John -
The hair you have is very very thick according to the pictures you opted to show us. Naturally people are going to comment based on what they see. If you feel your hair is significantly thinner than those pictures show, then maybe more accurate photos are in order.
Based on what the photos do show, it looks like you are, at most, experiencing about 3/4 of an inch of recession at your temples.
Though you absolutely have not lost 40% of your hair, the extent of loss will always seem more drastic to the one losing it, than to those around him. I speak for myself in this area too.
After 4 years of dealing with this, I know how my mood, my amount of sleep, and my outlook on any given day can affect how thick my hair seems. I always thought myself too intelligent to fall for something like that, but the reality is, your mind does play tricks, especially with hair density. You will notice more skin on some days and less skin on other days, even if nothing has really changed. That's all part of the psychological effect of losing your hair. It all depends on what I do with my hair, and how my minds eye see's it that day.
That is why photos are so important. They reveal exactly how we look to others, despite how we look to ourselves. They're a reality check, and many times in the good sense.
A light maintenance regimen should be all you need to keep your hair looking exactly as it does now, for another good 5 to 10 years.
HairLossTalk.com
