Question - is this just loose hair or am I balding?

OK, I'm gonna cut to the chase and post some pictures.

I've had dreads for a few years now, and naturally, I love them, they're who I am. But recently, I've noticed that when I tie my hair back, it now looks like my hair is thinning and balding at the very front.

I'm quite sure that it's just the way it appears when you get loose hair coming forward and the dreads are tied back. And whenever I pull the loose hair back with the dreads, it seems to go, but atm the loose hair is too short to crochet back into the dread. I'm just not sure anymore.

My granddad (now 60) has been balding since his 20s, but my dad is in his 40's and he's fine. I'm now 22 so I'm wondering if it's skipping a generation and onto me.

I keep getting comments about it, and I'm tired of people thinking I'm going bald. Any help please???

updated by @badgerboi2: 01/13/15 10:00:43PM

ok 1sr you should never ever ever use a crochet hook on dreads

2nd it could be from pulling them back tightly too much for too long

or could be balding but your dads dads balding gas nothing at all to do with your balding tendency..its your moms dad that you have to look at

the genetic causes of balding is passed down through your moms side if the family only

if you used a crochet hook to tighten the roots that can cause it too tho the pattern i see is either from pulling back or typical genetics influenced male pattern balding

suggestions:

1 stop crocheting

2 limmit how much you pull them back or stop completely for 6 months or so..if you must tue em back do it loosely and especialy release tension on the front ones

3take biotin

4 look into your moms side of the familues balding tendency

im not sure really idf this is something your causing or not so best to adjust what you do as if your sure your causing it

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks for the reply!

1. You're right, I do tend to tie my hair back too hard, I stopped tieing it back a few weeks ago.

2. My mother's dad is a full on Jamaican rasta haha, he's got 20 years neglect dreads, not balding at all. Baldness DOES affect males on her mother's side though.

3. I have a question about the crocheting. I don't exactly crochet, haven't done it for ages now. But I DO dreadball my hair and use my hands to push the dreadball through the dread and onto the other side of the dread. If I keep dreadballing once this is done, it locks up ok and doesn't seem to give me grief. Now is THAT an issue?

4. I've also seen your youtube comments saying crocheting etc can lead to baldness - is that permanent?

Thanks

soaring eagle said:

ok 1sr you should never ever ever use a crochet hook on dreads

2nd it could be from pulling them back tightly too much for too long

or could be balding but your dads dads balding gas nothing at all to do with your balding tendency..its your moms dad that you have to look at

the genetic causes of balding is passed down through your moms side if the family only

if you used a crochet hook to tighten the roots that can cause it too tho the pattern i see is either from pulling back or typical genetics influenced male pattern balding

suggestions:

1 stop crocheting

2 limmit how much you pull them back or stop completely for 6 months or so..if you must tue em back do it loosely and especialy release tension on the front ones

3take biotin

4 look into your moms side of the familues balding tendency

im not sure really idf this is something your causing or not so best to adjust what you do as if your sure your causing it

it can mbe permenanttgyho it has to be rather extreme to become permenant but even if fixable it can take a long time if severe

dreadballing is probably failrly harmless but enturely pointless too

and yea i was kinda assuming it was from tying it back

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

OK, I appreciate it, and great youtube vids btw, very handy info!