don't even know what to do..... (pics inside)

[jakefodor]

Mid 20s, no family history of hair loss, all checkups fine last year.

2009-2011 For some reason I had some bad OCD that during studying (which i did a lot of), i'd always run my hands through my hair. Never pulled any hair out, but I'm sure running my hands in through my hair 100s, if not 1000s, of times daily weakened my hair and left it greasy. Than after a 3 month summer break of no school - I got rid of the habit of running my hands through my hair.
2011-2013 Started wearing hats, and I live in a humid place, during summer time (i only shampoo every other day)...by the second day I'd have huge dandruff (size of fingernail). Also, any time i'd comb or shampoo and wash my hair i'd have a lot of hair end up on my hands and the drain. Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo worked miracles on the dandruff so I no longer have dandruff.

***Up to this point, even though I see lot of hair in drain, I didn't notice ANY change in my hair - no thinning or hair loss***

Summer 2013 I notice a receding hair line (middle is same, but corners are receding, right side more than left...), and quite a bit of white hair.
Late 2013-2014 I notice thinning/thin patches (on side front). Lot less white hair also...odd or maybe they fell out


I just read the last week that a lot of Vitamin A can lead to hair loss and I started eating a lot of carrots April/May 2013 (should I blame it on carrots?). I obviously got rid of carrots now....Any suggestions/recommendations?




(pictures related - it's me)

 

[hermandolol]

Sorry to say this but this looks like classic male pattern baldness. A lot of A vitamin and headwear does not cause this.
Read yourself up on treatments and make your decision, don't waste your time staying in denial.

 

[CursedMen]

Not anything other than male pattern baldness. Get on Minoxidil(active ingredient in Rogaine) and Finasteride (active ingredient in Propecia).

 

[TheHandsomeLurker]

Yeah, this looks like standard male pattern baldness. You should check in with a doctor, but I suspect a doctor will at least recommend minoxidil, and you may want to push for finasteride (educate yourself about it first, though).

The bright side is you caught it early.

 

[dvsk13]

@jakefodor looks almost identical to the loss pattern I have. Mine was a gradual thinning for about 3-4 years where i was foolish and read all the internet horror stories about finasteride/propecia and tried to treat with only minoxidil. I was able to maintain for a couple of years, however, over the past year the minoxidil alone regimen started loosing ground fast and i'm left with a visible thinning (not bald yet) spot in the crown area. Iam constantly kicking myself thinking that if i had just got on finasteride 2-3 years ago, i would have avoided this altogether.

ANyways, I discussed with my derm just recently and he was not hesitant to prescribe finasteride. Just do as the others mentioned and educate yourself on it (as you would any other prescription drug) and have the talk with your doctor/derm. Fingers crossed that it is not too late for us to experience some regrowth and filling of the crown area!

best of luck man

 

[GoldenMane]

You lost the genetic lottery, get on finasteride and minoxidil and you'll be fine.

 

[jakefodor]

Are you guys sure it's male pattern baldness? Noone else in my family has baldness though.

I think the horrible drandruff had to do with it. Would literally pick finger nail size dandruff from my scalp over the summer...and would loose so much hair in the drain in the shower (think the thinning was caused by this).
The bald spot on top I've had like forever, just more noticeable now since the hair is thinning.
The receding hair line was all of a sudden...really can't explain that.
Not sure about the whole cap thing had any effect, but alex rodriguez and lebron james both use caps/headbands and have a horrible hair line lol.

So far I have cut down on those Vitamin A pills (realized I was taking 26,000% the daily amount), I started talking biotin, used less harsh shampoo, and stopped shampoo and towel drying so aggressively....noticed a lot less hair on my comb and the drain. And think it's helped.

Three questions:
(1) with male pattern baldness....is it the earlier you catch it, the better the treatment can help?
(2) do you think delaying treatment 1-3 months will affect me any ? I want to try to keep up with what i mentioned above and see if it works
(3) if i notice the above not working, i'd like to try Minoxidil only (can buy without prescription) for 1-3 months....than if that doesn't work, than I'd see a Doctor and get a prescription for Finasteride. So by me trying my diet/habit changes for 1-3 months, and minoxidil 1-3 months...am i hurting myself by delaying prescription meds? or should i see a Doctor asap and get on prescription meds?

 

[BigTexasSexy]

You're only in the early stages, but that's for sure male pattern baldness- classic pattern. All the itching definitely contributed to an increase in hair fall, but no clue about dandruff. I've fortunately never had it myself. Part of The Big 3 (which you should look up), is finasteride that a doctor will have to write for you. I would ask him/her then on their opinion.
1) That seems to be the status quo
2) Yes. I delayed finasteride for a month and I regret it everyday when my hair fall is inexistent
3) ^

In the end, this is just my opinion, you can do what ever you think to be best. Also, just curious why were you taking a huge amount of vitamin A?

 

[Scorcher]

Ill agree with male pattern baldness, and possibly that much VitA was exacerbating it. Your about where I was about 3 years ago. I convinced myself it was stress and temporary and did all the natural remedies and supplements I could find. Im going with finasteride now. Whichever you choose, you look to be a good looking dude with lots of hair left. Best of luck.

 

[headless]

Start minoxidil, finasteride and maybe nizoral (for dandruff).

Your "i'd like to try"-attitude will be the reason you'll be bald in 10 years. Get on the big three and stick with it for at least a year.

 

[jakefodor]

Took Vitamin A because eye Doctor recommended it for high eye pressures, but than we found out I had pretty large pupils so the eye pressure tests were a bit not accurate. I got rid of eating ton of carrots plus the other eye vitamin I was taking that added up to the 26,000% daily value of VitA. Now I just take an icaps/bilberry form time to time, and fish oil/multi most days.

What level of baldness am I at?

Can I ask you guys how you got bald?

My story doesn't make sense. Summer 2011-2013 I'd have a lot of dandruff and shed a lot in the shower, combing, even after towel drying I'd have hair strands all over my shoulders. (In the winter it was very minor - i'd see very little, sometimes no hair in shower, comb, etc.). Didn't notice any changes to my hair from 2011-2013...same thick head of hair. Than end of summer 2013 (this is end of summer where I wasn't loosing much hair), I noticed receding hair line in the corners, the rest of my head is fine thick hair.
From End of summer 2013 to now I don't see much (if any) hair in shower, comb, etc, yet now I am loosing hair from the sides too.

Doesn't make sense...shouldn't I expect to see hair loss during summers 2011-2013 when I was seeing tons of hair in shower/comb. But why am I seeing a noticeable hair loss end of summer to now when I don't see much (if any) hair in shower/comb?

And also the hair loss is sudden...the receding hair line on the corners I literally just woke up one day and said wow (ok I said Sh*t). Than end of summer 2013-last month it was the same (didn't loose any more hair), than in a 1-2 week span last month I noticed less hair on the sides too