I know, I know, you guys are probably INUNDATED with this question...

[chrisis]

A Norwood 1 is no hair loss as all, not even an adult mature male hair line. It is very rare for Caucasian males to maintain Norwood 1 past puberty.

A Norwood 2 is an adult mature male hairline.

Norwood is just a guide. "God" has not pointed at jsewell94 and said "you my son will be Norwood 2". We're all different and shouldn't be herded into Norwood pens.

I see a lot young guys with minor hair loss being turned away from these forums, but truth is they have valid concerns and are trying to act preemptively. We should be encouraging them to stay engaged and actively monitor their hair loss and their options, as an "insurance" against more expensive and invasive procedures.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

[TheNitwon]

Hmm..It looks like my image didn't upload properly. Let's see if it works this time:

You have a good mature hairline. Now it MIGHT progress to a NW3, and it might not. If you're worried, go see a dermatologist about it. You might be put on finasteride if he decides you need it. If you do get on it, just take it daily and don't worry about hair loss anymore. Lucky for you, there are some good hair loss coming out in the next 3-5 years, and the fin should hold you at your current level until those arrive.

Whatever you do, DON'T OBSESS ABOUT HAIR LOSS. That was my problem when I first noticed my hair loss, and I wasted a lot of time and energy worrying when I could've been doing fun/productive things. Live your life, and don't worry about your hair.

[clandestine]

You have a good mature hairline. Now it MIGHT progress to a NW3, and it might not. If you're worried, go see a dermatologist about it. You might be put on finasteride if he decides you need it. If you do get on it, just take it daily and don't worry about hair loss anymore. Lucky for you, there are some good hair loss coming out in the next 3-5 years, and the fin should hold you at your current level until those arrive.

Whatever you do, DON'T OBSESS ABOUT HAIR LOSS. That was my problem when I first noticed my hair loss, and I wasted a lot of time and energy worrying when I could've been doing fun/productive things. Live your life, and don't worry about your hair.

Finasteride has the potential for sexual sides, you forgot to mention. Research them, make informed decisions.

[gmonasco]

You have a good mature hairline. Now it MIGHT progress to a NW3, and it might not. If you're worried, go see a dermatologist about it. You might be put on finasteride if he decides you need it. If you do get on it, just take it daily and don't worry about hair loss anymore.

Finasteride has very little efficacy for preventing loss at the hairline. It works primarily on the vertex.

[Tracy C]

It's better to be safe than sorry.

Did you even read my post?

[Tracy C]

Finasteride has very little efficacy for preventing loss at the hairline. It works primarily on the vertex.

This medicine does not care where on your head the hair loss is. It simply blocks the hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss. With that said, I am not so sure it is even possible for a caucasian male to prevent the adult mature male hairline from developing. It is genetically coded for almost all caucasian males, even for those few who never suffer with MPB.

[chrisis]

Did you even read my post?

My point is that your initial post told jsewell94 to go out and enjoy his life. No advice about keeping an eye on his hair, or even getting tested/checking his family background. That's why I chimed in and will continue to when I see these cases. The best ammunition against hair loss, especially at an early stage, is knowledge. If we're not going to inform people who come here with questions then might as well shut the forum down.

jsewell94 is me at 17 and I certainly would have appreciated better advice than I got, which was along the same lines as "it's fine".

[gmonasco]

This medicine does not care where on your head the hair loss is. It simply blocks the hormone that triggers hereditary hair loss

No, finasteride doesn't "care" where your hair loss is; nonetheless, it is demonstrably much, much less effective for maintaining hair in the hairline and temples than in the vertex.

[Tracy C]

No, finasteride doesn't "care" where your hair loss is; nonetheless, it is demonstrably much, much less effective for maintaining hair in the hairline and temples than in the vertex.

Did you bother to read my whole post? Specifically the next line after that. They do go together you know - and it directly relates to this discussion.

[lucrio]

It seems that what is trying to be said is that finasteride reduces DHT that is being formed in the body, reducing hair loss to some degree all over the head. However it is up to the sensitivity of the hair follicle and not the mechanism of finasteride that determines how much hair loss will be reduced in any specific area.

Soooo.... because follicles at the hairline must be extra sensitive to the increased DHT that is produced as any male matures, there is little that can be done, even finasteride, to reduce DHT enough to keep hair at the outermost hairline.

I think everyone is agreeing on the same thing here, just some misinterpretation.