Month: March 2007

Hello:
I am 19 years old, male. I have been strugling with what, I have recently found, must be Congential Temporal Triangular Alopecia. I’ve had a receded hairline, mainly on the sides, including the temples, for as long as I can remember. My hair has always been full enough in the widow’s peak, front, portion that I could style it to (try to) hide it. (I feel like I am getting to old for that now though, I’m going to have to admit my terrible hairline exists eventually.) But it’s always been there; in fourth grade the girl I sat next to in class first told me that I had a receding hairline. Since then, it has been un uphill battle. I’m now a freshman in college, and my hair is getting to me more than it ever has before. It’s hard to see most of my classmates enjoying their youthful hair, and I’m left with a hairline worse than most 50 year olds.

But, back to the condition. I have bald temples, more or less, on both sides. The right side seems to be a little worse than the left. As far as hair loss, I think I may have been experiencing it my whole life (I have always toweled off my body first when I get out of the shower, or else I will get little hairs, from my head, all over my body,) but I can’t be sure as to the extent, since I have nothing to compare it with. I have never had hairloss come in patches, though. And I don’t know if I am actually losing my hair, or if it’s just my naturally bad hairline playing tricks on me. I know you are going to suggest that I see a physician to find out whether or not I am experiencing genetic balding, which I will do, but my concern now lies in the condition itself. I haven’t been able to find out much about it. I am also interested in treatment options. I have considered, later down the line, maybe transplating some hair to my temples so my hairline doesn’t go back like a V and STRAIGHT down at the sides (like it does now). I have included pictures, but I ask that you do NOT publish them, I’m sure you can understand why. Thank you so much for your time; I have been struggling with this for so long alone, and it feels great to have someone knowledgable on the subject to ask questions of.

Thanks again

As per your request, I have not published the photos you included with your email. Thank you for sending them though, as it is a big help when answering questions like this.

If what you have is indeed triangular alopecia (it looks that way to me), hair transplantation is a good option. I would want to know if you have any miniaturization anywhere else in your scalp. You could also have genetic balding that is not seen in your photographs, and it may not yet appear at your present age. If you have genetic balding as you get older, then you may not have enough hair (supply / demand issue) to follow back the further hair loss. Am I correct to assume that the triangular alopecia shown here in the photographs you sent to me is stable now?

If a hair is pulled out prematurely but the hair follicle isn’t damaged (brushing, drying your hair too roughly with a towel), does the next hair begin growing ‘immediately’, or does it wait until the next hair cycle (which could be many months away)?

Also if a hair is pulled out prematurely is there a risk that the hole in the skin could heal / close up before the next hair has a chance to grow out, especially if the hair is miniaturized?

If you pull out a miniaturized hair, it might be permanent (depends upon where it is in its loss cycle). Generally, pulled hair (healthy hair that is) will return fairly quickly after it is pulled out and the pore that it exits from does not close up.