Stress/Diet Thinning or male pattern baldness?

[wanderkid]

I've noticed my hair looking really think lately. I've always been kind of worried because pretty much every man in my family deals with male pattern baldness, but I'm only 21, so I was kind of hoping I"d at least have another 10 years. While over-researching for the sake of paranoia I learned that your hair can thin and bald from stress, too (I'm a graduate student who just went through a really bad breakup and a really bad time at work, and have been eating horribly), so I'm wondering if it could be that, something totally fixable with time and effort, or if I should get to work fighting biology.

I don't exactly have the means to just run to a dermatologist off what could just be worrying, so I figured I'd see if anyone here has a better idea of what it might be and what I should do. Attached are pics taken in natural daylight, and one with the flash on.







While I'm here, if I'm gonna worry and grab DHT blocking shampoo and finasteride, will there be any ridiculous side-effects if it's NOT MPD? Will anything happen to me or will I just stay the same?

 

[kmm179]

Looks like you might be thinning a little at the hairline. Just the very front. Thats a male pattern baldness pattern. Just read up on finasteride, mbp or not doesnt change if you get side effects its your body chemistry that does.

 

[shookwun]

BDD

 

[wanderkid]

BDD

I wouldn't mind this, but I'm seeing too much scalp under my hair (under bathroom lights, which everyone here says is unreliable, so I didn't bother taking those pictures) for me to just write it off as me being neurotically self-conscious.

 

[wblastyn]

If its stress related can it be reversed by reducing stress?

 

[wanderkid]

If its stress related can it be reversed by reducing stress?

Probably, but I'd like to know for sure. Because if it's male pattern baldness, I can start taking finasteride right now and keep what I have, maybe even improve a bit, but if I spend the next 6 months treating it like it's stress and bad diet, and it's not, then I'll have even less hair and be in an even worse situation.

 

[hightempler]

same problem

I have the same hairline shape as yours, i am only 20

 

[wanderkid]

I have the same hairline shape as yours, i am only 20

I saw your pictures in the other thread, it seems like yours is much more in the M shape than mine is, but it does seem like both of ours are at a similar point/thinness. So if you're gonna get on finasteride, I think I should, too.