transplant nightmare

[Jack21]

Maybe you are right. Maybe there is no relationship between baldness and winning election to public office. I think an argument can be made either way. I am no expert.

We're also products of a society that hasn't elected a president with facial hair in over a century. Clearly, then, our society is obsessed with the clean-shaven look and loathes facial hair, and no man with any form of beard or moustache has any reasonable chance of achieving success.

[Mr. 4000]

Very true in what you state. Lets hope some newbies learn to either accept things or accept a moderate improvement with the gamble of scars... Tough, tough choices to make. I am happy though that I am not bald because deep down I know that I would hate it. There is no simple right answer to this. What it needs is a cure.

there is no money in cures

[Jack21]

That is only too true. For years gastroenterologists feared the imminent emergence of what we now call prilosec. The advent of over the counter omeprazole has all but ruined them. No medical students whose aim is to become wealthy are opting for gastroenterology these days. The money is still in elective cosmetic surgery and will be until we accept how we look....which I don't see ever happening.

there is no money in cures

[Jack21]

In my second week of shaved head

So now I have begun my second week at work with a shaved (#1 guard) head. It sux but I am not giving up. I still get the looks of shock and horror from those who didn't see me last week. Those who work with me try their damnedest to keep their eyes on my eyes but most of them spent most of their time staring at my scalp. I didn't think that my stupid scalp was so fascinating. How long can people stare at some stubble on a scalp? Apparently quite a while. It is irritating being stared at and not getting any smiles from girls in the hallway anymore. People who pass me just keep their heads down and try to avoid eye contact. I'm not sure what bothers me more - the way I am treated or the fact that bald people are treated like this throughout corporate America. It is making me rethink a lot of things.

[Mr. 4000]

So now I have begun my second week at work with a shaved (#1 guard) head. It sux but I am not giving up. I still get the looks of shock and horror from those who didn't see me last week. Those who work with me try their damnedest to keep their eyes on my eyes but most of them spent most of their time staring at my scalp. I didn't think that my stupid scalp was so fascinating. How long can people stare at some stubble on a scalp? Apparently quite a while. It is irritating being stared at and not getting any smiles from girls in the hallway anymore. People who pass me just keep their heads down and try to avoid eye contact. I'm not sure what bothers me more - the way I am treated or the fact that bald people are treated like this throughout corporate America. It is making me rethink a lot of things.

Jack you can't control what others are going to say or do, and don't let it get you down. At least you know who not to trust. That should be a good thing.

Don't let it get the best of you. Rethink is good, but keep it positive my friend. Life can be a good thing if you let it.

[Jack21]

Thanks, man. That is much appreciated. Don't worry. The rethinking has to do with what segment of society I want to be a part of - not whether I want to live or die. I am really starting to think about trying to find a job in a very different sector of the job market. I know that times are tough now. It might be a while before I can find something more blue collar. I do have some professional skills from my years in the army. I can weld, sort of know my way around an engine, and know a whole lot about explosives. Maybe something in construction or demolition. Eventually. When jobs are available. For now I'm stuck in the collar and tie in the office that I HATE, but I have to make a living somehow.

Jack you can't control what others are going to say or do, and don't let it get you down. At least you know who not to trust. That should be a good thing.

Don't let it get the best of you. Rethink is good, but keep it positive my friend. Life can be a good thing if you let it.

[utah23]

Hi Jack21. I have been considering a hair system lately and in my research I have seen that you also post on the hair direct general forum. Your pictures there look great. In your posts on that forum it also seems like you are happy with your hair system. I was just wondering what made you decide to stop using your hair system. Did it interfere with your lifestyle? Any advice you could give me would be great.

[Jack21]

no easy answer

I was very happy with it for a while. As time passed it became more and more of a pain and looked less and less real (to me anyway). I was more self conscious of the hair piece than of my own shaved head. It was just driving me nuts. It was itchy, uncomfortable and required SOOOOOO much maintainence. I could deal with all of those things as long as it looked good, but the last systems I got from them were pretty horrible and I just figured why go through all of this just to have a terrible, obviously fake rug on my head? Look, I am not even two weeks into this shaved head thing. My life has been made miserable and I am not ruling out trying a rug again. I really don't want to, but this is pretty miserable. I am on my lunch break and I am sitting in front of my computer in my office b/c I don't want to bump into people in the cafeteria. Yesterday i just skipped lunch completely. I may end up doing the same thing today. There is no easy answer to this mess.

Hi Jack21. I have been considering a hair system lately and in my research I have seen that you also post on the hair direct general forum. Your pictures there look great. In your posts on that forum it also seems like you are happy with your hair system. I was just wondering what made you decide to stop using your hair system. Did it interfere with your lifestyle? Any advice you could give me would be great.

[mattj]

I'm not sure that changing careers will improve things for you. The issue you are trying to get away from - the stares and negative reactions - could happen just as much in any other line of work. The blue collar guys could actually be worse, even more vocal and unforgiving than the office types. I mean, unless you can find a career that pays you as well as your current job, you'd be losing out financially and very likely not improving your psychological wellbeing.

