+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12

Thread: Am I balding?

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default Am I balding?

    Hello,

    I was wondering if you guys could look at these pics and give me some clearance. Other people are laughing it away saying it's my my hairswirl and everyone has one (parents and friends etc) but i'm really insecure about it. I'm not receding and i'm still norwood 1 up front (did some research) but if I take a pic of the top of my head it's really like there's a huge spot in the middle. I'm 23 years young btw.

    As family goes: my older brother started balding early up front and he has a receding hairline and he has thin hair but it's stopped now it seems, no bald spot in the back. My father also had a receding hairline in his early thirties but he still had a nice thick pack of hair until his fifties, after that he went bald. He has one brother who's always shaved his head so I never knew him with hair. On my mother's side there's no balding at all, my grandfather died with a full head of hair in his early seventies. and my uncles on this side are well in their fifties with no hairloss.

    I've been researching finasteride but i'm afraid of the side effects.
    Hope you guys can shed some light, thanks in advance.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	15369739_10211383714567899_2079662566_o.jpg

Size:	96.7 KB
ID:	49925   Click image for larger version

Name:	15387511_10211383714847906_396945501_o.jpg

Size:	97.5 KB
ID:	49926   Click image for larger version

Name:	15388786_10211383715047911_1422837582_o.jpg

Size:	73.9 KB
ID:	49927   Click image for larger version

Name:	15417752_10211383714327893_1645726009_o.jpg

Size:	98.3 KB
ID:	49928  

  2. #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Without a miniaturization study it's very difficult to tell what you'll look like in 5, 10, 20 years down the line. But from the pictures show, you have nothing to worry about. I'd recommend booking a consultation with a surgeon who would be able to perform that study on you and give you a better idea as to what to expect in the future. Either way, I strongly suggest you don't get any surgery within at least the next few years. best of luck.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by patjones View Post
    Without a miniaturization study it's very difficult to tell what you'll look like in 5, 10, 20 years down the line. But from the pictures show, you have nothing to worry about. I'd recommend booking a consultation with a surgeon who would be able to perform that study on you and give you a better idea as to what to expect in the future. Either way, I strongly suggest you don't get any surgery within at least the next few years. best of luck.
    Okay thank you! i'm thinking of contacting a dermatologist first thing in the morning.

  4. #4
    Senior Member k9gatton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    US
    Posts
    568

    Default

    Really don't think you are. If your hair is thick, try comparing the density with the back or sides, with on top.


    Usually the top of the head is a little bit less dense, when the skull expands.


    You probably aren't. But it would probably make you feel better to find out.

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by k9gatton View Post
    Really don't think you are. If your hair is thick, try comparing the density with the back or sides, with on top.


    Usually the top of the head is a little bit less dense, when the skull expands.


    You probably aren't. But it would probably make you feel better to find out.
    Thanks for the answer, it calms me down a little that you don't see it. But yes, i'm going to contact a derm for an appointment. The hole just looks so huge up there.

    As for density it's really weird. I still feel hair in the bald spot but it looks so bad and big.

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Hello again,

    So I went to a derm and she looked for miniaturization which she found at my crown but not at my hairline. She concluded that i'm a candidate for MPB and gave me a prescription for Minoxidil. She said it was far too early for finasteride and that the side effects are messing with fertillity so she wouldn't give me one for fin.

    The thing is, I'm not sold on Minox. I've read some posts and they say it makes your hair dependant on it or that it makes it look worse due to shedding phases. Got any tips on Minox? I don't want to stop Minox and lose hair that I normally wouldn't have lost.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Hairbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    128

    Default

    I hear you about minoxidil. It usually turns out to be a temporary bandaid for the vast majority. Yes anything you gain from it is dependant on its ongoing usage. Same with finasteride. Thats why they call them treatments not cures. However finasteride seems to provide a much greater long term benefit and is much less a hassel to use. Sides are very rare and uncommon. Tylenol has more listed sides than finasteride. It's not to say you shouldn't listen to your doctor but I'm sure there is a doctor out there with more empirical background knowledge about finasteride that would write you a script, just a matter of finding one. Usually it's not a problem with doctors who specialize in hair loss. You certainly dont need nor would any reputable hair transplant surgeon offer surgery as an option at this point. Your hair is still thick and looks nice. The small area that is thinned out could easily be concealed with a product like toppik if it bothers you. That stuff can work wonders. In the meantime your goal should be save what you have and you will have more options in the future if you might desire.

