Can I Reach My Full Pattern by 21 Years Old?

Is it possible for someone to reach their full pattern at 21? My hair started thinning rapidly at 17. I am 22 now, and for the last year I have been a NW 2a, so it is not just a mature hairline. There has been no change in my hair over the last year and my remaining hair is thick (verified by a doctor that there is no miniaturization).

Both of my grandfathers had the exact same pattern, and going by photographs, they both reached by their late twenties. I know you can never be certain, and that hair loss is complicated and unpredictable, but is there a decent chance I have inherited the same pattern? It just seems very early for my hairloss to reach its full extent.

Thanks for the great blog and all the time you spend helping people with their hair problems!

It’s possible to reach a pattern you’re going to stick with forever by 21, but it is really difficult if not impossible for anyone to definitively say what your future pattern will be by just examining your scalp at such a young age. I realize you would like some words of comfort, but unfortunately I cannot give it to you.

The best thing to do is to keep an eye on it, but the try not to obsess over it. You can always be followed by a doctor who can establish a Master Plan, figuring out where you are going and what you can do about it.