I’m 22 Years Old With a Great Hairline, but Thinning At the Top! (with Photo)

Hi! I’m 22 years old and am about to turn 23 and am very concerned about some hair loss/balding. What is most frightening is how sudden this is. Is all hair loss a sign of balding or can hair loss happen suddenly due to external factors?

While doing research on balding, I saw the pattern charts. I don’t seem to be following any pattern, but the thinning of my hair is certainly noticeable to me. My friends don’t see it yet, but I can at least style it for now to hide any thinning.

I’m seeing thinning at the top of my head… My hairlines have NOT receded and I am not experiencing any loss of hair on the sides. Do you have a guess as to what pattern this could be? Do you think it’s balding or temporary? Is there anything I can do to slow or stop it?

22 seems like a really young age to lose hair :/ especially for someone who aspires to work in the entertainment industry..

Thanks for any help or advice

Click the photo to enlarge.

We generally think that men recede front to back and with the presentations of the Norwood classifications these seems to be the case; however, I do see people maintain strong frontal hairlines and lose hair behind it. This is why when we examine a patient we test for hair bulk behind the hairline and in the crown. Often, to my surprise, I see loss of bulk in the top and/or in the crown, even when it does not appear deficient with my naked eye.

If you take a person with medium weight dark brown or black hair that has a loss of 50% of the hairs in the top and crown, you likely will not be able to tell that there is hair loss. If the bulk analysis shows hair loss in the top and crown, that is a good reason for taking finasteride and it will often control it. By taking two measurements about a year apart, you will know for sure if the hair loss continues, is stabilized, or if it reverses.

At 22 years old, it isn’t abnormal to see hair loss if you have the genetics for it. But I don’t have any idea if this is genetic balding, disease, diet, stress, etc. You need to have an examination to hopefully determine what is going on with your loss and try to get it under control. Knowing what is going on allows you to be proactive in what happens to you.