Way to Tell the Difference Between Cowlick and a Bald Spot?

[porajj]

If you're one of those people who was born with baby fine hair, and a cowlick-- is there any real way to tell if some thinning on top is due to the cowlick, and not male pattern baldness?

Im currently a NW2, and my top seems a lil thin, but the thing is my top has always been thin ever since I was a kid. Barbers refused to cut my hair a certain way when I was young since the cowlick was pretty obvious.

No one has said anything about it, and my housemates say that I am tripping over nothing that they can notice. Its only become an issue since I have been obsessing about my hair recently.


So, is there any real way to tell if some top thinning is definately a bald spot forming, or just a natural cowlick? Like, is there an early stage point of no return where it is just blatently obvious?

 

[Guest]

post a picture and people on here can tell you. i think i know what you're talking about. here's a pic of my cowlick/bald spot. tell me if yours looks similar:

http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 024mu6.jpg

is that what you're talking about?

 

[porajj]

I really hate posting pics on this forum since people are so quick to judge, but alright.

Bare in mind my hair is rediculously thin, and always has been. Its also rediculously shiny since its a dirty blond color. These pics were taken in a room that has a very bright light right above my head, so things may appear thinner than they really are. I really need to go outside and get some day light pics.

http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 763tf1.jpg
No flas

http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 753vb4.jpg
Flash, and yea that looks thin.


Back of head with only a partial top view. The lighting isnt so bad here.


OMG the ubb code for this forum is pissing me off tonight, and doesnt feel like working.

Linkies only, im done trying to imbed the pics into this post

 

[CCS]

that is not bad at all. I can't even tell you have male pattern baldness. Some of my NW1 friends have hair as thin as yours. The scalp shows a bit, but no big deal.

 

[s.a.f]

Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

 

[Guest]

Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

I agree with you that porajj's hair looks great.

I pointed out the balding areas of mine with MS Paint:

http://i13.tinypic.com/48dw3rn.jpg

I didn't bother trying to get all of them since I'm thinning in so many diff places over the top. There just isn't enough hair on the top of my head to cover all the scalp I have. I am diffusing to a Norwood 6.

 

[viperfish]

I have basically the same problem man, except that my hair is even blonder. My crown has always been real thin looking because my hair is so blonde and thin. I would say mine is a little worse though. I'd say your much better off than me. I used to get told by friends in the 7th grade that I was going bald. I do think my hair has thinned out more though over years.

 

[RP]

cowlick

This maybe a dull question, but what exactly is a cowlick?

 

[Strat54]

What Is A Cowlick?
Cowlicks occur when hair forms a pivot that distributes the hair from a specific point around in all different directions.

On some heads the hair recedes at the temple hairline causing a type of erratic hair pattern.

Cowlicks are most often found in the crown area but they may also be found along the front of the hairline around the face and the nape areas.

Most people are born with their cowlicks. People that suffer hair from chemotherapy or other illness may be horrified to discover that a new cowlick pattern will emerge along with their regrowth of their hair.

No one is exempt from the dreaded cowlick. Lots of famous people have cowlicks. Famous beauty, super model Claudia Schiffer, is reported to have not one but two cowlicks at the front of her hairline.

 

[s.a.f]

Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

Its not unusual to be able to see a slight bit of scalp on the crown through anyones hair. These pics are close up. If someone can spot it from across the room then you have a problem. I see loads of people with thinner/finer hair than yours and they're not worring that they're going bald. I cant beleive that anyone would look at you on the street and think 'he's going bald' Nobodys hair is totaly dense unless they're wearing a wig!
For someone with such little visible hairloss you spend an extroidinary amount of time on here, I really believe that you are over emphasising your problem I'd love to have as much hair as you've got but I've never had that much (well maybe when I was about 15). My advice to you is just stop worrying take propecia and forget about it. I'm sure that there are many others your age with the same hair who are just getting on with life not concerned about their hair and enjoying their youth.

 

[Thinning]

The main difference is that hair grows from a cowlick, it does not from a bald spot.

 

[Guest]

[quote="s.a.f":58417]Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

Its not unusual to be able to see a slight bit of scalp on the crown through anyones hair. These pics are close up. If someone can spot it from across the room then you have a problem. I see loads of people with thinner/finer hair than yours and they're not worring that they're going bald. I cant beleive that anyone would look at you on the street and think 'he's going bald' Nobodys hair is totaly dense unless they're wearing a wig!
For someone with such little visible hairloss you spend an extroidinary amount of time on here, I really believe that you are over emphasising your problem I'd love to have as much hair as you've got but I've never had that much (well maybe when I was about 15). My advice to you is just stop worrying take propecia and forget about it. I'm sure that there are many others your age with the same hair who are just getting on with life not concerned about their hair and enjoying their youth.[/quote:58417]

so are you saying that i'm not balding or that i'm in the early stages?

