NW 3 hairline thinning at 16

[JesseHeisenberg47]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. I am 16 years old and have a badly receding hairline (NW3), and thinning on the hairline. I believe this partly to be due to early puberty as well. It started at around 12, and accelerated at 13/14, but I don't know if there's been a lot of change since, however I am unsure whether I had the thinning as I didn't realise at the time. My father has been NW7 since his late 20s early 30s, but that was more due to TE than MPB. I hate the thought of becoming bald at a young age, and acceptance is not an option, as I would sooner invest in a system if it came to it. I plan on hopefully starting regaine and nizoral in the near future. At the moment the hair loss doesn't affect my hairstyle and is easily covered. It is difficult to tell I'm losing hair without pulling my hair back (I get no comments thankfully). What I wanted to ask was:
1.) Could I stall propecia until 18 and would it be effective enough to keep me from the higher nw scales?
2.) Could regaine be effective for me?
3.) Do I have a good chance (with treatments and possible hair transplants in the distant future) of keeping a bit of hair?
4.) Approximately how many years are we from a cure?
I understand these questions might be hard to answer but any guess would be appreciated. Many thanks.

[fred970]

Oh god that's harsh! You have all my sympathy man.

1) If you think you can take it, start taking finasteride when you turn 18, you might still benefit from it.
2) You should start minoxidil right away.
3) With the help of the meds, you might be a candidate.
4) It depends how you define a cure. New treatments that could help potential NW7 like you? Realistically, I'd say 6-8 years.

A full-blown cure from something like gene therapy? I'd say 60-80 years.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

Yeah it's been tough, but it's only noticeable like that. Would you agree I have hope? And is there a definite chance I can avoid NW 4+?

[fred970]

There's always hope!

Take your treatments religiously, search information about hair transplants or even SMP smartly, don't fall in the trap of snake oils, and you should be fine.

Hope is the most important thing when it comes to hair loss. I wish I knew I would be able to have a hair transplant someday when I was 19 and severely depressed because I was told "there was nothing I could do about it"

Here's the topic about my recent FUE hair transplant: http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16218

I did not start as early (only at 17, that's weird to say) as you and I don't know how my hair transplant will turn out, but it might give you some hope and perspective.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

Also would propecia do well at all at maintaining my hair, or is there nothing really that can help me that's out atm?

[somethingsomething]

Also would propecia do well at all at maintaining my hair, or is there nothing really that can help me that's out atm?

I started loosing my hair really early aswell. At the age of 15 was when I noticed it. Just like you I didn't know it before my hairline had receded back. Just a bit but it had still receeded.

I stated using rogaine at age 16 with much, but still thin hairs.
The rogaine did wounder to me and I used it until I was 17. At this stage my scalp started to itch as HELL. Went off the rogaine and lost alot of hair.
This was when I noticed propecia and went to see my doctor. As my age was not 18 yet she was not allowed to give me propecia (which is understandable as it f*cks arond with hormones as I understand it.)

The worst part about this was that my female doctor just told me to shake it off and move on. No sympathy from no one except my mom.

Slowly lost more hair until I was 19, went on a hairtransplant and started using propecia.

The thing for me is that my hair is really thin. Which actually looks pretty decent if I buzz it.

I feel for you kid. No one should go through what we do, especially at such a delicate age.

Anyone that would comment it in a mean manner to me today (as 21 years old), is simply to laugh at them look them up and down and calmly explain to them that hairloss was a wake up for me. That I really take care of what I can with my apperance.

Hitting the gym will give you more selfesteem if you ask me. Aswell as a buzzed head with a big and shredded body actually looks really good.

Really long post and what I'm telling you is.

1. Do not care what other people say. Do what you want. If you want to get a hairsystem don't be worried what other people think about you comming to school with a full head of hair. It is your life and it's too short for you to go around worrying. This fixed itself with age and self esteem for me

2. There is people that is and have gone through what you feel. You are not alone and many at this forum know the extreme ups and downs of being a youth with hairloss.

3. My hairloss would probably not have been a problem at all if I got my propecia when I noticed hairloss. But in many ways life is a b*tch and we just got to keep your chin up and be a warrior.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

Thank you very much for the comments. So with medication and hair transplants, will I be able to keep my hair?

[JesseHeisenberg47]

BTW I'm sorry for not making this clear, but most of the time I do look like I have a full head of hair (or at most nw2, but mostly nw1 ).

