Where am I on the scale and should I consider finasteride?

[Kclennings]

I'm 19 with what looks to be a receding hairline.. I'm not sure whether it's male pattern baldness kick starting and it's really starting to concern me! My hairline has been on the move for the past year and has receded asymmetrically. It seems to be catching up now but my right temple has notably more recession.

No males in my family have male pattern baldness aside my grandma'a brother (great uncle). I'm wondering.. is it possible that my grandma could've passed the gene to my mum of whom passed it to me? My mum doesn't have any brothers so there is no way of telling if the gene is present within the maternal side of my family. Every other male I'm related to has thick hair regardless their age which is why I'm starting to get concerned as I'm a Norwood 2 at 19? My hair is still thick and dense. My temples have just receded a notable amount in short time.

My right temple still seems to have recessed more looking at the photo's I've provided. Would anyone else agree?

Lastly can someone clarify where I currently stand on the Norwood scale and whether or not I should be worried?

[mattj]

At most you're a Norwood 2. You've probably heard the term "mature hairline". Often when men reach maturity, their hairline will be a bit more receded than when they were a child/teenager. Typically it happens when a man is older than you currently are, but I've known of guys who recede at your age without any significant changes occurring for a long time.

I first noticed my hairline had receded at around 23-24 (I don't remember exactly) but I know, in retrospect, that it had begun years before. By the time of my hair transplant at age 32, I had only progressed to about a Norwood 3.

Genetics are impossible to predict with any certainty, but the fact that you only have very minimal hairloss in your family is a good sign. The less the better.

Your hairline looks very solid and it's normal for it to be a bit asymmetrical. Try taking pictures every six months or so to see if any changes occur. The important thing is not to obsess or worry. You've got a great head of hair. Enjoy it.

[Kclennings]

At most you're a Norwood 2. You've probably heard the term "mature hairline". Often when men reach maturity, their hairline will be a bit more receded than when they were a child/teenager. Typically it happens when a man is older than you currently are, but I've known of guys who recede at your age without any significant changes occurring for a long time.

I first noticed my hairline had receded at around 23-24 (I don't remember exactly) but I know, in retrospect, that it had begun years before. By the time of my hair transplant at age 32, I had only progressed to about a Norwood 3.

Genetics are impossible to predict with any certainty, but the fact that you only have very minimal hairloss in your family is a good sign. The less the better.

Your hairline looks very solid and it's normal for it to be a bit asymmetrical. Try taking pictures every six months or so to see if any changes occur. The important thing is not to obsess or worry. You've got a great head of hair. Enjoy it.

Thank you for the detailed response. Should I be worried that I've delveoped this hairline early?

Also you mention a hair transplant.. is that you in the display picture? If so you look as though you've suffered from no hair loss at all! How many grafts did you receive if you don't mind me asking?

[mattj]

You shouldn't be worried because you're a person who is more than the sum of follicles that are producing hairs on his head. That's the most important thing I can tell you.

At this stage there's really no way to know for sure if you'll continue to lose more hair. Only time will tell. I do know that when I first noticed that I was losing hair, I freaked out. I was young, very insecure and convinced that I'd be bald by thirty. In my signature you'll see a link to my HT experience. I had 2502 grafts. The before pictures at the top are of me at age 32, after at least a decade of hair loss. Of course I now have a hair transplant, but my loss hasn't progressed beyond what you see in the before pictures. The only difference is that now I have some greys!

[Kclennings]

You shouldn't be worried because you're a person who is more than the sum of follicles that are producing hairs on his head. That's the most important thing I can tell you.

At this stage there's really no way to know for sure if you'll continue to lose more hair. Only time will tell. I do know that when I first noticed that I was losing hair, I freaked out. I was young, very insecure and convinced that I'd be bald by thirty. In my signature you'll see a link to my HT experience. I had 2502 grafts. The before pictures at the top are of me at age 32, after at least a decade of hair loss. Of course I now have a hair transplant, but my loss hasn't progressed beyond what you see in the before pictures. The only difference is that now I have some greys!

I think you may have defeated hair loss by the sounds of things. Your hair looks great for your age.

One last thing.. could you give me some details on when you first expierenced your hairline receding. In other words are there any warning signs to look out for that predetermine future loss?

[mattj]

I wouldn't say I've defeated my hair loss. I was just fortunate.

One thing to look out for is miniaturisation. This means hairs which are growing back finer and shorter than the rest, due to the fact that the follicle is 'shutting down'.

[Kclennings]

I wouldn't say I've defeated my hair loss. I was just fortunate.

One thing to look out for is miniaturisation. This means hairs which are growing back finer and shorter than the rest, due to the fact that the follicle is 'shutting down'.

Is this a sign of frontal thinning? This has literally appeared in the last couple of days or so. I've never before noticed a gap in between my frontal hairline. The combination of this and the receding hairline is very much concerning me now

[mattj]

Please understand the limitations of making any conclusions based on photos like this, but all I see is your hair parted slightly. The photo doesn't show anything to worry about.