My hair has been thinning quickly!

[CortlandR]

I'm going to be honest here. I'm 18 and I've been a basement dweller for almost a year now and my crown has been thinning quickly. I haven't exactly been eating the healthiest foods or getting much sun but I'm surprisingly not out of shape per se. So I was just wondering if not getting the vitamins my hair needs could cause me to lose it. My family has had no signs of early balding as far back as I know. Had my blood tested for vitamin deficiencies but they haven't gotten back to me with anything yet. What do you think could be the cause?

[Shadylol]

Are you under a lot of stress, feeling depressed, or going through something difficult?

As for vitamins, there are lots of vitamin pills available, and also some foods that contain a high percent of your daily value, such as Slim-Fast Meal Bars, which you could work into your diet. Just be careful to count your calories, and not consume an excess, when you change your diet

[aeluna]

genetics or rage from video games

[Godsmack241]

Genetics?

Face it, buddy... some of us go bald early. It's a trait with the men in my family. We all have starting thinning and receding at around 15, by the time we reach 23-26, we're totally bald. It just is how it is for some of us. I recommend you cut your hair short, I mean short short. Like a 2 or 3 guard on clippers short. It hides the thinning and any bald spots you may be forming, and depending on your skull shape, actually looks good.

You can try hair regrowth products, but I wouldn't believe those "works on 80% of users" bs, cause that's not true. No way I go bald early, develop asthma, crohn's, acid reflux, essential tremor, slow metabolism, inexplicably painful joints, chronic migraines, flat feet, celiac's disease, casein allergy, plus a number of other conditions, and THEN get UNLUCKY enough to fit into that 20% on top of everything else??? ... bull shit

Short story: make the thinning work for you and rock it! =P

Edit: after rereading your post, i realize you may say "but I already said no one in my family is going bald or has far as we know" can still be in your genes, bro. In which case, you won the unlucky lottery.

[Rodeanen]

Accept it. Shave your head. Revel in the glory that is a short cropped head of hair. Just don't obsess like some idiot tv personality and cry about losing your hair. I vote that you rock it!

[Faderaven]

My dad was fairly thin on top and so I worried (when I was younger) that I would go bald also. Luckily at 48 I still have most of my hair. The bald monster had skipped a generation and instead lay waste to my nephew's heads of hair - some of them anyway. Some of my nephews still have full heads of hair.

[Niteynite]

You should at least try hair regrowth products, as there is a chance it will help, but understand it can take up to 6 months to see results, if you see any at all.

But don't try to grow the remaining hair long and combover the balding area. You're not going to fool anybody.

And don't shave your head bald either. Trying to turn it into some kind of masculine statement just shows your insecurity. Just accept what is lost, people will respect you more for that. If anything, cut it short as it makes the balding area less noticable.

[Callace]

I'm going to be honest here. I'm 18 and I've been a basement dweller for almost a year now and my crown has been thinning quickly. I haven't exactly been eating the healthiest foods or getting much sun but I'm surprisingly not out of shape per se. So I was just wondering if not getting the vitamins my hair needs could cause me to lose it. My family has had no signs of early balding as far back as I know. Had my blood tested for vitamin deficiencies but they haven't gotten back to me with anything yet. What do you think could be the cause?

No signs of baldness on your mother's side of the family? It amazes me how often people relegate genetic balding exclusively to the father. Mom can carry those genes too, even if she doesn't express them.

[Jordaen]

Don't wash your hair every day. It strips it of it's natural oils and can eventually cause it to fall out if you wash it every day for a long period. Also, I assume you're male, use conditioner. It's not girly, it's good for your hair.

[MerinPally]

If you're doing/have done exams recently then stress from those will be it. This happened to me last year over AS levels and its happening now over A2s. It'll grow back.

[Deleted]

Genetics?

Face it, buddy... some of us go bald early. It's a trait with the men in my family. We all have starting thinning and receding at around 15, by the time we reach 23-26, we're totally bald. It just is how it is for some of us. I recommend you cut your hair short, I mean short short. Like a 2 or 3 guard on clippers short. It hides the thinning and any bald spots you may be forming, and depending on your skull shape, actually looks good.

