I can empathize with In-valid. Some lose their hair differently. I started out the way he did with diffuse thinning. I also had temple recession (mature hairline as some say) and a dramatic change in the texture of my hair. It became much coarser. I also found that I would grow what I termed "odd ball" hairs. These were hairs that would grow out extremely kinky, or dark black and oddly thick (on an otherwise blonde head), or hairs that were super fine or white. Mind you, these "odd ball" hairs did not grow out in huge numbers, but I found them and it was obvious that something was going on with my hair that I did not like. True most would not recognize it, but believe me, the sufferer does. It's alarming. Especially at a young age. And, it could, if left untreated, eventually lead to a rating on the Norwood scale. In the early stages you almost obsess on what will happen in the weeks and months that lay ahead. And you usually anticipate the worst. I applaud In-valid for taking the initiative and being pro-active. It is his best chance of keeping what he has and possibly gaining some, if not all or most back.
In-valid, you're extremely fortunate to have so many options at your disposal in '04. '84 presented a much different world. I wish I had a forum back then to argue my hair loss issues. I too got similar comments from Dr.'s I visited back then. "Oh, your hair is fine." and "Look at all that hair!", were just some of the comments I got from some of the Dr.'s I consulted with. It upset me that they felt there was no problem, but in retrospect, they did not have a baseline to go by. Similarly, the gentleman who have replied to your post on here have no baseline to go by. We all know our own scalps best - we examine them day in and day out. Compared to some cases of male pattern baldness your hair (and mine) would look "fine". It does not mean that there is not a loss problem occurring or that it won't get worse. And certainly does not mean that you should not begin a treatment regimen. Remember the old saying, " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Very apropos to the situation of thinning hair. Take advantage of the vast amount of info. that is available on hair loss and educate yourself about your situation and stay on top of the latest treatments. I feel your pain buddy, but, look on the bright side - you have a lot of options readily available to you, something many of us on here did not have access to decades ago. And your chances of success with the variety of treatments out now is VERY good, especially given that you are starting prior to losing significant amounts of hair. The odds are in your favor! Best of luck to you.
