I am wondering for those of us who are Bald By Nature, when did you first notice that you were losing hair?  Also how long did it take to get to your current stage of hair loss?

I am 51 years old and I have a smooth patch on the crown.  From a previous discussion on SBG last year I determined with the help of others that I am about a Norwood 5 or 6.  BTW, for those who don't know, the Norwood Scale determines where you are in terms of Male Pattern Baldness.  So in addition to my smooth patch, I have diffuse hair loss to the point that someone would say that I am a "bald guy" even if I did not shave my head.

So for me, the journey to being a "bald guy" has been slow.  I first noticed that the front of my head had receeding and thinning when I was 29.  When I was 35, the hair in front was pretty much gone.  At that point is when I first went Sly.

Pretty much since then I had kept my head shaved.  But when I was 39, I grew my hair back for awhile.  At that point, a co-worker noticed that I was thinning in the back.  Something I had not noticed as I had not looked in the mirror at the back.  So after that I noticed that in photos and videos. that I was in, that the balding was noticeable.  At that point, I started to keep it shaved.  Then a friend noticed about 4 years ago, when I was 47, that I had the "fringe shadow" and that he understood why I had shaved my head.

S almost 2 years ago, I had some surgery and was too tired to shave my head and discovered that I was now officially "the bald buy", even if I grew my hair back.  I feel fortunate taht I am happy being "Sly".  Thankfully I had never stressed about going bald as it is in my family.  Although it seems to happen slowly in my family.

So for me, the journey to being BBN took about 20 years.  Hmmm, maybe the slowness of the journey maybe helped me to deal with it better??  I don't know!

My temples started receding at 15-16 and by 22 I was a strong norwood 5 mpb.  The worst time of my life as there was no internet or support like SBG.  As was the fashion back in 1977, I wore it long and combed over until I told barber "buzz it all off".  The transition to acceptance was traumatic for me but I survived.

Quote from: Beardman on September 09, 2012, 07:14:41 AM

I started noticing it when I was probably as young as 13 or 14.

That is early in life to start loosing your hair, Beardman.

When did the beard growing start ? When you were 15 !!

Well, he did used to known as Beardboy.   

Started shaving beard in seven-th grade ,started losing hair when i was 18 yrs old ,started shaving without guard when I was 22 ,started shaving head last year ....I was the youngest in my school who has developed facial hairs    so every day before school I had to shave my beard and that was a drag ,I would often come i wounds(from shaving) in my class  ...

alaskadave -I am between Norwood 2 and 3 I suppose  but my chest hairs are already turning white (and I am 27 yrs old ) and my beard too(if i don't shave my beard I can see about half is white) ,guess that's because of all the stress i am currently going through  ---either this or i am a Santa Claus  ...

I think for me, mine started when I was about 22 just before shaving my flattop off...It seemed like I could never get the middle of the flattop as thick as the rest of it....the frontline started receding at 26.....I would shave my head only for extended military bivouacs, but I never went full time sly until 35. I am now about a Norwood 4.

Beardmean
No Christmas presents for you this year mister      !Now you know who I really am ...

marshd1000
sorry man ,yeah I can see that   ; )- I am next generation of Santa  in training