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Am I losing my hair too quickly?

post #1 of 36
8/17/07 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
I'm 26. My hair is straight, and quite dense. The strands of hair aren't thick, but they aren't thin either. About 10 months ago, I started noticing my hair falling out very frequently. If I ran my fingers through my hair, I would count 5-10 strands of 1-1.5" long hair between my fingers. The hair falling out was very thin - much thinner than the majority of the hair on my head. If I ran my fingers through my hair again, another 5-10 strands would fall out. I started noticing the hair trap in the bath tub being full of hair after each shower. My girlfriend started telling me she could see my scalp when it was wet. Last week I ended up with a sunburn on my scalp - something that has never happened to me before. How the hell could this happen so quickly? My hairline is still intact, and I seem to be mostly losing my hair around my crown. However, if I run a comb around the side of my head, I get the same short, thin hair falling out. Baldness isn't really seen in my family. My dad is in his 60s and still has his hair. On my mom's side, my grandpa had hair all his life. 10 months ago I was in grad school which was a stressful time for me. After graduating, things were a lot more easy going - I'm soon to be employed, no money, family or relationship problems. I thought things might get better after graduating, but that hasn't happened yet. I'm losing more hair than ever, and it's just baffling me. I still have enough hair to avoid the crazy professor look, but at this rate, in another year the crop will be the only option. I've switched to "crunchy granola" natural shampoos in an attempt to avoid harsh chemicals that might dry out and irritate my scalp but I've yet to see a difference.
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post #2 of 36
8/17/07 at 5:07pm
Sorry to say, but it can happen young, even when it hasn't struck older male relatives. In your case, hormone levels likely are to blame. The tiny hairs are vellus hairs, which suggests the hair is at the end stage. While balding itself usually happens in stages, i.e., you might not be bare any time in the near future, the sooner you deal with it, the better, probably first with a visit to the doctor. (If hair is thinning everywhere, it is more than male-pattern baldness.) There's a helpful article on the website. There are many forums about it, as well.
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post #3 of 36
8/17/07 at 6:19pm
Everybody's case is different. My recommendation is to massage your scalp vigorously, for fifteen minutes each evening. Don't worry about the hair that falls out. It's gone, anyway. Use a scalp massager, when you shampoo. At your age, a strong vitamin might be of help. It would be good to see a dermatologist.
Many men these days, with full heads of hair, shave their heads. Not suggesting that for you, but it does put another perspective in play.
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post #4 of 36
8/18/07 at 3:57pm
Go see a dermatologist to see if Propecia is right for you. I'm on it now. Don't know if there is a difference though.
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post #5 of 36
8/18/07 at 4:24pm
Stress can cause hair loss.
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post #6 of 36
8/18/07 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dragon8 View Post
Go see a dermatologist to see if Propecia is right for you. I'm on it now. Don't know if there is a difference though.

I'd like to avoid the drug and chemical route. Seems like a large waste of money too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by caelte View Post
Stress can cause hair loss.

So I've heard. But I'm not really stressed out at the moment. I was during final exams, but I haven't been for the past 3 months.
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post #7 of 36
8/18/07 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bandwagonesque View Post
I'd like to avoid the drug and chemical route. Seems like a large waste of money too. So I've heard. But I'm not really stressed out at the moment. I was during final exams, but I haven't been for the past 3 months.
Whenever I read about using natural products for some ill, three months at least is mentioned before results will be seen. Maybe it works in the other direction as well. Possibly the effects of stress hang around for awhile.
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post #8 of 36
8/18/07 at 8:41pm
It could start earlier or it could start later but 26 seems about average for when you start to notice your hair falling out. There are products you can take for it but there is a tradeoff. Male pattern baldness is a result of your follicles reaction to testosterone. The more virile you are the more likely you will fry your hair follicles. Stuff like propecia reduces the amount of testosterone in your body. Its a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation.
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post #9 of 36
8/19/07 at 2:34pm
It sounds a few years early for hair loss. The medical community doesn't really know the average starting point. Men are slow to seek medical help on that and in general. It's estimated that a sizable percentage of men have lost some hair by age 35. In rather young men, shaved heads and baseball caps probably hide many cases.

It takes at least a few months for a hair follicle to show the effects of physiological stressors, such as emotional stress.

Propecia doesn't lower all forms of testosterone. Anyway, if drugs are to be avoided, then diet and supplementation (such as saw palmetto, which apparently does affect all forms of testosterone) sound like the way to go. There's more about that in the article. Scalp massagers and other non-drug techniques are unproven and probably don't help. A laser comb might help.
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post #10 of 36
8/20/07 at 1:50pm
The boldness test: http://www.alpecin.cz/en/balding-calculator/index.php
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post #11 of 36
8/20/07 at 2:25pm
Im in a similiar seat aswell. I used to have really thick and heavy hair, but have buzzing /shaving it for years for easyness. Now it seems it grows out thinner, and my hair line have gone back aswell, and the scalp is more visible.
Im 26, and neiter father or grandfather on my mothers side have hade any early hair loss. I´ve pretty much decided to dont care about it, just keep it closer shaved and invest more in nice hats... Propecia seems rather unhealthy aswell as expensive.
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post #12 of 36
8/20/07 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperBobo View Post
Im in a similiar seat aswell. I used to have really thick and heavy hair, but have buzzing /shaving it for years for easyness. Now it seems it grows out thinner, and my hair line have gone back aswell, and the scalp is more visible.
Im 26, and neiter father or grandfather on my mothers side have hade any early hair loss. I´ve pretty much decided to dont care about it, just keep it closer shaved and invest more in nice hats... Propecia seems rather unhealthy aswell as expensive.
You're 26? I had a you pegged as much older. Must be from all that rugged hiking outdoors you do... I've always been worried about hair loss, too. I can't remember my father as not being bald and I have an uncle or two who are becoming bald on my mother's side. I've been keeping my fingers crossed for quite a while now.
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post #13 of 36
8/20/07 at 4:42pm
hah! im the marlboro man reborn, thats how rugged I am. I surf hard (sufu), I play hard (nintendo ds). Do like a nice walk in the woods though.
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post #14 of 36
8/20/07 at 4:47pm
This comes up a lot.

Some people care about going bald and others do not. I am decidedly in the latter camp which is a really lucky thing for me . Some men lose their hair and that is just one of the facts of being a man IMO.
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post #15 of 36
8/20/07 at 5:17pm
I started losing mine at 21, way earlier than my dad.

Over the next few years, the thinning black curls began to look increasingly pathetic.

At 26, I shaved it all off. I have a good looking head, I discovered, and my headstyle [light stubble, usually] has kept me happy ever since.
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