balding teen

[pwagner]

I have noticed thinning hair on the top of my head for probably the last year or so. I tried Rogain for a few weeks but just could not stick to the pattern. I'm 18, and it's not very beneficial my age to experience thinning hair. What is the most effective strategy to combat this problem?
Thanks

[AmyN]

Assuming you are male and have male pattern baldness, the best way to stop it is to prevent 5-alpha-reductase molecules from binding to testosterone to produce dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the chemical that makes your hair fall out. This can be achieved either by taking finasteride, or the more potent dutasteride, which eliminates both types of DHT. You are lucky that you are only starting to lose your hair now, as it is easy to prevent losing more at this point, whereas a few years ago there was little you would have been able to do.