Diffuse Thinning or Early Norwood 7?

In a recent question you write: “A 25 year old man already showing thinning in the Norwood Class 7 pattern will not benefit from Propecia unless it is caught early and still it may not do much more than stop the loss from occurring.”

Is there any difference between “thinning in the Norwood Class 7 pattern” and “diffuse pattern alopecia?”

And what’s a good way to determine if you are catching your thinning early? If you have hair all over your head, but your scalp is starting to be seen in the mirror, is that early? Or ?

Let me clarify things a bit. If you are 25 years old and already a Norwood class 7 (it does happen), you will not benefit from Propecia because there is no hair left to save. If you still have some hair, and show signs of Norwood 7 with significant miniaturization present in that pattern, then Propecia would help hold on to the hair longer. Norwood 7 has a definite pattern to thinning of hair loss. A diffuse pattern is just as it states — you are thinning all over (even in the sides and back of the scalp).

A good way to determine if you are thinning early is to have your scalp hair examined for signs of miniaturization. Get the scalp mapped, then have it done again in 6 months to compare the results.