I'm Freaking Out about Thinning Hair!!!

[Nervous]

I'm 26 years old and I'd cut my hair to a #2 just over a month ago and it has grown back since. However, a co-worker pointed out to me that I had a balding patch at the lower back of my head. When I looked closer I noticed that the entire lower area of the back my head had thinning hair (in some areas resembling peach fuzz) (keep in mind, I had always had thick hair at the back of head). This is strange because everywhere else is intact. I checked the Norwood Scale to match up the type of balding I may have but I can't seem to find a match. From any of your experience, am I going bald? Or would that patch of hair grow back? I should also mention that I used to have braids/cornrows when I was younger. I very much so want to believe it is due to stress and once I get over the stress everything will be back to normal. Can someone please shed some light on this situation?

Thanks.

 

[Thinning]

Welcome to the club, you are going bald. You can chose to do something about it and hope you have no side effects, or you can do nothing and lose your hair. Its a tough choice, good luck.

 

[Skaff]

Yeah...I'm afraid there's a 95% chance it's genetic male pattern baldness. You might want to get a dermatologist to look but it's often difficult for them to tell, even after a scalp biopsy and blood tests...but I think you can safely assume it is male pattern baldness.

Now you've just gotta decide if you want to let nature take its course or treat it.

 

[Nervous]

Thanks for the feedback. However, I'm a very stubborn individual and will not accept male pattern baldness... not yet at least. Can't there be other explanations for this? And isn't it a bit odd that I'm thinning at the back and not the top/front? Are there any vitamins or other natural solutions I can take to prevent any further thinning? Have any of you guys encountered similar patterns in which I'm experiencing?

Thanks again.

 

[DomeChromed]

This is not unusual at all. You seem to fit clearly in to the Norwood Classification known as 3V. To wit:

Type IIIvertex

• Hairloss predominantly in vertex (crown)
• Frontal hairline recession may be present

Most of your hairloss is in the crown right? So that is you right? Classic Norwood.

 

[Nervous]

No. I don't fit within the 3V classification because I have full hair on the top of my head (crown, I guess) and no frontline recession whatsoever. If anything, the hair that was cut at the front has grown back. But the hair much lower down at the back of the neck is thin and sparse.

Thanks.

 

[Nervous]

... Maybe I'm not describing it clear enough. But I honestly do appreciate the feedback and help.

 

[MPBWarrior]

if u don't think it's male pattern baldness, there's little we can do for you since everything we say will be pointless (as it's a hairloss forum). Decide for sure it's male pattern baldness and then we can help. But remember, Finasteride is the backbone in any hairloss treatment (unless u really know what you're doing).

 

[Nervous]

Nothing you say is pointless, male pattern baldness. All what has been said/typed have been valuable in helping me to determine if I am experiencing Male Pattern Baldness. With that said, I don't have to agree with everything that is typed. I'm simply outlining or describing the situation I'm going through and that it doesn't follow the traditional approach of the Norwood Scale. Maybe it's something else?!?

 

[returnoftheshedi]

I'm 26 years old and I'd cut my hair to a #2 just over a month ago and it has grown back since. However, a co-worker pointed out to me that I had a balding patch at the lower back of my head. When I looked closer I noticed that the entire lower area of the back my head had thinning hair (in some areas resembling peach fuzz) (keep in mind, I had always had thick hair at the back of head). This is strange because everywhere else is intact. I checked the Norwood Scale to match up the type of balding I may have but I can't seem to find a match. From any of your experience, am I going bald? Or would that patch of hair grow back? I should also mention that I used to have braids/cornrows when I was younger. I very much so want to believe it is due to stress and once I get over the stress everything will be back to normal. Can someone please shed some light on this situation?

Thanks.

this is not male pattern baldness. i know someone that had the exact same thing. it will grow back. don't sweat it. if you had male pattern baldness or diffuse loss there would be thinning on the top of your head. relax my man....you are NOT part of our miserable club.

 

[CCS]

This does not sound like male pattern baldness. It could be alopeica areata. If it is caused by fungus, use nizoral 1 or 2% shampoo, probably the 2%, every 3 days, and rotate in a selenium sulphate Head & Shoulders shampoo.

Minoxidil helps every type of hair loss.

If it is areata, that means the immune system is attacking. Usually this is accompanied by a little redness at the pores. There are shots that can calm it down, as well as topicals, but they are presription. It can all grow back and then shed again later, unpredictably.

Finasteride is cheap and won't hurt. Get fincar and cut it in 4ths and take it every other day, for $4 per month, as a safety.

Biotin 2.5mg/day helps some forms of hair loss, including male pattern baldness, and megadoses of some vitamins such as vitamin A can cause hair loss.

Acutane can also cause hair loss.

If you can't afford the stuff a doctor would give, or if a Doctor won't prescribe it, you can get bosewillia seratta powder at http://www.beyond-a-century.com and make your own topical to calm the immune system. Mix in some borageseed oil too.

 

[Nervous]

Thanks a lot, guys. Everyone has been more than helpful.

 

[s.a.f]

Thanks for the feedback. However, I'm a very stubborn individual and will not accept male pattern baldness... not yet at least. Can't there be other explanations for this? And isn't it a bit odd that I'm thinning at the back and not the top/front? Are there any vitamins or other natural solutions I can take to prevent any further thinning? Have any of you guys encountered similar patterns in which I'm experiencing?

Thanks again.

This is how we all started out. Maybe your pattern does not match the usual ones but I bet that you are in the early stages of m.p.b. Posting a few pics would help greatly with the diagnosis but my opinion is the same as thinning 'welcome to the club.'

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

Photos are the only way to determine whether this is male pattern baldness. I don't want to freak you out but a huge huge majority of hairloss for men your age is related to male pattern baldness. I tried to convince myself that it was not male pattern baldness because there was not much history of this in my family. Not having frontal recession is totally meaningless. However, the most important thing is to find out the cause of this hairloss RIGHT NOW! This is important because now a days you have a few options to halt or drastically slow down the balding process BUT the earlier you start the treatment the better the results. Meaning, if you wait a few more years there is a very good chance that several of your follicles we be beyond the point where they can be saved. In conclusion, if this is male pattern baldness there are treatment options that should at least slow down the hairloss, if it is not male pattern baldness then you will be able to grow back the lost hair once you treat the problem.

 

[Skaff]

However, I'm a very stubborn individual and will not accept male pattern baldness... not yet at least.

I'm only thinning at the crown. There a million different ways you can go bald, the Norwood scale only shows some of the most common.

Everyone goes through a stage of disbelief and denial...even for guys who have bald fathers and older brothers, it still comes as a shock. Stubborness will only make things worse. The earlier you treat it the better chance you have of saving it and possibly regrowing.