Thinning at crown, but hairline unaffected?

Question

I am 18 years old and I started to notice that the crown of my head is much thinner than the rest and my hairline seems unaffected. What type of hair loss is this?

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

Experiencing hair loss/thinning just  in the crown is actually quite common. This is still a form of male pattern baldness, however. Below, I am including an example of a patient from the Dr.U Hair Clinic in Los Angeles. This gentleman underwent a Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant using grafts extracted from his scalp using Dr.UGraft technology to fill in his area of crown baldness. Right now, you may want to work with a qualified doctor to get an official diagnosis and perhaps see if Minoxidil might help. At 18,  hair transplantation is possible, if you are prepared for more than one surgery and have body hair to supply additional grafts.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

If you have thinning only in the crown, it may be just thinning only in the crown.  It can be male pattern balding.  Many men have this type of balding.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This is common and if you are concerned please see a hair loss expert for treatments such as rogaine and minoxidil.  I use PRP and progesterone injections and that gives very good results much more quickly than the other treatments.

Hannah Vargas, MD · Answer

Your hair loss is still most likely male pattern hair loss.  Typically the crown requires a large number of hairs to cover.  You are young and do not know the extent of your hair loss yet and you certainly don't want to use up your grafts that you may want to use in a different area as you age.  Finastride (Propecia) is a non-surgical option for you, as well as minoxidil.  I would consult with a hair loss specialist to review options and the risks and benefits of each.  Good luck!

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

You have crown hair loss. This is the type of hair loss that Ted Danson has. Make sure you do no surgery at this time but wait to see what your ultimate pattern is going to be. Propecia will help regrow hair in the crown.

Parsa Mohebi, MD, FISHRS · Answer

You may be experiencing early stages of an isolated crown baldness.  Of course you are too young and it may as well develop into a full hair loss in class IV, V or VI at some point.  A microscopic evaluation by a hair specialist can determine where you are heading from here.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

The mostly likely cause of hair loss in an otherwise healthy 18 year old male with crown hair loss and no hair loss anywhere else is androgenetic alopecia. Treatments include finasteride, minoxidil, laser and platelet rich plasma. The most effective of these, by far, is finasteride. Surgery is not an option for men with crown hair loss unit the mid 30s.

Thinning at crown, but hairline unaffected?

Answers (7)

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