I'm in the same situation as you Ben. I noticed hair loss when I was 18/19 and blamed it on everything other than MPB. My hair loss is nearly identical to yours. Especially in the first pic. Same type of thinning while retaining some weak hairs on either side. First off, I would start Rogaine RIGHT NOW. 2x a day. Let me save you some trouble: Buy the foam. Purchase it on ebay or amazon for a better deal. The liquid takes far too long to dry and 2 hours of your day will be spent waiting for the stuff to do so. Then at night you risk rubbing it all over your pillows as you toss and turn. Make the investment in foam. Second, STICK WITH IT. I don't care how much you shed or think it isn't working. Ceasing its application will make it worse. Trust me, I did it and went nearly bald in those two frontal areas before I started it up again. Give it at least a year NO MATTER WHAT or DO NOT TRY IT. Also, and here is the biggest tip I can give. Do not procrastinate along any step of the process I explained and will explain below: Go to the store, buy the first bottle of Rogaine Foam even if it costs more than online. Start using it TODAY. Make an appointment with your Doctor tomorrow morning and get those pills asap. It literally takes him 2 minutes to prescribe. You go in, show him your hairline, say I want "x" and you're done. Every day you sit and say "tomorrow" is one more day that hair continues to fall out that you will most likely not recover.
When you go to the doctor ask him for a prescription of *5mg* Finasteride. Explain the process of cutting the pill into 4ths to save money. I ended up spending hundreds of dollars on Propecia over the course of 6 months. This was until I simply informed him of the pill cutting "trick". Now I have a 2 years supply of 5mg REGULATED Finasteride for $50. Meaning no "what ifs" that you may have when dealing with online generics. Don't risk it. Be smart. Who cares what the doctors and/or nurse will think when you go there the first time and talk about hair loss. Walk in, get what you need, walk out and fuck them. I mean that. Who cares. GET OVER IT. I would also invest in a shampoo. I use Revita. It is somewhat pricey($28 a bottle on amazon). However it lasts in my experience 3 months or so using it even as directed(2 applications per shower). It is also a BOMB shampoo in its own right. These three treatments, according to "most" are the big 3 and will give you the best chance to grow back or maintain what you have.
I too went to a well known doctor and was denied a hair transplant due to my age(21). In my opinion that entire thing is bullshit, but whatever. We "waste" the best times of our lives unable to get a transplant because a doctor doesn't label us as ready. Well guess what, I have the money, understanding, and ACCEPTANCE that while it might not be the "smartest" time to get one, I simply DO NOT CARE. Hair loss has been a huge "curse" for me over the past years and I would be willing to get 10 transplants over the course of the next 10 years if it meant having a full head of hair in my 20's and then wasting away and being scarred and completely bald in my 30's. And I mean that 100%.
I have used Dermmatch as a hiding agent, and while it works I quickly became tired of the process of wearing a paint on tupee.
In any case, you get an essay for an essay I suppose. If others don't like it, don't read it. Good luck.
I am also adding in: Start taking a good multi vitamin(not centrum or some other lackluster storebought, use something like Life Force). Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Obviously I have no proof if this works... but you'll be improving all other aspects of your life by eating and living right and hopefully it will aid in your struggle.