Pretty sure I'm balding...very very slowly?

[time2die]

Here's the deal- I've had an M shaped hairline for as long as I can remember. Probably since puberty. My forehead is also abnormally big...my mother had to have a C-section because my head was so big as a baby.

I know these sound like typical excuses, but probably since age 20 or 21 I noticed that my M shaped hairline went back pretty far. I don't have any male pattern baldness in the family as far as I know, so I wasn't worried. I remember asking my usually haircutter if I was going bald and she said probably not. I kept an eye on it and it never seemed to go any farther back. My hair is also very thick naturally, so thick that my haircutter usually comments on how troublesome it is to cut it.

I'm 26 now and I was recently thinking about getting a buzzcut since I usually wear my hair very shaggy (looks better on my big head). I was trying to imagine what a buzz would look like with my hairline and I got to really examining my hairline. It doesn't SEEM any farther back than 5 years ago but I can't say for sure...all I know is that comparing it to other receding hairlines on the internet, mine looks right at home.

I do not have any hairline pictures from back then but I do have some pictures from about 2 years ago that show my hairline being more or less this far back. Is it likely my hair just receded during puberty and that's how it will stay, or is it perhaps very very slowly moving backwards?

 

[Benjamin36]

Your hair line looks pretty similar to mine- I'd get on treatments before it recedes any further. You probably don't notice it because of the slow pace. I started noticing hair loss when I was 18/19, and now at the ago of 37 have a hair line similar to yours, so I have lost really slowly as well. I just started finasteride about a year ago.

 

[time2die]

I don't have money to start whatever finasteride is, if it goes it goes. I was just wondering if having a hairline that far back was a natural thing or if it meant I was losing my hair.

 

[SuprisedGuy]

Definitely looks like you're losing it, never seen a natural hairline that far back on people without male pattern baldness.

 

[Benjamin36]

If you are interested in something like finasteride I know there are some guys on here who get Proscar for dirt cheap which is finasteride but in a larger pill form, so you will need to cut it into fourths, but it's so much cheaper.

 

[time2die]

Definitely looks like you're losing it, never seen a natural hairline that far back on people without male pattern baldness.

Me neither, but to be honest I haven't paid much attention to guys' hairlines until now. For what it's worth, neither sides of my family have any history of male pattern baldness, though I'm only sure up to my grandparent's generation. None of my uncles or cousins suffer from baldness either. My father is in his mid 60s and his hair has thinned on top only within the last 5-8 years or so. So I don't really know- I'm making a note of the hairline now and will inspect it in 4-6 months to compare.

If you are interested in something like finasteride I know there are some guys on here who get Proscar for dirt cheap which is finasteride but in a larger pill form, so you will need to cut it into fourths, but it's so much cheaper.

I'm not really interested in taking a pill every day for something I might not even need, but I appreciate the offer. If and when I go bald I'll probably just buzz it. I unfortunately have a bad head shape for shaved.

 

[time2die]

I slicked back my hair with oil and it seems thinner than usual around the hairline, but I also noticed my hair is way way drier than usual and consequently thinner than it was only 6 months ago. male pattern baldness is supposedly genetic, so how much of a shot do I have of getting it from recessive genes? I'm planning to buzz my head soon so I guess I'll be able to see how patchy I really am.

My OCD has driven me to take more pictures, which I attached. What's with those stray hairs floating below my recession? Is that indicative of male pattern baldness or does it not really mean anything one way or the other?

 

[DoctorHouse]

You are definitely receding and those little hairs are miniaturizing. I would definitely consider using Propecia to buy you some "faith" in trying to slow down your situation if it is stressing you out. I would continue to keep your hair long to cover it up. The less you see the receding the more you can deal with your OCD/BDD. The good news is your temple points are maturing to a point your receding may come to a snails pace and Propecia could very well stop it in its tracks or reverse it slightly.

 

[time2die]

You are definitely receding and those little hairs are miniaturizing. I would definitely consider using Propecia to buy you some "faith" in trying to slow down your situation if it is stressing you out. I would continue to keep your hair long to cover it up. The less you see the receding the more you can deal with your OCD/BDD. The good news is your temple points are maturing to a point your receding may come to a snails pace and Propecia could very well stop it in its tracks or reverse it slightly.

How do you know it will recede to a point? Do you know what to look at? Is it possible this is just a "mature" hairline, like I said? I only ask because my recession was definitely this far back about 5 years ago...I remember joking with my hairdresser that I was going bald at 21. The only thing I'm not sure of is if the recession was this wide or if it was narrower.

I know this sounds like I'm bargaining but I really just want to make sure I have male pattern baldness before I invest money (that I don't have currently) in a bunch of treatments. My OCD has ruined my life several times in the past and this could be jumping the gun. No one in my recent family has had male pattern baldness so I would be the only one. My dad's hair is definitely thinned out but still there and his didn't start thinning until his mid to late 50s.

What should I look for in the next few months? I really want to monitor my hairline now and have some kind of indicator. The uncertainty is the worst thing for me (and my OCD) right now.

 

[DoctorHouse]

If you are really concerned, I would see a hair loss specialist to confirm if you have male pattern baldness. It definitely is a mature hairline forming and how far it will go is unpredictable. Most people don't consider a person is balding until they reach NW3 status. Your hairline is definitely approaching a NW3 and may very well stop at that point. Your future pattern is unpredictable at such a young age. Did your dad have the same hairline as you when he was 26?

 

[time2die]

I guess I'll go see a hair loss specialist when I have the money. I'd want medical confirmation of some sort before I take any pills, and I assume I'd need a prescription anyway.

As for my father, I really cant say his exact hairline and how far back it was when he was my age. However, he had thick, curly hair during that time and it stayed fairly thick into his 40s. I attached a picture of him at about age 44 and one at age 65. His hairline definitely receded to what looks like a NW2A (or Norwood 3?) by his mid 40s and thinned over the years. In the first picture he has his hair combed back, in the second it's foward. My dad's hair is also a really different texture and much kinkier in the curls than mine ever was. At the same time, my mother's hair is way thinner than mine so I think I ended up with wavy hair somehow.

My mother said her father had the same hairline (An "M" shape) as I do presently until he died, with some thinning when he hit his 50s. So I'm guessing I could very well inherit my dad's 2A or 3 or whatever that is? Or I could keep this hairline as my grandfather did? I suppose there is no way to know right now, but I'm guessing I'm looking at further recession down the line. I just hope it isn't too rapid.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh man, I just plucked a hair from the very front of my head and one from the back, and the one from the back is thick, black and has a good chunk of skin at the root...the one from the front is half as thick and no skin chunk at the root.

I hate OCD. It will just amplify the anxiety I have about hair loss into another complete mental breakdown.

 

[phamboy24]

Any Updates?