# Men's Hair Loss > Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story >  Is this hairloss? What should i do?

## Johny.track131

My mom's side of the family has had some hairloss, so im afraid id be going through the same. I'm 18 and here are some pictures of my hairline, what do you think? Also is there anything I can do to slow it down or regain my lost sides?
http://imageshack.us/g/816/img2691b.jpg/

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## Tracy C

Hi Johny.track131,

You have a natural and normal adult male hair line.  This is one of the physical traits that differ between males and females like a deeper voice, bigger hands, bigger feet, facial hair and so on...  This by itself is not an indication that you are balding because it is natural and normal for males to develop this hair line.

It is very difficult to tell if you are starting hereditary hair loss from pictures online - and it is impossible to tell if those pictures only show the hair line.

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## chrisis

Ok let's clear this up a bit: you have some hair loss, for sure. No 8 year old boy has a hairline as in the pics you've shown. However, as Tracy suggests, it's quite a normal and your balding isn't aesthetically bad at this point. The vast majority of men bald to *some* extent, and at this point in time yours is totally fine!

With that said, it could potentially get worse - as mine did. I had a hairline similar to yours at around your age and it took 10 years to progress to the point that it became a problem for me in terms of how I feel about myself. Even now it's not actually that bad, it's just more receded and bothers me because I'm stupidly vain  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Anyway, there are a few things you can do to find out if your hairloss is likely to progress and at what rate. You can speak to your doctor, go to a hairloss expert, e.g. check here, and you can also get tested with something like this. 

At your age I think it would be a good idea to do all of that before you consider any further steps. I personally hopped straight on 'the big 3' - finasteride, minoxidil, Nizoral, because I knew my hair loss was becoming quite evident and I wanted to stop it and maintain what I've got. 

It's possible you can regrow what (little) you've already lost using 'the big 3', but consider whether it's worth it when you bear in mind the cost, life time commitment and potential side effects.

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## 25 going on 65

The thinning behind the hairline suggests it could be the early stages of male-pattern hair loss. A hair loss specialist could give you a more definite answer, and will be able to explain your options to you.
If it is hereditary balding, you've caught it early, which is a good thing and gives you the most ability to do something about it (if you want to).

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## Johny.track131

The top of my head is definitely abit thinner than the sides and back of my head.... This is distressing, I'm going to a Dermatologist tomorrow, but still this sucks.... If i'm already noticing that the top of my head is abit thinner than the rest, does this mean that it'll be visually noticeable soon? Can't think of going through college like that... What can I do to stop it now??

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## clandestine

Your hair looks great, chill the **** out!

Your treatment options, if you so choose to engage them, are propecia (finasteride), rogaine (minoxidil) and nizoral A-D.

Finasteride has the potential for sexual sides. Research them, make informed decisions.

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## chrisis

> What can I do to stop it now??


 I could repeat my post or you could read it? Up to you.

 :Confused:

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## Johny.track131

Aghh sorry Chrisis, I read your post, but frankly, i'm an overthinker with a truly paranoid mind, so my brain was really cloudy and the only way to releive stress and add some false hope was to repeat my question. I've considered Fin, but the potential side effects are scary, especially since some are permanent. And like you, im stupidly vain as well. This just scares me because it's hitting at such a young age and i have no idea or experience at the speed at which it can progress. I'm hopeful towards the stuff like Replicel, Aderans, Histogen and Follica though... Also is itchiness in the top area a bad sign?

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## chrisis

> Aghh sorry Chrisis, I read your post, but frankly, i'm an overthinker with a truly paranoid mind, so my brain was really cloudy and the only way to releive stress and add some false hope was to repeat my question. I've considered Fin, but the potential side effects are scary, especially since some are permanent. And like you, im stupidly vain as well. This just scares me because it's hitting at such a young age and i have no idea or experience at the speed at which it can progress. I'm hopeful towards the stuff like Replicel, Aderans, Histogen and Follica though... Also is itchiness in the top area a bad sign?


 I wouldn't say so necessarily. Might be a reaction to a shampoo or other hair product. You changed anything recently? I can't recall an itchy scalp ever indicating I was losing hair, though it gets itchy sometimes with some of the products I've started using to treat it.

First things first - try to speak to medical and hair experts who can give you some idea of what might happen. Once you've established that, if you want to take control, the only real option is finasteride/propecia because it treats the source of the problem. It's unfortunate that it's a deal with the devil in terms of the potential side effects. At least in my experience they seem to have gone away.

