help with thinning hair on crown

[tankerjohn]

Much to my chagrin, Father Time and my Irish genes are conspiring to thin the hair on the back of my head around my crown. I usually use light pomade (Murray's Light, etc) or matte clay to style my hair. My wife informs me that my products are causing the hair on my crown to clump, exacerbating the balding spot. Any ideas on how to avoid this? I mainly do side parts, so I don't need tons of hold, just a little control.

 

[MntnMan62]

Have you thought about trying to keep the hair you actually have? I've been using Rogaine or the Kirkland equivalent for years now and while my hair line is receding it's receding extremely slowly. My hair stylist who does everyone in my family has said not to stop using it because it's working. I don't know if it would regrow hair but it might prevent the loss of hair. I only use it once a day in the morning in spite of the instructions saying twice a day. I have thought about using it twice a day to see if I might be able to grow some hair. Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution for Rosh Hashanah.

 

[FireDragon76]

I have some diffuse thinning on my head, made worse by a shorter haircut (a little accident with the Robocut).

I started noticing my hair trying to recede about seven years ago, and I do have a family history of hair thinning on my mom's side. Using an herbal, caffeinated shampoo (Thicker Fuller Hair) has helped some over the years - my hair isn't even as close to thin as my brothers. I've also been doing more reading on hair loss on my own- the main thing is you want to keep your head stimulated so micro-scarring does not occur around hair follicles. So I use hair tonics (TreeActiv or homemade bay, peppermint, and pimento, I alternate between the two) with and without dermarolling, and I also have added coal tar and ketaconazole shampoos a few times a week (both have been shown to help with hair loss). I also brush my hair with a soft boar brush about twice a day as a scalp massage.

I did use Rogaine in the past but I didn't really notice much of a difference and it was expensive, but for some people it is worth it. The Ketaconazole shampoo (Nizoral) is relatively cheap, as you don't use it every day. Some people with particularly bad hair loss use both, however. I like how the coal tar shampoo (Amazon's copy of Neutragena T-Gel) leaves my head feeling invigorated, so it's worth it in its own right. I had dandruff throughout my 20's, so T-Gel is very familiar to me.

I am also experimenting with my diet, going back to semi-vegetarianism, and particularly eating alot of soy and taking a saw palmetto supplement every day. I was vegetarian most of my 20's and early 30's, and I had very healthy hair.

 

[MntnMan62]

I've noticed that as my hair recedes on my head, it seems to be growing on every other part of my body. So cruel.

 

[FireDragon76]

I've noticed that as my hair recedes on my head, it seems to be growing on every other part of my body. So cruel.

Yeah, about the same time my hair started trying to recede, I also discovered nose hairs and ear hairs and had to buy a trimmer.

I think the saw palmetto and veggies could help with that. It is certainly due to the follicle being exposed to DHT.

 

[ajkel64]

I have no answer other than I know how you feel. I had an old school friend ask me how my solar panel was going the other day. I was gutted.

 

[sneefy]

Prescription drugs can slow the process but it's a battle you can't win. Nothing else helps. Herbs, shampoo, diet, none of those help 99% of those that try. It's in your genes and you can't change that.

It would be better to embrace it and shave your head. That's what I did and continue to do. It's actually very freeing. Pattern baldness (horseshoe) looks terrible, IMO, but a fully shaven head looks good. Clean. It's a very strong and confident look.

Or you could go the route that Biden took and get plugs. But as you can see from his example, that can look terrible later in life.

 

[MntnMan62]

Yeah, about the same time my hair started trying to recede, I also discovered nose hairs and ear hairs and had to buy a trimmer.

I think the saw palmetto and veggies could help with that. It is certainly due to the follicle being exposed to DHT.

Definitely need to trim the nose hair but don't trim the ear hair. Pluck it instead. If you pluck it the hairs will become finer as they grow back over time. I've been plucking ever since I noticed the ear hairs, and there are many, and they are beginning to be finer than they use to be. They used to be course and kinky. Now they are straight and thin. Hoping they go away altogether but something tells me it doesn't work that way.

 

[FireDragon76]

Definitely need to trim the nose hair but don't trim the ear hair. Pluck it instead. If you pluck it the hairs will become finer as they grow back over time. I've been plucking ever since I noticed the ear hairs, and there are many, and they are beginning to be finer than they use to be. They used to be course and kinky. Now they are straight and thin. Hoping they go away altogether but something tells me it doesn't work that way.

Plucking injures the hair follicles, so that might be why they grow back finer.

 

[MntnMan62]

Plucking injures the hair follicles, so that might be why they grow back finer.

I'm ok with that then. I'm not looking to grow the hair long enough for an ear ponytail.

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

As soon as mine started to thin noticeably, I went the 28 mm brush and a DE route, been doing it ever since

 

[FarmerTan]

I have no answer other than I know how you feel. I had an old school friend ask me how my solar panel was going the other day. I was gutted.

That is wretched. I hope that the friend noticed the effect his careless words had and will be more careful in future.

As to hair loss: as a Cosmetologist and an RN my advice is this: it's hard, but not impossible to beat your genes. I really believe that scalp massage is invaluable. It will increase blood flow, and feels good. And can be done with one hand while holding a book with the other!

 

[FireDragon76]

That is wretched. I hope that the friend noticed the effect his careless words had and will be more careful in future.

As to hair loss: as a Cosmetologist and an RN my advice is this: it's hard, but not impossible to beat your genes. I really believe that scalp massage is invaluable. It will increase blood flow, and feels good. And can be done with one hand while holding a book with the other!

I usually try to massage my head several times a day, either using shampoo, hair tonic, or a boar brush.

 

[FuzzFace513]

just shave it off

 

[old_school]

MPB only looks terrible if you let it:

On the other hand you could embrace it:

 

[KeenDogg]

Christopher Walken was told by Jimmy Stewart to pull at his hair and wiggle his scalp while doing so. He claims that's why he still has his hair.

 

[FarmerTan]

Christopher Walken was told by Jimmy Stewart to pull at his hair and wiggle his scalp while doing so. He claims that's why he still has his hair.

I fully believe it helps.

 

[Mempho]

Talk to your doctor. Rogaine really works. So does Propecia. A certain former TV personality uses it and he has a full head of orange hair at age 73.

 

[KeenDogg]

I fully believe it helps.

It certainly cant hurt.....unless you pull way too hard!

 

[something better]

Christopher Walken was told by Jimmy Stewart to pull at his hair and wiggle his scalp while doing so. He claims that's why he still has his hair.

Jimmy Stewart wore a toupee in the last part of his career. He was bald.