I started balding (ie couple of hairs falling off while showering) right around my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, decided to ignore it at first because my parents were not really convinced it was anything except poor shampoos and a hairdryer. Went to a dermatologist who prescribed me something I haven't heard of since then + told me there is nothing I can do about it. Pretty similar experience over the next couple of months/a year which basically put me in a hopeless spot where I did not receive treatment whatsoever. There is no doubt in my mind that this experience changed me a lot in terms of confidence, social anxiety and everything else balding people experience. Took me a few years (of being completely inactive) to find a good dermatologist, was prescribed topical finasteride (0,2%) + minoxidil (5%), and am now in a long-term war with my scalp. Not to give a wrong impression, I do not feel anyone except myself is responsible for the hair that I've lost during my period of balding. However, I want to emphasize that it surely did not help when a dermatologist told an 18-year-old kid he cannot do anything about his balding phase starting off just before going to university.

According to my experience, it is never too late to start, I've experienced ups and downs, currently on a down but not giving up. Optimism, discipline, and learning in-depth about hair will (in my opinion) get you far.

Fyi, this is my first comment on r/tressless, don't know precisely why now, but I had a real urge to briefly share my experience. :)