Thinning Hair?

[powers.sm]

So, I have always had thick hair with minimal shedding (a couple hairs in the shower). I got my haircut today and the barber used thinning shears. I notice at the front (not by the temples) that the hair seems thinner. Is this a sign of balding? Should I see a dermatologist now? Or wait for my hair to regrow to see the effects (if any).

My dad has got a full head of hair. My grandfather on my mom's side (lived to 96) still had hair on his head.

 

[RedLantern]

for the most part, if you think your hair is thinning, it is. Don' t let your family's history of hair loss convince you that you're not seeing what you are.

 

[razl]

Originally Posted by powers.sm

Should I see a dermatologist now?

I can't attribute the source, but 'round here I saw some say something like "it's easier to keep what you got than to try and get it back when it's gone". That's my guiding light - make it yours.

 

[willpower]

Very good advice above. Address it now. You can camouflage some of the thinness with hair thickening creme; Living Proof makes some very good stuff - you can find it at Sephora.

http://www.livingproof.com/buy/full-thickening-cream

 

[powers.sm]

I am noticing the same thinness on the sides and in other parts of my head, where he used the thinning shears. I had never thought about or notice thinning until the haircut. I guess to be on the safeside I will just ask the dermatologist.

 

[razl]

I've got naturally straight thin hair, though I've had plenty of it up until the past 10 years. Now that I'm 40 I can see it's getting a bit thinner in quantity plus losing a bit at temples, though nowhere near as bad as some of my contemporaries. So, I did some research and stumbled across this thread (below) where I learned a bit about SLS in most hair products. One recommendation (there are many) was a non-SLS shampoo+conditioner product called RegenePure that I started using a year ago and haven't looked back. Sticker shock warning - it is not cheap, though not exhorbitant - but my hair definitely feels both healthier and stronger and I dare say that the thinning in quantity has slowed (though not stopped; can't beat mother nature). I'm using that solely for cleaning and nothing but Sebastian Potion#9 for styling (which is somewhere between gel/pomade but all natural and rejuvinative) http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=15102 YMMV but there's a lot of suggestions in that thread (and I think my paraphrased quote comes from there too). That's the extent of my knowledge on the the subject, hope it helps.

 

[Imhoff]

Just my take: Also suffering from thinning hair (crowning) at the age of 28. Some thickening shampoos help "cover it up" a bit, but simple things like getting it wet or if I lay my head down makes it more visible.

When I first noticed this, I was devastated. Never thought it could happen to me. Family history showed full sets of hair. But over time I am beginning to accept it and let mother nature take its' course. Will be altering style a bit to accommodate this change (fedoras and such to avoid skin damage). Main thing is confidence. If you have loads of that, it doesn't matter how little you have on top.

 

[APK]

Originally Posted by powers.sm

I am noticing the same thinness on the sides and in other parts of my head, where he used the thinning shears. I had never thought about or notice thinning until the haircut. I guess to be on the safeside I will just ask the dermatologist.

See a dermatologist if you're thinning all over. Such thinning is often linked to issues other than MPB and can likely be corrected if the cause is determined.

 

[Denny crain]

I was cursed with bad genes. Everyone in my family are completely bald by the time they were 30. I had a full head of hair at 33. Now at 35 i'm getting really thin. I have been using rogaine for years but its not helping to much. I was going to start taking pills for it but heard to many horror stories of low sex drives. I just live with it and hope for the best.

 

[Rummage]

See a dermatologist.

If it is MPB - handle it before it is too late.

It is wayyyy easier to keep what you have than it is to regrow ANYTHING.

I started thinning at age 20 and got on Propecia when I was 23. My hair is thin and my hairline did recede however I managed to stop it before it got tooooo bad. Most people don't even notice. My friend who started thinning a little after me is now pretty much bald (we are 28) because he was skeptical of Propecia...and it is one of the biggest regrets he has.

You don't realize how much it affects confidence until it is too late.

 

[APK]

Originally Posted by Denny crain

I was cursed with bad genes. Everyone in my family are completely bald by the time they were 30. I had a full head of hair at 33. Now at 35 i'm getting really thin. I have been using rogaine for years but its not helping to much. I was going to start taking pills for it but heard to many horror stories of low sex drives. I just live with it and hope for the best.

Rogaine isn't going to stop hair loss. It's for regrowth. So it could be working, but if you aren't taking anything to actually stop hair loss (i.e. Propecia), then you're pretty much just spinning your wheels.

 

[Don Carlos]

You're going bald. You are going to be ugly and fat and erectilely dysfunctional, and no women will ever want you.

 

[Eason]

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

You're going bald. You are going to be ugly and fat and erectilely dysfunctional, and no women will ever want you.

:'(

 

[Sunnydale]

I agree with others, I'm not sure about the old saying about the mother's father's hair will reflect your hair, or lack of it, will turn out. Working on my family genealogy I noticed that grandfather's hair connection wasn't true for some in my family. You might try looking at vitamin D3 and eating low carb. I've noticed ever since taking D3 that my hair stopped thinning. It hasn't grown back as I wished it would, but at least it has remained in the same condition. An article I liked on how to take and test D3 levels. Getting vitamin D right http://www.heartscanblog.org/2010/01...n-d-right.html

 

[Percy Blakeney]

Originally Posted by Imhoff

But over time I am beginning to accept it and let mother nature take its' course. Will be altering style a bit to accommodate this change (fedoras and such to avoid skin damage). Main thing is confidence. If you have loads of that, it doesn't matter how little you have on top.

+1

Two valid approaches already suggested: Run damage control, or accept it and adapt.

I'm very much in favor of the accept it and adapt approach, hence my chime. I'm a couple years shy of 30 and I've been thinning for years. I've been cutting my hair shorter and shorter to accommodate the thinning, and soon I think I'll be shaving it off entirely. I'm also noticing a significant amount of gray showing up on the non-thinning sides. I've found myself looking to famous bald icons for inspiration; one thing they all seem to have is the aforementioned confidence, poise, and, at times, self-deprecating humor.

There have always been certain 'looks' that I knew wouldn't work for me, now I've just added one more: hirsute.