Visible scalp at 17, male. What could be wrong and possible treatments ?

[Hairlesskid123]

Hey, I'm a 17yr old male. I've been facing intense hairloss for over 2-3 yrs. I have a perfect hairline. I was irregular with minoxidil for 8 months. ( Meaning that I would not use it for like 3 days or a week in between frequently so the total number of days I would have applied would be near 3 months to 4 months in the span of 8months). I am really forgetful.

History

• Family History of diabetes (including my 20yr brother, I don't have it)
• Diagnosed with Severe Vitamin B12 deficiency six months ago ( I was prescribed a dose lower than daily needs so not sure if it was rectified)
• Diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency not thought as significant as b-12 it was quite lower than normal range. six months ago( I was prescribed 60k IU every week for 3 months so probably rectified)
• Have Acanthosis nigricans and skintags/warts, which one dermatologist said could be due to compromised immunity as I was kinda since I got covid twice and one of it was even after getting vaccined. ( Was quite serious for a teenager since I was finding it a little difficult to breathe one day)
• Recently developed allergies to a lot of stuff that I wasn't allergic to before like soy, banana, fig,etc.
• Widened pulse pressure of 145/60 on average.
• BMI of 31, Im 6feet and have 25% body fat so not much of belly fat.
• Took a trichoscan and its results were 75% telogen phase 25% anagen phase and 4.4% vellus hairs. I'm not sure abt the credibility of this scan since Acc to google they have to take two pics, one right after trimming the hair and one after 2 days but the scan centre took only one pic and gave me the results after 30mins. ( Not sure if it a advanced one or that they took it wrong).
• My thyroid and testosterone results were normal. But I didn't take any other vitamin/mineral tests except iron,vitamin D and B12 and two of them turned out deficient and the iron was borderline. ( slightly less).
• Father has male pattern baldness which he got at his 30's and everyone in my mother's side have thick hair including my elder brother (20).

Note: My hairfall got arrested for some reason in february for some reason but started as I started minoxidil 5% and finasteride 0.1% both topically along with 0.5mm derma rolling ( once a week) and scalp massages.

 

[Renovation]

This won't help you but your post is yet more evidence that the staggered use of minoxidil is extremely bad for hairloss. I experienced this many years ago but whenever I mention it usually get shot down on this forum.

So anyone who hasn't tried minoxidil either make the commited decision to use it and use it everyday for life or don't use it all all, its lethal at accelerating hairloss if not used properly.

I also feel same way about prescribed dht blockers.

Goodluck to OP.

 

[jamesbooker1975]

Nizoral shampoo everyday , leave it for 10 minutes before clean it
Minoxidil plus tretinoin .
Give 6 month befor analize results. Keep in mind all are chronic treatments.

 

[losingbattle88]

Nizoral shampoo everyday , leave it for 10 minutes before clean it
Minoxidil plus tretinoin .
Give 6 month befor analize results. Keep in mind all are chronic treatments.

Ketoconazole is wonderful. It actually has anti inflammatory effect and a weak dht blocker, kills fungus too. People who hate on it are morons. My shedding gets so little after using it.

 

[I wont lose this]

This is not male pattern baldness, look how fucked your sides are. It's probably some fungal infection or deficiency like you said so yourself. Why jump on finasteride and minoxidil when you were diagnosed with such deficiencies?

 

[Capone]

Retinol before minoxidil, you won’t have to use so much of it. Once a day maybe.

 

[losingbattle88]

This is not male pattern baldness, look how fucked your sides are. It's probably some fungal infection or deficiency as you said so yourself. Why jump on finasteride and minoxidil when you were diagnosed with such deficiencies?

This is not male pattern baldness, look how fucked your sides are. It's probably some fungal infection or deficiency as you said so yourself. Why jump on finasteride and minoxidil when you were diagnosed with such deficiencies?

Very true.

 

[Hairlesskid123]

This won't help you but your post is yet more evidence that the staggered use of minoxidil is extremely bad for hairloss. I experienced this many years ago but whenever I mention it usually get shot down on this forum.

So anyone who hasn't tried minoxidil either make the commited decision to use it and use it everyday for life or don't use it all all, its lethal at accelerating hairloss if not used properly.

I also feel same way about prescribed dht blockers.

Goodluck to OP.

Thanks for ur comment. I have started to follow min + finasteride religiously for a month.

 

[Hairlesskid123]

This is not male pattern baldness, look how fucked your sides are. It's probably some fungal infection or deficiency like you said so yourself. Why jump on finasteride and minoxidil when you were diagnosed with such deficiencies?

The dermatologists near me are all quite puzzled with my case, and one of them diagnosed the primary cause as telogen effluvium and I could potentially have male pattern baldness too but wasn't diagnosed with it. so he gave me this regimen to follow. Another dermatologist told me to take up minoxidil10% and another one said that I have hormonal imbalance + compromised immunity... And another said I've got telogen effluvium....
So since male pattern baldness is the only serious one that cannot be resolved once hair is lost, I've strated finasteride + min while searching for better doctors.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

Telogen effluvium is not really a cause, its just the name for the symptom of temporary excessive hailfall, so there can be many separate causes that result in telogen effluvium.

And just reiterating what has already been said, your loss doesn't appear to be following a typical androgenetic alopecia pattern so given the dermatologists have diagnosed alternative things and you are only 17.

normally the safest primary focus would be to continue to try address whatever is causing you excessive shedding, rather than committing to take a dht inhibiting drug like finasteride on the off chance that it will solve your condition.

 

[StayPositive]

I think you have DUPA. I have the same thing. It's androgen driven but affects the entire scalp instead of just the top.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

DUPA, retrograde, male pattern baldness. Very bald

 

[Hairlesskid123]

DUPA, retrograde, male pattern baldness. Very bald

Yeah I think so too, Imma just shave if none of the treatments work.

 

[Hairlesskid123]

I think you have DUPA. I have the same thing. It's androgen driven but affects the entire scalp instead of just the top.

Probably, Hmm but my dad didn't bald in his 20's smh and Im balding already at my teens. lol

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

I'm really sorry man. It has to be another level of difficulty when you don't have the option of a transplant or even a hair system. Guess we all need to count our blessings. But perhaps a full wig might be an option? I don't know if that's something that is doable but maybe it is.

 

[Hairlesskid123]

I think you have DUPA. I have the same thing. It's androgen driven but affects the entire scalp instead of just the top.

Oh can you share me pictures of your scalp mate? It would help me out a ton.

 

[Dr sanches]

Oh can you share me pictures of your scalp mate? It would help me out a ton.

Are you sure you don’t have any immune condition

 

[Feramon1]

It's been a while, has finasteride had any effect on your hair?

 

[Hairlesskid123]

Are you sure you don’t have any immune condition

I don't know ( How do I check for that? None of the derms I visited considered that.

 

[Hairlesskid123]

It's been a while, has finasteride had any effect on your hair?

I stopped and just shaved my hair. I'm planning on starting again. I std as I wasn't able to stay consistent due to my exams.