Am I Losing My Hair At 16? Please Help

[Cheezer Scozar]

So I made an account because I’ve become anxious and nervous thinking that I’m losing my hair. I’ll attach some photos below:

 

[Hairs45]

I would be worried if I where you. It looks almost norwood 3

have you had this hairline since childhood?

I know some kids that are born with high foreheads and hairlines that look like theyre receding but theyre not

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

I would be worried if I where you. It looks almost norwood 3

have you had this hairline since childhood?

I know some kids that are born with high foreheads and hairlines that look like theyre receding but theyre not

Forehead still isn’t high, nor have I ever had a large forehead. A little less than four fingers between my eyebrows and the hairline right now, like it’s always been. Always have had a bit of a U shape aswell though.

 

[Who Farted]

Forehead still isn’t high, nor have I ever had a large forehead. A little less than four fingers between my eyebrows and the hairline right now, like it’s always been. Always have had a bit of a U shape aswell though.

Sorry to break it to you, but that is what a high forehead looks like...

But to answer your question, yes you are most definitely losing hair and if I was you I would be worried. Your temples have receded substantially and that center section could become an island if the progress isn’t arrested.

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Sorry to break it to you, but that is what a high forehead looks like...

But to answer your question, yes you are most definitely losing hair.

Okay... then what are my options?

 

[Who Farted]

Sadly there aren’t that many and they come with massive side effects. If I was you I would wait and see if it gets worse. It very well could stop. It’s possible that this is just a rapidly developing mature hairline, in which case it will halt of its own accord. If you take pictures every few months, you’ll be able to find out if that’s the case.

There are two other possibilities -
Do you wear your hair in a man bun? Traction Alopecia is common in those who do. If that’s the case, relax the bun and wear it down more.

Have you had a stressful and/or physically traumatic event in the past few months? If so, you could have telogen effluvium. In that case, it will return.

As for treatment -

A lot of people here would probably say propecia, rogaine, and that you go that route as soon as possible, but I would wait until you are sure. Those medications are lifetime commitments and that’s something you should consider in the meantime. If you want to find out in the shortest possible manner, it would be a good idea to see your doctor or a dermatologist who could give you far more answers than you will find here.

I am sorry you have to deal with this at a young age. Hang in there, weigh your options

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Sadly there aren’t that many and they come with massive side effects. If I was you I would wait and see if it gets worse. It very well could stop. It’s possible that this is just a rapidly developing mature hairline, in which case it will halt of its own accord. If you take pictures every few months, you’ll be able to find out if that’s the case.

A lot of people here would probably say propecia, rogaine, but I would wait and see. It still would be a good idea to see your doctor or a dermatologist who could give you far more answers than you will find here.

Okay.. should I expect thinning? So far I haven’t gotten any outside of the temple area where the small hairs have gone away. None that I can see on the crown or frontal area. Additionally, I do have naturally fine hair and the hair on top is the same texture and quality as the sides I believe.. I usually pull out around 1 hair when I run my hands through the top, same on the sides. However I only shampoo every couple days. I’ve noticed that my temples look just a bit sparser than pictures I have from a year ago.. one side of my head is a bit worse than the other; is that normal? If any of that helps, what do you think? If I notice thinning on top I will go see a specialist because I cannot lose my hair man.

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Sadly there aren’t that many and they come with massive side effects. If I was you I would wait and see if it gets worse. It very well could stop. It’s possible that this is just a rapidly developing mature hairline, in which case it will halt of its own accord. If you take pictures every few months, you’ll be able to find out if that’s the case.

There are two other possibilities -
Do you wear your hair in a man bun? Traction Alopecia is common in those who do. If that’s the case, relax the bun and wear it down more.

Have you had a stressful and/or physically traumatic event in the past few months? If so, you could have telogen effluvium. In that case, it will return.

As for treatment -

A lot of people here would probably say propecia, rogaine, and that you go that route as soon as possible, but I would wait until you are sure. Those medications are lifetime commitments and that’s something you should consider in the meantime. If you want to find out in the shortest possible manner, it would be a good idea to see your doctor or a dermatologist who could give you far more answers than you will find here.

I am sorry you have to deal with this at a young age. Hang in there, weigh your options

Also, I have worn a tight man-bun in the past. I haven’t worn one for over a year. I used to tie up my hair extremely tight when I went to sleep around then aswell. But again, I haven’t done either in over a year and don’t plan on doing either any time soon.

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Sadly there aren’t that many and they come with massive side effects. If I was you I would wait and see if it gets worse. It very well could stop. It’s possible that this is just a rapidly developing mature hairline, in which case it will halt of its own accord. If you take pictures every few months, you’ll be able to find out if that’s the case.

There are two other possibilities -
Do you wear your hair in a man bun? Traction Alopecia is common in those who do. If that’s the case, relax the bun and wear it down more.

Have you had a stressful and/or physically traumatic event in the past few months? If so, you could have telogen effluvium. In that case, it will return.

