How Long Does Going Bald Actually Take?

[db135]

Im 34 and have had receded temples since i was 18. Family history of balding on both sides of the family but more so on fathers side. Dad was bald at 35-36, probably nw5 or nw6.

Maternal grandpa was nw3 at 30. Probably died somewhere between nw3 and nw4.

A few years ago i noticed i had some thinner hair behind my left temple.

I have been watching and waiting for progression before thinking about treatments. The thin bit on my left side seems the same as a year ago. Still no evidence of thinning on the right. Close up shots of my hairline show my actual hairline is the same as before. Can even see the same individual hairs. I thought i would be bald long ago but ive still go my hair which i am greatful for. How long does this take?

 

[crikey1980]

Genetically speaking you are doing way better than your family, however genes are genes and they will most likely win.
I think you've got quite a bit of time left with a good head of hair but who knows

 

[db135]

Genetically speaking you are doing way better than your family, however genes are genes and they will most likely win.
I think you've got quite a bit of time left with a good head of hair but who knows

Yes i got lucky with my hair so far thats for sure.

You think the genes as you say will eventually win through?

So far i have not done anything to treat it.

Been hoping that because i am doing better than my family i may not go as bald. But as you know its un predictable

 

[TomRiddle]

You have really nice hair for your age don't stress it, the temples are not receded they are just matured. It's not necessary to get the bald genes and they could skip entire generations, it's a lottery and for men from the research i have done and what i believe, it matters most the mothers side, but it's not 100% and it could be the other way around also.

For me for example my brother is identical with my father, in terms of everything it's like they were cloned, and their hair and patterns also, but i wasn't so lucky and i inherited my mothers genes who in terms of everything are good except hair so meh what can i say

Don't stress it and don't take hormone altering steroids like finasteride to treat something that does not need treating in the first place. Take your mind off of it, hair is not your problem..

 

[db135]

You have really nice hair for your age don't stress it, the temples are not receded they are just matured. It's not necessary to get the bald genes and they could skip entire generations, it's a lottery and for men from the research i have done and what i believe, it matters most the mothers side, but it's not 100% and it could be the other way around also.

For me for example my brother is identical with my father, in terms of everything it's like they were cloned, and their hair and patterns also, but i wasn't so lucky and i inherited my mothers genes who in terms of everything are good except hair so meh what can i say

Don't stress it and don't take hormone altering steroids like finasteride to treat something that does not need treating in the first place. Take your mind off of it, hair is not your problem..

Hi Tom, yes my hair is pretty good apart from that one spot. Ive no crown thinning at all. At the moment my thin spot doesnt show. My temple points have moved back and my corners have matured but not much since i was 18.

Here are three pictures. First of my dad about the age of 35-36. I think he was out hiking when this was taken and his hair is a mess. I believe he was sporting some sort of combover.

Second is my maternal grandpa age 31. He has receded temples. Looks like Norwood 3 but looks worse than i am now imo. When he died he still had hair at the front centre forelock but was very thin and he had it combed back. I dont think he had crown loss ever.

Last is me at 34.

 

[db135]

Heres another of me 33.5 years old

Thanks eveyone for looking

 

[TomRiddle]

Hi Tom, yes my hair is pretty good apart from that one spot. Ive no crown thinning at all. At the moment my thin spot doesnt show. My temple points have moved back and my corners have matured but not much since i was 18.

Here are three pictures. First of my dad about the age of 35-36. I think he was out hiking when this was taken and his hair is a mess. I believe he was sporting some sort of combover.

Second is my maternal grandpa age 31. He has receded temples. Looks like Norwood 3 but looks worse than i am now imo. When he died he still had hair at the front centre forelock but was very thin and he had it combed back. I dont think he had crown loss ever.

Last is me at 34.

If my eyes and intuition don't fool me your gonna end up maybe like your maternal grandpa but it's hard to say because from your last picture of you at 33.5 years old you have really nice hair and you passed their time frame. I really don't know what to say but keep an eye on it, maybe take some hair pictures every 6 months a year and compare and if you start to notice something go see a trichologist or a good dermatologist that could take a closer look with a magnifying glass at least so he can spot any miniaturization in progress if there is any of course...

