Difference between a 'mature hairline' and early MPB?

[jackroylance]

Second post on here, the first had pictures of my hairline with me unsure what to define it as and worried for those dreaded early symptoms that I will be destined to lose it!

Most if not all of the feedback I got was that I just had this phenomenom of a mature hairline, Norwood 1.5 (2 at the worst) and no other signs of losing, especially with quite a strong family history of hair.

However, after looking at other people's posts and blogs I was a bit confused as to the difference between a mature hairline and an actual receding hairline? I've seen some photos of hair I thought was struggling and see people say is fine and also some hairlines I thought were good but appear to be receding?!

What is the actual difference?!

[Aames]

A mature hairline IS frontal balding. Maybe you're one of the lucky ones that can hold a NW2 into his 40's or 50's like Johnny Depp, but that doesn't change the fact that you almost certainly have MPB. Do not let Tracy or any of these bitter NW3+'s tell you that you don't have it. Treating it early is the best option if you want to maintain it long-term. If you really want to know for certain, go see a doctor that specializes in hair loss and have him look for miniaturization. MPB is like most things in life; if you have to ask, the answer is probably yes.

[jackroylance]

Yeah I see your point there, my concern now is if I have always had this hairline or not as I never paid much attention to it before! I'm 21 and most of my friends have similar shapes to theyre hair so in that case I have no idea what 'normal' or non-MPB hair looks like?

[Aames]

Yeah I see your point there, my concern now is if I have always had this hairline or not as I never paid much attention to it before! I'm 21 and most of my friends have similar shapes to theyre hair so in that case I have no idea what 'normal' or non-MPB hair looks like?

Yeah, I know it can be tricky. My advice would be to see a doctor THAT KNOWS ABOUT HAIR LOSS(!!!!) to be sure or, at the very least, go post pics on hairlosshelp or ************. They have a lot more experienced and knowledgeable members IME.

[burtandernie]

Well its all a grey area with some people/doctors arguing a mature hairline is normal for men even though many men dont get one. I would argue its just MPB regardless of where the hair is miniaturizing at and right now when you wait years to see that big bald spot your not getting that hair back anytime soon.
Its hard to fault people from trying to prevent it given the current state of things, but at the same time propecia is the only option and I think its kind of dangerous.
I would say if your hair loss is minor and slow just live with it maybe snap a few pictures and in a few years there will be much safer better options to keep what you have. If you have severe MPB like family history or its altering your life then think about treatments before it gets bad. Right now its basically just propecia and no one knows how its going to affect you or if something bad happens how to fix it so its a gamble maybe not worth taking you have to decide that.

[jackroylance]

Well its all a grey area with some people/doctors arguing a mature hairline is normal for men even though many men dont get one. I would argue its just MPB regardless of where the hair is miniaturizing at and right now when you wait years to see that big bald spot your not getting that hair back anytime soon.
Its hard to fault people from trying to prevent it given the current state of things, but at the same time propecia is the only option and I think its kind of dangerous.
I would say if your hair loss is minor and slow just live with it maybe snap a few pictures and in a few years there will be much safer better options to keep what you have. If you have severe MPB like family history or its altering your life then think about treatments before it gets bad. Right now its basically just propecia and no one knows how its going to affect you or if something bad happens how to fix it so its a gamble maybe not worth taking you have to decide that.

It does seem a massive grey area with my opinion being that a mature hairline is normally a euphemism for hair loss that people use to make them feel okay about the whole thing, kind of like denial? I've uploaded pictures on here before in my last thread about how my hair looks and as I really have no family history of balding (worst case is mothers grandad who is a little thin but didnt start until late 70s) it does seem confusing as to whats going on.

In regards to procepia, it doesnt seem worth the risk and definetly not in my stages of possible MPB. I dont genuinely believe there will ever be an out and out cure to hair loss but as it stands that drug just doesnt seem worth risking messing up your life to 'attempt' to maintain hair for the short term.

[yeahyeahyeah]

Well its all a grey area with some people/doctors arguing a mature hairline is normal for men even though many men dont get one. I would argue its just MPB regardless of where the hair is miniaturizing at and right now when you wait years to see that big bald spot your not getting that hair back anytime soon.
Its hard to fault people from trying to prevent it given the current state of things, but at the same time propecia is the only option and I think its kind of dangerous.
I would say if your hair loss is minor and slow just live with it maybe snap a few pictures and in a few years there will be much safer better options to keep what you have. If you have severe MPB like family history or its altering your life then think about treatments before it gets bad. Right now its basically just propecia and no one knows how its going to affect you or if something bad happens how to fix it so its a gamble maybe not worth taking you have to decide that.

