Am I balding or is this a bad cowlick?

[marine2000]

I'm kind of freaking out here. Probably having a mental breakdown. Anyway I recently shaved my entire head out of extreme anguish and forceful acceptance but I'm really not sure. My dad thinks I'm crazy and insists that it's a cowlick and thus is refusing to make an appointment with a dermatologist. Even if he wanted to, we can't because of this virus situation (which may not end for many months). Anyway I'm stressed as all hell. I can't rock the bald look, my head doesn't have the shape for it and I can't grow a beard well. Am I balding? I think I am but again my dad says I'm not and having asked on other websites I get 70% bad cowlick 30% early stages of mpb. I'm only 18 and just finishing high school. This is driving me insane. First two pics are the back of my head. Next one is the back of my head but shaved. Last three are my hairline but shaved. So, am I balding? And what do I do? Please give me an answer I'm dying here and have no support from anyone so far. I feel trapped and hopeless. 

[Sijac09]

Just a cows lick in my opinion, but keep a close eye on it and maybe take a photo once every couple months to check it’s not hair loss

[TorontoMan]

I believe it’s a cowlick as well, but just start monitoring it. No need to panic, you have a solid head of hair all over. 
 

I have a similar situation too & lighting plays a part in that area. 
first photo is under direct light, and the next one is me in the same spot, just slightly turned my head away from being directly under the light. 

[Melvin- Admin]

I would definitely monitor the situation, there's no need to freak out, even if you are in the beginning stages of MPB, you have caught it early enough where you would maintain most of your hair for at least 10+years.

[marine2000]

On 4/19/2020 at 4:44 AM, Sijac09 said:

Just a cows lick in my opinion, but keep a close eye on it and maybe take a photo once every couple months to check it’s not hair loss

 

On 4/19/2020 at 7:51 AM, TorontoMan said:

I believe it’s a cowlick as well, but just start monitoring it. No need to panic, you have a solid head of hair all over. 
 

I have a similar situation too & lighting plays a part in that area. 
first photo is under direct light, and the next one is me in the same spot, just slightly turned my head away from being directly under the light. 

Thank you for your reassurance but I feel like my hairline has the real answer. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of when I was young so I can't compare (lived with mother until 6, she moved and isn't with us anymore) and my dad hasn't taken any pics of me either. I can't even find school photos because those were all thrown away. Not a very sentimental family. But my current predicament is this. I always see online that a hairline that isn't straight or v-shaped is considered balding. Mine is in-between a U and a V and I seriously cannot tell whether I am receding. When I had longer hair I tried pulling at the hair at my temples but they didn't come off so at least they're not weak but I'm still worried. Torontoman, to be honest I don't think you're even close to balding yet. Yours is quite a normal cowlick/hair whorl and you aren't showing signs of thinning, not even a little. My "cowlick" looks huge in comparison. 

22 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I would definitely monitor the situation, there's no need to freak out, even if you are in the beginning stages of MPB, you have caught it early enough where you would maintain most of your hair for at least 10+years.

Thank you. My dad has only barely started thinning (full head of hair) in his late 40s and two of his brothers (also in their late 40s) have full hair without loss yet. His third brother started to recede in his late 30's but still looks good today in his mid 40s. My grandpa on my dad's side didn't go bald until he was 60. I know almost nothing about my mom's side of the family because she has no brothers and I'm disconnected from her but apparently her dad had a full head of hair well into his 50s. If I'm really balding at 18 it's the worst luck ever. Can't even stage my hairline myself. On other sites people tell me it's just a mature hairline, others say Norwood 2 and that it's either normal or beginning to bald. Even had someone say between 2 and 3, definitely balding. Can't see a derm for months. Guess I'll be obsessively looking at my hair everyday as it grows.

Edited April 21, 2020 by marine2000
Grammar

[Melvin- Admin]

I had the words luck as well, my father in his 60’s full head of hair, my brother in his 40’s full head of hair, and me before 30 bald. Unfortunately, the MPB gene can skip a generation. It’s not only father, brother, grandfather, but also uncles you need to consider.

