Hey All ... Am I balding?

[pdaj]

Hey everyone. Thanks in advance for taking the time and energy to read/respond to my post.

Basic Information

- 28 years old
- NO balding on either side of my family
- I haven't had any hairline recession

I cut my hair about once a week. About two months ago, I thought a noticed thinning around my scalp - specifically the point where my hair "swirls". I wasn't sure, though. A little freaked out, I asked every member of my family ... and they told me I was going crazy. My mother inspected my scalp closely, grabbed my hair, and said, "You're crazy. I'm grabbing hair. You're not missing any anywhere. Noone in the family is bald. That's just the way your hair grows!" A week later, I asked a few friends/fellow employees. They agreed. Still, I'm not convinced.

Other tidbits:

- I manage group homes for special-needs adults, a very high-stress job.
- I don't sleep well, often going several days with only sleeping a couple hours. I drink a lot of coffee.
- My weight fluctuates.
- When I was about 22-23 ... I developed a light hair patch (quarter-size) on the side of my head. It's brown, contrasting with my dark brown hair.

I took a few pictures, but the results vary. They can look very different depending on the light. Not sure how the flash/lighting affects things. When I reach back ... I feel nothing in terms of hair variance. I wonder if I'm developing another light haired area.

Am I balding? Should I go see a doctor? A member from another site mentioned that I may be showing the early signs of crown/vertex thinning. If so, what should I do?

Pictures:







IMG]http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/ff340/pdaj1/Hair3.jpg[/IMG]










Your feedback would be extremely appreciated.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

It is always hard to tell if someone with dark hair is thinning in the crown or just showing a normal thinning effect in a swirl area. Even though you do not have any immediate relatives that have hair loss does not mean that this is not the beginning stages of male pattern baldness. If this is genetic and has happened recently, you may show improvement after using Propecia for few months. You may be able to slow down the hair loss process and reverse some of the miniaturization that is occurring. Rogaine, LLLT, and PRP are your other non surgical preventative treatment options. All of these treatments have been shown to work for some patients and not have much of an effect for others.

[pdaj]

Thanks for the post, Dr. Charles. I left you a message on your visitor's page. Please get back when you can!

[Delphi]

It is difficult to tell if you're actually starting to bald, but you can get checked by a doctor to see if you are. You still in great shape and should be fine with the treatments that Dr. Charles mentioned.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I would see a hair transplant surgeon. Hopefully, they will have the capability of doing a scalp biopsy and/or have enough experience to make some good recommendations for you. They may also prescribe Propecia to try and slow down the hair loss process if this is Androgenetic Alopecia ( Male Pattern Baldness).

[pdaj]

Dr. Charles, thanks again, but I wish I would have caught your post before going today. I went and saw Dr. Leonard today, and after a very quick look, he suggested both Propecia and Rogaine after pointing out some thinning in the crown/vertex area. I'm cool with going with Propecia, but with no family history of hair loss, I'm a bit hesitant to use Rogaine. Why?

1) If I'm using both, how do I know which is working?

2) I don't mind taking a pill once a day, but why use a foam 2X a day for the rest of my life, knowing that when if I ever stop, all it's benefits will be completely undone?

3) From what I've read, the results of Rogaine are extremely mixed.

Dr. Charles, should I still try to get a biopsy done? I have an appointment with my dermatologist next week - should he be capable of doing one? If not, call back Dr. Leonard? Also, are my concerns about using Rogaine valid?

Thanks in advance!

[KevinNalts]

Dr. Charles, thanks again, but I wish I would have caught your post before going today. I went and saw Dr. Leonard today, and after a very quick look, he suggested both Propecia and Rogaine after pointing out some thinning in the crown/vertex area. I'm cool with going with Propecia, but with no family history of hair loss, I'm a bit hesitant to use Rogaine. Why?

1) If I'm using both, how do I know which is working?

2) I don't mind taking a pill once a day, but why use a foam 2X a day for the rest of my life, knowing that when if I ever stop, all it's benefits will be completely undone?

3) From what I've read, the results of Rogaine are extremely mixed.

Dr. Charles, should I still try to get a biopsy done? I have an appointment with my dermatologist next week - should he be capable of doing one? If not, call back Dr. Leonard? Also, are my concerns about using Rogaine valid?

Thanks in advance!

Hiya. You've got smarter people than me giving you advice. But I would say this... good that you're getting on Propecia early. Won't likely regret that. Some use both Propecia and Rogaine, but I found the later hard to stay with (adding another step to my morning and evenings). Given your high concern, it may be worth both. Rogaine is generic so you can get minoxidil without paying Rogaine prices. BTW- stress-induced hairloss is rather different from male-pattern hairloss. If your stress/lack of sleep was playing a role, I think you'd see it fall out in patches. Good luck.

[pdaj]

Hey guys -

I started Propecia a couple of weeks after I made this post. The hair doctor I saw also recommended Rogaine, but I chose not to go that route. It's now been a little over 6 months, and I've clearly noticed a difference. The improvement was gradual, though. It's certainly been worth taking the tiny pill every AM with my multi-vitamin. I'm very happy that I chose to be proactive with this ordeal and start early.

The first two pictures were taken on Saturday in the natural light. The other two were taken tonight in my apartment tonight.

[amadeus]

That's the power of Propecia. Congratulations on your success, your hair looks great!