Hey Kbragg!
I agree it may be time to see a doctor to check for underlying medical issues. Also, if your edges have been like this despite a few years of constant care and very low tension, I'm wondering if you might be dealing with a mild traction alopecia here. The hair loss from that is usually very gradual- and your hair loss appears to be mirrored (on each side). But your case is also complicated by the fact that its on the hairline-- and most people have finer/thinner hair there anyway.
But I do see what you are talking about. I'm looking at the pattern of remaining hair. There looks to be 3 distint areas of density at your hairline. A small area in the very front where there is little to no growth-- likely completely miniaturized follicles, a semi-circular area around it with better growth- but also affected follicles, and then the main part where your hair fills in thickly after that which is unaffected. Healthy follicles produce thick, dark terminal hairs. Miniaturized follicles are usually scarred and produce a finer type of hair-- this is a phase in the alopecia process. If tension continues after the follicle has started producing this kind of hair, then complete hair loss will occur and the follicle will stop producing. Once this happens, no hair can grow there
ever.
![Ohwell :ohwell: :ohwell:](/smilies/ohwell.gif)
It looks like the kind of traction alopecia you'd get from a ponytail or pulling the hair back from the face-- rather than the kind you'd get from braids or micros. That kind of hairloss is usually greatest at the front then tapers toward the back as tension to the pony decreases.
If its truly a mild alopecia-- you'll still have to work around the temple patches whether you relax or transition. Transitioning however, will help you disguise it considerably.
Do you have any soreness to the temple area? If you closely examine the scalp is it drier/scaly there? Do you have any before and after temple shots?