Regular Hair Loss or Possible Other or Medical Cause?

[john989]

Doctor,



Thanks so much for your site. I am 21 years old, male, and I've always had very very thick hair. Always kept it cut reasonably short. I hadn't gotten a haircut since July, and I let it grow out kind of long. Still the hair was very thick. Recently, I cut the hair, and when I went to get it cut, now the hair growing in is very thin. I'm not even able to grow facial hair yet, but could I be balding already? I'm very shocked it would hit this quickly (the hair has thinned ALOT since the haircut, I can now start to see through to my scalp.  



The hairline is not receding at all, no triangle, nothing like that, yet the hair on top of my head about from halfway to the front, it's just a big time thinning. Could this be medical? Because we're talking 3 days ago my hair was thick and long, and now it's thin, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't happen so suddenly like this. While the hair was longer I used hair product more frequently (daily) to help it lay down, and also styled it several times a day. I work full time and go to school full time, I work hard at work sweat alot and push my hair back.



Is there any chance this is not pattern hair loss and something I did to cause this? The hairs in the very front now are further apart from each other, and there's less hair/or it's thinner. Let me know what you think, because I don't think hair things that rapidly, but I don't know for sure. I'm pretty concerned



Thanks so much for your site and time.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It's a little hard to think that your hair thinned that much without your noticing that it was coming out, regardless of the cause.  I recall that when I was 17, I combed over my hair--and noticed that there wasn't any.  It also seemed to me that it had happened overnight.



I think that male pattern hair loss is the most likely cause.  You should see a doctor to confirm this.  If that's what it is, you might want to consider taking Propecia, which could hold onto what you've got.



Take care.



Dr. Rockoff

[john989]

Thanks for the posting. My hair isn't receding on the sides, it goes straight up. Is that normal for that to happen after the top thins?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Yes, in some cases of male-pattern hair loss.



Dr. Rockoff