How bad is it?

[bejzel]

I had depression for 2 years and just now realized how bad my hair situation is in the back. Love it. My front is alright, and my grandads and my father had a full head of hair their whole life so...Love it. I was to dermatologist 4 months ago and he said that it's alright, just very slight MPB. I asked him for fin but he said no. Forward to now, my back is disgusting and I'm trying to stay inside as much as possible. Started fin 2 weeks ago. Minoxidil i used for about 2.5 months then used very rarely for the rest of 1.5 months. If I cut it shorter will it look worse? I'm 21, and I know it's early for HT and have to wait a year to see meds but I HAVE TO WALK A YEAR looking like that. What do you guys think?

[mister_25]

You look fine. I would kill to have your hair at 21.

[bejzel]

1 minute ago, mister_25 said:

You look fine. I would kill to have your hair at 21.

I know some are even more unlucky. And I feel for you man. But looking at me it looks like a bald spot. And i guess it's thinning at the back. And If i take monoxidil for a year maybe it will look slightly better. But I'm worried of mistaking min hair from actual hair. And not knowing how my MPB is progressing

[mister_25]

Just now, bejzel said:

I know some are even more unlucky. And I feel for you man. But looking at me it looks like a bald spot. And i guess it's thinning at the back. And If i take monoxidil for a year maybe it will look slightly better. But I'm worried of mistaking min hair from actual hair. And not knowing how my MPB is progressing

You are that early in MPB no one can even say you are balding, NO-ONE. It looks like a cowlick if anything.

You should be able to get Finasteride at your age, go to another dermatologist or get a prescription from a GP. Finasteride is much more of a priority than minoxidil (it stops the process of hairloss, minoxidil doesnt do that)

[Rafael Manelli]

You look normal.

buy Toppik powder. Your thin spot will be a thing of the past immediately.

[bejzel]

5 minutes ago, Rafael Manelli said:

You look normal.

buy Toppik powder. Your thin spot will be a thing of the past immediately.

I just found out I probably have retrograde alopecia. My sides are reaaally thin. Lower back of the head hair looks like in retrograde alopecia photos. I'm so done. God hates me

 

[bejzel]

Thank you though. You're right about toppik

[Rafael Manelli]

4 minutes ago, bejzel said:

I just found out I probably have retrograde alopecia. My sides are reaaally thin. Lower back of the head hair looks like in retrograde alopecia photos. I'm so done. God hates me

 

Post photos. I’ll see if I can help.

[bejzel]

9 minutes ago, Rafael Manelli said:

Post photos. I’ll see if I can help.

 

[Rafael Manelli]

Looks fairly normal to me. It could be thinning, or it may not be. Nothing a little finasteride couldn't help with anyway. Holding the temple hair the way you are is bound to make it look a bit thinner. 

Toppik powder is also good for the temples if you want them to look thicker. I wouldn't bother with the back of your head. It looks fine to me. Nobody is going to be looking at that and thinking "oh he has retrograde alopecia hehehe". 

Nobody. 

You should be able to restore a satisfactory appearance without surgery, just concealer and meds. 

But rest assured surgery is there if you need it. Take note of where your hairline is now incase you want to restore it to that one day. 

And to answer your other question, i think you could cut your hair a lot shorter without making it look worse. Try it. Might even help. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Rafael Manelli

[bejzel]

29 minutes ago, Rafael Manelli said:

Looks fairly normal to me. It could be thinning, or it may not be. Nothing a little finasteride couldn't help with anyway. Holding the temple hair the way you are is bound to make it look a bit thinner. 

Toppik powder is also good for the temples if you want them to look thicker. I wouldn't bother with the back of your head. It looks fine to me. Nobody is going to be looking at that and thinking "oh he has retrograde alopecia hehehe". 

Nobody. 

You should be able to restore a satisfactory appearance without surgery, just concealer and meds. 

But rest assured surgery is there if you need it. Take note of where your hairline is now incase you want to restore it to that one day. 

And to answer your other question, i think you could cut your hair a lot shorter without making it look worse. Try it. Might even help. 

Yeah thank you. I guess it's not that bad yet. The only thing I'm worried is that it progressed super fast. Like 4 months ago my sides and top of my head were twice as full. And I'm scared that if the hairloss is this aggressive fin is not enough. And I should go for Dut immiedatly to not loose more

[Spring15]

That looks like a cowlick not balding. Your hair seems fine, stop worrying. Re-evaluate in 6 months

Also you were depressed for 2 years, then recovered? What caused it? If you don't mind answering you don't have to

[thetdog666]

looks like a cowlick in crown area

[TheGreatPretender]

Looks fine, wish I had your hair at 21. 

