How do you know if you have male pattern baldness or if it's something else?

[JohnC43]

I tried using the search function but couldn't find a specific answer. How do you know if you are suffering DUPA, DPA, Telogen Effluvium or just regular male pattern baldness?

I want to add rogaine and nizoral but I am concerned I may have something else as nearly all of the hairs I lose now are thick, dark, and healthy looking. I don't shed as much as I used to, but the hairs I do shed aren't thin or light colored like they were earlier in the process. I have been taking finasteride (Propecia) for 4 years ever since I went to a derm and he said I was receding and thinning. I have held at an NW2/3 decently, but now I am wondering if I could be doing more for it or if something else is at work.

 

[Obsidian]

DPA is male pattern baldness

 

[JohnC43]

Any clue as to why my hairs are all dark and healthy now? They were previously light and thin vellus ones.

 

[Obsidian]

finasteride cycles all those hairs since it is blocking most of the DHT, turning it from light to dark.

 

[Vigaku]

By checking where you are losing hair, duh.

If it's the temples/crown, then it's definitely male pattern baldness. If you're losing hair there and you recall a CLOSE relative of yours with the condition, it's f*cking male pattern baldness.

 

[JohnC43]

Why does everyone mention the temples and crown, what about the hairline?? That is the first sign of hairloss for most people.

 

[Vigaku]

Temples IS the hairline.

It's just the far right and left side of it. Believe it or not, dude, just about everyone who goes bald lose the mid-frontal bit of hair (middle of hairline) last, because it's actually pretty resistant...

Even this dude who was losing a bit of his SIDE hair had a little bit of mid-frontal hair left. Insane.