 

[LostWind]

[quote="s.a.f":fe5b3]Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

Its not unusual to be able to see a slight bit of scalp on the crown through anyones hair. These pics are close up. If someone can spot it from across the room then you have a problem. I see loads of people with thinner/finer hair than yours and they're not worring that they're going bald. I cant beleive that anyone would look at you on the street and think 'he's going bald' Nobodys hair is totaly dense unless they're wearing a wig!
For someone with such little visible hairloss you spend an extroidinary amount of time on here, I really believe that you are over emphasising your problem I'd love to have as much hair as you've got but I've never had that much (well maybe when I was about 15). My advice to you is just stop worrying take propecia and forget about it. I'm sure that there are many others your age with the same hair who are just getting on with life not concerned about their hair and enjoying their youth.

so are you saying that i'm not balding or that i'm in the early stages?[/quote:fe5b3]

JayMan, he is right...
What balding are you talking about....its all in your head dude....
get a life

 

[ang_99]

[quote="s.a.f":62b73]Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

Its not unusual to be able to see a slight bit of scalp on the crown through anyones hair. These pics are close up. If someone can spot it from across the room then you have a problem. I see loads of people with thinner/finer hair than yours and they're not worring that they're going bald. I cant beleive that anyone would look at you on the street and think 'he's going bald' Nobodys hair is totaly dense unless they're wearing a wig!
For someone with such little visible hairloss you spend an extroidinary amount of time on here, I really believe that you are over emphasising your problem I'd love to have as much hair as you've got but I've never had that much (well maybe when I was about 15). My advice to you is just stop worrying take propecia and forget about it. I'm sure that there are many others your age with the same hair who are just getting on with life not concerned about their hair and enjoying their youth.[/quote:62b73]

wrong, he is clearly thinning....sorry.

 

[Guest]

[quote="s.a.f":740c6]Looking at these pictures I dont see that either of you have a problem.

What? It's not normal to see scalp on top through 2 inch hair. And without a flash even! You don't wanna see it with a flash trust me.

Its not unusual to be able to see a slight bit of scalp on the crown through anyones hair. These pics are close up. If someone can spot it from across the room then you have a problem. I see loads of people with thinner/finer hair than yours and they're not worring that they're going bald. I cant beleive that anyone would look at you on the street and think 'he's going bald' Nobodys hair is totaly dense unless they're wearing a wig!
For someone with such little visible hairloss you spend an extroidinary amount of time on here, I really believe that you are over emphasising your problem I'd love to have as much hair as you've got but I've never had that much (well maybe when I was about 15). My advice to you is just stop worrying take propecia and forget about it. I'm sure that there are many others your age with the same hair who are just getting on with life not concerned about their hair and enjoying their youth.

so are you saying that i'm not balding or that i'm in the early stages?

JayMan, he is right...
What balding are you talking about....its all in your head dude....
get a life [/quote:740c6]

no sorry, ang is right. i am balding.

 

[ang_99]

I have the exact same thinning pattern as you jayman....

 

[Guest]

I have the exact same thinning pattern as you jayman....

got any pics? what Norwood are you? i see very few on here with my pattern, that's why i ask. i am diffuse i guess because i'm thinning in different places all over the top.

 

[CCS]

his hair is thin, but if he has male pattern baldness, then I need to get 3 of my NW1 friends on finasteride. When the wind blows I can see a lot of his scalp, not all at once though, just square inch sections.

 

[Phillip]

I have the exact same cowlick as that guy. My hair is weird because all of the back grows to the left but then it starts going forward completely. When i examine the hairs with double mirrors i can see very terminal looking hairs so i assume im doing good. I can see my scalp though so that gets me worried at times. I can also see healthy hairs growing from my cowlick.

 

[s.a.f]

No offence intended Jayman I think that you may be in the early stages of m.p.b but to me it does'nt look particulaly agressive and you loss is barely visible. I just cant understand why you seem to be so affected by it. Everyone has the right to be worried about their appearance and I know you are fairly young so even a small loss can be a bit of a shock, but I think that you are letting it get to you too much judging by the amount of time you spend on here. Before I saw your pics I imagined you to be at about nw3/4. Thankfully you've got on the meds at this early stage so their is no need to be so overconcerned. Maybe you will lose some more over the coming years but my advice to you is dont worry about it so much, your hairloss is barely visible without the aid of a flashlight and magnifying glass. You are letting this obsession get in the way of just living in the best years of your life.