You're lucky that you're just 18. If your balding pattern is similar to mine, you can ride this out for a few years and hopefully some new treatments will come out  :Smile: 

What type of balding do the men in your family have? Especially your mother's side? Find out how fast they lost their hair and where they lost it.

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## 25 going on 65

I would consider making an appointment with a hair loss specialist before you start male-pattern hair loss treatments. I don't know for a fact that you have genetic hair loss.
If you do, you're in a prime position to treat it with medication, because you're in such an early stage of the process. Any medicine you take has some chance of side effects, including topical meds, but with hair loss treatments the risk is quite low.
"Post-finasteride syndrome" is a relatively new concept (or at least it wasn't a mainstream idea in the hair loss community until recently) that hasn't been confirmed by research. It's possible that a very small percentage of men have some unusual condition that causes them to react badly to finasteride, and that the unwanted effects continue long after quitting. I'm personally not convinced either way at this point, but it's something for you to consider if you're thinking about pursuing this treatment (if you do in fact have hereditary hair loss).

My advice to anyone who has started a regimen of finasteride is not to read the negative stories online about it until you've been on the med for awhile. 

But, in my opinion, your best next step is an appointment with a specialist. You don't want to start MPB drugs if you don't need them.

Edit: Also, you have no need to panic! Believe me, I know that feeling. I basically had a breakdown when I realized I was losing hair in my early to mid 20's. But you truly are in a great position to treat it, if that's actually what is happening. 
I have been treating my loss for awhile now (2+ years on ketoconazole, 1.5 years on finasteride) and am happy with my results.
Just take a deep breath, take the proper steps, and you'll be OK.  :Smile:

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## Johny.track131

Going tomorrow to the Dermo, Here are more pics of my hair after i cut it abit.

Also im reading that diffuse thinning is unstoppable even with the meds ... is that true?

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## Tracy C

> This just scares me because it's hitting at such a young age and i have no idea or experience at the speed at which it can progress.


 It is not uncommon for a male to develop an adult hair line as early as high school.  For example; Due to a recent tragedy at a high school, there have been many young males of high school age on TV lately.  Of those dozens of teenage males of high school age I've seen on TV this past week, all but one had adult male hair lines.  When I go mall walking with my girlfriends I see dozens upon dozens of high school aged teenage males.  Almost all of them have adult male hairlines.  So no, this is not uncommon - nor is it early.

If you feel you are thinning on the top and it bothers you, you need to see a dermatologist who specializes in treating hair loss.  These links tell you what effective options are available to you.

http://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/

http://www.americanhairloss.org/men_.../treatment.asp


You posted these new pics at the same time I post this response.

First and formost, most of the information you will find on the internet is BS.  The American Hair Loss Association is one of only a small few reliable sources of information.

Diffuse thinnng can be treated.  Anything you read that says it can't is BS.  Talk to a real doctor.

With these new pics you have provided, there may be some thinning going on but you really need to see a specialist.

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## Maradona

> I could repeat my post or you could read it? Up to you.


 hey chris when your hairline started to recede, did you notice shedding or you just noticed a receding hairline?

I think this is the main difference between a maturing hairline and MPB, one should check if the hairs that are falling are minituarized/thin etc.

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## Johny.track131

Do people get HT for thinning? Also would getting an HT at such a young age an alright idea?

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## Johny.track131

Oh and also on a side note, i have been going through Huge bouts of stress the past weeks due to some final school assignments. I mean sleeping 3am for days and days in a row and studying and worrying alot as well.

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## Tracy C

> Do people get HT for thinning? Also would getting an HT at such a young age an alright idea?


 You do not need a hair transplant.  Getting a hair transplant without first spending at least a year trying to treat hereditary hair loss is a bad idea.  Getting a hair transplant at such a young age is a bad idea.

Stress, lack of sleep and poor nutrition can trigger temporary hair loss.

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## Johny.track131

does this in any way look like temporary hairloss? Because i can definitely say that i've been having alot of stress, lack of sleep etc these days... Is there a way to pinpoint if it's hereditary or not? (I looked at your website but i dont live in any of these countries).

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## Maradona

> does this in any way look like temporary hairloss? Because i can definitely say that i've been having alot of stress, lack of sleep etc these days... Is there a way to pinpoint if it's hereditary or not? (I looked at your website but i dont live in any of these countries).


