Alright, so my significant other had a shaved head when we met, but has since decided to try to grow it out for the first time in many years.  It's been about a year now since he decided to stop shaving, and he is talking about shaving again becuase he is frustrated that his hair isn't growing like it did when he was younger!  I have grown used to his blonde locks and I told him that perhaps we can do somehting to stimulate his hair growth before he decides to shave it away again.

The problem is this:  His hair is growing at what seems like a normal rate on the back half of his head, but on the front half, I.E. his bangs and what not, are growing veeeeeery slowly.  In fact it is almost not growing at all.  He is getting worried that he is balding.  He's 28, and his father, at 50, is not bald, so I don't know if he is balding or not, but I doubt it.  He claims that when he was a teenager he had the opposite problem with his hair.  The back grew normal and the front and bangs grew like weeds!  

Anyone have any idea of what causes part of someone's hair to grow at a much slower rate than the rest?

I have heard of people taking vitamins to encourage hair growth, but I have never tested this.  We are pretty healthy people without taking daily vitamins.  He drinks a LOT of energy drinks though.  Maybe they affect hair! hehe.

Anyhow. what I want to know is, does anyone know of something you can take, or apply, that will help to re-stimulate hair growth?  I know there is no miracle cure.  Long hair takes time!  But is there anything at all that isn't chemical that could encourage my man's hair?

Lemmie know!

Hi Tara   :)  
Slow hair growth can be caused by many different things, from a faulty thyroid to the simple process of aging.  Now, I'm not saying 28 is old by any means, however our hormone levels change as we get older and those little buggers play a huge part in hair growth.  Your man's rate of growth may simply have slowed way down.  A good multi vitamin may help and I know some folks swear by using Biotin, a hair/nail formula.   Good luck!

I've heard that the genes for MPB come mostly from a man's mother.  My husband's father never had thining hair, but his maternal grandfather did, and so has he.

Biotin is indeed something to look up.  Also stress on that part of his scalp might be an issue.

Baldness genes come from both sides of the family. Does his mother happen to have any bald brothers?
The fact that you mention his hair growing faster at the back of his scalp and slower on the top does indeed speak to male pattern baldness. And I'm sorry, but at 28 years of age, it's very likely. Guys usually begin balding in their early 20's and aside from hair replacement surgery, there's nothing to be done about it.

You might check the thickness of his hair on the top vs. in the back. If it's thinner on top, then you'll have your answer. If the thickness is the same in both places, then the top might just grow slower than everywhere else.
Unfortunately, there's also nothing you can do to speed up hair growth. It is what it is.
   You can encourage him to follow a healthy diet and take a good multivitamin daily so his hair growth reaches its maximum potential, but you already know that there is no magic pill.

And even if it is baldness, does it really matter that much? You've mentioned that he was bald when you met him, so you obviously didn't fall in love with him for his hair anyway. Don't freak out and get all depressed if he does decide to start shaving his head again as that will only make him feel worse. Be encouraging and tell him how hot he is with or without hair. Bald can be sexy after all. ;)

My short answer was going to be; let him! :)  Sorry I don't have any advice.  I don't know if it's just a "Danish thing" but most of the men around here who were blond as kids tend to thin earlier and more pronounced that the brunet men I know.  Hub's certainly that way.  His dad was a light brunet/very dark blond when younger and still has relatively thick hair but most of the men in the family were very fair haired, actually white haired as kids and those who had a whitish blond shade into their teens have been balding or thinning since some time in their mid-late 20s.  Sorry, it's not my intention to be discouraging.  

Your significant other's sounds like he has the same growth pattern as my husband who's now 40 but has since I met him at 29, had hair that was slightly thicker in the back than the top and front and I wouldn't consider his hair thick or full by any definition.  I still love the golden shade of his hair in summer but ultimately it doesn't matter. :)

Definitely be encouraging like others have said.  

Well, I certainly don't mind him bald, I like it both ways!  But he has expressed some unhappiness toward the prospect of going bald.  And actually I think the hair is slightly thinner, or whispier on top than in the back, but I don't know if that's his actual individual hair folicles that are thinning or if there is less hair in front than in back.  He also wears hat's 70% of the day, could that be stressing out his hair folicles I wonder?  I will look up biotin and see what that is, thanks!

EDIT**

I found out what Biotin was.  I didn't read aything about overdosing on this, does anyone know if it's possible?  You know how you can overdose on iron or potassium?

Anyone know of a good, inexpensive retailer of biotin supplements?  Or better yet, does anyone know of a daily multivitamin that is high in biotin?

I looked up the toxicity of Biotin, and it says on the Wikipedia that even high doses show no adverse effects.  I understand it's hard to OD on B vitamins, because the excess just gets flushed out.

If you have a Trader Joe's, I get a chewable multi there that has 100% of my daily Biotin in it.  90 of them for something like $8.  I haven't looked at the non-chewable formula, but those are usually even better.

I have an Ada's whole foods store near me, maybe I will check there, otherwise there is always the internet!