They use an instrument called a dermoscope (trichoscope)! It looks at the hair with 50 times magnification. This view shows the value of the instrument, especially when combined with the experience of the person using it. Below is a picture of a patient with alopecia areata showing blunted exclamation mark hairs (black arrows) which makes the diagnosis for the expert evident. The red arrows show miniaturized hairs.
My paternal grandfather went bald in his 40-50s, one of my uncles in their late 30s and the other one in his 40s. My dad on the other hand was a NW 7 by 32. A lot of people here say mpb comes from your maternal side but that doesnt always seem to be the case(my maternal grandfather went bald in his 60s). Im currently a NW2 maybe less idk, which isnt bad I wanted to know if there are any high chances i keep my hair until at least my 30s because i dont really mind being bald after than that but being bald so early sucks.
Your uncles and grandparents just tell you if the balding genes are in your family line. Then you have to determine who you might take after.
Use a mirror and camera together, that is how you do it.
You seem to have significant recession. I doubt that minoxidil will work but used with microneedling it might. Get a good doctor who will build a Personalized Master Plan for your hair loss with you. A hair transplant is a sure option worth considering
[May 2019 Study] Effectiveness and Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenic Alopecia:
TL;DR – 2.5mg and 5mg dose of oral minoxidil found safe and effective in 41 male patients. 90% of patients had marked improvements.
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
Of 41 male patients (mean age, 33.3 years; range, 20–55 years) with androgenetic alopecia who received oral minoxidil monotherapy (2.5 or 5 mg daily) for a minimum of 6 months, 37 patients (90.2%) had clinical improvement, which was marked in 11 of them (26.8%). Only 4 patients (9.8%) demonstrated stabilization of their alopecia; however, none of these patients experienced worsening of the condition. Adverse effects included hypertrichosis (24.3%), lower limb edema (4.8%), and shedding (2.4%).
Results of this retrospective study indicated that oral minoxidil at 2.5 mg and 5 mg daily can be an effective therapy for male androgenetic alopecia, with a mild side-effect profile.
– InYoung Kim, MD, PhD
So I saw one of the best docs in the business a couple of years ago. I’m probably a NW2-ish but I have temple recession. 2 years ago my hair was in way better shape. Now, this past summer I basically lost my temple points and have some diffuse thinning up top. So much more apparent on one side of my head though, and as a result I can’t part my hair effectively on that side. I remember at the time of my consult, this doc kept saying how I was the perfect candidate because I already have good hair. So if I wanted to go aggressive, I could because he thought I had a low chance of losing more hair. He knew my family history (my dad had decent hair into his 30s but then he kept losing it and he’s now a NW7). Looking back on my consult, I’m really disappointed that the doctor was so confident about my hair. It’s not realistic. It felt like he just wanted more money. I ended up not getting the transplant.
Hair loss is ALWAYS progressive by its nature. Your doctor either didn’t know what he was talking about or was out to sell you his services at your expense (wanted to get into your wallet).
Recently I’ve started to notice my hairline thinning (I guess its about time at 30 years old) but not receding. Its by no means bad, and the top, back, sides of my head are still thick. Having done research on typical alternatives, it seems to take fin for just hairline thinning and no recession might be overkill. I could use minoxidil but applying it 2 times a day for the rest of my life is a pain. Is the solution for those of us with a thinning hairline, but not receding, and OK everywhere else (hopefully…!) a hair transplant?
If you are in or near Southern California, visit me. Topical finasteride might be a reasonable solution, provided we are sure that you are not balding elsewhere on your head. That is why I would perform a HAIR CHECK test ( https://baldingblog.com/haircheck-test-how-it-is-done-and-what-its-value/ ) first to make sure that there is no undetectable balding elsewhere.
Twice a week of 1mg will give you between 1/2 & 3/4 of the effect.
Excellent Results in 30 Year Old Female Using Minoxidil Religiously for One Year. The pictures speak for themselves. Minoxidil is an excellent choice in women who are pre-menopausal and can’t take finasteride.
I see a whole lot of success stories from people who have been on it for 9 months to a year or so. Can anyone who’s been on it for years tell me about sides or anything? I’m worried about developing sides after 2 years or so into it.
I have thousands of men on finasteride for more than 10 years. Few report side effects and most see stabilization of their hair loss.
So I have been taking Finasteride 1mg daily and minoxidil 1ml twice a day for the past 2 months now. I thought I was experiencing brain fog as a side effect for awhile and denied it for a bit. I go to look up what brain fog is and it has more to do with confusion. What I’m experiencing feels more like an irl motion blur of sorts and as far as I know I’m experiencing no forms of confusion (or more than regular at least as I have adhd to begin with). Can this be classified as brain fog? Can this be caused by Finasteride or minoxidil? It seems to start every time I get to work and lasts for 3-5 hours and it’s really not that bad but its noticeable.
You should see a dermatologist! This could be alopecia areata.
5 alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARI) include finasteride and dutasteride, and are commonly prescribed in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia. 5ARIs are associated with several known adverse effects (AEs), with varying reported prevalence rates. The aim was to review and summarize findings from published literature detailing AEs associated with 5ARI use. A secondary aim was to review potential mechanisms of action, which may account for these observed and reported AEs. A PubMed search was conducted on articles published from 1992 to 2012, which reported AEs with 5ARIs. Priority was given to randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Studies investigating potential mechanisms of action for 5ARIs were included for review. AE data reported from available trials were summarized and reviewed. Reported AEs with 5ARIs include sexual dysfunction, infertility, mood disorders, gynecomastia, high-grade prostate cancer, breast cancer, and cardiovascular morbidity/risk factors, although their true association, prevalence, causality, and clinical significance remain unclear. A pooled summary of all randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluating 5ARIs (N = 62,827) revealed slightly increased rates over placebo for decreased libido (1.5%), erectile dysfunction (ED) (1.6%), ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) (3.4%), and gynecomastia (1.3%). The limited data available on the impact of 5ARIs on mood disorders demonstrate statistically significant (although clinically minimal) differences in rates of depression and/or anxiety. Similarly, there are limited reports of reversible, diminished fertility among susceptible individuals. Post-marketing surveillance reports have questioned the actual prevalence of AEs associated with 5ARI use and suggest the possibility of persistent symptoms after drug discontinuation. Well-designed studies evaluating these reports are needed. 5ARIs are associated with slightly increased rates of decreased libido, ED, EjD, gynecomastia, depression, and/or anxiety. Further studies directed at identifying prevalence rates and persistence of symptoms beyond drug discontinuation are required to assess causality. Trost L, Saitz TR, and Hellstrom WJG. Side effects of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors: A comprehensive review. Sex Med Rev 2013;1:24–41.