You can try hair regrowth products, but I wouldn't believe those "works on 80% of users" bs, cause that's not true. No way I go bald early, develop asthma, crohn's, acid reflux, essential tremor, slow metabolism, inexplicably painful joints, chronic migraines, flat feet, celiac's disease, casein allergy, plus a number of other conditions, and THEN get UNLUCKY enough to fit into that 20% on top of everything else??? ... bull shit

Short story: make the thinning work for you and rock it! =P

Edit: after rereading your post, i realize you may say "but I already said no one in my family is going bald or has far as we know" can still be in your genes, bro. In which case, you won the unlucky lottery.

haha sorry, but ouch XD bauld at 23

[Callace]

Don't wash your hair every day. It strips it of it's natural oils and can eventually cause it to fall out if you wash it every day for a long period. Also, I assume you're male, use conditioner. It's not girly, it's good for your hair.

I agree with conditioner as it gives the illusion of volume. But the "natural oils" argument is just pseudo-science bullshit. Lack of oil is no more likely to cause hair loss than lack of acupuncture. The only thing that causes balding is the testosterone biproduct DHT and the lack of genetic resistance to it.

Edit: Oils might help preserve existing long hairs, but that isn't this guy's problem. His problem is growing new hairs, not breakage of existing hair.


---------- Post added 2012-06-16 at 06:20 PM ----------

Your only options are eating healthy (vitamins like zinc), aerobic exercise (to increase blood flow), and medicinal 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (which are prescription, and unfortunately most have side effects).

Nutrition, blood flow, drugs.
Nothing else will have any effect.

---------- Post added 2012-06-16 at 06:23 PM ----------

haha sorry, but ouch XD bauld at 23

Personally, I cringe more at seeing a word as simple as "bald" being misspelled than I do at actual baldness.

[Deleted]

Baldness caused by genetics called Alopecia Androgenetica.
A different form from testosterone will attack your hair follicles, causing them to thin and eventually lose your hair.
It follows a certain pattern.


Obvious choices are to cover the thinning, for example a dark powder can be scattered between your hair (lovely with sweating and I've seen it frequently applied in a clumsy way). Or good old fashioned hair pieces/wig.
Medication to stop the process and in rare rare rare cases it will even restore your hair growth. I'm stressing the word rare, because once people read it can restore they will do anything in hope off. (Medication comes with the necessary side effects, will not be lasting and it often only DELAYS the hair loss, but can be very promising)
Hair transplantation can effectively restore your hair, just make sure it's done by someone proper, the transplanted hair follicles are derived from a hairline which is somehow IMMUNE to the testosterone. (But with young people, the hairs which you haven't lost yet will still be effected by the testosterone product, it is an expensive procedure.) We see this last phenomenon in Wayne Rooney. He did not have a bad hair transplant but because of his sport he cannot permit to take medication. So he got a hair transplant, but the hairline which was intact back then is still degrading, so I'm guessing he would benefit from another hair transplantation.


It's tricky what best choice is when you have Alopecia Androgenetica.
If it's not too bad take the medication, it's a real shame that you'll have to live on cocktails with side effects.
If you lost a patch already and want it back; hair transplantation (combined with medication if you are still going to lose more hair, it will mostly follow one of the patterns in the picture above OR more hair transplantations, but it's pricey so better get it done once right). Do not wait too long, because you might be left with too little donation area (donation area are the hair follicles which are immune to the DHT (Testosterone product), the band which is always left).

BEST thing to do is to accept it and come to terms with your baldness. To make it look somewhat proper when it progresses is to keep it realllly short.

If I wasn't clear enough about something please ask.

Good luck!

[Maruka]

my room mate was bald at 16, like full on old man bald. its just luck of the draw, i work with a guy in his 50s that drinks smokes and eats like shit and he has the thickest hair i have ever seen.

in the end there isnt much you can fully do

[Samurou]

I'm 23 years old and I'm about 50% gray, due to genetics.

