Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATED: 31 August 2010

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure)

Just took a new picture tonight after drying my hair. What I found wasn't good at all.

In the picture I have managed to seperate (with a comb) my thin temple hair, from the thick normal hair behind it.

Looking at this picture has put to rest any thoughts I may just be getting a mature hair line and has hit home that I am going bald.

On a day where I have read alot of things that have turned me off of propecia, seeing this picture leaves me feeling immensely defeated.

 

[follicle84]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

Its not that bad mate your still years away from being bald. Some people quickly recede and stop receding when they approach 30. If your not suffering from any thinning or crown hairloss you have nothing to worry about just yet and your still below a norwood 3 (which would count as male pattern baldness).

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

Crown hair loss is hard to distinguish for me at the moment.

I have some pictures in which you can see some scalp. but I'm not sure if its hair loss or just the way my hair swirls as it's curly, then in other pictures where the hair is sitting differently, you can see no scalp at all.

For example:

 

[abidar]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

you not even bald . get some sleep kid :whistle:

 

[Hammer87]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure)

Just took a new picture tonight after drying my hair. What I found wasn't good at all.

In the picture I have managed to seperate (with a comb) my thin temple hair, from the thick normal hair behind it.

Looking at this picture has put to rest any thoughts I may just be getting a mature hair line and has hit home that I am going bald.

On a day where I have read alot of things that have turned me off of propecia, seeing this picture leaves me feeling immensely defeated.

I really wouldn't worry about that much mate.

Even when (if) that thin hair goes, which in itself normally would take years if it was to go. You'd still be left with an ok looking hairline and a good head of hair. You've got years and years of a good head of hair. I couldn't see you been more than a Norwood 3 when you're in your 30s. - And that's assuming it's not a mature hairline and doesn't stablise

 

[Mitchem]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

On a day where I have read alot of things that have turned me off of propecia

What like? I thought the same thing, but while I was thinking about it my hair loss became alot worse, I wish I just got on it when I found out about rather than waiting a Year. I think I could of saved alot of my hair and you might think the same.

 

[Thickandthin]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

I wouldn't wait around dude. Most of the people on here are far balder than you and don't see an issue with your hair, but I do.

I have very similar hair to yours.....hairline isn't too bad receded but thin *** hairs all over it. Does your hair look weak and wimpy when you come it down on your forehead?

I've got fincar coming in the mail and am gonna start immediately. If you wait around, you'll keep losing hair. It's as simple as that. If you start now, there's a good chance you will not only maintain the hair you have, but thicken up those weak, DHT choked hairs AND grow new ones on top of that.

 

[Mitchem]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

I wouldn't wait around dude. Most of the people on here are far balder than you and don't see an issue with your hair, but I do.

I have very similar hair to yours.....hairline isn't too bad receded but thin *** hairs all over it. Does your hair look weak and wimpy when you come it down on your forehead?

I've got fincar coming in the mail and am gonna start immediately. If you wait around, you'll keep losing hair. It's as simple as that. If you start now, there's a good chance you will not only maintain the hair you have, but thicken up those weak, DHT choked hairs AND grow new ones on top of that.

I'll second that. Good post.

 

[Hammer87]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

I think I have similar hair to Curious108. I'm also comtemplating finasteride, however my hairs been the same since I was 18 without changing much (I'm now 21) so part of me wonders if I can be assed using a drug for the rest of my life if the progression is as slow as it has been. - I like my hair short anyway.

 

[Petchsky]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

If that's how you feel hammer then kep an eye on it. Take a pic of your hair now, and compare it in a year, seriously dude, there is no other way of knowing, apart from loosing sh*t loads of hair to the point where you can't fool yourself. Take a pic, compare it in a year, or six months, that way you can be sure.

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATED LOSS - Feb 09

It's been a while since I've been on here.

An update on my situation: I haven't started any meds, I managed to forget about my loss for a few months and stopped checking my hair every day.

Although as with anything else one may be paranoid about, it creeps up every so often and I go back to how I began.

I've taken some new pics, I'm not sure why. I think perhaps I was looking to show them to people experiencing loss, and get a relative, realistic view on how bad my situation really is.

Picture 1 (labelled as such) shows my hair damp and combed forward. Not the worst picture I'll admit, some slight thinning is visible (to me) near the top.

Picture 2 is my hair damp again, but messed.

Picture 3 slightly more dry, from the front.

I realise that these pictures aren't bad at all, but there are more.

The above images were taken when my hair was in it's natural curly state. However I do style my hair with straighteners, and when it's straighter than normal I notice more scalp, which I'll show now.

Picture 4 - You can see here more of the scalp in the area I thought was thinning in picture 1.

Picture 5 - Hair straight again, this time messed.

Picture 6 - And this last picture is really the reason why I came on here today. It's like looking at a different person. I cant have lost any additional hair since this last image and the above were taken, as most were on the same day, but after sleeping with my hair straight, some of it seems to have stubbornly went the opposite direction to the rest, causing some random partings which leaves my hair looking alot worse than I've ever seen it.

I'm hoping this last image is just a 'bad picture', if such a thing exists. For all I know it could just be the msot accurate one I've managed to get, so opinions on this would be welcome.

I'd namely like to know how long people reckon I have with a sufficient head of hair, as I was holding off hoping it would either stabalize or last long enough for me not to care about losing it by the time I do.

