Jump to content

How Fast Did You Bald?


Recommended Posts

  • Senior Member

I noticed a slight recession on my temple area at the right side when I was 15 or 16, continued to lose hair (didn't take medication) through years. I still have some hairs on my scalp but safe to say I am considered bald man today. Would say since I was 31 

It can be long process 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

In the 30 years I've been involved in this industry I think I've experienced all.  I've seen patients remain stable for years only to find, within 1 year, they lost a considerable amount of hair. Seems, by what you've written, that you have experience very gradual loss.  If there is family history and you know it's coming, I would encourage you to speak with your doctor or derm about getting on medical therapy ASAP.  Once you lose it, it's not coming back, so be proactive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member
40 minutes ago, LaserCap said:

In the 30 years I've been involved in this industry I think I've experienced all.  I've seen patients remain stable for years only to find, within 1 year, they lost a considerable amount of hair. Seems, by what you've written, that you have experience very gradual loss.  If there is family history and you know it's coming, I would encourage you to speak with your doctor or derm about getting on medical therapy ASAP.  Once you lose it, it's not coming back, so be proactive.

Well that’s the thing, only my dad is bald out of everyone in my family and he lost all of his hair by 30. 

I tried finasteride, gave me terrible sides.

Minoxidil worked for a few years.  I have a consultation with a hair transplant doc next week 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I went from a thinning crown at 15 to about a NW 6 at 22 and then NW 7 (except that I had a hair transplant) somewhere around age 30.

 

Edited by BeHappy

Al

Forum Moderator

(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Check out my hair transplant journey in my signature. I pretty much went bald by 29.


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I first noticed I was receding at 17, and I knew where I was headed by looking at my dad who was then 50 and pretty much bald.

In my early 20's my hair started to thin out but sprays and concealers were a life-saver for many years. At around 30 I noticed my crown thinning and general thinning over a large area front to back. Had it not been for multiple transplants I'd be a NW 6 now at the age of 49 - similar to how my dad had looked when I first noticed I was losing hair.

Thanks to my procedures though I can still pull off the look of a full head of hair (with a little help from concealers). 

I'd say my loss has been steady but quite gradual over the years which has bought me time. Of course everybody's different though and your mileage may vary.

I am an online representative for Farjo Hair Institute

 

Dr. Bessam Farjo is an esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

 

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions shared are my own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I first noticed my temples receding at around 22, but it stopped at a NW 2-3 and was otherwise very thick for many years. So much so that nobody would have considered me to be “balding” and by the time I reached my mid-thirties I thought I’d dodged a bullet and that I’d be one of those guys who has some temporal recession/mature hairline but otherwise has a full head of hair (a look I actually preferred, tbh). 

Unfortunately, as I approached 40 I started to recede further and thin out, and it’s looking like it could progress to a high NW. I’d say I’ve moved from a NW2-3 to a NW3-4 over the span of about 3-4 years after a good 12 or so years of no progression. 

My father is a NW 5, but he has brothers who are NW3 and the males on my mother’s side all have perfect, Brad Pitt hair (including my grandfather who died at 80 with a ridiculous amount of hair). My older brother seems to have held at a NW2-3 (what I hoped I’d stabilized at). 

In short, as frustrating as it is, there’s really no surefire way to predict male pattern baldness. That applies to when it commences and to how rapidly it progresses. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/21/2019 at 9:10 PM, LaserCap said:

In the 30 years I've been involved in this industry I think I've experienced all.  I've seen patients remain stable for years only to find, within 1 year, they lost a considerable amount of hair. Seems, by what you've written, that you have experience very gradual loss.  If there is family history and you know it's coming, I would encourage you to speak with your doctor or derm about getting on medical therapy ASAP.  Once you lose it, it's not coming back, so be proactive.

Perfectly stated. I think there is a picture of the Norwood Hamilton scale in the dictionary next to the definition of "unpredictable."

One of the most common questions I am asked during consultations is: how is my hair loss going to progress? And, like you said here, there is very little way of knowing. While you do pick up on some very general patterns and timelines after seeing it so many times, I am continually surprised by how the hair loss progresses in different patients. I have seen people in the office whom, I believed, showed ominous signs of advanced hair loss, only to see them back years later in the office and not a thing changed (no medical therapy either). I have also seen patients whom I believed only had isolated hair loss with great hair behind and around it show up 6-12 months later with significant thinning and signs that they would progress to an advanced level. 

So I think the takeaway here is that everyone is different, it is a progressive condition, and you should always think in the "long term," especially when it comes to surgery. Use your grafts wisely and do not put yourself in a bad position up the road. 

Dr. Blake Bloxham is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network.

 

 

Hair restoration physician - Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation

 

Previously "Future_HT_Doc" or "Blake_Bloxham" - forum co-moderator and editorial assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, Hair Restoration Network, Hair Loss Q&A blog, and Hair Loss Learning Center.

 

Click here to read my previous answers to hair loss and hair restoration questions, editorials, commentaries, and educational articles.

 

Now practicing hair transplant surgery with Coalition hair restoration physician Dr Alan Feller at our New York practice: Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation.

 

Please note: my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...