[Notcoolanymore]

First of all I just want to say sorry. I often complain about losing hair in my early 20's, but damn 16!!! I would get on minoxidil ASAP. It is also worth trying propecia when your doctor approves. As far as treatment options go, that is pretty much it. Who know what the future holds when it comes to treatments, but I am not holding my breath. We will see.

You are a magician when it comes to disguising your hair loss.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

Thanks, tbh I don't really want too much sympathy at this point, it's hit early, I know I have it, and I'm just determined to keep a bit of hair for later on in life. I'm not sure whether I can get propecia or not. I went to see 2 doctors 18 months ago, but as in England you get told "there's nothing you can do about it". One of them who I knew for a long time just said casually "Yep you're going to be bald when you're older". That got to me initially but then I researched finasteride and minoxidil, and ironically, 6 months from that appointment, my local pharmacy started selling online finasteride that you can pick up in the local pharmacy. I also think that finasteride could potentially work well for me, not necessarily regrowth on the front, but preventing further hair loss on the front and more importantly, keeping the hair on my midscalp, as that is quite thick at the moment and is how I don't even need to try and cover up my hair loss yet. The key for me is to try and avoid the higher norwoods for hopefully a decade, which is tough, but I have faith propecia could prevent me losing more, or at least not be nw7 by early 20s.

[Binaryform]

Hi, I was searching the web when I came across your story. I know that it is harsh to lose your hair. I started losing my hair at 18. I had my first transplant at 21, my second at 22 my third at 23, my fourth at 26, my fifth at 30 and my sixth at 35. The first three doctors I went to in the late 1990s. I had 600 -700 grafts placed into my hairline. This small transplant didn't do anything to lessen my hair loss. When I questioned the Doctor about it he said well, we have made it so you look the same and therefore you don't look like you have lost anymore hair than you already have. As an adult I think to myself what kind of a B.S. scam was that? If I wanted to look exactly the same why would I have paid thousands to do so? Wouldn't I have just done nothing instead? I opted not to go back for another "touch up" as all of these places seem to call in. My second and third transplants I had one mega session there in which I suppose to have received 2,500 grafts. A year later when all of the grafts are suppose to have grown out I still didn't see much of a difference. So, I opted for one more transplant just to finish my hairline. That way at least I could have a normal hairline and perhaps wear a wig behind it. Well, my next transplant of 800 grafts into my hairline again didn't yield the hairline that I was told that I would get. Frustrated about the minimal results that these "doctors" were able to provide I gave up for a few years. In the early 2000s there were commercials all over the television. So, I gave them a shot. I had 2,500 grafts placed over my entire head and once again when the grafts all grew out I still looked like a guy who's hair was thinning all over. My hairline was sparse and lacked any kind of density and I had almost no hair on the top of my head. Please take into account that this was my FOURTH hair transplant and these "doctors" were still in no way shape or form providing me with the results that they promised. Frustrated with having so many procedures, spending massive amounts of money and the overall shadiness of the Hair Transplant field I gave up for a few years. My hair loss still bothered me and because of the scars on the back of my head and the small indents on the top of my head that were from all of my transplants shaving my head was not an option. So, a few years later I went online (by this time the internet had blown up and forums like these were common) I found doctor who has an office close by who I researched and seemed to offer the help that I needed. I had 650 grafts dense packed into my hairline. Yeah, I looked a little better, but my hair line was still pluggy and sparse and this guy (once again- like all the others) had promised me a finished hairline and said that I would get my life back. Well, after the grafts had all grown out and my hairline still looked odd and nothing like the photos that he advertised I questioned him. He acted shocked and said that I had an enviable hair line. I said, and this is a direct quote "Enviable hair line? Yeah, maybe compared to Hulk Hogan." There was an awkward silence and then I left. I had my final hair transplant a few years ago when I was 35. Now, I thoroughly researched this doctor. He seemed to be doing amazing things with not only hair transplants, but body hair transplants (taking hair off of your chest or legs and placing it on your head) as well. I sent him my pictures and he said I was definite candidate for the procedure and assured me that after this procedure that my hairline would be complete. Take into account that by this point I had long given up on a fully restored head of hair. I just wanted my hairline finished so I could wear a hair piece behind it. Well, once again I was swindled. This time however it cost me more than any of the other doctors. I spent 14,000 on that last operation and while there is improvement I still look like a guy who is losing his hair and is afraid to shave his head because he is hanging onto what was. And believe me there is nothing more unattractive than looking at yourself with thinning hair. It's 100 times worse than shaving your head! The reason I am telling you this is because I don't want you to make the same mistakes that I did. I know it is VERY harsh losing your hair at such a young age (Aside from my brother dying losing my hair and the hair transplant mess that I have endured has been the most traumatic experience of my life) So, my advice to you is to right now start shaving your head. In a few months you will be use to it And while your hair loss may always bother you you will get use to it at some point. I seriously wouldn't wish my hair transplant nightmare on anyone. Also there are groundbreaking things going on with genetic research and hair restoration. Just go to Youtube and type in cure for baldness. There is no way that we are 80 years (as one poster wrote) away from a cure. We are probably anywhere between 3 to 10 years or maybe even 3 to 5 years away. I should also add that I know three other people who have had hair transplants and all of them have had lackluster results. To be honest I don't know anyone who has had success with a transplant. At least not the success that these "doctors' say that they can achieve. I have pretty much come to the conclusion that most of the people who are pushing the hair transplant agenda on this site and sites like it are either hair transplant doctors or working for hair transplant doctors. I don't know if my post will help you, but I hope it will. I know how at 16 you are very young and insecure enough as it is and this only makes it worse, but I am imploring you not to rush into a hair transplant. Just cut it all off and in time you will grow use to it. I know it's had to admit that beauty and self confidence are on the inside, but they truly are it is just a shame that it takes all of us so long to see what we are worth and something like hair loss can make us see it even less.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

