18 Years Old, Losing Hair - Please Help [PICS]

[Searching71]

Some backstory:

My father is 63 years old with a great head of hair for his age. He's had minimal hair loss since he was my age. He told me he was losing hair when he was early 20s and that he would find clumps of hair in the shower. I told him I'm balding and he says I'm not and that it could level out just like his did. He has some temporal recession but is probably a Norwood 2.

My brother (only sibling) on the other hand is completely bald at age 26. When I say completely, I mean Norwood 6 or 7.

I feel like I'm headed down my brother's track unfortunately. When I told him the other day that my hairline was definitely receding he said "yikes, just when mine started." He says he got my mother's father's hair loss gene. Looks like I might be the same. I asked him if there was anything I could do and he said that nothing works unless you have thousands of dollars. I'm going to assume that nothing worked in his particular case, and there are actual options out there to slow or stop my hair loss.

I've been monitoring it for over a year now, and every six months, it's noticeable that I've lost a bit of hair. It started with my temples receding and now I'm balding at the corners. If you all could take a look at my pictures and let me know what you think, what options I have, etc. it would be great. I really want to keep my hair and it's devastating losing it. It won't be the end of the world if I do go bald and I'm already expecting it, but I'd be overjoyed if I could somehow slow the process down and still have good hair.

Thanks a lot.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I've noticed recently in the past month or so that my scalp is itchier and I feel like I'm losing more hair daily (seeing hairs fall out when running my hands through it).

 

[SuprisedGuy]

Hard to say from your pics but it is possible you're losing it, I was 20 when I started losing my hair and it was really aggressive. I'd be like a NW6 now like your bro had I not got on finasteride/rogaine when I was 21. Now almost three years later I still have a fullish head of hair although I'm still losing it, just at a much slower rate.

 

[ACT10Npack]

Hard to say if you are losing hair in the crown. Do you have pictures of it a year back?

 

[dinosaur_sr]

On pictures alone it doesn't look like you are - the first one might just be bad lighting. You know your own hair best, though, so just be honest with yourself. An overall loss in thickness is a better sign your losing it than a slight hairline recession. Despite what some people will tell you, the mature hairline does exist - you don't even have that yet though.

Look into finasteride first, then Rogaine if your hair starts getting noticeably thin. Other than that it's a crapshoot as they are the only two proven medical treatments - besides hair transplants, I guess. Don't get put off by side effects, they're rare and often reversable, but speak to a doctor before you start on finasteride. That's definitely the best route to go though imo.

 

[The_Mentalist]

Unfortunately, your temple recession though relatively minor at the moment, as quite clear to me especially in picture 3, is a sign of what to come. Parents history is a good sign but is not always the case for offsrping. Sometimes parents carry a gene that is not expressed in them but shows up in offspring. Your brother is a good example. What I have also noticed that Caucasians with lighter hair are more likely to lose hair and at younger age than their counterpart of other heritage/darker hair.

You are still very young for finasteride. But, know that once you start, there is no turning back. If you stop, you might face a rapid disaster that would be more depressing. You are still very good with hair, but keep an eye for several more months before you decide this route.

 

[iceman111]

I think you have two options : cutting your hair very short and keep it short always or using medicines continiously.I'm 24 now and losing my hair since high school.I kept my existing hair in this way.Whenever I let it grow it starts to fall out again.My father and my brothers arent bald too.

 

[someguuy]

nizoral ad daily will help you

 

[Beingbaldsucksass]

finasteride dosent coast "thousands of dollars" if youl just work you can afford to spend 50 bucks each month, that's all you need, your brother is a fool

 

[gascoigne]

Hard to say from your pics but it is possible you're losing it, I was 20 when I started losing my hair and it was really aggressive. I'd be like a NW6 now like your bro had I not got on finasteride/rogaine when I was 21. Now almost three years later I still have a fullish head of hair although I'm still losing it, just at a much slower rate.

How do you know that you are still losing it?
If so, what is the real purpose of finasteride? Without you will lose it at 25, with you will lose it at 35.

 

[SuprisedGuy]

How do you know that you are still losing it?
If so, what is the real purpose of finasteride? Without you will lose it at 25, with you will lose it at 35.

What a stupid question. You do realize people have eyes right and we can use them to monitor our hair? My hairline is still miniaturizing and I have bald spot that developed a year or so into treatment. Purpose of finasteride... so you don't understand why someone would rather keep their hair to 35 rather than lose it at 25? You're a dumbsh1t.

 

[gascoigne]

What a stupid question. You do realize people have eyes right and we can use them to monitor our hair? My hairline is still miniaturizing and I have bald spot that developed a year or so into treatment. Purpose of finasteride... so you don't understand why someone would rather keep their hair to 35 rather than lose it at 25? You're a dumbsh1t.

No need to be rude. I was just asking you for your opinion. For me its just delaying of unavoidable.