Bald lines scalp irritation. Crown balding. =( HELP !!!

Hey. I'm 17 this year. Lately this year i've noticed thinning on the sides of my head.However, i didn't really bother much about it. Also for the pass 3 weeks my scalp has been a little itchy. Also, when i scratched, dead skin would be coming of my head. Initially i ignored it as my head wasn't THAT itchy. But 3 days ago i've noticed that there was this bald line starting from the swirl on my head going down located at the back of my head. I've also noticed that from the side, my hair doesn't look like it used to due to the thinning. Also i've noticed and taken pictures of my crown. I'm thinning at the crown !! Is this bald line and thinning at the back of my head related to the itch ?? Are there any solutions to this ? Will my hair ever look like it used to ? PLEASE HELP ME !!! I'M FREAKING OUT ! I can provide the photos if needed. Do get back soon =(

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be androgenic alopecia, seborrheic dermatitis or fungal infection of the scalp. Male pattern baldness or Androgenic alopecia is a common form of hair loss and typically occurs in M shaped pattern.

Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Other causes may be use of some drugs, infections and underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. A biopsy (taking a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope) of your scalp may be needed to establish the correct diagnosis.

Medicines which are useful are minoxidil and finasteride. Finally one can resort to hair transplantation also.  It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.