Am I balding? (PICS included)

[bld19]

Hi! I really don't know much about hair and even though I've looked at the Norwood-Hamilton scale, I can't seem to figure out where I'm standing at. So I'd like to see somebody else's opinion on whether or not I should be worried about my hair balding, even if it's just early signs (by the way - I'm 17), so I'll just post some pics:


http://imageshack.us/a/img59/989/66098693.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img580/7909/56126852.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img600/2970/45512993.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img4/2416/63296477.png


(ps: I apologise if the angles of the pictures I've provided aren't good but like I said, I'm totally clueless when it comes to hair...)

 

[DoctorHouse]

Definitely not balding. You have fine hair so it makes you suspicious but your density is uniform all over and you don't have any recession to worry about at this point. Just take photos every six months and compare. If you are really concerned then see a doctor who is who an expert in hair loss. If you have a strong family history of hair loss, then things might change as you get older.

 

[bld19]

Definitely not balding. You have fine hair so it makes you suspicious but your density is uniform all over and you don't have any recession to worry about at this point. Just take photos every six months and compare. If you are really concerned then see a doctor who is who an expert in hair loss. If you have a strong family history of hair loss, then things might change as you get older.

Thank you for your reply! Yes, part of my concern about my hair possibly balding comes from the fact that my hair is pretty fine and thin I guess so it's obviously not a lot of hair... but I hope it's good enough
My father went bald at a very young age though and his hair had always been very thin (and everyone on his side had that kind of hair as well), while on my mother's side, everyone has very thick, coarse hair.. so I guess that in a nutshell I'd say I got my father's hair (even though not as thin), which kind of sucks but oh well..
And thank you for the tip, I'll definitely take photos every six months!

 

[zak84]

I had very thick hair before I started losing it. However thick or thin your hair is not an indicator of male pattern baldness (at least it's not known yet). I've been browsing these boards for 10 years and my non-professional opinion is, at the current time you show no signs of male pattern baldness.

I do echo DoctorHouse's advice and suggest that if you are concerned about a medical issue, you seek a medical professionals advice.

As far as alleviating concerns, pictures are a great way to monitor losses and gains but if I could do it all over again, I'd go with another strategy. Personally, I wish I would have had genetic testing done (didn't exist when I first started showing signs of male pattern baldness) as well as regular visits to a doctor to have him take a look at my follicles through a microscope (it's actually kind of cool getting to see it). I know a lot of people will dispute genetic testings' reliability and I think it's perfectly valid to doubt it, it's just a personal choice I'd make. If I had positive genetic results before I started losing my hair, I would have started Propecia as a preemptive attack. To be fair, I've had no noticeable side effects from Finasterside or Dutasterside so my views on their value are skewed in favor of them as a treatment.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Zak, the Hairdx test is somewhat helpful but it really can not give you a definite outcome of your future hair loss. Even if you test positive for the gene, there is no guarantee you will express the gene and become bald. I am an example of that. However, it gives you more of reason to take Propecia if you think you are thinning or balding. I started to take Propecia when I felt my hair was getting thinner. However, I noticed I did not have the same balding pattern as my dad or the typical male pattern baldness pattern. I got worried I could be taking Propecia just for prevention of something that may never really happen. So for reassurance I did the genetic testing and it showed I have the gene and even worse I would be a low responder to Propecia. I still take Propecia just because I have the gene and a low response is better than no response but I really can't prove if I am a responder unless I quit Propecia and I am not going to take that chance. I am tempted to try Dutasteride just to see if I get a better response but I don't want to risk getting more severe sides with that drug. I really don't want to take Propecia but knowing it could help prevent an enlarged prostate makes me less weary of taking it.

 

[Quantum Cat]

I can't see how the genetic tests could be that accurate since, from what I gather, male pattern baldness is caused by several or many genes interacting, and the leading experts still don't fully understand the whole mechanism.

catching male pattern baldness early is a catch-22 unfortunately. The only way to predict if you'll go bald is when you do start balding, by which time it's too late.

 

[DoctorHouse]

QC, I feel the same way as you do. The test is no crystal ball. Life does has so much uncertainty and mysteries that no one really knows what their final Norwood will be. I guess, if you notice you are losing hair, then do something about it. I did. I wish I could predict my final Norwood but obviously that is not up to me.

 

[The_Mentalist]

OP, I would strongly advise you keep an eye on any further temple recession or "corrosion." Do not start anything , you would have plenty of time to decide on treatments after any further symptoms. Please update this post with new pictures as soon as you detect something new

 

[bld19]

OP, I would strongly advise you keep an eye on any further temple recession or "corrosion." Do not start anything , you would have plenty of time to decide on treatments after any further symptoms. Please update this post with new pictures as soon as you detect something new

Well yeah, my temples are actually the only area that I'm kind of worried about. I never really had much hair around my temples (so I don't think it has thinned, it's just always been thin in that area) and it honestly gets me so paranoid. It's like the rest of my hair is pretty thick (especially in the back) but my temple hair is, in my opinion at least, very thin.
As for treatments, I'm not planning on doing anything too crazy.. I was thinking to just use some natural oils or shampoos to sort of prevent anything. Just natural stuff though, cause I suppose that can't do any harm..
Thanks a lot for your suggestion anyway!

 

[umair]

How is
Your hairline now??
Plz send pics