# Men's Hair Loss > Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story >  Is this Telogen Effluvium or MPB?

## This Sucks

I am 21 and took accutane about a year and a half ago. I got off of accutane after only about 2.5 months because of headaches and neckaches (i still get neckaches). A few months after stopping it I noticed I was shedding more hair.

One side of my hairline seems to have receded a bit and the other maybe a little bit. 

I have two questions about my hairloss

1. Is it normal with MPB too have hair loss on the side of the head too? You can see what I'm talking about in my pictures. maybe I'm just thinking too much but I feel like I have less hair there now.

2. I started taking generic rogaine about 3 or 4 months ago. Even though I didn't have any hairloss that I knew of on my crown I still applied it there just in case. Recently I've noticed on the crown of my head rather than a bald area it seems to just be a line. The line is always there so I'm pretty sure its not just the way my hair was brushed. I've included pictures of that too. 


I went to my dermatologist and she didn't even look at my head, she just prescribed me finasteride which I would rather not take if there is a chance this hairloss will stop.

sorry for the blurry pics

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## Thinning87

Hey man

I am not the most knowledgeable person (and by the way a dermatologist is the best person to diagnose your condition so maybe just get a second opinion (I saw 3 dermatologists before starting a regimen)).

But it looks like you are in the same condition I was 8 months ago when I first found out about my MPB. I was 24 and had mild general thinning, with one temple being a thinner than the rest and everything being pretty much unnoticeable. 

Regardless of what anyone will say here, definitely go get a second opinion from another dermatologist, and do keep in mind that it normally takes them about 20 seconds looking through your hair to determine what is going on.

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## This Sucks

> Hey man
> 
> I am not the most knowledgeable person (and by the way a dermatologist is the best person to diagnose your condition so maybe just get a second opinion (I saw 3 dermatologists before starting a regimen)).
> 
> But it looks like you are in the same condition I was 8 months ago when I first found out about my MPB. I was 24 and had mild general thinning, with one temple being a thinner than the rest and everything being pretty much unnoticeable. 
> 
> Regardless of what anyone will say here, definitely go get a second opinion from another dermatologist, and do keep in mind that it normally takes them about 20 seconds looking through your hair to determine what is going on.


 
Do you know anything about the bald line in the back of my head?

I feel like every picture I look at online the person is balding in a little circle on the crown of their head but with me it seems its just a line. 

Thats why I was wondering if maybe Telogen Effluvium was involved because I feel like if all that does is shed hair all over maybe it would cause the part in the back of my head to appear wider than normal. 


I've attached another photo. It is hard to tell but that line goes all the way down the back of my head.

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## Kirby_

See a better (competant) dermatologist if you can. They should've looked at your scalp with a scope to check for miniaturising hairs.

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## This Sucks

> See a better (competant) dermatologist if you can. They should've looked at your scalp with a scope to check for miniaturising hairs.


 I dont have the money, I hate to say. 

I will be going to a normal doctor to get all the typical things checked like blood, testosterone, etc.

I do that on my hairline hairs on the side were getting lighter and lighter till they were pretty much blond. This sounds like miniaturizing to me, but I don't know for sure.

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## BigThinker

My *unprofessional* opinion is that your hair looks pretty thin all-over, even in the back.  It doesn't look like your top and front are much thinner than the back and sides, if at all.  That's not to say that this isn't necessarily some from MPB, but certainly not one of the classic formations.

Out of curiosity, have you been/are you under a lot of stress physically and/or mentally and/or emotionally?

Do you live in a cold and/or dry area?

What is the balding like on both sides of your family?

Again, I'm just curious, and I'm not a physician of any sort.

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## ThinningB420

Does your hair naturally part to show that part all the way in the back?

I noticed from my use of Accutane that my hair was noticeably thinner all over the top and the sides. It's hard for me to tell the back because I never paid much attention to it. I will say I believe my hair loss is primarily a result of Accutane because I still have a NW2 with diffuse thinning.

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## This Sucks

> I dont have the money, I hate to say. 
> I do that on my hairline hairs on the side were getting lighter and lighter till they were pretty much blond. This sounds like miniaturizing to me, but I don't know for sure.


 I wish I knew how to edit posts. 

