It’s noticeably thinning in the back and front. His dad still has a full head of hair; one of my brothers also does but another brother was balding in his early 30s. His check ups are normal; his GP told him to see a dermatologist, who prescribed a shampoo. Has anyone had a young male adult with this issue? What worked? Thanks all.
A dermatologist might prescribe finasteride to take for an extended period of time which may have some unwanted side effects.
I always thought the bald gene carried through the mother. How is he hairline of the maternal grandfather?
@Madison85 - thank you. I’ll ask him if his dermatologist mentioned that as an option.
@chardonMN yes that’s what I thought too. If you’re asking about my father, he had his hair through his 40s. My grandfather – I have no idea. Have to ask my mom.
It’s not uncommon. I think the best thing that ever happened to balding men is the trend toward shaving one’s head.
I’ve witnessed families that mercilessly tease their balding relatives. I’ve always found that unfunny and cruel. When I worked with a group of mainly men, that was one rule the guys had amongst themselves - no bald jokes.
“How is he hairline of the maternal grandfather?”
“Have to ask my mom.”
Does it matter? It’s not going to change anything.
It is not going to change anything but it can give a hint to whether hair loss is genetic or whether there could be something else going on.
I was also going to say propecia( finesterade), but some do experience side effects. Not all.
I was always shocked when I used to proctor exams in my kids HS, the amount of teen males who were on their way to balding even then. He he decides to give rogain a try Kirkland own liquid version is cheap as chips. If it is just normal male pattern hair loss the key apparently is to start using it ASAP.
This happened to my son, too. It is what it is.
Does your son look good with a shaved head? Mine does. It can be a nice look, but a guy needs to be careful about sunburn.
@Sybylla – thanks! I didn’t realize there was a Kirkland version of it.
@BunsenBurner – agree – it’s like wanting to know your family’s medical history so I can rule out something bad.
@Marian – I don’t think he would look good with a shaved head. Sunburn is a good point. Thanks.
S1 started thinning in his 20s. I don’t think he’s done anything about it and he’s now in his 30s. He just makes sure to wear a baseball cap when he’s outdoors.
My son started losing his hair before he was twenty. In high school he had long thick hair and looked like paintings of Jesus. He cut it fairly short before going to Jordan, and then two years ago joined the navy where they shaved it completely off at Officer Candidate School. He looked horrible. He still keeps it very, very short. It looks better than it did completely shaved, but I really miss the long tresses! In his case there’s plenty of baldness on my side of the family so I assume it’s genetic. His older brother’s hair has thinned some, but not nearly to the same extent.
Sadly, our 22-year-old son has given his best hair years to the Army. He was shaved to a nub three weeks after HS graduation, and we haven’t seen more than a half-inch since. At Christmas break, DH commented to me that what little hair is visible on our son’s head appears to be thinning and the hairline is definitely on retreat.
Anyone who discovers a cure for this will be rich beyond their wildest dreams.
No direct experience, but a much older family member went through a very stressful period & she took vitamins designed to combat hair loss. Sold at all drug stores & Wal-Marts under various names. (Not sure but “Biotin” might be one such vitamin.) The vitamin mixture–Biotin–worked like a miracle !
If going out in the sun long enough that there is risk of sunburn, either wear a hat or put sunscreen lotion there.
I have enough hair for 10 people, as do 3 of my brothers. One brother if folically challenged. He has a very large baseball cap collection.
Yes. It happens. Our cousin got that male pattern baldness that does run in the family but his hit early. Looked like he mowed a streak down middle of head. He’s in his fifty’s now and still has hair along the sides as does my BIL. My DH escaped that bald gene as did most of the cousin’s siblings. Just one of them is losing his hair but he’s in his 40s. Their father, DH’s uncle did lose his hair in the center too, but at an older age. DH’s grandfather was classically bald that way as all the old photos show. But again not till he was older. In one’s 20s is definitely early.
I think when you are as young as your son is, going full buzz or trying some of the stuff they have to stall that progression are the best options. That middle of the head bald pattern just doesn’t look good on very young men. Back 30 years ago, cousin didn’t have those choices and he did get a lot of negative remarks about his balding. It’s up to your son, of course, as to what he wants to do.
I started doing a lot or research on all types of hair loss after being diagnosed with alopecia. The hair on my head didn’t fall out entirely. I’d get bald spots about the size of a quarter that would slowly grow back in over the next 3 month or so, but while some were filling in, I’d get new ones. I could have up to 10 at a time and my eyelashes and eyebrows also fell out. Needless to say, not a fun time.
Anyway, my form of alopecia was thought to be a result of stress and it all eventually all grew back when I found more effective ways to deal with stress and made it a priority, but through my research and seeing various specialists including one at a top research university where they were doing some studies, I learned that it’s an old wives tale that the male pattern baldness gene comes from the mother’s side. You have a 50/50 shot from either side of the family.