Mature Hairline or Balding?

[Skippy]

If my derm does indeed diagnose me with mpb, then I do plan on asking for finasteride in form of propecia or proscar if I can get it. But is it really effective in literally keeping all the hair you currently have like everyone says?

[cichlidfort]

If my derm does indeed diagnose me with mpb, then I do plan on asking for finasteride in form of propecia or proscar if I can get it. But is it really effective in literally keeping all the hair you currently have like everyone says?

Everyone responds differently due to genetics.

[Skippy]

But how about your opinion or even hopefully personal experience if you have used it? Does it work quite well?

[cichlidfort]

But how about your opinion or even hopefully personal experience if you have used it? Does it work quite well?

I have retrograde alopecia and fin doesn't do much to combat it. If you have a mild hair loss fin will work wonders but if you have aggressive hair loss them you're looking at a lot of frustration.

Edit- give it a try anyways. My experience is irrelevant to you because everyone responds different.

[Skippy]

I will... Hopefully it will work, or at least work for a few years until I'm married lol

[cichlidfort]

I will... Hopefully it will work, or at least work for a few years until I'm married lol

I think that's almost every guys biggest fear- losing confidence with girls. Trust me, it's not a game changer as much as many think. I've seen a lot of bald guys recently with smoking hot girlfriends. It's all about confidence.

[Skippy]

Except when you have a baby face like mine, baldness will not go well..

[John P. Cole, MD]

Wow, what a bunch of geniuses! Let's clue you in a bit. First, he has a double cow lick. Double cow licks and hair loss due to MPB are exceedingly uncommon. I've seen two instances thus far. I think this portends quite well for you, Skippy. Second, his loss is on the lower part of his hairline. That in no way implies MPB. Hair in the "temple recession area" is supposed to fall out with puberty. In many ways this is what is happening here only the loss is perhaps a bit delayed rather than suggestive of MPB. You have fine hair. This will make anything happening on your scalp appear worse than it really is.

I'm no fan of medications especially those that negatively impact your hormones for a life time. Having said this, if you can justify taking finasteride, I'd consider it for you at some point, but not now. Personally, I would not take it only because I don't like medications. If you are considering surgery, I think a trial of medication is a personal thing that you should highly consider some day. At this point, I would not recommend surgery for you. I'd also be hesitant to recommend medication only because I'm not convinced that your hair loss will progress further. I've seen many men your age who loose to this point and that's it. If the loss progresses further, I'd probably be more convinced that you should use finasteride.

Now all I have to look at is your hairline, which is not all that diagnostic. This is one reason I like cross sectional trichometry (CST). Not many physicians do this test only because it takes time and it costs money to do. Cheap is cheap. What can i say? Right now, all I'd say is that you are loosing your adolescent hair. I would watch it closely and not be too upset about it. I'd also get a dermatology option, because photos show only so much. I'm not in any way convinced that you have MPB based on these photos and I'd not recommend a life long medication based on them. I'd also recommend against surgery at this point based on your age and the limited degree of hair loss you have. Let's not forget that double cow licks and MPB are exceedingly uncommon.

[Skippy]

I added some better photos, I realized my first ones weren't the best. What's a double cow lick though? Isn't that having two swirls on the back of your head?

[John P. Cole, MD]

A cow lick is when your hair in the front of the scalp grows backward toward your ears. It is common to see this on one side of the frontal scalp when there is hair loss. you have it on both the right and left side of your scalp. Cow licks are due to the spirals we see in the front of the scalp and the back of the scalp, but they also occur anywhere on the body including the chest or beard areas. You have fine hair and a juvenile hairline. I can't confirm MPB from these photos. In fact these photos look less confirmatory than the original ones.

[Skippy]

Ok, thank you so much for your information it's very appreciated. I will let you what my derm says on Monday

[cichlidfort]

I added some better photos, I realized my first ones weren't the best. What's a double cow lick though? Isn't that having two swirls on the back of your head?

Wow, what a bunch of geniuses! Let's clue you in a bit. First, he has a double cow lick. Double cow licks and hair loss due to MPB are exceedingly uncommon. I've seen two instances thus far. I think this portends quite well for you, Skippy. Second, his loss is on the lower part of his hairline. That in no way implies MPB. Hair in the "temple recession area" is supposed to fall out with puberty. In many ways this is what is happening here only the loss is perhaps a bit delayed rather than suggestive of MPB. You have fine hair. This will make anything happening on your scalp appear worse than it really is.

I'm no fan of medications especially those that negatively impact your hormones for a life time. Having said this, if you can justify taking finasteride, I'd consider it for you at some point, but not now. Personally, I would not take it only because I don't like medications. If you are considering surgery, I think a trial of medication is a personal thing that you should highly consider some day. At this point, I would not recommend surgery for you. I'd also be hesitant to recommend medication only because I'm not convinced that your hair loss will progress further. I've seen many men your age who loose to this point and that's it. If the loss progresses further, I'd probably be more convinced that you should use finasteride.

Now all I have to look at is your hairline, which is not all that diagnostic. This is one reason I like cross sectional trichometry (CST). Not many physicians do this test only because it takes time and it costs money to do. Cheap is cheap. What can i say? Right now, all I'd say is that you are loosing your adolescent hair. I would watch it closely and not be too upset about it. I'd also get a dermatology option, because photos show only so much. I'm not in any way convinced that you have MPB based on these photos and I'd not recommend a life long medication based on them. I'd also recommend against surgery at this point based on your age and the limited degree of hair loss you have. Let's not forget that double cow licks and MPB are exceedingly uncommon.

So much ignorance here. MD huh?

[John P. Cole, MD]

So much ignorance here. MD huh?

Good luck, Skippy. I hope he does not find loss behind the frontal hairline. An in person evaluation is always the best option.

What are you specifically saying, cichlidfort?

[FlightTL]

Good luck, Skippy. I hope he does not find loss behind the frontal hairline. An in person evaluation is always the best option.

What are you specifically saying, cichlidfort?

Dr. John P. Cole is honest as heck! All hail Dr. Cole!!!

[Skippy]

So I had my derm appointment today. She actually ended up saying just about everything John P. cole had stated. So in that sense, she suggested I take biotin and start using rogaine as these are the easiest first steps to take and wont hurt to try and to be safe rather than sorry if it does happen to continue.

So I am going to go buy those and give them a shot. But I have also read around the forum of some shampoo that people use that really seems to help too. I am currently just using head and shoulders dandruff shampoo. Is that ok to keep using or do you have any suggestions of what type or brand I should try using?

Thanks!