Expert: Peter J. Panagotacos, <B>M.D.</B> - 7/1/2009

Question
1.hi,i am a 18 year old indian and i wanted to know what is
the ideal way to check my hairline in the norwood scale,what
i mean to say is that if just check in the normal position
it looks like a mature hairline and when i pull back my hair
it looks like i belong to norwood class two........pls help

2.my second question is that i am suffering from TE since
last december and the hair shedding has stopped but my hair
is still not thick as it used to be,as i have a mature
hariline this TE makes it look like balding....and when i
perform the pull test i still find 4-5 hair in my hand why
is this and how long will it take for my hair to again
become thick is it was before

Answer
If you pull your hair back and it looks like Norwood II then that is the pattern you have. If there is baldness in the family on either side - mother or father- you may have inherited some bald genes leading to male pattern baldness showing up as early recession. The pull test can be quite variable and unreliable when not done by a dermatologist who know how much tension to use in the pull and how many hairs to expect on the pull. If this increased loss is due to a TE then you will have to wait at least six months after the TE stops before seeing new hairs one to two cm long. You can try 5% minoxidil twice a day for the next six months to the area to see if it helps bring back recently lost hair.