That's suppose to say "I did notice that" not "I do that"

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## This Sucks

> My *unprofessional* opinion is that your hair looks pretty thin all-over, even in the back.  It doesn't look like your top and front are much thinner than the back and sides, if at all.  That's not to say that this isn't necessarily some from MPB, but certainly not one of the classic formations.
> 
> Out of curiosity, have you been/are you under a lot of stress physically and/or mentally and/or emotionally?
> 
> Do you live in a cold and/or dry area?
> 
> What is the balding like on both sides of your family?
> 
> Again, I'm just curious, and I'm not a physician of any sort.


 I've been under quite a lot of stress from money and acne. 

I live in Jacksonville, Florida


My moms dad dies in his 60s with a full head of gray hair. 
My dad just started losing his hair recently but he's in his mid 50s and tbh you cant even tell he's losing his hair.

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## This Sucks

> Does your hair naturally part to show that part all the way in the back?
> 
> I noticed from my use of Accutane that my hair was noticeably thinner all over the top and the sides. It's hard for me to tell the back because I never paid much attention to it. I will say I believe my hair loss is primarily a result of Accutane because I still have a NW2 with diffuse thinning.


 
Yeah, it always seems to part like that but I only noticed it about 3 months ago.

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## jim100

Hi, I've been dealing with thinning hair since I was 16, and till this point I have assumed that my hair loss was due to telogen effluvium or some other kind of temporary condition. Now, I'm 19, and starting to conclude that my hair loss is due to diffuse male pattern baldness. However I would like some other opinions. I have attached pictures of my scalp to this message. I'm hoping that the people of this website can help me come to a somewhat concrete conclusion about if my hair loss is temporary or permanent. Thanks for your help. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/003aux.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/019qr.jpg/

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## BigThinker

> Hi, I've been dealing with thinning hair since I was 16, and till this point I have assumed that my hair loss was due to telogen effluvium or some other kind of temporary condition. Now, I'm 19, and starting to conclude that my hair loss is due to diffuse male pattern baldness. However I would like some other opinions. I have attached pictures of my scalp to this message. I'm hoping that the people of this website can help me come to a somewhat concrete conclusion about if my hair loss is temporary or permanent. Thanks for your help. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/003aux.jpg/
> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/019qr.jpg/


 I'm not qualified to say with any certainty what is causing your hairloss, but 3 years is a loooooooong time to be suffering from TE.  Further, I've noticed a lot of new, typically younger members like to entertain the idea that their hairloss is TE and not MPB to ease the pain - I did it at first myself.

Not sure what you know about available treatments, but they are known as "The Big 3" - search the internet or this forum for more information.  If you're trying to keep your hair, the sooner you start the better.  Also, I'm not sure if 19 is considered too young for all or any of the treatments that compose "The Big 3".

You've already been rocking a buzz cut for some amount of time it appears; maybe you could consider going shorter?  I'm certain that being 19 and suffering from MPB is painful, and I empathize.

Finally, in conjunction with treatment (if you choose to go that route), think about getting a gym membership and set academic and professional goals.  Hairloss sucks - nobody on this site is going to say it doesn't.  But, there are things we can do to boost our looks that are independent of hair.  I think you'll find as you age that women are less and less likely to let your hair be a "deal breaker", but that's simply something you'll have to work around.  This is all coming from a 25 year old.

I wish you all the best, man.  Never forget that there are aspects of your looks and desirability to women you can affect with hard work and perseverance - life goes on.  But, definitely check into the "Big 3" if you think you are wanting pharmaceutical intervention

Regards.

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## dex89

Well said BigThinker  :Smile: 

jim100, I posted a couple of links that might help you.

BIG 3(http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthr...3&highlight=)- thanks to lord Spex

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medi...atient-photos/

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=142250361

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## drybone

I agree with the others Jim. 

Get onto the big three immediately. Also consider changing your diet as well and manage your stress levels.  :Smile: 

Your hair still looks ok, so use the medication to keep it that way. Grow it out a little longer.

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## jim100

Thanks for the responses everyone, I wish I had the money for the Big 3 but I don't. Hopefully I'll find a way to get through it for now.

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## jackjohn12

Did your diffuse thinning ever resolve.

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## BaldingApe

This is a long shot but did the line on the back of your head ever regrow hair? I experienced the same thing you did after 2 months of accutane. It's now about 4 months after the full accutane cycle and it hasn't gotten better. I've been on minoxidil for a while but even that hasn't regrown the line area. I appreciate it if you somehow reply to this  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Sonic1

You ever figure out whatnot was?

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