Genetics man. You could be lucky and it could just stop getting worse, but the more common pattern is as you have described. It just suddenly speeds up, and within no time it is noticeable. Then your granny or your girlfriend points out in front of everyone that your losing your hair. Sucks for sure.

Debbie's site is: http://www.splitendshairreplacement.com. She is in Bangor, Maine.

You really can't detect the lace of the base. It's a kind of optical illusion. If you get right up with your nose touching the mirror you can make it out, but even then it is just a glimpse of a fine colorless thread. With all the hairs going different directions and the light and shadow and the shine off your skin and the pores and little microblemishes, nobody would ever notice or think twice about lace unless they already knew you were wearing AND they knew what to look for. I have become quite good at spotting other guys who wear a hairpiece, but it's always density and color that gives it away - never visible lace. You can slightly feel the difference between lace and scalp if you dig your fingers down to the scalp, but girls don't really do that in my experience.

If you were going to try to replace your temple points then you would need very low density - 50% or so, but not so much to fill in the receded corners. You want it roughly to match your remaining bangs, which are still pretty good.

Temples don't have to be thick to work - even weak temple hair in the right place somehow seems to balance the hairpiece on top. But if they are missing altogether it is a problem.

I can't help you with a personal viewing, I'm afraid: I am in Singapore. I can show you some more real life photos though if you like.

Rich