[Jack21]

The real issue here is that I began at this company with what looked like a thick head of black hair (actually thin brown hair with tons of toppik in it) and then one day last year suddenly I showed up bald. It was shocking to everyone. I don't get stares of horror from people who don't know me. Strangers don't laugh at me. It is b/c all of my colleagues knew me as a reasonable looking guy with hair who now looks like Frankenstein's monster.

I suppose that it is not corporate America that is the problem (as you point out it may be worse in the blue collar world). It is this particular place. If I were to go elsewhere and do the same exact thing surrounded by people who never knew the me with hair, I highly doubt that I would be made to feel so bad. Sure, people at the water cooler might mutter some things about the new bald guy, but I sincerely doubt that I would be treated like I am here by people who have known me for a while. They ridicule what they fear ultimately happening to them - the men anyway. The women are just saddened i suppose. If an attractive woman whom you had known and worked with for years suddenly showed to work one day 50 lbs overweight you would probably behave towards her the way the women here are behaving towards me. Half the people do not realize that I can not regrow my hair. They didn't realize that what they saw was not my hair. That's the problem. It is this place of business. All I really need to do is change where I work - nothing drastic at all. I can easily ask for a transfer. Its not as if that will instantly take away all my problems but it will certainly be better than this.

I'm not sure that changing careers will improve things for you. The issue you are trying to get away from - the stares and negative reactions - could happen just as much in any other line of work. The blue collar guys could actually be worse, even more vocal and unforgiving than the office types. I mean, unless you can find a career that pays you as well as your current job, you'd be losing out financially and very likely not improving your psychological wellbeing.

[Mr. 4000]

The real issue here is that I began at this company with what looked like a thick head of black hair (actually thin brown hair with tons of toppik in it) and then one day last year suddenly I showed up bald. It was shocking to everyone. I don't get stares of horror from people who don't know me. Strangers don't laugh at me. It is b/c all of my colleagues knew me as a reasonable looking guy with hair who now looks like Frankenstein's monster.

I suppose that it is not corporate America that is the problem (as you point out it may be worse in the blue collar world). It is this particular place. If I were to go elsewhere and do the same exact thing surrounded by people who never knew the me with hair, I highly doubt that I would be made to feel so bad. Sure, people at the water cooler might mutter some things about the new bald guy, but I sincerely doubt that I would be treated like I am here by people who have known me for a while. They ridicule what they fear ultimately happening to them - the men anyway. The women are just saddened i suppose. If an attractive woman whom you had known and worked with for years suddenly showed to work one day 50 lbs overweight you would probably behave towards her the way the women here are behaving towards me. Half the people do not realize that I can not regrow my hair. They didn't realize that what they saw was not my hair. That's the problem. It is this place of business. All I really need to do is change where I work - nothing drastic at all. I can easily ask for a transfer. Its not as if that will instantly take away all my problems but it will certainly be better than this.

it won't matter people are assholes everywhere. They have nothing better to do but to judge others. Well they should have plenty to do but choose not to.

I think it is great you went bald, that is total balls, and it should be liberating for you.

Lets face it, if they are still worried about you and your looks 6 months from now. They are freaking losers, they need to get a life.

[Toffeeman147]

I feel your pain Jack.Ive had 3 transplants here in the UK and now im so confused what to do anymore,do I shave and had a horrible scar showing or do I get a procedure in the US where Ive heard they are the best.Been informed by DR Feller and Dr Rahal i would need about 2.5k-3k grafts..but what if i then need more work down the line and my donor area is no good.I would just have even worse scars.then theres the cash needed.my head is up my bum so to speak cause I dont know what to do.Any opinions would be appreciated chaps

[Jack21]

As you live in the UK have you considered HIS clinic? They do non permanent scalp tattoing/ pigmentation. The results vary, but if the results are not good you always know that it is not permanent. I have seen in person one person who had his scalp done at HIS. It looked quite real to me. I have heard of poor results and seen photos of what are purported to be botched jobs from HIS clinic, however. If I lived in the UK I would have it done. In the States the only "reputable" providers of this type of this relatively new procedure use permanent ink and I am not ready to jump into that fire. I don't know how much you have on top, but have you considered thickening fibers like toppik? Its very, very cheap and if you have enough hair (which I am guessing you do after 3 transplants) it works miracles. And then of course there is the hair piece option which is hellish. Finally you can shave it like me. It is quite miserable facing the world like this, but it is free, easy to maintain, and very, very comfortable. It is also nice if you do a lot of exercise. It is not so nice if you are trying to woo a young woman.

I feel your pain Jack.Ive had 3 transplants here in the UK and now im so confused what to do anymore,do I shave and had a horrible scar showing or do I get a procedure in the US where Ive heard they are the best.Been informed by DR Feller and Dr Rahal i would need about 2.5k-3k grafts..but what if i then need more work down the line and my donor area is no good.I would just have even worse scars.then theres the cash needed.my head is up my bum so to speak cause I dont know what to do.Any opinions would be appreciated chaps

[Jack21]

you must think that I am advertising for toppik but just look

here's a pic of me I found early on in my military career. Under direct sunlight you can see just how thin I was even in my late teens.



Here is a picture of me years later with toppik (or whatever brand it was)

[Toffeeman147]

Cheers Jack,Ive never even heard of that clinic but I will certianly look into it....why dont you give it a go yourself...its not expensive to grab a flight from the US to Uk these days, just an idea