Hair Loss pattern looks like AGA but not seeing (much) miniaturization?

[awesome1]

Started noticing hair loss around may last year, waited a few months to do much of anything (was hoping it was seasonal or something), but one thing I'm noticing is that the majority of the hairs I shed (which has seemed higher since getting on my rather light regiment, but overall appearance is not noticeably worse since starting). I've never noticed a large amount of shed on my pillow or in the drain (though it has large holes), and while some of the hairs DO seem wimpy, when I compare them to the sides and bottom of my head, they seem to be just the same. I examined a lot of the hairs I shed yesterday and none screamed miniature to me. I'd imagine I'm just deluding myself but let's see what your guys opinion is.

I know this picture isn't particularly helpful since it's dry, but here's what I'm working with:


My regiment so far has avoided fin and minox, since I'm not keen on the sides and costs. I know I should probably see a derm but it's a pain in the ass to find time for multiple appointments (since I'd have to see my regular doc to get a rec on my insurance)

Regiment:
1. Keto Shampoo (regenepure, 1%), about 10 weeks. ~1 use every 3 days, just water on off days.
2. Microneedle/Dermarolling (540 needles, 1.5mm, have been decreasing frequency of treatments), 3 treatments in about 6 weeks
3. Ginko Biloba (started this a while ago on the hunch of decreased bloodflow to scalp- I've always had problems with cold extremities and felt the top of my scap feel cold sometimes)
4. Just recently started Men's Daily vitamins in case its any sort of deficiency there, but I doubt that covers all my nutritional bases.
5. I've also stopped using a conditioner which has an impressive amount of complaints of causing hair loss on Amazon. Well actually the shampoo (which I never used) is the one with the majority of them, that's in the same line of products, so I'm not sure. This is another one of those deluded hopes. http://www.amazon.com/CLEAR-SCALP-BE.../dp/B007RTR898 I used the conditioner in the same line that was "Volumizing Root Boost".

As you can tell my remedies aren't very comprehensive, but it's still been too soon I feel to see any major effect, though I believe my hair is looking slightly better overall. At least of the pictures I've taken, the worst ones all seem from earlier this year. Though that could be for a variety of reasons and using a picture under vastly different conditions doesn't help much:


Long story short, it's likely AGA right? Even with me unable to pick out miniaturized hairs.

[mpbsucks]

Started noticing hair loss around may last year, waited a few months to do much of anything (was hoping it was seasonal or something), but one thing I'm noticing is that the majority of the hairs I shed (which has seemed higher since getting on my rather light regiment, but overall appearance is not noticeably worse since starting). I've never noticed a large amount of shed on my pillow or in the drain (though it has large holes), and while some of the hairs DO seem wimpy, when I compare them to the sides and bottom of my head, they seem to be just the same. I examined a lot of the hairs I shed yesterday and none screamed miniature to me. I'd imagine I'm just deluding myself but let's see what your guys opinion is.

I know this picture isn't particularly helpful since it's dry, but here's what I'm working with:


My regiment so far has avoided fin and minox, since I'm not keen on the sides and costs. I know I should probably see a derm but it's a pain in the ass to find time for multiple appointments (since I'd have to see my regular doc to get a rec on my insurance)

Regiment:
1. Keto Shampoo (regenepure, 1%), about 10 weeks. ~1 use every 3 days, just water on off days.
2. Microneedle/Dermarolling (540 needles, 1.5mm, have been decreasing frequency of treatments), 3 treatments in about 6 weeks
3. Ginko Biloba (started this a while ago on the hunch of decreased bloodflow to scalp- I've always had problems with cold extremities and felt the top of my scap feel cold sometimes)
4. Just recently started Men's Daily vitamins in case its any sort of deficiency there, but I doubt that covers all my nutritional bases.
5. I've also stopped using a conditioner which has an impressive amount of complaints of causing hair loss on Amazon. Well actually the shampoo (which I never used) is the one with the majority of them, that's in the same line of products, so I'm not sure. This is another one of those deluded hopes. http://www.amazon.com/CLEAR-SCALP-BE.../dp/B007RTR898 I used the conditioner in the same line that was "Volumizing Root Boost".

As you can tell my remedies aren't very comprehensive, but it's still been too soon I feel to see any major effect, though I believe my hair is looking slightly better overall. At least of the pictures I've taken, the worst ones all seem from earlier this year. Though that could be for a variety of reasons and using a picture under vastly different conditions doesn't help much:


Long story short, it's likely AGA right? Even with me unable to pick out miniaturized hairs.

