Hairline recession from Age 3 to 31, need opinions

[jacksonbrowne]

This is me at almost 31. Ugh. Asian male, wavy coarse hair. Was born with a ****ty hairline around Norwood 3 so it's always been a sore spot for me. I think it's somewhere around a Norwood 3A to 4A. I'm ready to do a hair transplant now and would like some opinions and feedback.

 

Have been taking Wellbutrin for 5 months which has coincided with a thinning of my hair and it doesn't grow as fast as it used to. I'm not sure if there is a direct link or just coincidence.

 

In addition in the past 2 weeks, i've quit drinking 2-3litres of diet coke daily and avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I smoked for 10 years and quit 5 months ago coinciding with wellbutrin.

 

I'm really hoping that with transplant surgery, I can get the hairline I never had in my teens and twenties.

 

Do y'all think I could get a flatter hairline than juvenile to bring the corners and temples out? How many grafts do you guys think I need?

Edited June 17, 2010 by Future_HT_Doc
removed profanity

[mattj]

Wow, this must be the longest spanning documentation of hairloss yet, and you're still young.

 

It would certainly be possible to construct a new hairline somewhat lower than even your juvenile hairline. It doesn't look like you've lost that much during adulthood so I see no reason why you would be a poor candidate. That wavy, coarse hair will give good coverage. It's best to see what a transplant doctor or doctors have to say regarding graft numbers, but at a guess I would say that you're looking at 3000+ grafts, depending on just how much lower you want to go.

Edited June 6, 2010 by mattj

[qwerty]

I too was born with a hairline that was receding. The corners of my forehead have always been wayyyy back and the front part of the hairline was super high, but the good thing for me is that Ive kept most of my hair and I am 39. I just had the corners of my hairline touched up and in fact, have hair where I never had it. The front hairline, at most, went back a 1/4 inch. It's ironic that some of the people I went to school with had hair I envied....but they were bald by their mid 20s. So I guess I cant complain too much.....

 

I too wanted a hairline that I never had in my teens, and may do so at some point. I wear my a way that it covers up the corners of my hairline that had transplants done a month ago. I may, in a couple of years, get the front lowered some...but am afraid to. I am so used to having a high hairline that I am actually used to it...plus, should I go bald, it's less donor hair that I would to use elsewhere.

[Sparky]

I'd go for an even straighter hairline than you have drawn on, you deserve it after all these years, how much hair do your male relations have?

[jacksonbrowne]

I'd go for an even straighter hairline than you have drawn on, you deserve it after all these years, how much hair do your male relations have?

 

 

Thanks for the kind words. Both my dad and uncle are bald, and i had the shittiest hairline in the extended family of male relatives which number around 10. It sucks even more when your family is making fun of you. My oldest cousin finally went bald so he's quiet now. My 34 yr old brother still has ALL his hair which sucks as a younger brother.

 

The hairline I drew is the hairline I had as a kid. I always had long bangs as a kid to cover up the corners. always a source of consternation.

 

If/when I do get a HT, I want to lower the corners and get a flat hairline since i have excellent donor density, but i'm afraid of Jon Gosselin style recession.

Edited June 21, 2010 by jacksonbrowne
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[jacksonbrowne]

I too was born with a hairline that was receding. The corners of my forehead have always been wayyyy back and the front part of the hairline was super high, but the good thing for me is that Ive kept most of my hair and I am 39. I just had the corners of my hairline touched up and in fact, have hair where I never had it. The front hairline, at most, went back a 1/4 inch. It's ironic that some of the people I went to school with had hair I envied....but they were bald by their mid 20s. So I guess I cant complain too much.....

 

I too wanted a hairline that I never had in my teens, and may do so at some point. I wear my a way that it covers up the corners of my hairline that had transplants done a month ago. I may, in a couple of years, get the front lowered some...but am afraid to. I am so used to having a high hairline that I am actually used to it...plus, should I go bald, it's less donor hair that I would to use elsewhere.

 

I know exactly how you feel! I'm not gay, but i've admired certain dudes hairlines that are now non-existent!

 

At 39, aren't you fairly confident of keeping the rest of your hair?

[jacksonbrowne]

It's now 2 years later. I thought things couldn't get any worse, but......

 

-Hairline remains the same.

-Thinning significantly on top and in back. Frontal forelock remains.

-Hair won't grow as long.

 

Additionally, hair has thinned in the permanent zones as well. I'm surprised at how hair texture has changed from raw and coarse to thin and wispy. In 2010, I could sweep it forward and cover the enormous temple bald spots. That's no longer possible.

 

A giant bald patch is forming along the crown area where the cowlick is. No bald spot, but the area is noticeably thinning and I can no longer comb it over.

 

Since January (6.5 months) I have made some dietary changes along with discontinuing certain meds (Wellbutrin) I suspect of exacerbating the situation. I'm still on adderall (amphetamine) which is known to cause hair loss.

 

-No more diet cola or any products containing aspartame (was drinking 3 litres/day diet soda)

-Discontinued Wellbutrin.

 

I've noticed that hair is growing in at a faster rate (globally) with some minor thickening in the temporal triangle area.I'm hoping that with the dietary and medicine changes, the permanent zones will grow back thicker and coarser and hopefully some improvement on top and in back.

Edited July 17, 2012 by jacksonbrowne
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[jacksonbrowne]

This is my crown and top in 2005. Any signs of crown thinning in the picture?

[RCWest]

I'm glad to see you keeping up with this thread!

 

Anti depressants are notorious for causing hair loss. I would never take them. I've had doctors try to tell me I am depressed when I am not (I am a chronic pain patient). Almost every person I know who takes anti depressants has thinning hair, women included.

 

Even though you were born with a receeded hairline, your hair seems to be holding on pretty good, I think. You've thinned a tad, but considering the timeline your hair loss is very slow. Are you on Finasteride? It's amazing!

[almostdone99]

Have you thought about trying a buzz cut? My head is not an optimal shape for a buzz, but having hair isn't important to me anymore....my sanity is priority! Have you looked into SMP? You seem destined for an ht, like I was years ago. Try to have an open mind.

[jacksonbrowne]

SMP? I usually buzz it off and you're right, sanity first. Because my temporal points are swept so far back, it looks like two flaps fluttering around chasing my frontal forelock. Hat is still my best friend.

[almostdone99]

Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) is pigment, as small dots, placed on one's head to simulate real hair. My point was not to recommend SMP, but to look at every option possible. Everyone is different and all that nonsense. For me, I am looking into SMP because my donor area is depleted due to many ht's.

[jacksonbrowne]

I read up on SMP over a year ago. I'd shy away from it since it'd be hard to get rid of if I ever decided to shave my head.

 

To all the hair loss experts, is this a realistic hairline given my state of balding?

[mattj]

The hairline (in this case I mean the horizontal line) is fairly realistic. The parts you've drawn at the sides come in too far though. That wouldn't be advisable.

[aaron1234]

Definitely get on Fin ASAP if you are not on it already. A transplant is definitely an option for you but make sure your donor area is stable and hasn't thinned due to the anti-depressants.

[jacksonbrowne]

Don't like the side effects of Fin, i'm back on Rogaine again. After close to 7 months off Wellbutrin and heavy aspartame consumption, i'm going to wait it out a year to see the benefits.

 

I thought that the benefits of getting an HT was so one doesn't need to mess around with pills and topical solutions.