[bejzel]

7 hours ago, Spring15 said:

That looks like a cowlick not balding. Your hair seems fine, stop worrying. Re-evaluate in 6 months

Also you were depressed for 2 years, then recovered? What caused it? If you don't mind answering you don't have to

I'm not suicidal after 2 years but still mildly depressed. It's a win for me. What caused is were multiple factors. Abusive parents, problem with collage because adhd, low self esteem. But I'm glad i fought and for anyone, go to therapy and don't be afraid of medication. After taking blood tests of course.

But the hair situation is totally ruining everything for me. At least mentally. So reassurance is good but. HUGE QUESTION. That thinning at the lower back of my hair, looks like retrograde alopecia. I'm scared because that is one of the worst balding pattern. Do you think it's that? Most people don't have hair like that at the back. I considered telogen effluvium, because I was eating gluten like a dumbass even though I know I'm highly allergic.  

Thank you for advice though!

[FUT4000]

You look  good man, dont worry too much about your hair. Your mental health is more important than anything physical, glad you are getting better. 

[Gatsby]

@bejzel when you sought therapy for your depression did body dysmorphic disorder come up at all? You look great going by your pics. I’m not a doctor but I recommend taking Finasteride under your GP’s guidance and stick with it for a good twelve months. All the best. 👍

[bejzel]

On 2/2/2023 at 12:49 PM, Gatsby said:

@bejzel when you sought therapy for your depression did body dysmorphic disorder come up at all? You look great going by your pics. I’m not a doctor but I recommend taking Finasteride under your GP’s guidance and stick with it for a good twelve months. All the best. 👍

yes, I take fin for 20 days now, no side effects. Planning to never stop using it. And I wasn't diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder, because I never told psychiatrist about things like that. Before hair I was really insecure about my posture or the fact that I was skinny. But with time I kinda accepted it BUT now the hair comes up. I went to a free consultation in hair transplant clinic today. Doctor said that they literally can't even put grafts in my scalp and I'm fine. Idk I'm still paranoid. Why is it so easy to see through my skull and no one else's I will never get over this.

[bejzel]

On 2/2/2023 at 12:59 AM, FUT4000 said:

You look  good man, dont worry too much about your hair. Your mental health is more important than anything physical, glad you are getting better. 

that's true. Although they go hand in hand so don't forget about physical! Also I know ppl that got depressed bcz of balding so like I said. It's important to take care of it

[Dr. Guncel Ozturk]

Hair loss affects different people in different ways. It's difficult to predict the exact outcome for each person.

Cutting your hair shorter could make it appear less noticeable, but it's also possible that it could make the hair loss more noticeable. I would recommend that you continue to follow your doctor's advice and wait for a year to see the full effects of the medication. In the meantime, there are other options available, such as hair styling or hairpieces, that can help you feel more confident and comfortable. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Best regards

[HairFunk]

You have really good hair and most people would be very envious of the amount of hair you have. We can be our own worst critics after all and focus on aspects about our appearance that in reality no one else even notices at all. Don't be so hard on yourself and enjoy being young and having a full head of hair. Try to get your thoughts working for you rather than against you. 

[Nelly]

If you are worried about general thinning it doesn’t necessarily have to be mpb or retrograde alopecia, sometimes things can be triggered by life events or deficiencies. Have you had any blood results in the last 6 months. Speak to a doc and get a work up

[mavigo]

You sound a lot like me when I was younger. However, my balding was worse; I already had noticeable recession by 19 but hey it could be worse, some men are NW6 before they even reach legal drinking age. 

Like me, you definitely have an element of body dysmorphia; your hair is lit. I don't think you have any recession in the back, you just have dark hair and it contrasts with your light skin. 

This is a stock photo from google of the top of a girls head with dark hair. Obviously, women do not have the same hormone that causes MPB.  

What's important right now is your family history. How's your dads hair or men on you mother's side? If they have hair loss, how severe? 

When I was younger, I used to be called moptop at the private school I went to. So losing the mop was traumatic, although I think I'll be at the point again that I can have long hair like yours. So if you do have family history, I'd recommend flaunting what you have and wearing it as long as you like because you can right now. Don't wear it short. Most men who are buzzed or straight-shave bald do it because they have to; not because they want to.