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Opinions.?


mick reno

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  • Regular Member

I am a 28yr old male and am new to this forum. While considering HT, I just want to be sure and get some opinions.

 

My family history of MPB is 0. From my great grandparents on both sides, to my 3rd cousins, to my 4 brothers, there is no MPB. To put it simply, my situation is only thinning. I have no reduction of my hair line, but a very even thinning in the shape of a Norwood 5ish. So I guess my question(s) are: Is there any other possible cause? and are there definitive tests to indicate MPB?

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  • Regular Member

I am a 28yr old male and am new to this forum. While considering HT, I just want to be sure and get some opinions.

 

My family history of MPB is 0. From my great grandparents on both sides, to my 3rd cousins, to my 4 brothers, there is no MPB. To put it simply, my situation is only thinning. I have no reduction of my hair line, but a very even thinning in the shape of a Norwood 5ish. So I guess my question(s) are: Is there any other possible cause? and are there definitive tests to indicate MPB?

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  • Senior Member

Mick Reno,

Your photo sure looks like early male pattern baldness caused by heredity and the normal presence of DHT (which every male has). In males a pattern of hair loss like you have is 99.9% of the time the above diagnosis.

There are some rare "zebras" out there. One is a condition called "diffuse alopecia areata," but I have only seen one case in a colleague's practice and it was a female. If your history was a rather recent one within a matter of several months, then one thing to rule out would be a "telogen" reaction, which can occur in response to a number of things: certain medications, an acute illness such as pneumonia, a general surgery or general anesthetic during surgery, chemotherapy, a severe crash diet, a stomach-stapling procedure, and a host of other things. The best way to diagnose this is, during the shedding, to do a simple "hair pull" test on a bunch of hairs on top. Normally, you don't pull any out or maybe 1-2. During a telogen reaction, you will pull out 5-10 with each pull. They are sitting there, unattached to the follicles, which have shrivelled as a response to the inciting cause of the telogen. The other best way to make this diagnosis is to just wait several months (assuming you are not continuing the offending behavior or agent) and the hair will fill back in again. Then you can look back on the event and it is easy to determine it was a telogen shock event.

There is a genetic over-the-counter test for hereditary hair loss, which you may also want to try. I believe there are a certain number of false-positives and false-negatives though.

Mike Beehner, M.D.

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Thank you for your response.

I tried a pull test and I get 1-2 when I pull. When I try to pull other areas of my hair (that arn't thin) I rarely get any. Is it possible the hair is recovering from the telegen phase?

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Here's my opinion:

 

Your head looks to be shaped just fine, and you look to be in good physical condition so I would seriously consider a shave down or continue to wear it buzzed like you have it. That would save you a lot of grief.

 

I believe it's one of the wonders of the world how a young lady can almost not notice a guy is thinning just because of his confidence, physical presence, and the all-important "I-don't-give-a-shit" attitude.

 

I remember this (fine) looking lady I worked with in college, who was about 28 and had a 29 year old husband with thinning hair.

 

My girlfriend was also very fine, but we were like 21 or so. Anyway, this guy was only about 5'9 and wore a buzz, but he worked out a lot and was brimming with confidence. My girlfriend commented a couple of times how she didn't notice his thinning too much when I brought it up.

 

I don't guess I would have noticed it either but I was becoming conscious of my own thinning, and would bring up his hairloss just for conversation.

100? 'mini' grapfts by Latham's Hair Clinic - 1991 (Removed 50 plugs by Cooley 3/08.)

2750 FU 3/20/08 by Dr. Cooley

 

My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Cooley

 

Current regimen:

1.66 mg Proscar M-W-F

Rogaine 5% Foam - every now and then

AndroGel - once daily

Lipitor - 5 mg every other day

Weightlifting - 2x per week

Jogging - 3x per week

 

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mick,

 

first of all let me tell you that your hairloss pattern is one of the trickiest for anyone to give an accurate diagnosis as it is not your typical MPB pattern. the hairloss gene can go back as far as your great great great grandfather for you to have it. i know it sucks and it's not what you wanna hear, but that's the reality and just something to keep in mind. if i were you, i wouldn't do anything as of right now but just monitor the hairloss for 1 full year and if your situation gets any worse than it is right now, then i'd consider hairloss medication such as minoxidil and finaseride. keep transplant as your last card after you exhaust all other options.

 

i only wish that i started meds when i first noticed my hairloss. oh well I guess better late than never.

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