Does thinning hair mean eventual baldness?

[marker20]

Hi all -- so, after 29 years of thick hair and little but a receding ("mature") hairline, I've noticing that the hair on the top of my head is beginning to thin. I'm going to take a few pictures a bit later once I'm home, but suffice it to say for now that no one notices that it's thinning, and my girlfriend thinks I'm getting paranoid... but it certainly is, and it's not thinning evenly -- the top is thinner than the sides. Even though it's still thick, I know how thick it used to be and I'm worried that it'll continue in this direction.

My dad is a cueball, and all the men on his side of the family have varying degrees of male pattern baldness. My mom's side of the family all has good hair.

So, a few questions:

1. Does thinning hair mean I'll go bald, or can it stop?
2. Is there any way to tell when it will stop, if so (and how?)
3. Is it worth taking any topical meds without taking Propeica? (I'm a graduate student so Propecia is a bit pricey for me... plus I'm not sure I want to f*** with my hormones like that).
4. When to start taking meds, if so? I read that Rogaine can be a bad idea as if you stop taking it, hair loss will accelerate -- so I don't want to start it if I may not go bald in the first place.

Thanks!

 

[scouse]

Dont think it means you are doomed to total baldness. I went thin at 19 and am now 32 with the same hair.

 

[slurms mackenzie]

Hi all

Welcome to the forums

1. Does thinning hair mean I'll go bald, or can it stop?

It's unlikely to stop without intervention of some kind

2. Is there any way to tell when it will stop, if so (and how?)

Without intervention nope.

3. Is it worth taking any topical meds without taking Propeica? (I'm a graduate student so Propecia is a bit pricey for me... plus I'm not sure I want to f*** with my hormones like that).

I wouldn't let the price of propecia bother you, its the same as proscar which can be bought dirt cheap, you're talking less than 10 dollars / pounds a month, there are sides so do your research, the testimonials on this site are a great place to look.

You should really block dht, but there are alternatives to propecia,such as topical spironolactone, they're not cheaper though/

4. When to start taking meds, if so? I read that Rogaine can be a bad idea as if you stop taking it, hair loss will accelerate -- so I don't want to start it if I may not go bald in the first place.

Pretty soon, any gains you get from rogaine, are dependent upon the application of rogaine, if you stop using it, you lose that hair, then a little bit more as your hair adjusts but the net result is you end up where you would have been if you had never touched it.

 

[marker20]

Thanks for the advice. I'm nervous about starting because I'm clearly not bald yet, and I don't want to make things worse. (Rogaine didn't help at all for my dad, and he swears it made things worse, but who knows.) If my hair stays at where it is, I'll be totally happy... but it seems there's no telling if/when thinning will stop.

I've also noticed that my hair appears to be thinner near the crown. I may shave it to see whether I'm being totally insane or just perceptive. It even feels more tender back there, but I only notice it on the days when I get into a paranoid frenzy.

One question: will doctors prescribe proscar and let you chop it up? Seems like they'd be reluctant to do so.

Some photos below.

 

[marker20]

Thanks for the input. I definitely have temporal recession, though it's hard to tell in that picture because my hair isn't pulled back and it's so thick that it hides it -- but it's progressed along in the past few years.

What bothers me more, though, is the possible thinning at the back of my head. (I don't think I was previously able to see skin at my natural part.) And finasteride scares the hell out of me, but I'm vain, so if I get really worried I may give it a try if I can get a Doctor to prescribe proscar.

 

[s.a.f]

With that head of hair at 29 I'd be very suprised if you ever went bald. Most Guys who get to NW5/6/7 are usually pretty much bare ontop by the age of 30. I cant say I've ever seen someone who was NW5+ that did'nt have at least a moderate degree of hairloss in their 20's.

 

[marker20]

Thanks -- here's to hoping! I probably wouldn't be concerned if 1) I didn't notice thinning near the crown and on the top of my head more generally in the past year, and 2) my dad didn't go bald at 30/31. That said, I don't know if he started losing hair at the crown earlier.

But anyway, I appreciate the help everyone. Sorry to be paranoid about this -- as you know, it's stressful!

 

[joneser980]

what happened

Thanks -- here's to hoping! I probably wouldn't be concerned if 1) I didn't notice thinning near the crown and on the top of my head more generally in the past year, and 2) my dad didn't go bald at 30/31. That said, I don't know if he started losing hair at the crown earlier.

But anyway, I appreciate the help everyone. Sorry to be paranoid about this -- as you know, it's stressful!

wow, i read this and i am dealing with the same thing, but this post is from 2011, what happened to you?

 

[shookwun]

expected actuall hair loss.


can't be serious.

A head of hair like that and you're already scared about balding?comeback when you have actually diffusion or the slightest NW2, and will talk about being anxious of loosing hair. LOL GTFO