Why do some people progress faster than others?

Looking back I think I started thinning at 18, but the progression was so slow (crown and some diffuse thinning) that I didn't really notice until 23/24. Recently saw a friend over the holiday who now razors his head because he's in NW4 territory. The thing is the last time I saw him a year and a half ago he basically had a full head of hair. How can someone make it to their late 20s with little or no hair loss and then BAM most of it's gone in 14 months?

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Originally Posted by akai

Looking back I think I started thinning at 18, but the progression was so slow (crown and some diffuse thinning) that I didn't really notice until 23/24. Recently saw a friend over the holiday who now razors his head because he's in NW4 territory. The thing is the last time I saw him a year and a half ago he basically had a full head of hair. How can someone make it to their late 20s with little or no hair loss and then BAM most of it's gone in 14 months?

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I'm the same way. I had a few friends who teased me when I was seventeen because my hair line started to recede, but up until a few years ago, at the age of thirty-six, my hair loss was easily concealed. I had a friend in his early twenties, who went from a full head of hair to a NW 5 in about 2 years.

Variable penetrance.

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Originally Posted by Buster

I'm the same way. I had a few friends who teased me when I was seventeen because my hair line started to recede, but up until a few years ago, at the age of thirty-six, my hair loss was easily concealed. I had a friend in his early twenties, who went from a full head of hair to a NW 5 in about 2 years.

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My own hair loss took about eleven years to get to about a Norwood five and a half. My brother's hair started thinning about ten years after mine did. His hair took about seven years to go from thick to completely gone. He shaves his head and it doesn't seem to bother him.

I think it's because you can lose a lot before the difference is very noticeable. Maybe the volume decreases over many years, but overall it looks similar until scalp starts showing through. It's around that time that many people decide to clip it short, which really exaggerates the huge hair --> no hair transition.

I agree with custards. If you have thick, course or curly hair it is harder to notice (if not looking real close) when it begins to thin. It starts very gradually and continues at a slow pace, then one day you look and ARG!!!! you can see scalp!! My husband went that way also. I also think as human beings we are all so different. We react differently to meds and we are made differently to begin with. I also have a friend who lost a lot in the beginning (and I believe stress was involved here also) and then it slowed down after that.

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Originally Posted by Shelley79328

My husband went that way also.

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Where on the norwood scale is your husband? In your honest opinion do you think he looks worse than he did with a full head of hair?

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Originally Posted by Notcoolanymore

Where on the norwood scale is your husband? In your honest opinion do you think he looks worse than he did with a full head of hair?

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Why ask? just so you can feel like shit if she says yes? and put her down on the girls who hate bald guys list?...just asking.

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Originally Posted by DannyBoyy7

Why ask? just so you can feel like shit if she says yes? and put her down on the girls who hate bald guys list?...just asking.

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Nope, I would put her on the "girls that are honest" list.

She said this in another thread: "I think it is time for us to stop measuring men by their hair or lack of it." Just wanted to see if she practiced what she preached. I wasn't trying to call her out, I really wasn't. It is just easy for us to say the right things, but when it comes down to it how many of us actually "judge people for what is on the inside". How many times have we read that guys are upset because they get judged for being bald, but are also upset when they can't get a perfect 10.

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Originally Posted by Notcoolanymore

Nope, I would put her on the "girls that are honest" list.

She said this in another thread: "I think it is time for us to stop measuring men by their hair or lack of it." Just wanted to see if she practiced what she preached. I wasn't trying to call her out, I really wasn't. It is just easy for us to say the right things, but when it comes down to it how many of us actually "judge people for what is on the inside". How many times have we read that guys are upset because they get judged for being bald, but are also upset when they can't get a perfect 10.

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Fair does dude fair does.