18 yo worried about male pattern baldness (with pics)
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Thom
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The separation at your crown could just be a growth pattern, it's common. However, mine looked the same way and I constantly asked my barber if I was balding and she said I had nothing to worry about because it was just a growth pattern/cow lick. Then it started getting bigger and it turns out my hair really was thinning. Your hair looks good though.
Mine started when I was 22 and I am 24 now. It doesn't look terrible but the crown got noticeably thinner and my temples receded a bit. I am just now going to start using the three methods that people use to halt it. It can halt it as long as you use them from what I read.
I think you're fine but I would keep an eye on it because if I hadn't of listened to my barber telling me it was only a growth spot I could have preserved my hair the way was then.
Best of luck to you
Mine started when I was 22 and I am 24 now. It doesn't look terrible but the crown got noticeably thinner and my temples receded a bit. I am just now going to start using the three methods that people use to halt it. It can halt it as long as you use them from what I read.
I think you're fine but I would keep an eye on it because if I hadn't of listened to my barber telling me it was only a growth spot I could have preserved my hair the way was then.
Best of luck to you
^ Thanks man that gives me a bit of confidence. I think the picture I took on the bottom of the top of my head is actually a really bad pic because my hair was kind of stuck up at the time. I actually have about 3 horrible cow licks one on the front, one on the side and one on the back. My mom told me I have a double crown like my nan has which would make sense since I seem to have her hair (I get the cow licks from her) but I don't even know if such a thing really exists.
I guess I didnt really give my family history either. My dad is 45 with a perfect hairline. His hair has thined a slight bit but he still has better hair then 90% of guys his age. His family is kind of 50/50 when it comes to being bald. On my moms side my pop and all of her uncles are bald (she has no brothers for me to compare to). However I know that my pops male pattern baldness wasnt that bad and he had about a Norwood 4 in his mid 40s.
I honestly could't care less about going bald, I just want to at least make it to age 30 with a Norwood 3 decent head of hair.
Also something else I can mention. When I was younger I had an exceptionally thick head of hair. Way more thick then anybody else my age. The barbours would comment on how crazily thick it was all the time. I don't know if that factors into anything.
It just bothers me because it seems like 85% of the guys my age have NW1 hairlines, when I know mine is definitly mature.
I guess I didnt really give my family history either. My dad is 45 with a perfect hairline. His hair has thined a slight bit but he still has better hair then 90% of guys his age. His family is kind of 50/50 when it comes to being bald. On my moms side my pop and all of her uncles are bald (she has no brothers for me to compare to). However I know that my pops male pattern baldness wasnt that bad and he had about a Norwood 4 in his mid 40s.
I honestly could't care less about going bald, I just want to at least make it to age 30 with a Norwood 3 decent head of hair.
Also something else I can mention. When I was younger I had an exceptionally thick head of hair. Way more thick then anybody else my age. The barbours would comment on how crazily thick it was all the time. I don't know if that factors into anything.
It just bothers me because it seems like 85% of the guys my age have NW1 hairlines, when I know mine is definitly mature.
TheGrayMan2001
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That looks like a regular mature hairline to me, and the thinness at the top is just the light hitting your scalp with your hair in that whorl/spiral pattern.
I am pretty sure you are not balding right now.
What you'll want to keep an eye out for is (1) obviously any actual thinning of the vertex (you'll be able to tell the density is way lower if it starts to thin, don't go by the optical illusion of light hitting your scalp) and (2) any miniaturization of the hairs on the hairline. They'll start getting smaller and looking weak and thin...if you have any baby hair on your hairline (you might not), you can usually tell a difference between that and the miniaturized hairs which tend to be more brittle/hard/weird looking.
Otherwise, don't be worried about the mature hairline. Looks fine and doesn't look like its thinning at all to me.
I know what you mean though about other people with NW1 or NW0, I don't even know where I was at age 18 because I've always covered up my hairline a bit even when my hair was short, but only one guy do I ever remember in high school having a receding hairline (he was more or less thick NW3 but with an afro LOL)
I am pretty sure you are not balding right now.
What you'll want to keep an eye out for is (1) obviously any actual thinning of the vertex (you'll be able to tell the density is way lower if it starts to thin, don't go by the optical illusion of light hitting your scalp) and (2) any miniaturization of the hairs on the hairline. They'll start getting smaller and looking weak and thin...if you have any baby hair on your hairline (you might not), you can usually tell a difference between that and the miniaturized hairs which tend to be more brittle/hard/weird looking.
