I am a 21 year old male that has been noticing hair loss in the front portions of my scalp since the beginning of summer [first noticed the thinning early June]. Fitting nowhere on the Norwood scale combined with the *rapid* loss of hair led me to believe that my condition may be due to causes other than genetic patterned baldness.
My primary physian referred me to a dermatologist and during my visit with him the other day, he diagnosed me with an unidentified Alopecia. He thought it may be Alopecia Areata or an unusual pattern of balding [because patterned baldness runs on my father's side] and prescribed Propecia and Synalar (Fluocinolone Acetonide solution .01%). No tests of any sort were performed other than visual examination of the scalp but I have an appointment scheduled in six weeks where the dermatologist said he would be able to look for changes and possibly determine if I have Alopecia Areata.
I've already filled out my prescription for the two medications [and will ask about splitting Proscar next time, as Propecia costs far more than I could ever maintain paying for] and invested in some Nizoral and T/Gel after reading some of the information on this site.
I was wondering if there was any advice as to what steps I should take from here [and also what exactly Synalar is supposed to do]. And also, if this doctor refuses to prescribe Proscar for my hairloss, if it winds up being mpb, then what steps should I take from there? I'm leary about ordering from any online sources except those run by established pharmacies and have reservations about websites that sell generic or foreign versions of finasteride.
Thanks for any help you can offer [and the wealth of info I've already found in the forums].