How to fix hair thinning problem?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 17-year-old male. Since I started to grow my hair, I began to realize how thin it is naturally. Is there any way to thicken it up? But the main concern is that since I have grown it, I started to experience excessive shedding. By only passing my hand on my head I would get on average 15 hairs. The pattern stopped for a while, but my hair is thinning a lot on the sides. I can see across my scalp easily by lifting the hairs on the side of my head, (lateral sides, on top of ears, and the regular pattern baldness zones). It has become excessively thin. Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

From the information given it seems you are experiencing the early signs of male pattern hair loss. This is a very common condition and there are many factors responsible, one of them being genetic. If you have other family members with similar patterned hair loss the chances for you to develop it increase too. Due to the effect of the male hormone on the hair cycle, over a period of time, the hair follicle starts shrinking and so the hair which comes out is thinner and more fragile and breaks easily. Also, the growing phase of the hair is shortened, so your hair does not grow as long it used to and becomes shorter and wispier. Being just 17 years old I am sure it must be worrying you a lot. But do not be disheartened. There are several treatment options available and the sooner we start the treatment the better the chances of reducing further hair loss, thinning, and increasing regrowth. A combination of oral supplements to boost hair growth along with application of lotions containing Minoxidil 5 percent to begin with will be the best course of action in my opinion. Oral Finasteride, which is the male hormone blocker, is used frequently. Applications with Finasteride are available too. This will be prescribed by your treating doctor after assessing the extent of thinning and discussing the side effects, etc. Several preparations of bio-peptides and other natural ingredients like saw palmetto extract, melatonin, etc are also available to boost the hair growth. PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is a popular procedure which is often used in combination with medical treatment to stimulate hair growth further. Usually, a combination of treatments is suggested after the clinical evaluation. But using the applications regularly is the key to good results. Hair regrowth takes a few months to show and you will have to be patient to see the benefit of the treatment.

I hope this helps.

Revert with the answer to assist further.

Thank you and take care.