Am I screwed going by family history?

[Llama2025]

I have been norwood 2 for as long as I can remember (first noticed I was norwood 2 at 18) and I am still norwood 2 at 27. Here is my family history:

Dad's side:

Paternal grandfather had thinning on his crown but an otherwise full head of hair when he died at 74
I noticed my dad was a norwood 2.5 and the hairline area had thinned a bit when he was 44/45, he is 50 and his hair is still the same, he has no crown thinning
My two paternal uncles are norwood 2s

Mom's side:

Maternal grandfather is norwood 6 and his two sons (my maternal uncles) are norwood 7 and the other uncle is norwood 3 with crown thinning.

My maternal grandfather's two brothers have full heads of hair

My maternal uncles' maternal grandfather (My maternal grandmother's father) died in his 70s with a norwood 2

 

[MrClean1]

Sounds like you hit the genetic lottery. Enjoy your hair.

 

[BurningCoals]

When did your maternal grandpa and uncles start balding for real and reah the NW6-7 stage?

 

[Llama2025]

Sounds like you hit the genetic lottery. Enjoy your hair.

How did I hit the genetic lottery? Isn't my maternal grandfather and my two maternal uncles being bald a threat?

 

[NathanN23]

It sounds like you’ve got a pretty stable hairline if you’ve been at Norwood 2 since 18 and still holding at 27. Based on your family history, you’ve got a mix of genetic factors at play, but the fact that your dad and paternal uncles have maintained their hair relatively well is a good sign.

Since your hairline hasn’t really changed in nearly a decade, it’s possible that this is just your mature hairline rather than aggressive male pattern baldness. However, if you’re concerned about potential future thinning, you could consider a maintenance approach rather than aggressive treatment. Things like:

• Routine scalp care (caffeine shampoo, gentle exfoliation)
• Healthy diet & lifestyle (good sleep, stress management, and proper nutrition)
• Microneedling (derma rolling) – If you ever feel your hairline is thinning slightly, this could help maintain density.
• Low-dose finasteride or topical options – Only if you notice any progression in the future.

Since you haven't experienced noticeable progression in 10 years, it might be best to just keep monitoring things without rushing into medications unless you see changes. Have you noticed any miniaturization or increased shedding lately?

Best,
Nathan

 

[mary_jones]

Everyone does have a different situation with hair growth, but it is often genetically transmitted. So I think you have a pretty good situation

 

[bsmith]

Baldness sucks. My boss is vertically challenged, and the only thing I notice about him is he has a full head of hair.

I'm tall, but I have a Norwood three hairline. I used to say *uck it, and get a buzz cut. But I'm growing it longer, because my
nose is the shape of a penis. It's huge.

 

[Llama2025]

When did your maternal grandpa and uncles start balding for real and reah the NW6-7 stage?

Maternal uncle 1 had visible balding at 30 and maternal uncle 2 had a bald spot on the back of his head at 33 or 34

 

[Moz5x]

I have been norwood 2 for as long as I can remember (first noticed I was norwood 2 at 18) and I am still norwood 2 at 27. Here is my family history:

Dad's side:

Paternal grandfather had thinning on his crown but an otherwise full head of hair when he died at 74
I noticed my dad was a norwood 2.5 and the hairline area had thinned a bit when he was 44/45, he is 50 and his hair is still the same, he has no crown thinning
My two paternal uncles are norwood 2s

Mom's side:

Maternal grandfather is norwood 6 and his two sons (my maternal uncles) are norwood 7 and the other uncle is norwood 3 with crown thinning.

My maternal grandfather's two brothers have full heads of hair

My maternal uncles' maternal grandfather (My maternal grandmother's father) died in his 70s with a norwood 2

Difficult to say. Usually high Norwoods start showing signs of visible loss in their 20s and will often have whisker hairs. If you were destined for NW7 you’d probably already be showing signs at 27.

It’s possible the genes from your paternal side will partially offset those from the maternal side and keep you from going full NW6-7 but there’s really no way to predict the final pattern. It’s also not a binary. Some guys can have great hair through their 40s and then still go NW4+ in their 50s.

You could have a hair loss specialist or hair transplant surgeon evaluate your scalp under magnification (trichoscope) to see what degree of minaturization you currently are at and repeat the process every couple years or so to decide whether you need to start taking finasteride. That’s about the most one can reasonably do.

 

[Llama2025]

Difficult to say. Usually high Norwoods start showing signs of visible loss in their 20s and will often have whisker hairs. If you were destined for NW7 you’d probably already be showing signs at 27.

It’s possible the genes from your paternal side will partially offset those from the maternal side and keep you from going full NW6-7 but there’s really no way to predict the final pattern. It’s also not a binary. Some guys can have great hair through their 40s and then still go NW4+ in their 50s.

You could have a hair loss specialist or hair transplant surgeon evaluate your scalp under magnification (trichoscope) to see what degree of minaturization you currently are at and repeat the process every couple years or so to decide whether you need to start taking finasteride. That’s about the most one can reasonably do.

I'm probably coping here but does the fact that my maternal grandmother's father (My maternal uncles' maternal grandfather) died with a full head of hair and my maternal grandmother's nephew is not bald either mean this baldness might not be X-linked and that she is not carrying a bald X chromosome? My maternal grandfather's two brothers are not bald either, could this mean my maternal grandfather doesn't have a bald X chromosome either? Could my two uncles' baldness have come solely from my maternal grandfather via the Y chromosome or other genes he passed? I also have barely any chest hair and I heard there was a connection between men with very hairy chests and baldness.

 

[Moz5x]

Yeah you are coping lol. It’s all speculation. Plenty of balding guys out there with little chest hair. Just be glad you don’t have lots of high Norwoods on both sides of the family tree. Monitor the situation and go live your life.

 

[Jpw1999]

Just enjoy your hair and stop worrying about the possibility of going bald. Go on finasteride if you're really that worried.

 

[BurningCoals]

Maternal uncle 1 had visible balding at 30 and maternal uncle 2 had a bald spot on the back of his head at 33 or 34

Since you're 27 I'd say start monitoring the situation here and there and see if you notice any loss over time.