The mature hairline is MPB, but the philosophy behind it is that you have some hairloss but then it stops for a long time. The trouble is, we have no way in predicting how bad it will become. But chances are, if your recession is minimal, and you are not thinning, you should be able to hold out for histogen, or even kereten retard (which people are trying out) rather then jumping onto fin.

Here is an example - jordan knight:




before:




Temple now:


You can tell that he has lost hair around the temples, because his hairline is now a strong V shape. And in the above picture, he hasnt got any temple points!

My HL is ironically identical to his.

[jackroylance]

See I wouldnt look at that hairstyle and ever think MPB!











Thats what Im dealing with so im really not sure

[yeahyeahyeah]

See I wouldnt look at that hairstyle and ever think MPB!

[ATTACH]19610[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]19611[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]19612[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]19613[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]19614[/ATTACH]

Thats what Im dealing with so im really not sure

Your hairline is simlar to his and mine.

You look fine, just keep an eye on it. Or go to a derm to get a professional opionion.

[mpb47]

It's a matter of semantics -

Tracy is right, the mature hairline is well documented in medical journals going back to at least 1960. I cited Hamliton before..he said something like 94% of white males develop this hairline

To those that say it is the start of mpb, well one journal article gave stats that said that slightly over 85% of men will go on to mpb. So only about 14% stay at the mature level, or never lose any hair at all. That study was for white males I believe.


For me personally:
I got the mature hairline in my mid/late teens and stayed that way till my mid 30's when my mpb started up.

[yeahyeahyeah]

It's a matter of semantics -

Tracy is right, the mature hairline is well documented in medical journals going back to at least 1960. I cited Hamliton before..he said something like 94% of white males develop this hairline

To those that say it is the start of mpb, well one journal article gave stats that said that slightly over 85% of men will go on to mpb. So only about 14% stay at the mature level, or never lose any hair at all. That study was for white males I believe.


For me personally:
I got the mature hairline in my mid/late teens and stayed that way till my mid 30's when my mpb started up.

Then telling people they just have a mature hairline, is pointless.

That is more then 2/3rd of men.

Hence, giving them misinformation like that means, they will watch themselves receed.

[drybone]

Jack.

You do NOT have male pattern baldness. This does not mean you wont develop it but if your hairline stays like that until you are 30 , then you are going to be the lucky small percentage of men who get to enjoy a full head of hair for life


A mature hairline means the baby hairs fell out at around 19 to 21 . The small minature hairs. But if you start getting the cul de sac 'U' shaped recede at the temples then you have male pattern baldness. Period.

At that point its just a matter of how slowly the hair folicles burn out. Depends from person to person.

Hope this helps

[jackroylance]

Thanks Drybone.

It does get really confusing for me about whether or not this hairline is perfectly normal or something to worry about at this time, as if I have any early signs I'd want to do something about it sooner rather than later. How can you tell if it turns into the dreaded 'U' shape though?

[mpb47]

Then telling people they just have a mature hairline, is pointless.

No it's not - it better to be more technically correct.

That is more then 2/3rd of men.

Hence, giving them misinformation like that means, they will watch themselves receed.

Misinformation is telling them that slight recession , a mature hairline, or what ever you wish to call it during/after puberty is not normal. For white males, it is like 94-99% depending on who stats you believe.

A better approach, would be to tell them that it is in fact normal, but they should monitor periodically to see if it progresses. And tell them that most of the time (~85%) it will at some point. That could be in the near future, or not for many years. My dad did not get any mpb till right around age 70. And his dad died with a thick head of hair with just a mature hairline like what was posted above (don't know about crown area though so can't say).

I just had the bad luck of getting it from my mothers side, where all the men for the past 3-4 generations have developed the same pattern at the same time. I am developing the same pattern as her brother only meds have slowed it down.


So I think you should be technically accurate, but also honest and tell them that it will most likely go into mpb sooner or later .


I am not trying to be ambiguous- just technically accurate. Now I am very ambiguous talking about propecia because I have very mixed feelings about it.

[baldy1990]

.compare yourself with the others at your age,if your haorline look similar to others dont worry