 Imo there is one way to tell for sure, just count how many hairs you lose a day and if the hairs are you losing are THIN/SMALLER than the hairs nearby, it's definitely MPB.

But from opinion and from the pictures you show, you do not appear to have MPB.

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## Johny.track131

I'm pretty sure i lose long hairs, but my general hair length's pretty long as well so im not sure. If i look at the towel after i dry my hair after a hot shower, i would count around 10-15 long hairs.

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## Johny.track131

what's scaring me is that when i run my hand through the top of my head, and then i run it through the sides, i can feel a difference..

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## 25 going on 65

Your scalp reminds me a little of mine when I got on hair loss meds (though the thinness for me was more "scattered" rather than focused in the center). I wish I could agree with others here that you don't look like you have MPB, but my suspicion is that you may be at the early stages. Again, though, do not panic: you have very good options for treating it if you want to!
With all due respect to Maradona, I personally  don't recommend counting hairs as a way to determine if you have genetic hair loss. You'll never keep track of all the hairs you lose in a day. Plus, it's normal to lose 50-100 hairs every day, even if you don't have MPB.
Comparing the thickness of lost hairs to the hairs on the side and back of your scalp might be useful (I did this when I first noticed my thinning), but going to a hair loss specialist is still the better route I think.
Tracy is right that meds treat diffuse thinning. That's the kind of thinning I have, and meds work for me. She's also right that a transplant in your position would be very risky... if you have hereditary hair loss and want to do something about it, meds definitely would be the first step.

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## chrisis

> hey chris when your hairline started to recede, did you notice shedding or you just noticed a receding hairline?
> 
> I think this is the main difference between a maturing hairline and MPB, one should check if the hairs that are falling are minituarized/thin etc.


 Nah I didn't notice any shedding until I started taking finasteride. It's been a very slow process.

On that note, I'm noticing some fuzzy little hairs coming in around my receded areas now. Nothing amazing, but even my hairdresser noticed, so it's not just in my head. I dunno if that's down to the finasteride I started in Nov or the minoxidil in January, but I'm hoping the latter since I had to quit finasteride.

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## Maradona

> Nah I didn't notice any shedding until I started taking finasteride. It's been a very slow process.
> 
> On that note, I'm noticing some fuzzy little hairs coming in around my receded areas now. Nothing amazing, but even my hairdresser noticed, so it's not just in my head. I dunno if that's down to the finasteride I started in Nov or the minoxidil in January, but I'm hoping the latter since I had to quit finasteride.


 double post lol.

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## Maradona

> Nah I didn't notice any shedding until I started taking finasteride. It's been a very slow process.
> 
> On that note, I'm noticing some fuzzy little hairs coming in around my receded areas now. Nothing amazing, but even my hairdresser noticed, so it's not just in my head. I dunno if that's down to the finasteride I started in Nov or the minoxidil in January, but I'm hoping the latter since I had to quit finasteride.


 
ur so lucky bro, best way to bald is to bald slow and without meds but im heading straight to norwood 6 lol

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## chrisis

I guess I might be a little on the luckier side comparatively, but I'd rather not be balding at all  :Wink:

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## mnx

I would go see a specialist as soon as possible, Johny. I would say do not put it off at all.

You need an expert opinion. Your hair looks good, but there are suspicious things and it is best to check those out. The earlier you catch it, the better off you will be in the long run.

If you do have MPB starting, and you catch it now, you have a great outlook. Waiting to see with MPB is the worst option.

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## stratofortress

> I would go see a specialist as soon as possible, Johny. I would say do not put it off at all.
> 
> You need an expert opinion. Your hair looks good, but there are suspicious things and it is best to check those out. The earlier you catch it, the better off you will be in the long run.
> 
> If you do have MPB starting, and you catch it now, you have a great outlook. Waiting to see with MPB is the worst option.


 /\ Good advice.

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## Johny.track131

Went to see two Dermatologists and each said no MPB from looking at my hair, hairline and one pushed against my scalp and asked if it hurt.. They're not hairloss specialists though, just really old (and I hope, experienced) Dermatologists. This should be fine and dandy but then now everytime i take a shower and i look at the what i see in these pics in the mirror, it just scares me shitless again...

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## chrisis

Whoever pushed against your scalp and asked if it hurts sounds like an idiot. Since when did pain when pressure is applied to the scalp indicate MPB?