  8. #8
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hairbrain View Post
    I hear you about minoxidil. It usually turns out to be a temporary bandaid for the vast majority. Yes anything you gain from it is dependant on its ongoing usage. Same with finasteride. Thats why they call them treatments not cures. However finasteride seems to provide a much greater long term benefit and is much less a hassel to use. Sides are very rare and uncommon. Tylenol has more listed sides than finasteride. It's not to say you shouldn't listen to your doctor but I'm sure there is a doctor out there with more empirical background knowledge about finasteride that would write you a script, just a matter of finding one. Usually it's not a problem with doctors who specialize in hair loss. You certainly dont need nor would any reputable hair transplant surgeon offer surgery as an option at this point. Your hair is still thick and looks nice. The small area that is thinned out could easily be concealed with a product like toppik if it bothers you. That stuff can work wonders. In the meantime your goal should be save what you have and you will have more options in the future if you might desire.
    Hey Hairbrain, thanks for replying.

    Well the doc said it's just not for young men who still have a child wish. She said the libido thing was temporary most of the time but she only prescribes fin to people who either already are fathers and have no further child wish or to people who don't want kids anyway. She said it can screw up a pregnancy because it has lasting effect on semen quality.

    Furthermore she didn't answer the one question about minoxidil which kind of scares me the most. Say I use Minox and decide to quit it after some time, will hair that normally would've stayed be dependent on the use of Minox? or will only the hair that would've fallen anyway be lost?

    lf my family history is anything to go by, most people on my father's side only started balding in their early 30's and never went full bald until their fifties. Ofc that could just be me trying to comfort myself.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Hairbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    128

    Default

    So heres the deal. First you may or may not get regrowth with minoxidil. Theres a better chance it will help you hold on to some of what you have. By most accounts it is a temporary treatment anyway. After a number of years, like myself, you may start thinning again. The unkown is that no doctor can tell you how much the minoxidil is holding on to after you start using it. Maybe nothing or maybe an area the size of a grapefruit. The only way you will ever know is if you either stop using it or its effectiveness starts to decline. At your age its worth a shot. But in all seriousness Im a big believer in Finasteride. Like I said the sides are rare. Do yourself a favor., dont listen to me or anyone else, start researching it on your own. Just be careful of your resources. Like everything else there is a lot of internet bullshit out there. Try to find emperical reputable studies. Also if you tune into TheBaldTruth program on Tuesdays at 8pm (theres a link off this site although its not on every week there are past programs you can listen to) it is a common topic that usually comes up every week. Not trying to talk you into anything but just want to make sure you know what your options are at least for the future. I started balding in my early teens and did not have the options available to you today. Ultimately if you can except balding and have no problem living with it, that is your best option. However for the vast majority of us that is not the case, or why else would we be on this site?
    To answer your question about family history, I believe it's not always cut and dry. Except for one grandfather there was no one else really past a NW1 in my family. For me however I was a NW6 by your age. Yes MPB is genetic but tracking those genes down my be difficult, including generations once or twice removed. Obviously if there is a history of baldness in your family we know your at a higher risk. But to say someones father for example was only a NW1 by age 50 and assume that's how that particularly individual will end up is simply not predictable. That individual my experience no loss or end up entirely bald. Only time is the truth teller.

  10. #10
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Default

    First of all I want to thank you for your insights. I did some research and decided to stick to minox for now at least. I'll monitor it for a few months and if it gets worse, i'm getting on fin. As for l, i'm not even truly sure that i'm balding yet so i'll just stick to the minox since that can cause no harm.

    I also think the fin side effects might be a bit scaremongering. Did read some things ans the official studies seem sound to me. But for now i'm hoping my hairline won't recede and my crown won't thin further.

Similar Threads

  1. Pax1/Foxa2- 1 of the primary genetic reasons why we balding men- are balding
    By eldarlmario in forum Cutting Edge / Future Treatments
    Replies: 224
    Last Post: 07-09-2016, 05:46 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

» IAHRS

hair transplant surgeons

» The Bald Truth

» Recent Threads

1800 graft repair case results by Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Last Post By Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Navigating the German Job Market as a Kenyan Citizen
11-04-2023 06:31 AM
Last Post By Keegan212
Yesterday 03:51 AM
DR HAKAN DOGANAY/ 4500 GRAFTS / Implanter Pen+FUE
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
Last Post By Hakan Doganay, MD
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
The Mane Event for Thursday, June 15th, 2023
06-15-2023 02:59 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-26-2024 08:05 AM