Otherwise, don't be worried about the mature hairline. Looks fine and doesn't look like its thinning at all to me.
I know what you mean though about other people with NW1 or NW0, I don't even know where I was at age 18 because I've always covered up my hairline a bit even when my hair was short, but only one guy do I ever remember in high school having a receding hairline (he was more or less thick NW3 but with an afro LOL)
^ LOL. In my highschool there are a few NW3s and even one guy who was an Norwood 4 but most of them were heavily into drugs so it makes sence. Theres one average guy I know that is noticably going bald but weirldly enough has been able to grow a beard and had full body hair since he was 16.
TheGrayMan2001
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sylent said:
Drugs and stuff don't make you bald. I used to think that at first but it is more or less 100% genetic. People who bald from bad nutrition usually have spotty hairloss that comes back after they've been getting vitamins and nutrients again, it's never in the male pattern baldness battern.
Thom
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Unfortunately there's not always a pattern with hair loss. I had very thick hair too and a thick golden mane in high school haha but a couple years ago it just wasn't the same. I always believed it would never happen to me because all of the men on my mom's side had a thick head of hair. On my Dad's side, only he and a Great-Grandfather went bald (my Dad still doesn't have the horseshoe pattern but he's almost there).
Anyway, I guess it just goes to show that you can't always judge whether or not it will happen to you by looking at your family. I only recently turned 24 but, like you, I just want to preserve it until I'm at least 30 or married haha. I only now decided to start all of the hair-regrowth meds because I could see more of my scalp in the front when my hair was wet.
I kind of have the pretty-boy look with my blond hair and blue eyes so I just don't think I could pull off the Bruce Willis/Jason Stathom look. I'm afraid I would look rather silly bald so I'm fighting it. Anyway sorry to get sidetracked but right now, if I were you, I would just enjoy life and not worry about it because you're fine for now. If you start seeing sure signs such as the thinning at back or constantly itchy scalp then I would start the meds so you can preserve what you have.
Anyway, I guess it just goes to show that you can't always judge whether or not it will happen to you by looking at your family. I only recently turned 24 but, like you, I just want to preserve it until I'm at least 30 or married haha. I only now decided to start all of the hair-regrowth meds because I could see more of my scalp in the front when my hair was wet.
I kind of have the pretty-boy look with my blond hair and blue eyes so I just don't think I could pull off the Bruce Willis/Jason Stathom look. I'm afraid I would look rather silly bald so I'm fighting it. Anyway sorry to get sidetracked but right now, if I were you, I would just enjoy life and not worry about it because you're fine for now. If you start seeing sure signs such as the thinning at back or constantly itchy scalp then I would start the meds so you can preserve what you have.
Guys I have a couple of questions.
First off where would you classify me on a Norwood scale? Can you have a Norwood 2 hairline at 18 and not expect to go bald later? Even If I'm not going bald now I'd like to preserve my hair till at least 30-35. Should I go on finasteride now (or when I first notice hairloss) and how expensive is it? How much does it slow down the rate of balding? I dont mind as much if it recedes, as long as I have it more in the crown (where you can grow it out and hide the hairline).
First off where would you classify me on a Norwood scale? Can you have a Norwood 2 hairline at 18 and not expect to go bald later? Even If I'm not going bald now I'd like to preserve my hair till at least 30-35. Should I go on finasteride now (or when I first notice hairloss) and how expensive is it? How much does it slow down the rate of balding? I dont mind as much if it recedes, as long as I have it more in the crown (where you can grow it out and hide the hairline).
Nene
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sylent said:
My hair looked like yours when I was 18 and now I'm 26 and almost norwood 3. I wouldn't go on finasteride yet, you're too young and you might not even be balding, you might just stay with a mature hairline. Keep a close watch on it and if in a year or two it looks worse get on finasteride and/or minoxidil.
BodyDysmorphic
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your a nw1 imo
no male pattern baldness that i can see from your pics
no male pattern baldness that i can see from your pics
TheGrayMan2001
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Looks like a mature NW1, you might never see any recession.
Just keep an eye out for miniaturization if you're scared of hairline recession. You'll definitely notice it. Right now you look like you have a healthy hairline in a normal position.
Just keep an eye out for miniaturization if you're scared of hairline recession. You'll definitely notice it. Right now you look like you have a healthy hairline in a normal position.
TheGrayMan2001
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I would bet money you end up with a hairline similar to your dad's. Stop worrying about it and if you ever do start to see real recession you know where to ask questions.