It does look like a diffuse pattern of mpb. I have the same appearance myslf and did not start to notice miniaturized hairs until i hit the 3 year mark. Try ru58841 befor fin

[awesome1]

Thanks for that. Sides always freak me out, which is why I'm keen on the keto shampoo, and I'm still seeing some reports of RU sides, but seems to be far less intense than fin.

I see a fair amount of short hairs popping up that I couldn't spot a few weeks back (could just be I wasn't spotting them, they seem moderately long, but considering how fast my beard grows it seems plausible :P), so maybe getting my hair cut shorter in a month or two might be encouraging to me, then maybe I could get into RU. I know there are some decent megaposts I've thumbed through, but got a rough estimate on costs and whether this is daily applications, and how much of a time commitment it is to mix (and apply) the stuff?

Although I do love my hair, I am pragmatic on this kinda stuff, I don't like making any expensive (time or money) commitments to combat this stuff (not too keen on Minox because of what I hear about effects on skin, costs, and just general anxiety from random sheds here and there). Unfortunately, being young is the time to act, so it consumes too much of my thoughts as is. With a decent face/head, and charm out the wazoo I think I'll be fine in the long run, but alas. I hate what this does to your psyche; I was at an amusement park the other day I found myself looking at every_single_man's hair for partners in misery (Of course the one guy who looked around my age with similar loss I told myself "there's no way I look like him!") and am still unsure how mine looks most the time, despite the countless photos and videos my stupid phone allows me to take of myself throughout the day. (I always come to the conclusion that eh, could be worse, could be better)

Thanks for any info and for reading my rants!

[awesome1]

Starting to consider RU a bit more, but I suppose I should wait 3 more months to see how keto/microneedle treats me?

[awesome1]

Good grief, yeah, I can't kid myself. I do see a lot of hairs that appear to be growing, but they could also just be broken, I do get broken hairs when I dermaroll the scalp. Who knows.

[awesome1]

Okay, spotting a fair amount of what I think might be regrowth on my temples nowadays, loads of short, fine hairs that are a fair bit longer than any of the vellus hairs I've also been seeing. Still shedding pretty regularly, but like I think I said, it's a mix of miniature and regular hairs, mostly regular and likely partially seems like a lot of hair because keto days are when I most rigorously wash it. Hopefully these are indicators of me responding well! I'm just nervous that these new hairs are miniature ones; will new regrowth begin to thicken up after a bit? Could they be vellus going terminal?


PS, does anyone else really look forward to the days they wash with their keto shampoo?

[Notcoolanymore]

You are avoiding the 2 best things in our arsenal to fight hair loss and you are still getting regrowth. Lucky you.

[awesome1]

Yeah I'm really skeptical myself, I'm worried that it's just a placebo and hairs growing back as they regularly would. I suppose just keep an eye on it and see if these hairs darken and thicken up a bit?


As far as my mental health, I got a nice confidence boost this weekend when I was out filming a comedy sketch with my friends, I was looking at the footage and got to see what the back of my head looked like on a nice camera under some moderately bright light, and was pleasantly surprised with how unnoticeable it is when I'm not scrutinizing it so closely. Although now I've been noticing how my hairline has suffered a hit in the past 2 years...well, at least in some pictures. It's weird, I was looking at some old pictures and noticing how nice it was, but then saw pictures a few months older than that and it seemed about as bad as it is now.

[BigThinker]

You are avoiding the 2 best things in our arsenal to fight hair loss and you are still getting regrowth. Lucky you.

Yeah I'm really skeptical myself, I'm worried that it's just a placebo and hairs growing back as they regularly would. I suppose just keep an eye on it and see if these hairs darken and thicken up a bit?


As far as my mental health, I got a nice confidence boost this weekend when I was out filming a comedy sketch with my friends, I was looking at the footage and got to see what the back of my head looked like on a nice camera under some moderately bright light, and was pleasantly surprised with how unnoticeable it is when I'm not scrutinizing it so closely. Although now I've been noticing how my hairline has suffered a hit in the past 2 years...well, at least in some pictures. It's weird, I was looking at some old pictures and noticing how nice it was, but then saw pictures a few months older than that and it seemed about as bad as it is now.

Might as well bust out the big guns. These treatments take time. I wouldn't spend time convincing yourself it's not MPB. How about just going to see a doc, getting blood work, and decimating your DHT.

[awesome1]

Is that something to address with a general practitioner or a specialized doctor? If it's GP, what do I say I am testing for with blood work? DHT levels?