18 years old, am I balding?

[dctn]

I just noticed a white patch in a mirror in the distance earlier this morning, so I went home and checked it out by taking pictures of my head....I think I'm balding
Do I show signs of male pattern baldness? I've attached a link to a gallery of pictures of my head below that I just took right now:

http://imgur.com/a/nJmB7#0

I'm planning to start off with rogaine(foam) and pick up a bottle of nizoral shampoo from wal-mart

Extra bit of info:
-I very rarely ever shampoo or use any of those products on my hair during shower (I just let water run over it)
-Ever since school started, I've been using small amounts of gel on the side and back of my head to keep my side and back hair from poofing out as it tends to do that naturally

 

[talmoode]

hi yes it looks like you are thinning on the crown. cheers.

 

[GoldenMane]

Yes, you are starting to thin at the vertex. The good news is that you've caught it early and with the big three you stand a very good chance at fully recovering your hair density. Good luck!

 

[dctn]

Yes, you are starting to thin at the vertex. The good news is that you've caught it early and with the big three you stand a very good chance at fully recovering your hair density. Good luck!

Okay, thanks guys!
I'm not really to comfortable with using finasteride., so I'm thinking of only using rogaine foam and nizoral. Do you all think this is enough or is finasteride. absolutely necessary?

 

[talmoode]

Okay, thanks guys!
I'm not really to comfortable with using finasteride., so I'm thinking of only using rogaine foam and nizoral. Do you all think this is enough or is finasteride. absolutely necessary?

It can work well if you are a good responder to Minoxidil. But eventually you will need dht blocker to stop hair loss. cheers

 

[CursedMen]

Crown loss is much easier to fix than recession. If i were you, I would get on finasteride and Nizoral instead of minoxidil and Nizoral.

 

[Ryukil]

Yep. Try not to freak out about it like I did. You'll get used to the idea in a couple of months. Good luck.

 

[Brett Collins]

Just remember hair is hair. The prescription drugs don't work on everyone. You won't know until about the 4-6 month point whether or not its working. When I first started taking minoxidil., all I got was tingling in my fingers and red skin. At that point, I would stop immediately and consult a doctor. Good luck man.