I think you should ignore them and go to a hair loss expert.

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## 25 going on 65

I agree with chris that a specialist would be the way to go.

I've never heard of putting pressure on the scalp as a way to diagnose genetic hair loss either.

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## Johny.track131

im doing my best to find one but it isnt  easy in my country. Small question, but is my hairline normal? Because when i look at my friends, im not sure but i think they have temples that are more up front, while im not sure if mine are too far back or it's just my hair's natural look. 
Basically, is my hairline abnormal? (The one in the pictures)

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## Tracy C

> Basically, is my hairline abnormal? (The one in the pictures)


 No.  Some males have a more dramatic "M" hair line pattern than others.  Again, this itself is not an indication of MPB.  Compare your hair line to those of all your male blood relatives from both sides of your family.

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## Johny.track131

Small quesiton, it's been a week since i last showered (Yeah disgusting, but work is work) anyway, my hair was oily etc, and i had a shower, but the amount of hair that i saw go down was scary, if i would estimate a number, it would be around 50 or more. Is this normal? is it because of the lack of showering for a week?

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## Johny.track131

Bump?

10 Char

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## Winston

> Small quesiton, it's been a week since i last showered (Yeah disgusting, but work is work) anyway, my hair was oily etc, and i had a shower, but the amount of hair that i saw go down was scary, if i would estimate a number, it would be around 50 or more. Is this normal? is it because of the lack of showering for a week?


 If you could only count 50 hairs going down the drain after a week of not showering, you should not spend any more time on this forum. Go enjoy your life and your hair!

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## Johny.track131

Ahaha, if only my paranoia would allow me to go away. Ok, a question that might help me and help your opinion on my situation. I've got a good camera with a good flash, are there certain ways to comb the hair and take pictures to show hair loss? (like to the back or to the front or split down the middle etc)

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## clandestine

> Ahaha, if only my paranoia would allow me to go away. Ok, a question that might help me and help your opinion on my situation. I've got a good camera with a good flash, are there certain ways to comb the hair and take pictures to show hair loss? (like to the back or to the front or split down the middle etc)


 Sorry, but this is just stupid. Why you would want to try and take pictures to accentuate whatever hair loss you _don't have_ is beyond me. If you need to try and comb your hair a certain way or use camera tricks to display hair loss, then you don't have noticeable hair loss. Period. Go away, live life. Off these forums with you.

If you're legitimately concerned, go see a derm specialist. Should you feel it necessary to treat whatever hair loss you may or may not have, get on propecia, rogaine and nizoral A-D.

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## Johny.track131

Sorry for seeming like that, but i've always been paranoid about any problem i might or might not have. My main concern is that the back of my head feels different from the top (one dermo actually said that it could be because i have a hairstyle which is split down the middle). And i notice my hairs when they fall throughout the day and in the shower. It's scary. I'm looking for hairloss specialists in my country, but the quality of doctors here isnt truly that great, which is why im seeking some help here. The photo request isnt to accentuate whatever 'isnt' there. but to reveal if the length of my hair (currently pretty long) is hiding anything.

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## Johny.track131

Shit, just had another shower after a week, huge huge numbers of hairs falling, 130+, and i noticed that some are small, some are normal, their size ranges from as small as an eyebrow (but much thinner) to half the normal length of my hair, to the normal length... this is scary shit... Could these be from my maturing hairline? Also is it possible to try propecia, and stop if side effects happen and avoiding the permanent side effects? Or do they stay once they arrive. Also all of this is happening while im 18, does this mean that i'll probably be noticebaly bald while in college? (The one thing i truly want to avoid)

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## Johny.track131

just took a look at my right temple and it scared the hell out of me, especially when i compare it to my left! Please please give your opinions!

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## Johny.track131

Bump?
10Char

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## ZZZ

Yes, you are losing your hair. It very much reminds me of the way my hair started to go with thinning all along the hairline, including the front middle part  :Frown:

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## mrblol

I'm no expert but I can imagine that if you are developing a mature hairline that both temples wouldn't recede at the exact same rate.

I'm currently waiting for a dermatologist and my left temple looks way worse then my right. It's not uncommon or unheard of, I've been google'ing "hairloss" for days on end as you probably have/are.

Honestly I think that the worst thing you can do is what most people on this forum have done(including me, i know, i know i'm a hypocrite) and that's obsessing and trying to count every single hair that falls out of your scalp.

