Being Told I'm Crazy.. M/22

[hairkid121]

Hi all, https://imgur.com/a/tURAWTb

I've been shedding a worrisome amount of hair the past four months off and on. If I run my hand through my hair and squeeze my fingers tightly together, I can usually get between one and six hairs with bulbs. If I do this repeatedly for awhile, I get one to five every time. Also, if I ruffle my hair over the sink for thirty seconds, the sink is covered with 30+ hairs. Generally, I can find hair on my clothes/keyboard/floor.

I took pictures about four months ago, but the lighting was poor and I had shorter hair. In my opinion, my hair density looks very similar to then. Hairline itself hasn't moved.
Baldness on both sides of my family is a spectrum, some full heads and some fully bald. My father is a NW5/6.

I am considering finasteride, however am afraid of the possible mental side effects because I am starting law school next months and will be under heavy stress. Combine this with a couple (minor to medium) medical problems I already have and my resulting hypochondria, I am unsure of whether or not fin is a viable option. I am mostly worried because my career, law, is heavily client-focused and I'd prefer to have my hair for at least the early stages.

I am currently taking Biotin and Zinc pills and feel better bodily, no data on hair yet.

Any opinions on whether or not this is just a whorl would be appreciated. The friend and family that I have asked call me crazy, but I see (and feel) thinning at my crown and top of head. If I am balding, about how long can I expect to avoid a fairly noticeable bald spot?

Also, does anybody have any advice on coping with the mental side of hair loss? I've been in a pretty bad panic the two months over it, taking pictures of my crown for thirty minutes twice a day. Feels like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially since my desired career doesn't allow facial hair so being fully bald and pale will be tough. Maybe I'm just crazy..

Thanks all!

Note: Images were taken over the last month, not all from same day or week.

[jdp1989]

Hair does cycle through a natural growth cycle where it rests, grows and then sheds normally (seasonally for some people), even in those without male pattern baldness. I don't believe you have thinning at the crown right now, but if you're concerned then I would suggest a simple product such as Toppik or SureThik. I used SureThik after my FUE transplant as I had temporary shock loss from the procedure that caused my crown to thin out. It worked wonders and you couldn't even tell that I was using it! You'd be surprised how well it works. This type of product is often used for people who are on film sets for TV and under bright lights as it helps to conceal any scalp that may shine through due to the lighting. The hair on my crown has since re-grown and thickened and I no longer need to use it.

Keep an eye on it and in the future you could also consider PRP treatment to help with any possible thinning in the future. I've had a good response to PRP and it really made my hair thicker. I will let you know though that it did cause me to shed for a couple of months before my hair could grow back thicker. This is a common response for some people and is a good sign that the treatment is working.

I hope that info helps!

[hairkid121]

Thanks for the info! I hadn't heard of PRP before, so I'll have to look into that. I'm thinking of using Toppik, but am worried about color-matching or getting it on pillows.

It's good to get another opinion on my crown. Worried mostly about the large amount of hair loss in my hands/floor/clothes for the last four months, and the crown looks a tiny bit thin so my head kind of goes crazy. Thanks for the help?

[SLOWlylosinghair]

Hey man, i'm 22 and im going through the same situation as you.. excessive shedding that has lasted for a couple of months. I'm starting keto shampoo and minoxadil at the hairline to maintain what I have. like you I also still have a good head of hair and just want to maintain it without finesteride.

[hairkid121]

Hey man, i'm 22 and im going through the same situation as you.. excessive shedding that has lasted for a couple of months. I'm starting keto shampoo and minoxadil at the hairline to maintain what I have. like you I also still have a good head of hair and just want to maintain it without finesteride.

Sounds very similar. It's weird because I lose hair every single time I basically touch my head (don't see anything on pillow though) or shower, but I don't see any noticeable gaps after four months of this. It could just be us realizing for the first time that we shed, but I doubt it, right?

I'm going to avoid finasteride, but I'm heavily considering minoxidil like you are. I'm afraid of the infamous minox shed though, so I'm going to wait until winter so that I can wear a beanie haha.

Any thoughts on my hair? I've been told that I'm not balding by a couple more people, so I'm starting to doubt my worries.

[BaldBearded]

Entering law school, so you just took and passed the LSATS! That highly STRESSFUL can totally have an effect on your hair. Try and chill.

[hairkid121]

Entering law school, so you just took and passed the LSATS! That highly STRESSFUL can totally have an effect on your hair. Try and chill.

This is sort of what everyone is telling me. LSATs and law applications + finals were incredibly stressful, no use in further stressing myself out I guess. I'll work on the chilling part.

[BaldBearded]

This is sort of what everyone is telling me. LSATs and law applications + finals were incredibly stressful, no use in further stressing myself out I guess. I'll work on the chilling part.

A good lesson for MOST OF US!