Author: Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman

I am a 19 year old male with a Norwood 3 balding pattern. I was wondering whether it is possible for hair loss to stabilise before a NW4 or larger phase occurs?

Also how long does it take for someone who is destined for a NW5+ to become a NW5 from a NW3?

Thank you very much

The Norwood hair loss patterns are not meant to be seen as a progression of hair loss, but rather how you fit into a certain pattern trait. You can be a Norwood 3 your entire life once the pattern forms. Or you can be an early Norwood 5 in your 20s (now) and eventually lose all your hair in this pattern to a full, clearly defined Norwood 5 later on in life. So there’s no defined length of time for a pattern to fully emerge, as everyone is different.

In general, you can tell by looking at your pattern under a bright light when your hair is wet. In the office we also have the luxury of seeing if there is a pattern using miniaturization mapping and taking hair bulk measurements.

Hi, I’m a 22 years old male. I have a very strange situation. I didn’t have MPB before, at least it wasn’t noticeable. I was a vegetarian for some time, but then I started eating meat again, but not red meat. One day I decided to eat red meat again, then the next die I noticed some balding on my temples and increase in body hair.

Everytime I exercise or eat red meat, the next day I wake up with more hair lost and thicker body hair. It’s not a coincidence.

But why? I started taking Proscar, and I get the same effect as eating red meat the next morning: more hair loss and thicker body hair.

What can I do? Every solution for hair loss just comes back and bites me from where I least expect it. If it’s because of testosterone, does this mean that I had low and stable levels until I started eating meat again?

Hair loss or growth does not happen overnight. For that matter, the texture of your hair does not change overnight either. Your body just does not work that way. The biology of hair cycling is in the order of weeks to months.

If you decide to abstain from red meat that is your prerogative, but I do not believe there is an overnight correlation with eating meat and the changes in your hair.

Hello,

I got in a fight w. a girl and she pulled out a lot of hair from my roots. A few months after that incident, a group of girls tried to jump me and one of them pulled my hair out from the roots.

I have searched this site and I understand that “generally, hair that is pulled out once will return almost 100% of the time.” However, in my case, it was not a one-time thing. I would really like to know if my hair will grow back after 2 separate incidents or hair pulling?? Please help me, thank you.

I have similar incidents of violence reported by others (see here).

Generally, one or two pulling incidents should still see the hair return in 6-12 months. No guarantee, of course! All you can do at this point is wait it out.

Can frequent, obssesive pulling back of the hair cause traction alopecia at the hairline? I’m a 20 year old male who cannot go past a mirror without pulling my hair up to look at my hairline. If there is a comb available, I use that as well. I do this to the point where the left side of my hairline in particular feels sore. Would you have any pictures to illustrate this sort of traction alopecia?

If you have an obsessive compulsive disorder to constantly pull on your hair, that may cause permanent hair loss to the area (depending on the severity and length of the offending habit)… but just looking at yourself in the mirror and combing your hair back will likely not cause traction alopecia.

It may seem like a chicken/egg conundrum (which came first…), but most men who have frontal recession are likely experiencing male pattern baldness. Particularly men around your age, which is when it wouldn’t be uncommon for genetic hair loss to begin.

If you are indeed worried about your possible hair loss or an obsessive compulsive disorder, you would establish a diagnosis with your doctor.