 

[barcafan]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

I think there is some frontal thinning, but your hair is long so it covers it. Get a short haircut and you'll know for sure.

 

[thenational]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

I dont think your thinning on top, it just looks like your hair style combined with the flash of a camera makes it seem thin. I think you have some minor recession in the front, difficult to tell with the angle.

Nobody knows better than yourself though, but comparing your first images to the last i dont think you've lost much if any hair.

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

After much debating I have decided to start finasteride.

Can someone suggest some good UK based sites to buy propecia/proscar?

Also if you know, could you let me know how it is packaged when it arrives? To save awkward questions in case a family member recieves the package before I do.

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATE: New Pics of Loss

Just thought I would update this with some pictures of loss, and some info.

A week today I started nizoral. I had been on it before when I was a teen for a scalp condition. I know it's not likely that nizoral alone will save me, but I thought it couldnt help. I want to hold off on starting propecia until at least another 2 weeks for personal reasons.

Anyway onto the pics, my loss is starting to confuse me, it doesn't appear to me the natural pattern whatsoever, I'm quite confused. Some help would be appreciated:

First picture here is with my hair wet with the nizoral in which gives a good show of where its thin. It seems to be all on the middle of the top of my head, which is truely confusing. I have noticed my frontal area being thinner than before but it doesnt tend to show in pics much.

Picture 2 is my hair wet again but from the front, to show how thin it is in the fringe area

Picture 3 and 4 is my hair having been dried and just messy, the thin parts are far less noticible, but you can still see some:

And finally my temple recession:

Has anyone any idea whats happening with my hair? Is it male pattern baldness and I'm just inexperienced at seeing it?

 

[follicle84]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATED 20th APRIL

I would say your balding very slowly (not noticeably), but im guessing here based on your families history and date of pics (i could be wrong). I dont think you have too much of a problem for the time being just keep an eye on it. I got a feeling you wont be bald until your old. For some people hairloss is aggressive through their 20's, slows down in their 3o's then picks up again in their 40's. You may never go totally bald. I only have one family member who is a norwood 6 every other man despite suffering hairloss doesnt go beyond a norwood 4 apart from that one relative who was at least 40 when he reached that stage. By then you probably wont care too much.

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATED 20th APRIL

I would say your balding very slowly (not noticeably), but im guessing here based on your families history and date of pics (i could be wrong). I dont think you have too much of a problem for the time being just keep an eye on it. I got a feeling you wont be bald until your old. For some people hairloss is aggressive through their 20's, slows down in their 3o's then picks up again in their 40's. You may never go totally bald. I only have one family member who is a norwood 6 every other man despite suffering hairloss doesnt go beyond a norwood 4 apart from that one relative who was at least 40 when he reached that stage. By then you probably wont care too much.

Thanks for reading the whole story.

My grandfather on my mothers side had a large bald spot from the crown to the middle of his head. He has receeded temples and a little bit of frontal hair which connects to the sides of his head.

My uncle however is completely bald on top more or less, with only back and side hair.

After talking to my grandfather I now know my uncle started to go bald in his 20's and lost it quite fast. Although I have seen pictures of him with his hair cut close when he was in his 30's where I think he had a bald patch but still frontal hair.

Being in his 40's now, he has nothing on the top at all.

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) UPDATED 20th APRIL

Any more opinions on my situation?

Also, yesterday marked my first week on nizoral. Today when I woke up I noticed more hair on my pillow than usual, not clumps or anything, but more than I've seen before, I've also had some slight itchyness on the thin spots you can see in the above pics.

Proof the nizoral is doing its job?

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) 22 APRIL - ADVICE?

Anyone wanna field my questions?

 

[Curious108]

Re: Curious108's Story - (21, Unsure) 22 APRIL - ADVICE?

Ok, so I've been on nizoral for around 2 months now. Just nizoral, I wanted to start finasteride as a last resort.

Things I've noticed: No hair regrowth, in fact I think it's sped up my loss. I've also noticed 'pimples' or 'spots' around my crown area which itch a little, but seem to come and go each day.

I've noticed alot more hair coming out when I shower, when I lather shampoo into my head and remove my hand, alot of hairs can be seen between my fingers. Not a clump or anything, but alot more than I ever noticed before.

I have no idea why this would be? Why would nizoral actually be causing more loss, by the looks of it?

Anyway, here are pictures from today (7th June) to compare to the ones from before, so it shows 2 months worth of nizoral use.

This is my hair wet, with nizoral on it I believe. Compared to the picture above from the same position, my hair is a bit shorter here, it may just be me but I also appear to be thinner. This was all done infront of a window using natural light.

Here's my fringe, which in my opinion looks horrible, albeit wet, but it looks pathetic here.

Next I'll show my hair from those two angles again, only dry:

Some thinning visible here, with my hair messed. But definately not as bad as when wet.

And finally, my horrible hair line :

I also have some concerns about my crown area. I've always thought it was a bit thinner than the rest, but lately I've noticed that I have an odd parting (where my scalp can be felt and seen) no matter what way I brush the hair, which leads me to believe I have lost more hair there:

Not the worst, but most visible here:

SO, after all that I really need advice. The nizoral as stated earlier, seems to be making my loss increase, it definately hasn't caused regrowth. Are the hairs I'm losing just a normal shed, with new better hairs to grow in their place? Or does this not apply to nizoral?

I really don't know. Should I go on finasteride now?

Advice appreciated.