I still think that the temples are just matured and your hair looks good, strong and healthy but you know how it is, i could be wrong, it's impossible to spot any miniaturization from normal photos...

 

[crikey1980]

Are 100% sure your dad is your biological dad, I mean the difference is like night and day hair wise.
You've mentioned your dad's balding but what about your paternal grandfather surely he had good hair that he has passed on to you.
Either way your hair looks great

 

[db135]

If my eyes and intuition don't fool me your gonna end up maybe like your maternal grandpa but it's hard to say because from your last picture of you at 33.5 years old you have really nice hair and you passed their time frame. I really don't know what to say but keep an eye on it, maybe take some hair pictures every 6 months a year and compare and if you start to notice something go see a trichologist or a good dermatologist that could take a closer look with a magnifying glass at least so he can spot any miniaturization in progress if there is any of course...

I still think that the temples are just matured and your hair looks good, strong and healthy but you know how it is, i could be wrong, it's impossible to spot any miniaturization from normal photos...

Thanks for the input... i guess i must have some miniaturization given the thinning behind my hairline as you can see in the first photo at the top. I dont see any thinning on the right hand side. My right temple is actually less receded than the left and the right temple point is thicker.

Im just finding it hard to see any progress over the months and years given my family history. But i am not complaining!

 

[db135]

Are 100% sure your dad is your biological dad, I mean the difference is like night and day hair wise.
You've mentioned your dad's balding but what about your paternal grandfather surely he had good hair that he has passed on to you.
Either way your hair looks great

Haha. Yes i am 100% sure he is we have similar facial features.

Actually my paternal grandfather was worse than my father! He was probably nw6 or 7 and slick bald! My own father actually has some hair left on top and in his crown. Maybe 15% of his original density. He is now 72.

However my dads mother had a brother who had a very good head of hair in his 80s. There are also other good heads of hair down her side of the family.

I also believe my mums mums dad had good hair at old age.

The only thing i would add is i have very low body hair and can only grow a weak beard. But my own dad has no body hair either so it did not help him.

I add one more picture of my forelock. I have deliberately furrowed my brow as i us it for reference when compairing in the future. I also wonder if this is what is called a persistent forelock? I have read if your hair comes down to your top wrinkle it is where it was as a child? Its only like that in the centre of my hairline though.

Sorry for the long post

Thanks for reading

 

[sonictemples]

You seriously have the perfect hairline for an adult male, mate. You can use zix just in case to protect it a little but I wouldn't worry at all

 

[db135]

You seriously have the perfect hairline for an adult male, mate. You can use zix just in case to protect it a little but I wouldn't worry at all

Thanks. Actually in the process of gathering the ingredients for zix☺

What do you think of the area of thinning?

I sort of think i might end up a nw3/4 with a island at the front

 

[ariel12160]

My dad was NW2.5 at the age of 30 and now he is 51 with maybe NW3 but he have long hair so its hard to tell (no crown thinning at all).

I'm 22 and my temples receded a little bit since I was 18, I will say I'm NW2, but I hope It will be slow and stop like my dad because I'm too afraid to use finasteride.

My hair volume its okay and not signs if thinning on the crown or top of the head.
The only thing that bother me is that my temples as they go back they also have some thinning, you had thinning in your temples since 18?

 

[db135]

My dad was NW2.5 at the age of 30 and now he is 51 with maybe NW3 but he have long hair so its hard to tell (no crown thinning at all).

I'm 22 and my temples receded a little bit since I was 18, I will say I'm NW2, but I hope It will be slow and stop like my dad because I'm too afraid to use finasteride.

My hair volume its okay and not signs if thinning on the crown or top of the head.
The only thing that bother me is that my temples as they go back they also have some thinning, you had thinning in your temples since 18?

Thinning is very hard to spot until its gets to a certain stage.

