Really Upset And Worried About This. Is This Thinning Or A Cowlick?

[jeff999]

So, for the past few days I've been worrying so much about this. 

I'm not 1000% sure of my family history of baldness but I think my dad might have a receding hairline. My grandfather has hair, so does his brother, my great grandfather still had hair(though not a lot of it) when he died at 84(or something like that)

I've been told previously that it might be a cowlick, swirl, or a part. It stretches a tiny bit down the back of my head, leading people to it being a part. But i'm very scared still. It's hard to take picture because it looks worse in some light and nearly non existent in others. My normal hairline is fine, no receding at all. 

I have hair that sticks up in that area and makes it even worse, i think. it sucks. 

I'm beside myself at this point. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by jeff999

[LaserCap]

Taking the fact that you are dealing with a lot of contrast issues given the color of the hair and scalp, It does seem like you are starting to thin, and into a very large pattern.  So, let me ask you to do a few things.  Go to a Norwood chart, (type up the string on Google).  Print it out.  Take a pencil and go to class 5.  Cover the figure lightly with the pencil.  So, when you look at family history, when you look through the hair they have, are they thinning in a class 5 pattern?  I venture  to say this is exactly what is happening.  Now for the good news.  You have tons of hair and you are young.  You are enjoying the hairline you had when you were a teenager.  But there is history of loss.  The first thing I would do is go to a hair transplant doctor and have a preliminary discussion about medical therapy.  I would have them scope your head.  You'll notice some really nice thick hair and others that are thinner, miniaturized.  This is hair loss.  What we are trying to do with the use of meds is to slot down the loss, halt it, or maybe even reversing the miniaturization.  

 

[jeff999]

Well, that bums me out tremendously. I guess I have to start looking for a doctor to go see about this. I was really hoping not to be balding at the age of 24 but i'll start saving for hair transplant surgery. 

"Go to a Norwood chart, (type up the string on Google).  Print it out.  Take a pencil and go to class 5.  Cover the figure lightly with the pencil.  So, when you look at family history, when you look through the hair they have, are they thinning in a class 5 pattern?" 

 

The only person in my family who is balding is my dad and I rarely see him. 

 

 

[Melvin- Admin]

It looks like it may be thinning slightly. Get on finasteride and minoxidil and stop worrying about it. Trust me no one can tell you are even thinning. You're early enough where the medication may reverse your hair loss for years to come.

[jeff999]

7 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

It looks like it may be thinning slightly. Get on finasteride and minoxidil and stop worrying about it. Trust me no one can tell you are even thinning. You're early enough where the medication may reverse your hair loss for years to come.

Thanks. I'm gonna go see a dermatologist and see what they say and put me on. i appreciate the advice