Vegetarians, Nutritional Deficiency, and Hair Loss

I am 17, male, and have been loosing the hair in the front of my head for about a year and a half now. I do believe during that time I had used a hair product I was allergic to, as I had a sore scalp in some ares. But I have discontinued it’s use, and was wondering:

1. how normal (or not normal) it is to begin having a receding hair line at 16 years of age?
2. being a vegetarian, could it be a nutritional deficiency?
3. in other answers, I have seen you mention “normal ‘maturing’ hairline development”, or something of the sort. What IS a ‘maturing’ hair growth pattern?
4. could masturbating or not exercising affect that, and if so, in what way?

1. Yes, a receding hairline can start at 16 years old. Normal? That depends on the person’s genes.
2. If you do not have a balanced diet and have a nutritional deficiency, you can thin or lose your hair — this has nothing to do with meat-eaters or vegetarians.
3. You should get your scalp mapped out for miniaturization to determine when it is a receding hairline vs genetic hair loss. See Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature for more on the maturing hairline.
4. Neither masturbating nor exercise will cause you to lose your hair.

My best advice for you at this point is to see a doctor who can develop a Master Plan for your balding problem and work with him/her, as hair loss is a serious business.