New User, Shocking, Sudden Shedding

[ryboto]

So, for most of my life I've had a deep hairline, probably started around 15. I'm a 30 year old male. My paternal grandfather has it, my father has it, my uncle has it. On my mothers side no such hairline exists. There is no history of baldness in either side of my family going back several generations. Beyond that I have no information. I've had somewhat thin hair, but there was always a lot of it. Up to this summer I've had the same amount that I've always had. I can see it in pictures.

In the past few weeks it feels like I've lost half of my hair density on the entire top of my scalp. From hairline to crown. It also looks thinner around the sides, but doesn't feel as thin when i run my hands through it. It's also very visible. Up until this happened, my hairstyle was usually pushed back, which exposed my hairline. Now if I do the same thing, I can see clear through to my scalp about 2 inches in from my hairline. If I don't comb my hair in the same direction, I can see clear to my scalp in many spots, to the point where those spots look like bald spots. My hair is a medium brown, it's not light, so it's very obvious when scalp shows.

I know I should just not worry, stress doesn't help anything, but I like confirmation. Currently I'm unemployed. I lost a job in Aug 2013, spend 10 months unemployed, got a job in June, and then they eliminated the position in September. For the most part I don't think I really started stressing about it around April/May. Since then I've been going up and down with worry. For the last three months I've been constantly stressed because I have no income and I've been waiting on opportunities. A little over a month ago I also split up with my ex, though we live together.

I know I don't have pictures up, but could stress cause something like this? Does male pattern baldness onset happen with a massive shedding over almost the entire scalp?

If I do go bald, I'd be the only one in the history of my family(parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins) to go bald. My diet is and has been local, whole foods for the last couple years. I am quite fit, lift a few days a week, run and play racquetball/ski/hike on the others. I know a blood test and visit to the Derm can rule some causes out, but they're booking 2 months out and I have no health insurance anyway.

Thanks

 

[zzzzz]

stress could do it but 99% of hairloss in males is male pattern baldness, so its not as if that is ver likely. Diet/fitness has nothing to do with it. If you put up some pics we will probably be able to conclude whether it is male pattern baldness or not. A good pic would be you pulling back your hair exposing your hairline, and also your crown under lighting. If it is male pattern baldness finasteride is cheap and even unemployed you could still be able to afford it if you get the right generics it will only be like 20-30 dollars for a year supply

 

[ryboto]

stress could do it but 99% of hairloss in males is male pattern baldness, so its not as if that is ver likely. Diet/fitness has nothing to do with it. If you put up some pics we will probably be able to conclude whether it is male pattern baldness or not. A good pic would be you pulling back your hair exposing your hairline, and also your crown under lighting. If it is male pattern baldness finasteride is cheap and even unemployed you could still be able to afford it if you get the right generics it will only be like 20-30 dollars for a year supply

I'll try to take a picture. So with no history of any balding there are people who will just randomly develop male pattern baldness?

- - - Updated - - -

I took some shots. Looks much worse and more depressing to see it from the way the camera picks it up. I tried to capture the fact that it's thin on the sides and top of the scalp. I can't find any evidence of my hair being this diffuse prior to this summer.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

It may be something else, so you can still hold out hope for that, but the only way to really confirm that is to go to a doctor. I know how tough that can be without insurance though. Just looking at your pics though it looks like male pattern baldness, which sucks big time. It is weird that no other family members are dealing with hair loss. I always use my dad as an example. All of his brothers and dad have/had a full head of hair, he on the other hand is a NW7, sometimes life just screws you.

 

[zzzzz]

From your pics I am 100% certain it is male pattern baldness. I would start the big 3 (finasteride daily, minoxidil once or twice daily, nizoral shampoo 1% or 2% twice weekly). It will either give you regrowth or probably maintain your hair for a very long time

 

[ryboto]

It may be something else, so you can still hold out hope for that, but the only way to really confirm that is to go to a doctor. I know how tough that can be without insurance though. Just looking at your pics though it looks like male pattern baldness, which sucks big time. It is weird that no other family members are dealing with hair loss. I always use my dad as an example. All of his brothers and dad have/had a full head of hair, he on the other hand is a NW7, sometimes life just screws you.

Well, until I get a job and insurance, I wont be seeing a doctor unless someone can cut me a deal on the visit+bloodwork. As of last year my bloodwork was perfectly fine. It's really strange that the loss is so sudden. It's like overnight a bunch fell out and I went from being able to push my hair back to now just combing it in one direction. When I had my hair cut it might have been thin, but it had density, now, only a month or so later it is visibly thin.

I guess life is screwing me if it is male pattern baldness, but whatever, I'm healthy, it doesn't keep me from doing what I like. I'll use the shampoo and a recommended conditioner, beyond that I don't want to mess with medications until I see a doctor. Was just looking for opinions here since it appears that all but the lower back of my head has thinned considerably in the past few weeks, so I appreciate the input. What worried me was that this didn't seem gradual at all.

- - - Updated - - -

From your pics I am 100% certain it is male pattern baldness. I would start the big 3 (finasteride daily, minoxidil once or twice daily, nizoral shampoo 1% or 2% twice weekly). It will either give you regrowth or probably maintain your hair for a very long time

Until I have a doctor check it, I wont be using the medications, either finasteride or minoxidil. If I went that route, I'd probably avoid anything I had to ingest.

 

[smyth01]

Looks as if you have both male pattern baldness and some other cause of thinning.

 

[ryboto]

Looks as if you have both male pattern baldness and some other cause of thinning.

Well, I've had that hairline for a while, since I was 15-16 probably. Unfortunately I have no before pictures that could be comparable to the ones I posted. They only show my hairline, not the hair itself up close.

 

[ryboto]

male pattern baldness

Probably a NW3

You should try to get on treatment and see how it goes.

Income first, then I'll see a doctor. It's too stressful and worrying to try and diagnose and hope and pray it'll work. I don't want to live like that. It looks fine the way I wear it now, maybe I'll even cut it shorter.

 

[zzzzz]

Income first, then I'll see a doctor. It's too stressful and worrying to try and diagnose and hope and pray it'll work. I don't want to live like that. It looks fine the way I wear it now, maybe I'll even cut it shorter.

it will get worse and then it wont look fine

 

[ryboto]

it will get worse and then it wont look fine

Well, worrying isn't going to help me here. I'm already stressed enough about being 30 and having no income. I barely have a place to live. Unless I lose my hair overnight, in which case I'd assume something more than male pattern baldness was going on, I will live with the thinning. Maybe it's a stress shed, a seasonal shed, who knows. I've been living with a pit in my stomach for almost a year.