Do the people who are destined to become a Norwood 7 start balding early? i mean around what age do they usually start balding?

Yes, I do believe that the advanced balding patterns like a Class 7 pattern does start to show up earlier.

The best step for you if you think that you are in that category, is to get miniaturization studies and bulk measurement studies done on various parts of your scalp. Any early miniaturization or bulk studies will help you follow the changes over the years with good measurements… and best of all, it will tell you what the diagnosis is and how you are doing with any hair loss medication you’re using.

My question, before you start reading my situation, is simply and purely “what should I do?” I’m a gay, 18 year old male who in the last six months has noticed his hair considerably thinning and then, about two months ago, considerable amounts falling out. My hairline near my temples has receded about an inch a month, the rate is staggering. With my fringe covering my hair, however, it is not at all noticeable and my hair at the back (although thinner) has produced no visible bald spots as of yet, though that is inevitable.

My problem is my mood. I have been to my GP for blood tests and tests on my thyroids, all of which came back as fine (worse than fine, optimum!) So, alas, I have to accept it is baldness. However, I’m struggling to accept it. It turned me from the hip socialite to the withdrawn type who has not only considered suicide, but actually planned it now. I’ve always had a problem with my own face with short hair (having had long hair from a very young age!) and do not find men with short hairstyles or shaved heads attractive in the slightest, so why should I expect them to find me attractive?

I spend every day miserable, and angry. I have fits of rage, and fits of tears and it simply can’t continue. I’ve lost over 50lbs in weight through not eating and I have no interest in doing so. The advice of most is, “that’s the cards you’ve been dealt, you HAVE to deal with it.” However, this is not an option for me and, realistically, I know that if that’s all there is, I will most likely end up killing myself. What do I do?

I am concerned about your mental health, as you should be. People who seriously entertain suicide for hair loss need professional help. You should understand there are many young men in the world in your exact situation, and there are many things you can do about treating hair loss.

There’s no easy answer to the question you posed in the opening sentence of your email. Any hair loss you’re seeing could be attributed to your extreme diet or genetics, but there’s no way for me to know without an examination. I would suggest you see a doctor about hair loss and treatment options, but more importantly consider discussing your issues with friends or counselors. Losing hair is not the end of the world. You should really seek out someone who will help you deal with life.

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.

Dr., Thank you for this forum. I have read your comments in all categories many times but never found one that mentioned what seems to be happening with my hair loss.

I have been losing hair from the temples and top my head at an alarming rate. I am in my early forties and always had medium length hair that I never had to comb since it is wavy.

Lately I noticed if I do use a comb I see that there are many many hairs that actually have the root ‘bulb?’ attached to the end of the hairs. It is like I am losing the actual cells that generate the hair. I do not know why this is happening.

Any comment is appreciated, thank you.

With respect to your situation, I couldn’t give you a diagnosis or even guess at the the cause of your hair loss. There’s no clear reason I can come up with, but for men, most hair loss is generally related to genetics and it follows a certain pattern — thus the term male “pattern” baldness (MPB). While you are in your 40s, it isn’t impossible that your genetic loss would start now. You need to see a doctor and have a good examination.

What you are seeing at the end of your hair shaft may be white sebum (a waxy oily substance) and it is not related to hair loss.

Hi,

I just graduated college (22) and was a heavy drinker for four years (drunken stuper 3-4 nights a week, and heavy smoke the last year, as well as some drug use (vynase, oxycodone). Often times i’d be hungover for 12 hours, probably didn’t eat right.

I graduated and stopped, but was wondering if hair loss/thinning is temporary or not. My entire scalp is thin, with some receding.

Dad’s entire family has/had thick hair, one uncle on mom’s side went bald at 16, and so did his son.

While it’s obvious that you made some poor decisions re: drinking and drug use, I couldn’t tell you if they contributed to your hair loss. Nutritional problems can lead to hair loss, but you do have some family history of hair loss. The most likely culprit is genetics. I don’t know how long your hair loss has been going on or if you’ve done anything to treat it.

I would see a doctor for an examination of your scalp, and if you can find a doctor that will do microscopic miniaturization mapping, that’s even better. If you do have early genetic hair loss, Propecia would be a good way to slow the loss down. Talk to your doctor about that, as it is a prescription medication.