As for treatment -

A lot of people here would probably say propecia, rogaine, and that you go that route as soon as possible, but I would wait until you are sure. Those medications are lifetime commitments and that’s something you should consider in the meantime. If you want to find out in the shortest possible manner, it would be a good idea to see your doctor or a dermatologist who could give you far more answers than you will find here.

I am sorry you have to deal with this at a young age. Hang in there, weigh your options

Here are pictures side by side of the worse of the two sides, these pictures are around a year apart :
(top one is more recently)

 

[Who Farted]

Also, I have worn a tight man-bun in the past. I haven’t worn one for over a year. I used to tie up my hair extremely tight when I went to sleep around then aswell. But again, I haven’t done either in over a year and don’t plan on doing either any time soon.

I’ve got long hair myself so it came to mind. Tight man buns decimate your hairline and if it’s up at night you will unknowingly stress it further by moving in your sleep. It’s even worse if you pull it right while wet. I made that mistake too!

Unfortunately, if it’s been that long, it should have returned by now. The crap thing about traction alopecia, however, is that it becomes permenant if not stopped early.

Silver lining here is that it still could be the cause of the loss at the temples. Though it won’t grow back, it won’t progress further without the stress. If that’s the case then you aren’t balding.

Only way to be sure is time and/or professional opinion, but having rocked that hairstyle, (ironically), is cause for hope!

 

[Who Farted]

Here are pictures side by side of the worse of the two sides, these pictures are around a year apart :
(top one is more recently)

Its hard to say for sure, it’s definitely thinned out noticeably, but the hairline is pretty consistent.

I would go see a dermatologist and have them take a look. They will definitely be able to tell you if it’s traction alopecia/male pattern baldness or both and it will give you peace of mind. Nothing worse than anxiety, at least for me...

If it turns out that it is male pattern baldness then at least you will have caught it in time to do something about it.

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

I’ve got long hair myself so it came to mind. Tight man buns decimate your hairline and if it’s up at night you will unknowingly stress it further by moving in your sleep. It’s even worse if you pull it right while wet. I made that mistake too!

Unfortunately, if it’s been that long, it should have returned by now. The crap thing about traction alopecia, however, is that it becomes permenant if not stopped early.

Silver lining here is that it still could be the cause of the loss at the temples. Though it won’t grow back, it won’t progress further without the stress. If that’s the case then you aren’t balding.

Only way to be sure is time and/or professional opinion, but having rocked that hairstyle, (ironically), is cause for hope!

Okay that’s pretty good. I definitely can agree that I probably gave myself traction alopecia with how tight I wore the manbun for the 6-8 rough months I had a man bun in for most of each day and night. I’ll keep an eye on it for now, hopefully it won’t get worse and I won’t have to seek professional help. Thanks!

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Its hard to say for sure, it’s definitely thinned out noticeably, but the hairline is pretty consistent.

I would go see a dermatologist and have them take a look. They will definitely be able to tell you if it’s traction alopecia/male pattern baldness or both and it will give you peace of mind. Nothing worse than anxiety, at least for me...

If it turns out that it is male pattern baldness then at least you will have caught it in time to do something about it.

Yeah hopefully the outcome isn’t bad. None of the men in my family are completely bald though, the worst is probably a Norwood 5 ish. If it were male pattern baldness wouldn’t I be able to noticeable see my scalp? The only way I can really see my scalp is under a very direct bright light, and even then it’s only when middle parted or something.

 

[-Synergy-]

The good news is that the quality of your hair is great. The hair that you have has a lot of shin and thickness overall. The hair in your hairline is thinning and will continue to thin. There are actually a lot of different treatments that you can try. Some treatments are all natural and herbal. Others are more mechanical like laser and dermapen. The more aggressive treatments are chemicals that can have side effects if your not careful. Usually people use finasteride or dutasteride for first line of defense but your only 16 so I would definitely not touch those if I were you for the next 4 or 5 years. You could try 2% minoxidil, dermapen, or laser.

 

[Who Farted]

Yeah hopefully the outcome isn’t bad. None of the men in my family are completely bald though, the worst is probably a Norwood 5 ish. If it were male pattern baldness wouldn’t I be able to noticeable see my scalp? The only way I can really see my scalp is under a very direct bright light, and even then it’s only when middle parted or something.

Not necessarily, thinning occurs gradually; by the time you can see your scalp your hair loss has reached an advanced stage at that location. That’s why it seems like it happens overnight...slow , subtle loss occurs in such a way that your eyes won’t notice it until loss hits critical mass. Further, because it starts at the temples and crown, (the latter hidden from view...out of sight, out of mind), the rest of your hair can remain normal for a time.

I don’t think you need to worry about the rest of your head at this point, but definitely keep an eye on the hairline and the crown. If they remain steady then your golden. I know it’s easier sad than done, but try and view the possible presence of male pattern baldness as a bridge you’ll cross when you get to it.

Best of luck!

