERY way why, but male pattern baldness is relentless, it can’t be stoped. However helpful people think they are being, recommending supplements or shampoos is not going to stop it, if any of these things actually worked, there would be no balding men, because believe me we would all use that product and it would be infamous.
So I reached the age of thirty and I just dropped the rope with regards to my vanity, it went off a cliff. I keep my remaining hair short, we’ll have since then, still have ridiculously big sideburns or a beard, dress fine, I walk away from ANYONE who judges my appearance or anyone else’s, male or female and I just plough on. I made the decision to not make the rest of my life a constant worry about this stuff that grows from my head, and when I made that choice it was a relief to think of it no longer, to no longer stand with two mirrors looking at my bald spots or worry what anyone thinks. I don’t care if people think I’m older than I am, doesn’t matter to me anymore. Your son will have to decide which choice to make. He will be suffering, but he will be ok.
If you have any questions feel free.