Month: January 2013

Hello Doctor,

I know there have been various posts on this topic and please feel free to ignore the question given that you have already provided comments. Also, I wanted to thank you for the blog as it has really allowed my to expand my knowledge of hair loss and related topics which is greatly appreciated.

I had what I though was a thick head of hair on the top of my head and historically my worries over thinning was limited to a receding hair line. Recently I got a short hair cut (borderline buzz-cut) and seemed to notice that in certain house lights I can see some of my scalp. That being said other lighting I cannot see through at all including when I am outdoors. I am not sure if this is a function of how my hair is parting, the use of hair products which I read can ‘clump’ hair together giving a thinner look or whether there are legitimate concerns to be had.

My question(s) relate to the miniaturization process and the speed to which it can occur. I recall from a previous blog that hair will grow at a rate of about ½ inch per month and would it be possible to have ‘normal’ hair on the top-half of a follicle and a miniaturized bottom? Is the process of miniaturization more gradual or can you go from thicker to thin in a matter of a few weeks?

I can sympathize that people are different and will go through the process at different paces but I am looking for some general comments based on your experience. For further information, my hair tends to be quite straight and sticks up when short and could this growth pattern contribute to a thinning look i.e. sits in such a position that gives a thin look? I should note that I am 33, currently taking Propecia but nothing else in the way of medication.

Regards

I am not sure how fast miniaturization occurs. I would think it happens over weeks to months (not days). It is a gradual process. I do not know of any documented studies on how fast miniaturization occurs. Usually we follow patients on a yearly basis (not monthly).

If you would like to conduct your own research, you can buy a handheld video microscope and take pictures of a specific area over a period of time and document the results. We wrote a 3-part tutorial on doing this a few years ago — Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization.

in reference to a quote at the end of this article:

Link: Baldness cure could be for sale in just two years

I am concerned that in the next two years they will come up with a drug that will retain hair, and I (25 yo male) will be the last generation of bald people. The rest of my life it won’t be normal to be bald…. urgh? do any of these ‘on the horizon’ cures actually regrow hair???

I wrote about the possibility of the baldness cure being just a couple years away here.

You’re assuming a lot to suggest that it won’t be normal to be bald for the rest of your life, and even then, there are options like Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP), hair transplantation, and even medication, to make it so that you don’t appear bald. I expect that we’re more than just two years away from the cure being a reality, but research is ongoing. And even if balding is somehow completely eradicated for future generations, there will still be millions of men around the world that have hair loss, so I wouldn’t get too worked up about it being abnormal.