[rafared]

I know how you feel but the lads are right Im afraid.
Accept it and cut it very short.......its the best way.
Best of luck.

[papajimsmooth]

They did a piece on the late late show a while back about this.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/20090501.html

You need to click on the forth box to watch the hair transplant part.

[speedboatchase]

Long post but wanted to give OP a full rundown:

OP, there's a lot of misinformation in the earlier posts - I'd be 99% sure you're losing it because of hereditary reasons and if you're young (like I am), it attacks a lot quicker than usual and it means you don't have much chance to stabilise it with any treatments - so the next step is up to you.

Hair transplants are perfectly fine if you can afford them, people say "you don't want to be the guy with a transplant etc" but a huge amount of celebrities have them and no-one has any idea; Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Piven etc. If you can get afford it absolutely go for it - although the Irish specialists are apparently rubbish and you'd be better off researching it and getting done in the U.S or UK. The major downside is cost - it'll be around 6-8 and a few years down the line you will likely need another operation. It is still the best option though

Otherwise you can do what I did and spend money on the two main deterrents - finasteride (Propecia or the cheaper generic version Proscar) and minoxidil (Rogaine or the cheaper generic version Kirkland Minoxidil). Propecia/Proscar is a tablet you take every to stabilise hairloss and is FDA approved and works for a small percentage of men, with alarming side effects (moobs, loss of erection). Once you stop taking them any gains you have will go, as will the side effects. I stopped it because I started to actually experience some of the side effects and it really wasn't worth it.

I still use Kirkland Minoxidil, mainly because it's cheap (Rogaine isn't) and I don't want to lose any apparent gains. You use a dropper and squirt twice each day on the affected parts of your hairline. Alternatively Rogaine have a foam they recently released that is like a mousse and does the same job. The idea is the finasteride will stabilise the hairloss and the minoxidil will regrow it. I've experienced very minimal gains but you should still give it a try if you feel like it, people I've seen on forums have had miraculous results with them both

The final alternative which I'm currently doing is to bide your time. I use a product called Toppik on my temples; it sounds embarrassing to say as its basically pepper on your hair, then you hairspray and lock it in and brush your hair downwards over it. Sounds terrible and I was very sceptical but it's amazing actually and has and will give me at least another 3-4 years to decide my options or see if I can afford a HT in the future (if I win lotto lol etc).

The other drastic option is a hairpiece. My mate is the same age as me and we all know he has one - it looks bad. Don't do it. People hear will say "just shave it!" but it's not an easy decision for a lot of us, losing your hair is losing the ability to look any other way and if you're not ridiculously built or have the wrong face shape, it's tough to just accept a newer, older, uglier you. Those are the options anyway but do what makes you happy and don't just consign yourself to any decision that won't

[Grid.]

Did anyone see those hairsystems they had on the Late Late, think it was last year, I thought they looked great and was really hard to tell the difference... worth investigating if all else fails!

[BigDuffman]

Not bald yet but I'm starting to thin out on top, to a point where I'm adapting hairstyle / product (using matt putty / wax in stead of gel). Don't need a transplant or anything but worried that will start going bald on top (I'm 25 and not ready to shave it as I would look like a thug!).

The idea of big moobs and lacking erections just won't cut the mustard so might start looking into the rogaine stuff, is that the same as regaine?

[sharper]

Originally Posted by BigDuffman

Don't need a transplant or anything but worried that will start going bald on top (I'm 25 and not ready to shave it as I would look like a thug!).

I'm a little bit older (33) and I had the same worry. I have male pattern baldness and then a few months back alopecia on the back of my head sealed the deal. I was very worried at first but it's no big deal.