Would you allow your 18 year old to take finasteride?

[FoxyLoxyy]

My title is actually misleading - he’s 18 so of course there’s not a lot of ‘allowing’ involved! Support is a better word.

I don’t like the idea but he’s come to me because he has what’s clearly male pattern baldness. Luckily he has a big mop of thick hair but when he pulls this back, it’s clear he has a very receding hairline with some loss at the hairline too.

this is fully hidden by his hair due to the style he has it in but he’s 18 and of course he’s very self conscious of being in even the slightest breeze!

so I understand. At his age it’s very all consuming for him but I’m quite opposed to him taking finasteride due to the potential side effects. He’s been using minoxidil for 18 months now and that’s done absolutely nothing.

His diet is very healthy and he’s fit and active. There is no vitamin deficiency so it’s purely genetics at play

Id like to work on his confidence etc etc but he’s having none of that and wants to try finasteride. He will just order it anyway if I don’t agree so I’ve probably got no choice as I want to be kept in the loop of course so I can help if he needs me too but what would you do? Oppose it or support it?

I’m not sure if it is still available on BBC Sounds but Jeremy Vine did a segment on finasteride a few months ago and a few men were on who had been left with horrendous issues after taking it. Mental health issues and impotence issues I seem to remember.

Yeah I’m aware of the potential for side effects. I’ve spoken with him about them. At his age, he just can’t absorb this and wants to go ahead.

What about explaining that it would be best to try other options first due to the very serious and harmful effects (and i can only assume that for an 18 year old sexual health is important). There are many other natural remedies that might help increase hair volume and if after a 6 months/1 year period nothing works then he can revisit and address this. Also maybe he can book a free assessment to the many hair clinics available to have an assessment of the reasons that he might have the hair loss at this age? there are many other options prior to this.

Would he be open to PRP for hair loss? No drugs or chemicals and easy to maintain?

completely understand your concerns, especially with the side effects that finasteride can sometimes cause. For my part, I’ve been using topical finasteride for years, which really helps reduce the risk of side effects compared to oral treatment.
If he’s set on trying it, I’d recommend going for a high-quality product. I always buy from this site: https://minoxidilmax.com/product/6-minox. Their topical finasteride is very reliable and often better tolerated.
The key is that he feels supported and takes care of himself with full knowledge of what he’s doing. I can also share tips on how to monitor effects and get the best results if you wan