I'm sorry to hear about your hair transplant problems. But bear in mind, from when you started your hair transplant procedures to now, I believe we are more advanced in procedures and after care. And I'm sorry but I can't start shaving my head now for various reasons. 1.) I want to fight my hairloss 2.) I believe there is still a lot of hair that I can save 3.) You mentioned BHT and modern hair transplants, which I am building upto not now, but in the future, and it additionally helps that I have a lot of body hair that can be used as a donor source 4.) I might be repeating myself, but my hair looks fine 99% of the time, I am not sure if you saw the updated photos, but I never look like I did in the first picture, I usually look like the second updated picture 5.) Women are more likely to be interested in men with hair, and since I'm not too aesthethically or height pleasing, I need my hair atm 6.) My school does not permit haircuts lower than a 2, and I would be punished for it, because they know that I usually go to school with normal looking hair 7.) I really don't want to shave my head, because I love styling my hair, and love having hair, in fact a few weeks ago I styled it and people said I looked like Elvis. So in conclusion, I appreciate your advice about hair transplantation, but I could never live bald atm, and as I believe Fred said "it is always better to have a bit of hair than completely bald". So I don't really have a reason to shave my head at the moment, because I really don't want to and my hair looks fine except for when pulled back

[JesseHeisenberg47]

I am also very sorry to hear about your brother's death, many condolences. However I'm sorry but with the way I look at the moment, I enjoy styling my hair as hair loss is not noticeable. And I can guarantee you that I will spend at least a year researching the best doctors and methods when I get a hair transplant, which like I say will not be now, but probably around mid/late 20s, unless I lose a significant amount before then.

[Jasari]

Not sure whether this will help but my hairloss was identical to yours. Exact same pattern. In my situation I have no family members with any hairloss. Both grandfathers had a full head of hair at 80.

That being said, I reached the exact level you are now at 17 [It's an A pattern of hairloss]. In my case however it didn't get much worse by age 27. From my perspective that is due to the fact that whilst the hairloss looks aggressive & severe, it is actually only a small area.

At the age of 25 I got a transplant & essentially created the illusion of a full head of hair. Early this year my hairloss finally hit the crown. Since Feb I've been on propecia & minox, which has reversed the crown loss.

I guess one positive is that the A variant of hairloss potentially only goes as far as a norwood 5 in a lot of cases.

This is me at 17.

[JesseHeisenberg47]

You're right I think we are both identical in terms of hairloss there. I'm not sure where my hair loss would head in terms of Nw5a or Nw7, because my father is Nw7 but lost it all through TE and stress, literally down the sink. I would like it to be a 5a and hopefully I can be on the same route as you are. But do I really look more like an a pattern or just nw7?