Where am I on the Norwood scale?

[chattown]

M25. male pattern baldness runs on my dad’s side of the family. My dad started losing his hair when he was about my age. So I’ve been monitoring my hairline over the past couple of months. My crown area is thick, so I’m more concerned with my temples.

Where on the Norwood scale am I? My temple corners have always been set back, but I don’t have any old pictures up close like this so it’s hard to tell.

I’m meeting with a hair transplant doctor next week to see what my options are. I don’t think I’m a candidate (nor can I afford one), but meds might be the answer until that day comes.

[mattj]

Your hairline is quite high, viewed from the front, but you don't have much obvious recession at your temples. To be honest it's hard to even put you as a Norwood 2.

[chattown]

Thought I'd check back in. Here are some new photos from this week:







Any thoughts?

[mrclean]

What does the back look like?

[chattown]

What does the back look like?

No issues there.

[JohnMPB]

I could get a transplant on my crap hair and it wouldn't look as good as yours. Please don't obsess over your hair. Like the previous guy said I don't even think ur a Norwood 2. If you do something if anything I would treat it medically. Don't even think about transplants with that minimal loss.

[mrclean]

Cancel your appointment and unless you are going to a top Dr. you are wasting your time.

[BaldBearded]

No legit doctor would consider of giving you a transplant at your age. I would put you at a N1... I would really do NOTHING, it's still a "maturing" hairline at this point. Wait six months, a year... see your progression, and then revisit the situation.

[chattown]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I will keep an eye on it.

[chattown]

Just got a haircut and now I'm worried that the recession may be more aggressive. Thoughts?

[mattj]

You look like you are in the early stages of a receding hairline. I don't think it has visibly changed since your first set of photos. I don't think you need to panic.

[chattown]

Question:

I’m considering starting the big 3 next month, and I want to have a baseline to compare over the next year.

Since I’m mainly concerned about my (what I believe to be) thinning/receding temples...are the small/white-ish hairs at the edge of my hairline miniaturizing? If so, is there any hope that fin or minox will bring them back to life?

First two photos are from January 2017. The others were taken earlier this week.

January 2017





June 2018







Thoughts?

[mattj]

Good news is that your hairline looks to have remained stable over the past 18 months. No aggressive hairloss.

You have those small, white-ish hairs going all the way down to your eyebrow. That isn't unusual. They're vellus hairs which can grow all over us and might only be seen in the right lighting conditions.

At the hairline they are probably hairs which were once longer and darker and which are miniaturizing. These are the hairs that respond the best to the treatments. It's easier to get a miniaturized hair to thicken up than to re-grow hairs that are totally gone, so you might see improvement with the Fin and Minoxidil. I personally don't think it's necessary in your case as your hairline looks solid and isn't disappearing at a fast rate.

[chattown]

I got it cut today and it made it look even worse...ugh.

[mattj]

Your hairline still enviable, but it might be worth taking a look at what this guy achieved with Minoxidil:

https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/threads/22874-M-%2823%29-receding-hairline/page9

I'm quite impressed. He had very minimal hairline recession, like yours, and he filled it in with the treatment.