Does Miniaturized Hair Imply a Form of Alopecia?

In this answer you stated; “it is normal to have some miniaturization or thinning in the very front edge of your hairline“.

and in this answer you stated: “The maturing hairline is as thick as the juvenile hairline, as long as there is no genetic hair loss in the actual hairline (no miniaturization). Sometimes, the mature hairline is thinner (at least it seems that way to me as I look at my mature hairline), but that is just a feeling.”

These two answers confuse me since it seems that you in your first answer suggests that it is normal with some thinning in the very front, but in the second answer, it is NOT normal with some thinning in the very front. If this is not a contradiction I suppose the juvenile hairline also have some normal thinning at the very front?

I would be really greatful if you could clear these things up…

Best Regards

Miniaturized hair means that the hair shaft is smaller than a normal (terminal hair) shaft. If you look at a follicular unit, you will see some vellus hairs (shorter and finer) and occasional thinner hair shafts, which when they are not present in substantial quantity, may be normal. As these smaller hair shafts are found all over the head, one must draw the line as to what may constitute a ‘medical condition’ that reflects genetic balding or other forms of alopecia. I have arbitrarily determined that any miniaturized count out of a population of normal hair shaft ‘terminal’ hairs, should be under 20%. When the thin (miniaturized) hair counts exceed 20%, I assume that this is a medical condition. In the frontal line, many people have thinner hairs, sometime exceeding 20% (in the first 1/2cm). If there is no miniaturization above 20% behind this first 1/2cm, then I would call this the soft look that God gave us to produce a transition from bare forehead to thick hair.

All hair shafts are not equal. In people with coarse hair, thicker hair shafts must be offset by finer frontal hair shafts and we actually see finer hair at the edge of a frontal hairline (first 1/2cm or so). The same is true for everyone, but the phenomenon I am talking about is most evident in the coarse hair person.

I hope this helps.