18 and balding or adult hairline?

[Maradona]

You're dad is lucky then, he had a good young-adulthood, 20s, 30s life. My dad started at 25, I started almost 10 years earlier than him. The earliest signs of trouble was 14 years old, i'm not lying. It was not much though, still had so much hair that it wasn't noticeable to other people, just me. I started really losing noticeable amounts of hair when I was 18, then it got at it's all time high at 19 and 20. I'm 23 now. It looks worse because I also have Alopecia Areata, which is patches of hair loss, which was treated with corticosteroid injections at my dermatologist. I also suffered from Vitiligo on my face at the same time, now cured/no signs I ever had it, thanks to twice a day use of Protopic ointment. Dermatologist says these are autoimmune diseases, the AA and vitiligo. It's when your own body is attacking itself. These 3 things all happened at around the same age frame, give or take a year. They're all genetic, but something triggers them, either high volumes of stress or something, so I was basically f-cked from the day I was born.

wow man you really went through a lot. I also am one of the believers that there is something we do (environmental factors) which express all these genes sooner than expected. I have a couple of illnesses that awakened sooner than they should have and I have one more I am terrified of (it's a ****ed up autoinmune disease) , doesn't even compare to baldness and I hope it never awakens !

So to the original poster, watch out ANYTHING that raises DHT levels, that's all you can do for now. Study DHT levels what raises them what lowers them because in my opinion and from my amateur research I have come to the conclusion that although most people have the MPB gene some do express it earlier because their DHT levels go over a certain threshold.

Once your DHT go over that threshold, you are screwed and your MPB gene has expressed and it's going to eat your hair WAY faster than for normal people.

Of course everyone has different thresholds and all follicles have different DHT thresholds, this is why most of us survive the ONSLAUGHT of DHT in puberty and the ONSLAUGHT of DHT in the mid 20s (aka mature hairline period) and some start balding at mid teens .

Again watch out anything that raises/decreases DHT levels. Do not touch propecia yet, you are too young.

Good luck

[Paranoid]

As of right now I have nothing to worry about though?

[Maradona]

As of right now I have nothing to worry about though?

Yeah nothing to worry about . Enjoy life finish college and then come back here to watch our hairy scalps

I believe by that time we will have a very good treatment.

[Paranoid]

This will always be on my mind so I will watch it constantly but thank you everyone for your feedback. Yea, I start college next year so we'll see how that goes. If I pay as much attention to my studies as I do to my hair I will end great. Thanks again.

[Tracy C]

That's a lot of pictures. The only ones that are really helpful are 321, 329, 330 and 333. These show if you have anything to worry about or not.

In my opinion, it looks like you are just starting to thin. If you are, you are catching it early so don't freak out. The best thing to do is talk to a doctor. Make sure you know your family history of hair loss from both sides of your family. If the doctor recommends Propecia or generic Finasteride, make sure you are well aware of all the factual information about it. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the scare tactics that go on on-line. Educate yourself with the best quality information you can get your hands on and use that to help you make your decision.

I do not think Rogaine or generic Minoxidil would be appropriate for you at this time - if ever. The doctor may feel differently so follow their advice on that. It would be a good idea to start using sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. Also, get some Nizoral A-D shampoo and use it at least once a week but not more than twice a week. Consider the laser comb if you can afford one.

[Paranoid]

I wasnt sure about that part where you are looking because that hair is pushed back where all the hair behind it is pushed down because of gravity and I cant push it back. When I lay it down like all my other hair on the side of my scalp it isnt noticeable but I will keep an eye on it. Its hard convincing my mom to take me to the doctors for this because she thinks I am crazy.

EDIT: Nevermind I thought you meant the pictures of my temple. You think its thinning or could it just be my fine hair?

[Tracy C]

EDIT: Nevermind I thought you meant the pictures of my temple.

Pictures of your temples just don't really matter much for males, unless you were a Norwood 3. You are not.

You think its thinning or could it just be my fine hair?

It could be that your hair is just very fine. There is no way to tell from pictures alone. You would need to have an in-person consultation with a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. If your hair is just very fine, low level laser therapy can increase the caliber, strength and quality of the hair that you have. I still recommend you start using Nizoral A-D at least once a week and use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner for the other days that you wash your hair.

[Paranoid]

Pictures of your temples just don't really matter much for males, unless you were a Norwood 3. You are not.





It could be that your hair is just very fine. There is no way to tell from pictures alone. You would need to have an in-person consultation with a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. If your hair is just very fine, low level laser therapy can increase the caliber, strength and quality of the hair that you have. I still recommend you start using Nizoral A-D at least once a week and use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner for the other days that you wash your hair.

Fine Hair runs in my family. We all have fine hair but a good amount of it. I already have sulfate free shampoo but I never knew how to use conditioner correctly. Ill try to pick up some Nizoral A-D. How do I use conditioner and how often should I use shampoo?

[Tracy C]

Hi Paranoid,

You should wash your hair whenever it needs washing. I exercise almost every day. I also use Dermmatch concealer to make my hair look thicker than it actually is and I use Rogaine, therefore I need to wash my hair every day. If you use any styling products in your hair every day, you will likely need to wash your hair every day to avoid buildup that can be harmful to your hair and scalp. It is best to use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner.

It is best to wash your hair as soon as you get into the shower. To wash your hair properly, get your hair thoroughly wet then massage shampoo into your scalp gently with the tips of your fingers. Then rinse out the shampoo. Then massage conditioner into your hair and let it sit while you wash the rest of your body (I also brush my teeth in the shower). Rinse the conditioner out as you are rinsing the soap off your body. Do not rub your hair dry with the towel. Gently pat your hair dry with the towel. If your hair is longer, wrap your hair in a towel for a few minutes before you de-tangle and style your hair. Do not be rough with your hair when it is wet. Be very gentle with your hair while it is wet.

On the days that you wash with Nizoral A-D, massage it into your scalp as soon as you get in the shower and let it sit to let the medicine absorb into your scalp while you wash the rest of your body. Then rinse it out as you rinse the soap off your body, then massage conditioner thoroughly into your hair and rinse it out thoroughly.