Regardless, we live in an age where you can still have the appearance of a full head of hair. There’s no need to get too down. If you start treatment now, you’ll maintain most of your hair for a very long time. 

[TorontoMan]

I didn't mean to take away from your post with my photos, just meant to show you that in that area lighting could be a factor. My loss is mainly some recession in my temples and hairline, about a  Norwood 2. My mother's side has the perfect hair gene, her father passed at 80 something with a complete head of hair, and her brother whos 65 now still has it. On my father's side, loss seems to extend to as far as norwood 3 maybe 4. So unlucky I didn't inherit from my mom. That being said I'm still grateful for catching it early enough to start treatment and prevent as much as I can, and thankfully we live in times of hair restoration. So my point to you is that I don't see much loss at all, your hairline is in tact and you've noticed something much earlier than most guys do (if its even anything). Took me close to three years to admit to myself that my hair was thinning. Go see a dermatologist or even consult with a good hair surgeon and get an assessment done when all this shit is over. Continue to research and learn about what you could do for it, but stressing just puts you back. For the time being if its a bother, use some fibers to cover it up the little whirl you have going, and take some photos every month to monitor it. 

 

[marine2000]

On 4/21/2020 at 7:35 AM, Melvin-Moderator said:

I had the words luck as well, my father in his 60’s full head of hair, my brother in his 40’s full head of hair, and me before 30 bald. Unfortunately, the MPB gene can skip a generation. It’s not only father, brother, grandfather, but also uncles you need to consider.

Regardless, we live in an age where you can still have the appearance of a full head of hair. There’s no need to get too down. If you start treatment now, you’ll maintain most of your hair for a very long time. 

Thanks for some reassurance.

On 4/21/2020 at 11:30 AM, TorontoMan said:

I didn't mean to take away from your post with my photos, just meant to show you that in that area lighting could be a factor. My loss is mainly some recession in my temples and hairline, about a  Norwood 2. My mother's side has the perfect hair gene, her father passed at 80 something with a complete head of hair, and her brother whos 65 now still has it. On my father's side, loss seems to extend to as far as norwood 3 maybe 4. So unlucky I didn't inherit from my mom. That being said I'm still grateful for catching it early enough to start treatment and prevent as much as I can, and thankfully we live in times of hair restoration. So my point to you is that I don't see much loss at all, your hairline is in tact and you've noticed something much earlier than most guys do (if its even anything). Took me close to three years to admit to myself that my hair was thinning. Go see a dermatologist or even consult with a good hair surgeon and get an assessment done when all this shit is over. Continue to research and learn about what you could do for it, but stressing just puts you back. For the time being if its a bother, use some fibers to cover it up the little whirl you have going, and take some photos every month to monitor it. 

 

I wasn't offended, I was just honestly saying that to me, even with the new picture you just posted, it doesn't look like you have hair loss at all. I obviously don't know your situation though so sorry if my opinion is dead wrong

Anyway hair is growing back day by day. I'm kind of more worried though. I have never shaved my head this short before and looking at it now gives me some anxiety. Is this normal? Looking at these pictures I feel like my entire head is diffuse thinning. You can even see the beginnings of the cowlick growing on the back too. Really can't tell. I wonder if this has been happening really slowly for years. What do you guys think? Is this diffuse thinning? Also weird scab on my head in the last (most recent) pic. I don't pick at my scalp at all so I'm unsure what that could even be. 

[marine2000]

Uh I don't know if this is proper to do on a website like this but here's a bump I guess. I'm pretty anxious. 

[tint906]

Hi! I don't know if you'll see it but I'm going through a very similar situation right now and I'm super paranoid about it. 

If you see this, can you please let me know how's your hair right now and if I should be worried.

I'm quite young and just got my hair cut short recently. The spot on the back of my head looks crazy.. I didn't even know it was there and Idk what I'm supposed to do about it.