What i would say is even 10 years ago if i combed my hair forward you could see that my fringe was more dense in the middle of my hairline.

The corners especially the left looked slightly thinner.

Around 4 or 5 years ago i went through a spell of worrying about my hair and i noted that if i pinched the hair in the centre of my hairline it felt thicker than at the edge of my hairline.

So i would say it has been a gradual process this far. I dont know if it will speed up or not.

 

[ariel12160]

Thinning is very hard to spot until its gets to a certain stage.

What i would say is even 10 years ago if i combed my hair forward you could see that my fringe was more dense in the middle of my hairline.

The corners especially the left looked slightly thinner.

Around 4 or 5 years ago i went through a spell of worrying about my hair and i noted that if i pinched the hair in the centre of my hairline it felt thicker than at the edge of my hairline.

So i would say it has been a gradual process this far. I dont know if it will speed up or not.

Yes its weird I'm have the exact thing, the middle of my hairline its thick and in not receded even a one mm but my temples yes

 

[LeeVanCleef]

I think that you either inherit a predisposition to baldness or not and the timing of it is dependent on other factors. Stress, scalp health/tension, hormonal fluctuations, inflammation probably determine when it happens and how severe. Some people just bald slowly and in a milder way or have a higher number of DHT resilient follicles.

I only have two balding men in my family, both maternal uncles. One was NW3 by 30 and shaving his head by 40, the other never moved past NW3 and just developed a mild bald spot in middle age.

In my case I'm in my 30s and less balding than former but more than the latter at the age. I think I will bald more like uncle #1 as my hair is naturally finer like his and my skull shape often leads to more high tension areas on my scalp.

As for you, I'd be surprised if you went as bald as your father. Normally people with that balding pattern have central/ forelock thinning by 30. I'd keep an eye on it but currently it doesn't look like you will be following your dad.

 

[db135]

I think that you either inherit a predisposition to baldness or not and the timing of it is dependent on other factors. Stress, scalp health/tension, hormonal fluctuations, inflammation probably determine when it happens and how severe. Some people just bald slowly and in a milder way or have a higher number of DHT resilient follicles.

I only have two balding men in my family, both maternal uncles. One was NW3 by 30 and shaving his head by 40, the other never moved past NW3 and just developed a mild bald spot in middle age.

In my case I'm in my 30s and less balding than former but more than the latter at the age. I think I will bald more like uncle #1 as my hair is naturally finer like his and my skull shape often leads to more high tension areas on my scalp.

As for you, I'd be surprised if you went as bald as your father. Normally people with that balding pattern have central/ forelock thinning by 30. I'd keep an eye on it but currently it doesn't look like you will be following your dad.

Thanks. I agree with you that stress etc can exacerbate male pattern baldness.

I guess at this point looking at how my dad was balding so hard in his 30s that every year that passes without significant losses increases my odds of not following the pattern he did. Well thats what i am hoping anyway!

 

[Pratyush07]

Im 34 and have had receded temples since i was 18. Family history of balding on both sides of the family but more so on fathers side. Dad was bald at 35-36, probably nw5 or nw6.

Maternal grandpa was nw3 at 30. Probably died somewhere between nw3 and nw4.

A few years ago i noticed i had some thinner hair behind my left temple.

I have been watching and waiting for progression before thinking about treatments. The thin bit on my left side seems the same as a year ago. Still no evidence of thinning on the right. Close up shots of my hairline show my actual hairline is the same as before. Can even see the same individual hairs. I thought i would be bald long ago but ive still go my hair which i am greatful for. How long does this take?

No one knows one day ur norwood two and after maybe 2-3 months ur norwood 3 so no one really knows

 

[db135]

No one knows one day ur norwood two and after maybe 2-3 months ur norwood 3 so no one really knows

Whole norwood in 2 or 3 months? Thats some serious balding.

 

[TDE97]

Whole norwood in 2 or 3 months? Thats some serious balding.

It can happen. Just look at diffuse thinners. One year can make a lot of difference to their hair if it's aggressive.