mre85

Went to see the GP today and explained that my scalp was a little bit itchy and it had become a little bit easier to see. He told me to take two things: An anti-dandruff shampoo from the pharmacy and a gel that's primary ingredient is Ketoconazol which I see is used in Nizoral. He said that I should wash with the shampoo twice a week and use the Ketoconazol twice a week. He said I should do this for three weeks. He said it was fungal but I'm not sure if he was saying that because of the way health care system is here and balding isn't really an urgent health issue or if it's actually fungal. He didn't examine my scalp at all or even really look at it. In any case, I'll give it a try.

Thanks again, Mahhong. I'm going to make an appointment ot see the GP today (will probably see him tomorrow). I'm obviously not expecting much analysis but an opinion from him wouldn't hurt. I'll let you guys know what he says. Another quick question, when did you notice your hair falling out? Did it coincide with seeing your hair thin and your scalp? Does it happen at the same time or does the hair noticeably thin first before it falls out? I've been checking my pillow when I wake up and there is maybe a few hairs (max) on my pillow. From what I can tell, I'm not shedding or losing lots (I'd notice it in the shower and on the pillow, right?). Anyway, thank you thank you thank you

Everyone- Thank you so much for the input. It's really helped and put my mind at ease a bit. I'm going to make an appointment with a GP tomorrow. I'll be very busy with work for the next couple of months so I won't have time to seek out a dermatologist. In regards to my family, I don't have too much information. My mom has 3 sisters -all of them with ridiculously thick hair. Her father (my grandfather) never went bald and always had hair with some recession on the temples. My dad always had some hair on top but he died when I was 17 so it's kind of tough for me to remember. He also had an autoimmune disease, Lupus, and I remember my mom telling me that the mix of the disease and the meds messed with his hair a little bit. I remember photos of him in his early 30's with a lot of brown hair. He has 3 brothers. Two bald, with one of their sons (my cousin) completely bald in his early 20's. The other brother has long, thick hair. But I think my granddad on that side didn't go bald (he died like 17 years before I was born). However, is it possible to get a mix of the genetics or do you pretty much get a copy of someone's hair in your near or distant family? Mahhong- Out of curiousity, how long was it before you started losing a lot of hair or other people noticed you were going bald? I don't think I'm losing very much hair; my pillow doesn't really have very much hair when I wake up. So I don't think I'm shedding (I'd be able to see loads, right?). How long does the diffuse pattern usually take once it begins? Another thing is that I think the haircutter usually uses the thinning shears on the top of my head. But I swear they've often used that in the past. I know it's a stupid question, but would it make that much of a difference. Anyway, again, thank you everyone for being supportive and, in some cases, sharing your own stories. It really does help.

Levrais- Will go ahead and do that then. Thanks for the support and info. Mattj- Alright, I know I shouldn't have done that, but I just googled Diffuse hair loss. A little freaked out now. Is this something a GP can handle? Is this something I should start dealing with now?

Levrais, thanks so much for the reply. I guess I get freaked out when my hair looks like the second picture. Should the part look so wide? I'll be living in Spain for work for the next year. I'll keep a photo diary. How often should I take the pictures?

I'm not sure if this makes much of a difference but I got a trim yesterday. Thanks again

OK, So here's my story. I'm 26 years old. About a month ago, I noticed that it was much easier to see my scalp. It's hard to describe but the best way I can do it is that when I run my fingers through my hair, I can create wide parts quite easily. There isn't one specific spot (I think) that I can do this easier than the others. I have quite a bit of hair, but it's very thin. I've always had thin hair, but I never remember noticing my scalp. I'm also not sure where I stand with a receding hairline. My temples have receded a bit but I can't tell where I fit on the Norwood scale. I can hide my scalp fine enough by pushing my hair forward, but if I'm going to start losing it soon, I'm wondering if I should look into medication, shampoo, or some type other tyep of treatment. I'm not really sure what's best for my case. I'd see a physician (I still might try), but I'm living abroad for the next year. I'm starting to get a bit of anxiety about it and I'd really appreciate any suggestions. As you can tell from the pics, I can create these spots/parts anywhere. So should I start taking steps or am I overreacting? Thanks so much