Am I balding at 17? (Photo)

Use common sense.  If you cut your hair "extremely" close as you state, you will naturally see your scalp.  If your hair grows "significantly since" you may still see your scalp "slightly".  If you have harsh lighting, you will see your scalp more than if you're in low lighting.What you describe isn't balding.  It's common sense. 

Thinning Hair -- Rogaine, Propecia, Viviscal, Progesterone, PRPIf you have thinning hair you really need an evaluation to see if it is genetic or from another cause like stress or autoimmune. If it is determined to be genetic there are many options and traditional treatments like rogaine foam and propecia pills can be used. I have great success in my practice using injectable progesterone and prp to the scalp. Postmenopausal women also benefit from spironolactone. I suggest seeing a dermatologist with expertise in hair loss. Best, Dr. Emer.

It is very difficult to determine from these photos.Examination with a video microscope may give more clues.John Frank, MD New YorkOhio

Great question, but impossible to tell with photos. With the pattern of the hairline, it's quite unlikely you have premature balding... but you'd need a hair medicine specialist to look up close with a dermatocope instrument to determine if the hairs are undergoing miniaturization. That's the only way to tell. But all in all, it would be surprising if you had early genetic hair loss given the the pattern of your current hairline. 

From the pictues, I can not tell. But if you go to a doctor a good examination of you will be done. Your biggest enemy is te progressive balding that you might
have in the next 5-10 or so years. Most doctors, once the diagnosis is made, will start you on the drug
finasteride for one year. Get Bulk Measurements of your hair to determine the
degree of the progression or if you successfully stopped or reversed the hair
loss with this drug you need to get insights into your immediate and long term
future. If you are developing a more advanced balding pattern which the Bulk
Measurements will show over a one year time frame, then you and your doctor
need to develop a MASTER PLAN.