I’m a female and am balding in a Norwood plus diffuse pattern. I have balding receded temples and also lost my temple points. My hair is diffusely thinned all over too. My top was intact which is the exact opposite of Lugwig pattern, but now that appears to be thinning too. I’m only 31 and I started noticing the sides of my head thinning in my late 20s. It was all made worse thanks to a massive Telogen Effluvium shed I had from the flu and a bad fever.
My dad is bald, not totally bald but you know what I mean. I don’t know what Norwood he is, he has a unique pattern. His sides are actually thicker than mine, but he has a weird pattern where it’s not a horseshoe, it’s just like bald all across his forehead and he has very little hair on top...but it doesn’t look like a horseshoe either. My grandfather’s hair is the exact same way. Soooo I’m either going to end up like them or worse since my sides are all receded, temples and forehead receded, and my nape is too in addition to diffuse thinning everywhere.
I actually used to look at my mom’s hair and feel so thankful that she had nice hair that she has maintained into her older age and I always had nice healthy long hair and felt secure it would be just like hers as I aged. I even thought it was a good sign my dad wasn’t all THAT bald and that as a woman that was like extra protection against balding because in my mind (back before I knew anything about Androgenetic Alopecia) I thought my chances of ever ending up with thinning hair were so slim because my dad wasn’t even bald until he was older and he’s still not totally bald.
I have atypical “lean pcos” AKA the doctors don’t know what the hell is wrong with me as I have a ton of contradictory biochemical and clinical evidence in terms of a PCOS diagnosis. I also wasn’t diagnosed until I was 30. I personally don’t think it’s classic pcos as I don’t have the hallmark features and I have abnormal levels for two of the hormones that they check for to RULE OUT pcos. I think whatever is wrong with my endocrine system is what kicked on the Androgenetic Alopecia gene or the early expression of it. I don’t even have elevated androgens and my DHT doesn’t even register on the lab range it is so low. It’s clearly a genetic sensitivity. I gave up trying to figure it out at this point because I’ve tried everything and am in major medical debt from it all.