Hi Doc, my girlfriend says that my hairline is receding. My hair feels different in that area but it doesn’t look like my hairline is going back like Lebron James. How can I tell if I am balding? Help! I’m too young for this!
Hi there!
I can understand you going into panic mode when your girlfriend told you that you may be balding. Truth is, no one who is young wants to acknowledge that he is losing his hair. Balding is for “old people” as I often hear my patients say. The truth is most of us do not notice our own hair loss, however persons who are around us are more likely to do so. So, if they do notice this then it is likely that you have lost a good percentage of your hair already.
The best way to tell if you’re losing your hair is to look at your old pictures. Is your hairline going more inward? Can you see the hair receding at your temples? Is there thinning noted to the crown of your scalp? Does the hair especially at the crown seem finer and soft like a baby’s hair? The latter description is often described in men with tightly coiled/kinky hair.
For most black men, their hairline is straight across and can sometimes be low. Due to the curliness of the hair, it doesn’t become too obvious when the hair line starts to recede or the hair at the top of the scalp starts to thin out, unlike persons of other races. This is due to the styling preference of cutting the hair low. If the hair were allowed to grow out into a low afro, it would become a bit more easier to tell that the hair is thinning. Also, due to the 3-D volume created by curls, thinning is hidden well. Things start to get very obvious when the top of the scalp thins out significantly.
In your case, it is best to see a professional to get an opinion and see if there can be anything done to halt the hair loss.
Dr. Llorenia Muir-Green is a practising dermatologist in Jamaica. She has an avid interest in hair and scalp disorders. She is a member of the Medical Association of Jamaica, Dermatology Association of Jamaica and is an Associate Member of the Caribbean Dermatology Association. She was a recipient of the 2013 Fellowship in Hair and Scalp Disorders at the University of British Columbia.