[Khaza-R]

Make an appointment to see a dermatologist and get professional advice on your hair loss. They can discuss treatment options if you decide to pursue any. Don't listen the advice of the internet however, its ridden with false testimonies and cyberchondriacs.

[Kirse]

A deficiency test is what I would have recommended.

My husband started losing hair rapidly at 20. He had bald patches above his forehead, and around his temples. He was very distressed by this, because he would have been ok with hairloss at a later age, but he wasn't ready for it. He actually spent a lot of money on doctor-prescribed hair loss formulas in order to combat this. After a year he decided to let nature take its course, because the treatments were so expensive (around $50/month). They did help though.

After he decided to embrace it, his hair loss actually capped out and stopped almost completely. The fluff in front fell out, and he was left with a hairline about 2 inches further back. He's now 30, and he has no bald patches, and his hairline is further back but still natural; it looks great. Just like this...I honestly think it's a really good look.



So...don't worry about it too much. Rapid hairloss often takes place 18-23 or so, then slows dramatically. It often looks better after the wispy parts fall out. There is a good chance that it will settle down and continue to thin at a more comfortable pace. If not, you're not alone. I can think of many handsome friends who are bald or balding; often they go with a very short cut, which gives the appearance of thickness. Don't hold onto that long stringy hair if you have it, whatever you do. My husband did at first, and oh my...not a good look.

Lastly...he doesn't read these forums so I have nothing to hide. I actually think he's hotter now at 30, hairline and all.

[Callace]

A deficiency test is what I would have recommended.

My husband started losing hair rapidly at 20. He had bald patches above his forehead, and around his temples. He was very distressed by this, because he would have been ok with hairloss at a later age, but he wasn't ready for it. He actually spent a lot of money on doctor-prescribed hair loss formulas in order to combat this. After a year he decided to let nature take its course, because the treatments were so expensive (around $50/month). They did help though.

After he decided to embrace it, his hair loss actually capped out and stopped almost completely. The fluff in front fell out, and he was left with a hairline about 2 inches further back. He's now 30, and he has no bald patches, and his hairline is further back but still natural; it looks great. Just like this...I honestly think it's a really good look.



So...don't worry about it too much. Rapid hairloss often takes place 18-23 or so, then slows dramatically. It often looks better after the wispy parts fall out. There is a good chance that it will settle down and continue to thin at a more comfortable pace. If not, you're not alone. I can think of many handsome friends who are bald or balding; often they go with a very short cut, which gives the appearance of thickness. Don't hold onto that long stringy hair if you have it, whatever you do. My husband did at first, and oh my...not a good look.

Lastly...he doesn't read these forums so I have nothing to hide. I actually think he's hotter now at 30, hairline and all.

That isn't full on balding though. That's just a receding hairline. Almost all men have some recession (women do too in fact). If the OP's crown is thinning it sounds lot more serious than a temporal recession. Hell, even Johnny Depp has temporal recessions.

Also, the man in the picture you linked has a pretty decent head of hair. I wouldn't even associate such a slight recession with "balding". That's just what a man's hair looks like.

[Dazzy]

Lol at so many posts ITT.

Hair loss is genetic, pure and simple fact. Not from stress/vitamin deficiency/sleeping on the wrong side of the bed or any other nonsense.

(almost spit out my pepsi @ the 'it's stress from exams, it'll grow back'......)

You can waste your money on hair growth products, which despite they hype from companies trying to sell them, only have about a 2% success rate, and will nowhere near replenish your hair to the fullness it once was.

The only sure 'cure' is transplants, which look ridiculous on most people, but if done right, can be decent.


Trust me, I'm 40, my hairline started receding at age 16, I've done the research.

[Deleted]

Cause - Unknown
Solution - Shave it.

Honestly its the best thing I have even done, having a Smooth head is something that has to be experienced.
Yes you will shock people at first, but they get used to it.