Whats going on with my hair?

[top]

This is my hair brushed back. It looks a mess. I don't know what's going on here, and looks like there are tuffs of hair, and swathes of thinning hair.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/a1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/a2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/a3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/a4.jpg

This is my hair brushed forward.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/b1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/5820974944/ohno/b2.jpg

Is this the way Male Pattern Baldness is for most people?

I'm going to try grow my hair 2-3 months, and see if it looks like it did a few months ago. If not, then something is seriously wrong, and I'm going to just shave all my hair off.

Oh yeah, I've got a microscope, and on close inspection there are little red spots on my scalp where the hair follicles are. I don't know if this is normal, or if maybe I've got some kind of fungal infection.

I'm think maybe my best bet is to go to a doctor or clinic (don't know if my regular GP is good enough, might have to go to a proper hair clinic?) to get an assessment.

It's sad, as a person of black ancestry. We have what we call good hair (non-kinky hair), and bad hair (kinky/nappy hair). But what I've got is just s*** hair, doesn't matter the texture.

[UK_]

Welcome to hell.

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.

[mothernature]

go to a doctor and have hormone/blood testing done, this doesn't look that great.

[top]

This is my hair when left moderately long (i.e. not cut for 3 months)


Then I decided to get my hair cut short (shorter than I had ever before), and that's when I realised something was wrong:

Left:


Right:


Rear:


Rear-Top:


Top:


I'm at two minds whether to grow my hair long to cover up the thin parts. Or cut it real short so it's less noticeable (but then I'd have to keep cutting it real short every week or so).

Maybe I'll grow it long, then when I next get it cut. get it cut not so short.

I think my hair looks good cut short like in those 2nd batch of photos, if not for my thinning hair. I wish I cut my hair this short when I was younger, and did more stuff with my hair, instead of when I started to go bald.

[top]

go to a doctor and have hormone/blood testing done, this doesn't look that great.

Would a normal doctor/GP suffice? or going to one of these hairloss clinic?

[mattj]

You have a diffuse hairloss pattern, which means that the hair thins out over the entire top of the head rather than receding from the front or a bald spot forming at the crown.

If your hair is still thick enough to look how it does in that football stadium photo (I don't know if it's changed since then) then that's great. Your hair thickness and the curliness will really help you avoid looking like you're losing hair. The shaved head seems to suit you and will remain a good option if you lose any more hair.

And you probably will lose more without using treatments like Finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) or Minoxidil (Rogaine or Regaine here in the UK). These are the treatments to look into and IMO it's best to search the forums and read up on them first.

Your GP probably won't know much about hairloss other than that it's not a serious health problem and therefore isn't worth much of his or her time. That tends to be their attitude.
You can be referred to a dermatologist, and while I wouldn't discourage you from seeking out any tests that might be available, you do seem to have classic male pattern baldness and there's probably little to gain from that sort of investigation.

Lastly, I've guessed that you're in the UK, so you might want to check out the 'hair retention programme' at Boots pharmacy. They offer free consultations.

[Hurts]

But dont people lose their good quality hair when on minoxidil? This is what i've been told, that your good quality hair is replaced with pubic-like low quality (or fuzzy) hair. If thats the case dont use minox yet

[top]

You have a diffuse hairloss pattern, which means that the hair thins out over the entire top of the head rather than receding from the front or a bald spot forming at the crown.

Does this sort of hair loss have better prospects than those with frontal, or crown? i.e. using Finasteride/Minoxidil?

If your hair is still thick enough to look how it does in that football stadium photo (I don't know if it's changed since then) then that's great. Your hair thickness and the curliness will really help you avoid looking like you're losing hair. The shaved head seems to suit you and will remain a good option if you lose any more hair.

Yes, that photo was taken about a month ago. When my hair is that long (3 months growth) it's much harder to tell that I have any problem. Although looks a bit thinner on top than my brothers who are older than me with the same hair texture. But I've always had thinner hair than my brothers.

And you probably will lose more without using treatments like Finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) or Minoxidil (Rogaine or Regaine here in the UK). These are the treatments to look into and IMO it's best to search the forums and read up on them first.

Yeah, I've been doing this, and plan to do more research. Not sure how long I have before my hair looks like it really has a problem, whether 1 year, 5 years or 10. But I'm thinking of growing it to about the 3 month length (in the stadium pic), just getting trims from then on. Then using these treatments. I presume Finasteride & Minoxidil can be using in conjunction. And that I don't need my hair to be cut really short in order to rub Minoxidil into my scalp?

Your GP probably won't know much about hairloss other than that it's not a serious health problem and therefore isn't worth much of his or her time. That tends to be their attitude.
You can be referred to a dermatologist, and while I wouldn't discourage you from seeking out any tests that might be available, you do seem to have classic male pattern baldness and there's probably little to gain from that sort of investigation.

Lastly, I've guessed that you're in the UK, so you might want to check out the 'hair retention programme' at Boots pharmacy. They offer free consultations.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

[mattj]

Yes, you can use both of those treatments in conjunction. If your hair is short it can be easier to apply Minoxidil and to get it down to the scalp (some of it will coat longer hair which is basically wastage, and users complain that it makes their hair appear greasy) but it can be used with longer hair.

Diffused hairloss can mean that you reach an advanced balding stage a lot quicker than if you were to recede, but it can be thickened up if you respond well to the treatments. It's uncommon to see much in the way of re-growth of recession at the temples. So I'd say that diffuse thinning is a more unfortunate pattern in general, but a pattern more likely to reverse if you respond well.