Am I Suffering from Hair Loss?

I saw my family physician on Friday and he downplayed my concerns about hair loss. He said it looks like “thinning hair” and quite natural and nothing to be concerned with. He said by looking at it, he would never assume I was “balding”. He also said if I did suffer from a more severe case of MPB, I would have likely shown more significant hair loss at an earlier age (again, I’m 32).

He did authorize a thyroid test to be on the safe side, but made no recommendations for a skin specialist to look at it. I asked him about Propecia and he seemed more than skeptical that it was of any value at all. Obviously opinions vary from physician to physician, but mine seemed pretty unsold on it.

While he was able to quell some of my immediate concerns, I AM losing hair, though perhaps at a normal rate that doesn’t indicate significant bald spots, etc. occurring soon. Do you advise I seek out a dermatologist to get a more serious opinion of my case?   I am inclined to start to using Rogaine for the sake of getting a jump start on the loss I have suffered thus far.

I’m sorry to hear that your doctor downplayed your concerns.   The problem is that general practitioners are not hair loss specialists unlike dermatologists who are trained in hair and skin.   I do agree with him however, that those who suffer from a severe case of male pattern baldness typically start losing hair at a younger age, but this does not eliminate your risk entirely.    Remember also that not all men with androgenic alopecia go completely bald on top.   There are varying levels and it’s all determined by the genes.

Propecia  (finasteride) is FDA approved as a hair loss treatment and many have had great success with it.   Your doctor’s skepticism appears to be indicative of his ignorance of how androgenic alopecia works and how to treat it.   Rogaine  (minoxidil) can also be quite effective.

I do think consulting with a dermatologist would be a good idea as he can evaluate your scalp with magnification looking for signs of hair miniaturization – which most likely you will not be able to see with the naked eye in the early stages of balding.  

Bill
Associate Publisher

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