Thickandthin
Experienced Member
- Reaction score
- 21
I've been noticing hairloss since I was about 16/17 years old. It was extremely minor at the time, but due to my adolescent insecurities, I was completely freaked out/depressed by it. I thought I was going to have a bald spot like my dad (who is probably a NW5) before I graduated high school. Well, high school came and went and my hair stayed thick as ever. Two things did happen though (not just in my imagination) - my hairline on one side creeped up a tiny bit, and I started shedding constantly (which still happens to this day, obviously).
Thankfully, I was blessed with a rather enormous amount of hair. If I was indeed beginning to bald back then, I had so much on top that it was impossible to tell. I quit thinking about hair loss for 3-4 years at that point and thought I was in the clear.
Unfortunately, my brother who is 4 1/2 years older soon began to notice a slight, slight bald spot beginning to form on the back of his head. I say slight because I don't think it's noticeable, but apparently his friends started giving him crap about it (big surprise, huh). I didn't think much of it until I went swimming with him and noticed that when wet, his hair in the front was pretty thin. I then put two and two together and realized that while him and I have had similar haircuts our entire lives, his had recently changed. He was wearing his bangs in a strange long "swoop" across his forehead instead of short and straight down. I assume this was to cover the recession at the temples and the lack of hair to complete the bangs.
When I saw a picture of my dad at his wedding at the age of 22 I realized my brother had probably been balding since the same age, because my dads hairline was less than perfect in this picture - I had just never noticed it on my brother because of his hairstyle (my dads hair was combed back in the picture). But with age, it was becoming obvious.
And now, at the age of 21 I believe I am following exactly in their footsteps. Since high school, I'd say my hairline has slowly been creeping back the entire time but so slowly I could never tell except when years had passed. But now (since Summer 07), my hairline has been receding at a quicker pace. At first it was only on the one side that had receded years earlier, but now the other side is catching up. I'm also beginning to wear my hair in the "swoop" pattern like my brother because I simply don't have enough hair to properly comb it down on my forehead. It's kinda sad because at my last haircut I got it cut pretty short, and the woman actually told me I probably wouldn't be able to pull off bangs for much longer because of the recession, lol. She left the corners longer and I combed them forward, masking the hairloss. But now just a few months later I'm not sure that's even possibly anymore.
Anyway, if you've read this far congrats and much thanks. Here's the pics so you can have a visual of what I'm talking about. They were taken with a crappy cameraphone, but its the best I've got for now.
Recession on both corners. This picture was a wake up call, because it definitely did not look like this just a few months ago.
Hairline relaxed. Not too bad but thin even in non recessed areas.
Crown. This is where my brother at 26 has a slight bald spot, and where my dad is almost completely bald. I can't tell if I'm thinning back here yet.
Combed down. Still thick.
Lame photoshop attempt but you can see what I'm talking about. See how thick my hair is in the back? It used to be like that all over. You can see how it progressively gets thinner toward the front. You can also see the hair on the side brushed forward to cover up bald spot in bangs.
And finally, here is my hair 3 years ago, at the beach after high school graduation. And to think I was worried about balding with this head of hair!
To me that picture is confirmation that I have thinned/am thinning, because I have nowhere near that much hair anymore, especially in the front.
With all that said (and shown), do you guys think I would benefit from propecia? While it doesn't look bad now, keep in mind my brother is getting thin all over with a bald spot and my dad had a major bald spot/thin hairline by 30. I'm not on my way to a class NW7 by any means, but I don't want to end up like all the other males in my family. What do you guys think? Propecia or no? I actually have a prescription for it already - just waiting to get it filled. Kinda funny because the derm barely looked at my hair and just threw the prescription at me. And my parents/friends think it's all in my head, but genetics tell me otherwise. Main goal is to keep the hair I have, possibly regrow (to be back at beach thickness would be fantastic!). But I don't want to risk side effects and what not if it's not even worth it. Opinions?
Thankfully, I was blessed with a rather enormous amount of hair. If I was indeed beginning to bald back then, I had so much on top that it was impossible to tell. I quit thinking about hair loss for 3-4 years at that point and thought I was in the clear.
Unfortunately, my brother who is 4 1/2 years older soon began to notice a slight, slight bald spot beginning to form on the back of his head. I say slight because I don't think it's noticeable, but apparently his friends started giving him crap about it (big surprise, huh). I didn't think much of it until I went swimming with him and noticed that when wet, his hair in the front was pretty thin. I then put two and two together and realized that while him and I have had similar haircuts our entire lives, his had recently changed. He was wearing his bangs in a strange long "swoop" across his forehead instead of short and straight down. I assume this was to cover the recession at the temples and the lack of hair to complete the bangs.
When I saw a picture of my dad at his wedding at the age of 22 I realized my brother had probably been balding since the same age, because my dads hairline was less than perfect in this picture - I had just never noticed it on my brother because of his hairstyle (my dads hair was combed back in the picture). But with age, it was becoming obvious.
And now, at the age of 21 I believe I am following exactly in their footsteps. Since high school, I'd say my hairline has slowly been creeping back the entire time but so slowly I could never tell except when years had passed. But now (since Summer 07), my hairline has been receding at a quicker pace. At first it was only on the one side that had receded years earlier, but now the other side is catching up. I'm also beginning to wear my hair in the "swoop" pattern like my brother because I simply don't have enough hair to properly comb it down on my forehead. It's kinda sad because at my last haircut I got it cut pretty short, and the woman actually told me I probably wouldn't be able to pull off bangs for much longer because of the recession, lol. She left the corners longer and I combed them forward, masking the hairloss. But now just a few months later I'm not sure that's even possibly anymore.
Anyway, if you've read this far congrats and much thanks. Here's the pics so you can have a visual of what I'm talking about. They were taken with a crappy cameraphone, but its the best I've got for now.
Recession on both corners. This picture was a wake up call, because it definitely did not look like this just a few months ago.
Hairline relaxed. Not too bad but thin even in non recessed areas.
Crown. This is where my brother at 26 has a slight bald spot, and where my dad is almost completely bald. I can't tell if I'm thinning back here yet.
Combed down. Still thick.
Lame photoshop attempt but you can see what I'm talking about. See how thick my hair is in the back? It used to be like that all over. You can see how it progressively gets thinner toward the front. You can also see the hair on the side brushed forward to cover up bald spot in bangs.
And finally, here is my hair 3 years ago, at the beach after high school graduation. And to think I was worried about balding with this head of hair!
To me that picture is confirmation that I have thinned/am thinning, because I have nowhere near that much hair anymore, especially in the front.
With all that said (and shown), do you guys think I would benefit from propecia? While it doesn't look bad now, keep in mind my brother is getting thin all over with a bald spot and my dad had a major bald spot/thin hairline by 30. I'm not on my way to a class NW7 by any means, but I don't want to end up like all the other males in my family. What do you guys think? Propecia or no? I actually have a prescription for it already - just waiting to get it filled. Kinda funny because the derm barely looked at my hair and just threw the prescription at me. And my parents/friends think it's all in my head, but genetics tell me otherwise. Main goal is to keep the hair I have, possibly regrow (to be back at beach thickness would be fantastic!). But I don't want to risk side effects and what not if it's not even worth it. Opinions?
