19 yr old son losing hair.... help

[Whenisitlunchtime]

My 19 yr old DS been losing his hair for about a year, off to uni next month. Receding hairline and thinning, making him sad and worried. Background - DF thin hair but from mid thirties, not 18. All Grandparents both sides lots of hair! DS went to GP told no help available so we paid for him to see a consultant. Consultant has prescribed Finasteride and Minoxidil, first to stop hair loss, second to help it grow back.
But she warned 2/3 months of hair falling out -which can be as bad as loss 'in clumps' before it grows back. DS doesn't know what to do - I have said ( unhelpfully perhaps) if he is anxious - to wait and that all drugs have SXF etc he and needs to weigh it up - but any other Mumsnetters have any advice or experience? We'd be grateful.

he should get bloods tested for thyroid and ferritin, this is what caused my hair loss. good luck!

There's a Reddit group https://www.reddit.com/r/bald/ who are a really honest and supportive group about male pattern balding and how going for the shave can be a really positive way to deal with it (and with loads of examples of before/after which reinforce that yes, it does look great on most men).

I've also seen plenty posts though also supporting people who aren't ready to go there yet. They don't give advice on hair loss treatments as that's not their bag but they signpost to other places, and they often suggest hairstyles (not combovers!) that will work when hair loss isn't too advanced.

Don't ask me why I ended up seeing their posts all the time - but I actually enjoy eavesdropping on this community from time to time as it's really wholesome stuff so your ds might find it a good bunch to connect with.

Meant to say, there are lots of younger guys so while he'd be on the young end, it's not a bunch of 40 somethings.

I would encourage him to get a buzz cut if all tests - thyroid etc - come back normal. My nephew - older but mid 20s - is receding and he’s just shaving it off out of necessity.

B vitamin complex: specifically biotin, folic acid, B12.

If he’s drinking, which young people tend to do, he’ll be deficient in the Bs. Also, B12 is great for the nervous system- all that angst and stress that is so common in young adults will deplete our B vitamin stores.

Better You zinc spray is a great addition (spray into mouth after a meal because zinc on an empty stomach makes you nauseous).

Get the thyroid checked as mentioned above. A full blood test panel would be helpful too.

Be careful about any prescription drugs for thinning hair. For men, they can have devastating unwanted effects. Particularly with regard to sexual function and depression.

My husband started losing his hair at 16. He started shaving his head at 19. His advice is to either trim it short or shave it all off. He said that although it was sad and really hard to go through being different from everyone else, and not being able to have the hairstyles he wanted, rather than trying to style it to hide it or hiding behind a hat that it was liberating to just shave it all off.

Did his GP not order any blood tests?

Definitely get his bloods done just to check. In general it's just how it is sometimes. I first met a friend when he was 19. He had lost easily 80% by then. Two others were starting to lose theirs in their late teens, and my dh was started to lose his in his early 20s.

Regaine really works but you cant stop it.

Honestly if there’s no physical cause I’d encourage him to accept it and start rocking the shaved head look.

i know someone who started receeding in their teens. They did everything, including a hair transplant, and nothing has worked. It’s stopped him living his life- he’s been turned away from clubs because he won’t remove his hat, so his social life took a dive. Girlfriends again he avoids rather than reveal his hairline.

i really feel for him but he’d be much more attractive with confident shaved head than trying to hide it all the time.

i may be biased as I did love a shaved/bald head when I was in my 20’s. Even now it can be very attractive (on men my age!)

Obviously a blood screen is important but if it shows nothing, he is better off embracing it, not that unusual

Men's hairpieces are amazing these days

I recommend a really short haircut too

My DS is 18 and his hair is thinning.

He has a thinning round patch at the back and slightly receding at the front

He's self conscious of it and I'm praying it doesn't get worse but it seems to slowly be getting worse

He has a terrible hair cut which doesn't help

Minoxidil is meant to be excellent at growing hair back but once you start using it you have to carry on

I've not heard of it falling out first so that might be a rare side effect that they have to warn you about

He should own it. If you can pull off an "alternative" haircut it's in your 20's at Uni.
He can go to one of those cool barbers who will have seen it all and reassure him shaved heads are very workable.

Patrick Stewart started to lose his hair in his early twenties. He sometimes wore a wig or hairpiece if an acting role required it, but otherwise went with it. He's always been considered a very attractive man who baldness suited.

Yes my DS went through similar aged 20
And is on both drugs prescribed to your son and his hair has grown back. But you need to gake it forever as when you stop, hair falls out again.

Oj I keep telling him that we will fund a hair transplant but he is happy using meds for now

Minoxidil won't help your hair grow back - it just stops the follicle from narrowing and thus shutting off the hair entirely. In other words, it stops your hair loss from getting worse.

I second taking ferritin - but also take is alongside Lysine and Vit D3.

My DS started to lose his hair at 17. When he went to uni at nearly 19 he just shaved his head. I hated it at first but as he said no one at uni was going to know him any differently. This was quite a long time ago so it never crossed our minds to seek medical help.
It is what it is. I've always said it's just as well he's got a gorgeous face! It didn't stop him having loads of mates, relationships and marriage.

Peppermint oil has been proven to stimulate hair growth.
Poor lad. I agree that a buzz might be the way forward, at least until the meds take effect. It'll be easier to get them on the scalp with very short hair.

Thanks to everyone for these very helpful posts. I really appreciate it and DS does too.