I recommend you stop rubbing your hands through your hair just to see how many hairs you can get.

If the first thing you do when you wake up is stare at your pillow and see how many strands of hairs you can find on your linens you are putting more stress on yourself then is necessary.

Stop looking at your hands after each rinse and shampoo/conditioner massage.

Let the hair specialist worry about all that stuff. 

You might not be balding ! You may have a condition that the other dermatologists didn't catch. The possibilities are endless. Worst thing that can happen to you is that the hair specialist says "Yep, You got Male Pattern Baldness". But at your stage it really doesn't matter because once you start taking meds you will stop balding and might even regain some hairs that you've lost. By the time you begin to seriously bald with the meds there will be better treatment options out there my man don't stress it.  

 I'm going through the same thing and I'm also 18. You are not alone.

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## Johny.track131

The thing is, if i really am balding, then dermatoligists arent really helping if they keep telling me that im not, i can see a shitload of hair falling everyday, the top of my head burns like shit, and many of the hairs im losing are not as long as they should be, but they keep telling me that im fine and that my current crown's Ok. If i need to start Fin, i will, but i'll need a persecription. Did you start meds yet? and also to anyone who reads this, one doctor told me to take Nanogen serum, i bought a bottle but i still didnt start to use it... should i?

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## mrblol

I'm not on any sorts of meds because I have yet to be diagnosed by a dermatologist. However if I find out that I am balding you can bet that I would start taking meds.

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## Johny.track131

Hey everyone, i'm back to my paranoia, my shedding is crazy weird (no meds except Nanogen Serum VEGF) i take it because a dermo told me i'm not balding.. but i should take it ... (what the hell) i also started Curcumin, Biotin, MSM, and Garlic Extract. I cant judge if my hairline has receded or if my crown thinned, what do you guys think (is there a chance that i might not have hairloss or MPB?) please compare these pics with the ones in the first post

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## 25 going on 65

Looks like hair loss to me, with visible miniaturization. Unless your dermatologists have diagnosed a non-MPB cause, it's most likely MPB.
At this point I would grab a prescription for finasteride and 2% keto shampoo. But it's up to you whether you want to treat it.
The regimen you're on now probably won't do much to stop you from losing hair.

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## PatientlyWaiting

I hate to be the realistic guy in every god damn thread on this forum.

You have temple recession. That's the start of MPB.

My goodness, people, just because some one has more hair than you, doesn't mean they're hair is "great". The guy probably has more hair than some of us put together, but to tell him he does not have at least the start of MPB is just overkill.

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## Johny.track131

so you are sure that MPB has begun and that i should start fin? no hope if this being a maturing hairline (whatever that is)? And does the nanogen serum work at all? and has there been progression from page 1 or is this based on the pics in the last post alone? sorry for the many questions, but being hit by MPB isnt easy, and having demo's lie lie and lie isnt easy as well..

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## Johny.track131

also if this is based on pregression from post 1 to the current post, i'm going to college next semester, does this mean i'll go bald mid college? (a nightmare in itself)

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## PatientlyWaiting

My post is based on your opening post pictures, not your recent one.

From my experience with dermatologists, they are mostly clueless about MPB. One time I talked to one about minoxidil and she didn't even know what it was, I told her its Rogaine. And she's like "oh". So clueless. You would probably be better off learning from MPB in hair loss forums, trust me. Dermatologists are great skin doctors. Unless they specialize in MPB, stay away from them about MPB, all they know about is "Propecia" and "Rogaine". That's all they know, really. Like literally just those two brands.

If the doctor told you to get on MSM and Biotin for MPB, then he/she is simply stupid. Those supplements make your current hair grow faster, they don't thicken your thinning hair, or stop hair loss, they are not for MPB at all.

You have a lot of hair though. I'm just saying you do have temple recession, but you look fine now. We all at one point had a lot of hair and looked fine, and we started noticing some recession and and we all had some one who knows nothing about MPB tell us "You're fine, it's normal, you'll be okay", and we all end up being, not okay, and instead posting on hair loss forums.

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## Johny.track131

So if my crown is itching, does this mean i'll go bald by mid college? (i'm starting next semester)

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## Johny.track131

and doesnt Nanogen Serum VEGF do anything? shit's pretty expensive

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## sjgw97

do this]youtu.be/2i6ssQKdTLg

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