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

The good news is that the quality of your hair is great. The hair that you have has a lot of shin and thickness overall. The hair in your hairline is thinning and will continue to thin. There are actually a lot of different treatments that you can try. Some treatments are all natural and herbal. Others are more mechanical like laser and dermapen. The more aggressive treatments are chemicals that can have side effects if your not careful. Usually people use finasteride or dutasteride for first line of defense but your only 16 so I would definitely not touch those if I were you for the next 4 or 5 years. You could try 2% minoxidil, dermapen, or laser.

Alright. So, to be clear, you think my hairline is receding rather than maturing? Okay. I’ve heard about a pretty bad shedding period with minoxidil, do you know about the bad side effects of the laser and dermapen? And if you’ve had experience with any of these, how’d it go?

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Not necessarily, thinning occurs gradually; by the time you can see your scalp your hair loss has reached an advanced stage at that location. That’s why it seems like it happens overnight...slow , subtle loss occurs in such a way that your eyes won’t notice it until loss hits critical mass. Further, because it starts at the temples and crown, (the latter hidden from view...out of sight, out of mind), the rest of your hair can remain normal for a time.

I don’t think you need to worry about the rest of your head at this point, (though I would keep an eye on the crown),but I would be concerned about the hair line.

Best of luck!

Alright, I’ll keep an eye on it. If I notice this getting worse I will try to seek a professional. Thanks for your help!

 

[-Synergy-]

Alright. So, to be clear, you think my hairline is receding rather than maturing? Okay. I’ve heard about a pretty bad shedding period with minoxidil, do you know about the bad side effects of the laser and dermapen? And if you’ve had experience with any of these, how’d it go?

Your right about the shedding on minoxidil. The 2% should cause less shedding before results. You could also apply it once a day for awhile and gradually work up to twice a day. I have used dermapen to loosen my scalp and make it feel better. Dermapen is kinda like a cheap and affordable version of prp. There have been users on this forum that have reported benefit. There are also studies that show it to be equivalent or better than minoxidil. Basically by needling the skin until slight redness you are increasing growth factors and blood flow to support better hair growth. The idea behind laser is photon energy that at a cellular level increases ATP production or energy for cells responsible for hair growth. Treating hair loss with these devices can be difficult because it takes dedication. As far as experience, I have several different hair disorders at the moment I am trying to handle. The dermapen helped relieve my itch and felt good and the laser does reduce inflammation. I can report only a slight reduction in my hair loss but my hair loss is extremely aggressive. Dermapen and laser are very low risk but you should make sure your scalp is clean if you decide on needing.

 

[Cheezer Scozar]

Your right about the shedding on minoxidil. The 2% should cause less shedding before results. You could also apply it once a day for awhile and gradually work up to twice a day. I have used dermapen to loosen my scalp and make it feel better. Dermapen is kinda like a cheap and affordable version of prp. There have been users on this forum that have reported benefit. There are also studies that show it to be equivalent or better than minoxidil. Basically by needling the skin until slight redness you are increasing growth factors and blood flow to support better hair growth. The idea behind laser is photon energy that at a cellular level increases ATP production or energy for cells responsible for hair growth. Treating hair loss with these devices can be difficult because it takes dedication. As far as experience, I have several different hair disorders at the moment I am trying to handle. The dermapen helped relieve my itch and felt good and the laser does reduce inflammation. I can report only a slight reduction in my hair loss but my hair loss is extremely aggressive. Dermapen and laser are very low risk but you should make sure your scalp is clean if you decide on needing.

Do you think this loss could be permanent traction alopecia? I used to have very long hair and kept it up tight for most of every day for probably 6-8 months. It’s been a little over a year since I stopped after I cut it shorter and it hasn’t came back. What would be the best option if that was the case? I have heard of rogaine helping in those scenarios but I’m under the impression that rogaine and other minoxidil products are just temporary solutions and after you stop using them the hair you gain just falls out again.

 

[-Synergy-]

Do you think this loss could be permanent traction alopecia? I used to have very long hair and kept it up tight for most of every day for probably 6-8 months. It’s been a little over a year since I stopped after I cut it shorter and it hasn’t came back. What would be the best option if that was the case? I have heard of rogaine helping in those scenarios but I’m under the impression that rogaine and other minoxidil products are just temporary solutions and after you stop using them the hair you gain just falls out again.

I don’t think so because you have given your follicles a chance to rest for a year from all the pulling and stress they might have been under. When you had your hair in that position did your scalp give you any warning signs? By this I mean, did you experience any burning, tingling, itching redness etc? Anything at all uncomfortable with the hair style? If you didn’t experience these symptoms then it is probably most related to male hair loss. Your loss is primarily at the hairline and not too significant elsewhere. If the loss was from wearing a man bun then why hasn’t the rest of your hair thinned as significantly as your temples. How much hair do you lose in the shower or during combing. Understanding the rate of progression is important. Depending on the rate of progression, a natural treatment might work just fine.