37M, Just realized I'm losing hair and freaking out a bit

[duckyboy]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time and first post here. As is usually the case, losing my hair is what brought me here.

About me:

37-year-old Southeast Asian male. I am generally quite healthy. Have been regular at the gym for years and eat a healthy, high protein diet. Currently, I’m doing a cut and have just started to see the first hint of abs.

I have always had thick, dry, heavy and wavy hair. Early greying early runs in my family and my hair started greying when I was 15. My brother’s hair started greying in his early 20s. I have regularly been coloring my hair to hide the greys since I was 27.

In the past 6 months or so, a few folks in my family commented I might be losing hair. I brushed it off in denial but recently I took a picture which made me realize that I really might be losing my hair. My brother (45) has male pattern baldness and is mostly bald.

Another hair problem I have is a dry scalp which looks like intense dandruff and my scalp is usually itchy. A few months back, I was regularly scratching a particular spot in the front of my head which is where I noticed the hair thinning first. Thinking it might be traction alopecia, I stopped scratching and the hair improved a bit in that spot.

I’m now in near panic mode and trying to keep my hair. Looking for advice on what I should do.

For now, I have started eating even healthier (more veggies everyday), changed my multivitamin and added 1000 mg biotin to my daily supplementation regimen. Whey and creatine are other supplements that I’m using. I am on no meds and have no medical issues.

I have attached some pictures. I would appreciate if members here could advise me on what my next step should be.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Moz5x]

What Norwood level is your brother? When did he start losing his hair? What’s the family history for baldness?

Seems like you are receding in the front and diffusely thinning throughout the vertex. Still early. The photos of your frontal hairline are obscured by shadows. For your own records, re-take that photo with better lighting. If you start Finasteride you would probably be able to slow things down and maybe recover if you are lucky.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time and first post here. As is usually the case, losing my hair is what brought me here.

About me:

37-year-old Southeast Asian male. I am generally quite healthy. Have been regular at the gym for years and eat a healthy, high protein diet. Currently, I’m doing a cut and have just started to see the first hint of abs.

I have always had thick, dry, heavy and wavy hair. Early greying early runs in my family and my hair started greying when I was 15. My brother’s hair started greying in his early 20s. I have regularly been coloring my hair to hide the greys since I was 27.

In the past 6 months or so, a few folks in my family commented I might be losing hair. I brushed it off in denial but recently I took a picture which made me realize that I really might be losing my hair. My brother (45) has male pattern baldness and is mostly bald.

Another hair problem I have is a dry scalp which looks like intense dandruff and my scalp is usually itchy. A few months back, I was regularly scratching a particular spot in the front of my head which is where I noticed the hair thinning first. Thinking it might be traction alopecia, I stopped scratching and the hair improved a bit in that spot.

I’m now in near panic mode and trying to keep my hair. Looking for advice on what I should do.

For now, I have started eating even healthier (more veggies everyday), changed my multivitamin and added 1000 mg biotin to my daily supplementation regimen. Whey and creatine are other supplements that I’m using. I am on no meds and have no medical issues.

I have attached some pictures. I would appreciate if members here could advise me on what my next step should be.

Thank you for your time.

It's tough for most men to make it to or close to 40 without showing some level of hair loss. So you are not alone. If you want to slow it down, you are going to need to take finasteride and see how you do. Later, you can alway add oral minoxidil or topical once you know for sure if you are a good finasteride responder or not. Just remember, male pattern balding runs in your family so you obviously are starting to show it yourself. From the looks of your hair, it has been happening very slowly for a while and it has reached a point you and others finally noticed it. You still have alot of hair to save.

 

[Feramon1]

I'm almost sure that "genetic" baldness - schematically manifests itself. First, frontal bald patches, then the top of the head, then fusion - baldness. If you have diffuse, there is a high probability that the reasons lie deeper, especially check your cholesterol and heart.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

get on finasteride

 

[duckyboy]

Thank you for taking out the time to respond and for all the responses. I really appreciate that.

Here’s some additional information:

• My brother is a Norwood Scale 6.
• In the cut that I mentioned above, I lost 9 kg in about 7 months. I wonder if that might have precipitated the hair loss.

I will retake the pictures in better lighting shortly and post here.

@Feramon1 - Thanks for your comment. Should I do a general blood test and check-up and see if something shows up?

It seems the general recommendation is to start finasteride. I have a few questions:
1. It seems finasteride requires a prescription. How/where can I obtain a prescription for it? I’m located in Canada.

2. I was thinking of trying topical minoxidil first as I’m not too keen on using a steroid (finasteride) unless it’s absolute necessary. Would topical minoxidil alone help?

3. I have no kids yet but we are planning to have one in the next 2 years. Could finasteride affect conception or cause any sperm issues?

 

[duckyboy]

Added better pictures for reference. Please check. Thank you

 

[DoctorHouse]

Added better pictures for reference. Please check. Thank you

Its snowing in your hair. LOL @MrSnow You need keto shampoo

 

[duckyboy]

Yeah I have had that annoying flaking issue for a really long time

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

Its snowing in your hair. LOL @MrSnow You need keto shampoo

!!!!!!!!!!!!! xD

 

[thickhaironhead]

It's tough for most men to make it to or close to 40 without showing some level of hair loss. So you are not alone. If you want to slow it down, you are going to need to take finasteride and see how you do. Later, you can alway add oral minoxidil or topical once you know for sure if you are a good finasteride responder or not. Just remember, male pattern balding runs in your family so you obviously are starting to show it yourself. From the looks of your hair, it has been happening very slowly for a while and it has reached a point you and others finally noticed it. You still have alot of hair to save.

Not really, lets put this in the right perspective. Asian men bald less than caucasians, most bald post 40 rather than pre.
What he needs is an multiangle approach, which means antiandrogens, growth stimulation, proper diet, microneedling and so on.

 

[Moz5x]

Thank you for taking out the time to respond and for all the responses. I really appreciate that.

Here’s some additional information:

• My brother is a Norwood Scale 6.
• In the cut that I mentioned above, I lost 9 kg in about 7 months. I wonder if that might have precipitated the hair loss.

I will retake the pictures in better lighting shortly and post here.

@Feramon1 - Thanks for your comment. Should I do a general blood test and check-up and see if something shows up?

It seems the general recommendation is to start finasteride. I have a few questions:
1. It seems finasteride requires a prescription. How/where can I obtain a prescription for it? I’m located in Canada.

2. I was thinking of trying topical minoxidil first as I’m not too keen on using a steroid (finasteride) unless it’s absolute necessary. Would topical minoxidil alone help?

3. I have no kids yet but we are planning to have one in the next 2 years. Could finasteride affect conception or cause any sperm issues?

Just because your brother is NW6 at 45 doesn’t necessarily mean you will be too but its obvious you are already showing signs of Androgenetic Alopecia. Are your
father/grandfathers NW6?

If you really want to save your hair, Finasteride is really your best chance. I’d say it’s absolutely necessary and you should start with that first. If you respond well it could dramatically slow down the progression of hairloss for many years. Minoxidil and microneedling alone will only mask the underlying issue and perhaps buy you a few years if you are lucky.