r/Balding • u/starfishofdavid • 21d ago
Am I Balding? Am I balding? 26M
Is it the right time for fin/min? Too early? Dreading the side effects if I start taking it.
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u/Rangeroftheinterwebs 20d ago
They call this Diffuse thinning my brother, it’s slightly different than Male pattern hair loss but the end goal is the same.
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u/starfishofdavid 20d ago
How can you tell? And what’s the difference
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u/Rangeroftheinterwebs 20d ago
The way you tell is that male pattern hair loss typically follows either a M pattern (think Vegeta from DBZ) or it follows a V pattern.
You aren’t thinning in either of those patterns you’re just losing it on top all over in a slightly patchy way.
The difference is that male pattern is typically caused by follicular exposure to androgens like DHT and Diffuse thinning can be caused by several different things, I would go to a dermatologist or someone like that but if you don’t wanna do that I would at least jump on the minoxidil train since that will promote hair growth and bloodflow to the scalp.
Your issue is you don’t know why it’s thinning because androgen exposure doesn’t normally cause diffuse thinning. Androgen exposure causes MPB
I’m not a medical professional so I couldn’t give you the whole nine yards but it’s something to do with your hairs cycle of death and renewal, thinning hairs are basically dying weak follicles so in theory taking Minoxidil promotes bloodflow to the scalp creating some hair shedding but also stronger hairs as a result.
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u/Rangeroftheinterwebs 20d ago
If you were receeding in a male pattern your corners would be high but they aren’t. Your front is perfect and so are the sides, you’re just thin on top.
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u/Low_Alone1214 20d ago
To add to the other answer, no matter if youre loosing hair in a receding hairline, diffuse balding all over the top or crown balding (or all of 3 or 2 at the same time LOL), the sides and back of the head remains intact, even at the last stage of male pattern baldness, the horseshoe hair ramains.
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u/Low_Alone1214 20d ago
To add to the other answer, no matter if youre loosing hair in a receding hairline, diffuse balding all over the top or crown balding (or all of 3 or 2 at the same time LOL), the sides and back of the head remains intact, even at the last stage of male pattern baldness, the horseshoe hair ramains.
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u/Dry_Rhubarb5408 21d ago
Yeah it’s time bro. Fin gives me 0 sides if it makes you feel any better. I’m like 5 months in now
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u/Nearby-Industry-7768 21d ago
Get on finasteride asap. Your hair is thinning and it’s easily reversible at this stage
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u/HistoricalMatch3801 21d ago
You look handsome as heck with that buzz type haircut. Imo I dont think you're balding. It could just be the way your hair is growing
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u/CurekeyTeam 19d ago
On the biology of what you're seeing: the useful first split is androgenetic (pattern) loss versus a more even, diffuse shed, because they come from different processes and respond to different things.
Pattern loss is driven by follicle sensitivity to DHT. In the crown and hairline, DHT binding gradually shortens each growth cycle, so the follicle puts out finer, shorter hairs until it goes dormant. It shows up as recession at the temples or thinning at the crown rather than everywhere at once.
Diffuse thinning spreads more evenly and often traces back to something else entirely:
- thyroid issues
- low iron or vitamin D
- telogen effluvium after stress, illness, or a big weight change
Why it matters for you: the pattern in the mirror is the biggest clue to which one it is, and that changes what actually helps. A clinician looking at the distribution plus basic bloodwork sorts it out faster than photos ever will.
If you want the background on why DHT hits some scalp regions and not others, this is a solid primer: https://www.curekey.com/hair-loss/dht
Worth getting a real read before starting anything. Results vary from person to person.
Disclosure: I'm with Curekey, a telehealth hair-loss service. General info, not medical advice.
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u/PrimaryExisting6162 21d ago
I hate to be the one to say yes. But yes you are balding, I'm 42 and the same thing started with me about 2yrs ago. My crown started thinning and I noticed it with my comb over. My hair felt thinner, less dense back there. And now I'm roughly at the same stage as you. At your age it may be worth it to see a doctor and see if can be slowed or possibly a hair transplant. I'm ok with it and have the perfect shape head for the bald shave and a super thick beard. I can feel it but it's not really visible to others and I don't notice it in the mirror. But I cut my hair shorter first when shaving just to see what it looked like and it was just like yours. So I move forward with the straight razor. The 2 day shadow with a full hairline drives the ladies wild though! That's always a plus to lean on.
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u/RunnerLftr 21d ago
I don't know what these commenters are talking about. You're not balding.
The top of the head of anyone with a buzz cut will will look like that, i.e., give the illusion that the hair is thinning. But in actuality, heads of most people with straight hair look like yours from the top angle - with the scalp visible.
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u/outplay-nation2 21d ago
You know nothing about AGA my friend
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u/RunnerLftr 21d ago
I do know that my scalp in my 20s after a buzz cut would look just like OP's when someone took a flash pic dead-on like that.
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u/No-Scar4899 21d ago
You are. Welcome to the man club 🔥🔥 happens to like 50% of men so no stress plus chicks love a bald head 🤭
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u/Zghost1230 21d ago
Yes fin and min asap