It was the very end of eighth grade when I first
noticed my hair getting thin. Eighth grade?! Geez. I noticed thinness
on the very top and back of my head - the crown area. You know,
one of the typical male pattern baldness starting points.
By the end of 9th grade, my entire hair head of
was thin. You could see through to my scalp except for the sides
and the
back. Not too cool for a young guy in his mid-teens.
Why so early? Well, I'm genetically destined to
lose my hair at some point or another. Baldness genetically runs
in my Mother's side of the family. I do believe there is truth
to the "If you're Grandfather on your Mother's side is bald"
theory. Sorry.
You carry over certain genes from your Mother that
have to do with hair growth and hair loss. My Grandfather on my
Mother's side is completely bald. My Uncle (Grandfather's Son)
is completely bald as well. His Grandfather on his Mother's side
was completely bald too.
In my case, it wasn't only genetics. I had taken
a heart medication for years, which had accelerated my hair-loss.
One of the side effects was alopecia (male pattern baldness).
I didn't realize this until last year! Early 2001! While I normally
wouldn't have had to worry about thinning hair until my mid to
late twenties, I was experiencing hair loss in eighth grade.
