30 y/o, am I going bald, how bad and should I buzz/shave completely?

[x2k]

I thought my hair has been thinning and receding for about 6 years now, but everyone I asked denied it.... Suddenly in the last 6 to 12 months things have accelerated and it is obvious to me?. Is this diffuse thinning or male pattern baldness, if so what Norwood scale? It looks so patchy I feel like it makes me look sick or something. I'm not sure if I should shave it off completely. It does look a bit better when #1 buzz, but still patchy.

The tight, itchy and flaky scalp is most annoying, I tried some different medicated shampoos for that with not much improvement? I'm not interested in drugs to mess with hormones.

Any thoughts welcomed please.

 

[Yoshi3Mario]

I think with your head shape and skin tone you will look good bald if it ever came to it. Your hair looks fine as it is but if it bothers you I would just shave like Jordan and be confident.

 

[x2k]

But it is definitely thinning though? Anyone have any experience with itchy and uncomfortable scalp?

 

[TD500]

3rd pic looks like thinning and your temples look to be going as well. Sadly if you don't want meds there are very little options left aside from experimentals and hair transplants. For the itchy scalp you can try nizoral.

 

[Yoshi3Mario]

The itchiness is IMO a symptom of male pattern baldness. I had it really bad as I started losing my hair. Also had it while
on finasteride for the first 2
years.

 

[DPAMan]

Your loss is similar to mine - primarily diffuse with some temple recession. Would you consider Rogaine a drug you'd rather avoid? Unfortunately for male pattern baldness, if you don't want to use drugs, the only proven solution would be a hair transplant. (It's not uncommon to be prescribed finasteride after one of those either, so...)

I think with
your head shape and skin tone you will look good bald if it ever came to it. Your hair looks fine as it is but if it bothers you I would just shave like Jordan and be confident.

No offense meant at all, but telling balding black men to just shave it off is similar to someone without baldness telling a balding person, "It's just hair". It definitely doesn't suit all of us despite the stereotype, and even if it did, we want to keep our hair, too.

 

[x2k]

Your loss is similar to mine - primarily diffuse with some temple recession. Would you consider Rogaine a drug you'd rather avoid? Unfortunately for male pattern baldness, if you don't want to use drugs, the only proven solution would be a hair transplant. (It's not uncommon to be prescribed finasteride after one of those either, so...)

No offense meant at all, but telling balding black men to just shave it off is similar to someone without baldness telling a balding person, "It's just hair". It definitely doesn't suit all of us despite the stereotype, and even if it did, we want to keep our hair, too.

My main reason for posting is for getting reassurance that I'm not going crazy with some kind of OCD/body dysmorphia. This is because until very recently when I have said to people in real life my hair is falling out their response is "No you are fine", "No it isn't", etc, so I started to think am I imagining it or what.

My main problem is the itchy scalp but this does seem like a common male pattern baldness issue as well? I've tried various shampoo but I will have to give this Nizoral a go too. I'm not interested in hair transplants, too drastic plus scarring left behind when you eventually go bald. My feeling is finasteride / oral drugs are too risky for 'just' hair, of course everyone has to weigh up the pros and cons, it is a personal decision.

Might consider Rogain, because it only goes on the head and sounds safer.

 

[TD500]

Actually the scars are pretty much non existent if you get a FUE.

 

[abcdefg]

Your just going to probably have to accept it then since nothing but finasteride works. No one takes the stuff because they enjoy altering their hormones