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My Story Up To Here
Hello all,
I felt I should introduce myself. I am a 26 year old male with a high incidence of genetic alopecia on my father's side (three brothers bald, three not), so between that and having watched my brother thin over the past 7 or 8 years, I've long known that losing my hair was a possibility. About 3 years ago I got serious about it and looked into what I'd need to do in the event that I noticed thinning. I admit that there was a period of about a year where I brushed it off, thinking I was probably just "seeing things." Then, back at the beginning of this year, I began suspecting that my hairline was thinning, so I went on finasteride. I have no diagnosis since my doctor prescribed it based on my family history alone, but I was worried.
It's been about 7 months, and so far I have no idea how much it's helping. If only I had the dermatological resources to track progress, then I wouldn't be walking nearly blind. Every day I read the summary of the 5 and 10 year studies and try to take heart in the fact that at the very least I have an excellent chance of keeping what I have.
Right now I think that I'm a Norwood 1. I have what seems like pretty thick hair, yet I walk around picturing myself as being very thin in the harline and mid-scalp. Psychologically, it's been a nightmare. I have nightmares about it. It is all the worse when people tell me that being bald is okay and or that I'm "too concerned" with it. Many bald people just don't want to go "there", while many who don't have the problem are very cavalier about it. I have a friend who actually talked to his SHRINK about me, telling him about my OCD, and reports back to me with "This being so important to you is your OCD" (literally trying to pass this off as a "fact", when it's their value judgment on hair), pathologizing me when my reaction is completely proportionate as per at least one study that has been done on this subject. So I have no support in my immediate surroundings, other than maybe my mom.
All I have to say to people who trivialize my suffering is - SCREW YOU!
Anyway, I am hoping that I'm a good responder to finasteride. Even if I can slow the process, that buys me time both in terms of enjoying my youth and preparing for other measures. Not that transplants without effective medical therapy is the best scenario in the world.
I don't think much about future potential treatments, but Bernstein talks a lot about hair cloning, and I really hope that that becomes available within the next 10 years.
In the meantime I am battling my neuroses and reminding myself constantly that the odds are very much in my favor. 90% over 5 years and 86% over 10 is pretty damn good chances.
I felt I should introduce myself. I am a 26 year old male with a high incidence of genetic alopecia on my father's side (three brothers bald, three not), so between that and having watched my brother thin over the past 7 or 8 years, I've long known that losing my hair was a possibility. About 3 years ago I got serious about it and looked into what I'd need to do in the event that I noticed thinning. I admit that there was a period of about a year where I brushed it off, thinking I was probably just "seeing things." Then, back at the beginning of this year, I began suspecting that my hairline was thinning, so I went on finasteride. I have no diagnosis since my doctor prescribed it based on my family history alone, but I was worried.
It's been about 7 months, and so far I have no idea how much it's helping. If only I had the dermatological resources to track progress, then I wouldn't be walking nearly blind. Every day I read the summary of the 5 and 10 year studies and try to take heart in the fact that at the very least I have an excellent chance of keeping what I have.
Right now I think that I'm a Norwood 1. I have what seems like pretty thick hair, yet I walk around picturing myself as being very thin in the harline and mid-scalp. Psychologically, it's been a nightmare. I have nightmares about it. It is all the worse when people tell me that being bald is okay and or that I'm "too concerned" with it. Many bald people just don't want to go "there", while many who don't have the problem are very cavalier about it. I have a friend who actually talked to his SHRINK about me, telling him about my OCD, and reports back to me with "This being so important to you is your OCD" (literally trying to pass this off as a "fact", when it's their value judgment on hair), pathologizing me when my reaction is completely proportionate as per at least one study that has been done on this subject. So I have no support in my immediate surroundings, other than maybe my mom.
All I have to say to people who trivialize my suffering is - SCREW YOU!
Anyway, I am hoping that I'm a good responder to finasteride. Even if I can slow the process, that buys me time both in terms of enjoying my youth and preparing for other measures. Not that transplants without effective medical therapy is the best scenario in the world.
I don't think much about future potential treatments, but Bernstein talks a lot about hair cloning, and I really hope that that becomes available within the next 10 years.
In the meantime I am battling my neuroses and reminding myself constantly that the odds are very much in my favor. 90% over 5 years and 86% over 10 is pretty damn good chances.
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