21 and going bald

[Fixed by 35]

What's worse than hair loss anyway? I hear a lot of people say that but to be honest in the last seven years I've been through life threatening illness, grief and redundancy and they were all a walk in the park compared to hair loss.

[KeepTheHair]

I agree. Hair loss is pretty shit.

Treating it aggressively might be the RIGHT advice. If you care about your hair why not defend it really well lol

and no im not crazy and not doing crazy shit but I think its definitely worth trying the best stuff out there, like dutasteride and minoxidil 15% and to see if it works. I am trying lesser things now but will move on to those in the near future. Hopefully this year I can improve the fullness of my hair somewhat again and wear it longer and grown out.

[Fixed by 35]

As for people who say life is still worth living as a bald person, I think they need some food for thought:

1) Bald men never reach their full potential.

No bald man is at the pinnacle of their chosen career today in the western world. For example, politicians need hair to reach the top; businessmen in the largest companies need hair to be CEO and actors need hair to have the broadest range.

Bald men do okay, but they only come first in sport. Anywhere they can be discriminated against (i.e. anywhere that their career must to some extent be influenced by someone else), they won't come first. Not ever.

2) Bald men are less attractive.

Bald men are less attractive, but for some women hair loss is not as important as it is for others. Apparently studies show something like between 70%-90% of women prefer men with hair, but I guess this is not always important.

However, I think it will become more important when fashions change. I think we've lived through a very lucky age, where head shaving has been in fashion, but I don't remember the last time I saw someone with a full head of hair with a shaved head. It's going out of fashion fast.

The future is bleak. Some women will continue not to care as much as others and will prefer personality, but they'll choose a man with both over a bald man with character. Statistically you're likely to continue dating and maybe even marry, but probably not with your ideal woman because you can't be as choosy.

I'm incredibly lucky that I've bucked that trend, but most bald men I know did not.

3) Bald men are first in the firing line.

Whenever I've been at a company that has had to make people redundant, it has always been bald men and loud women first. It has its perks when you have no responsibility and jobs aren't scarce; I lost a job in the boom years and took a big fat payout before quickly taking another job. But it's not so great in a recession. Bald men get the boot first because they look less dynamic.

4) Bald discrimination is acceptable.

It's not acceptable to be a racist, sexist, ageist or religious bigot in today's society. It's also extremely wrong to make fun of 'special' people. But you can still make slap head jokes.

My sister once went out with a short borderline special needs bloke. You know the sort of person who was in and out of hospital during their childhood.

He once made a joke about my baldness. I said it was better to be a bit thin on top than a retarded midget. Apparently what I said was unacceptable, whereas what he said was okay. Well, no, actually, no one has the right to mock you and think their own weaknesses are unexploitable!



So, if you want this life, good for you. You must have a thick skin and low expectations. I'm not interested in that sort of life, and I'd happily trade in 50 years of life for one more year with hair.

[smileyface19]

I don't want that life and am not going to live that life. People only tease you because they are over compensating for something wrong with them that people can't 'obviously observe'. No offence but all of the reasons you just listed off fixedby35 sound like a sad man's life full of despair. Quite frankly, with hair or not, I think life is much more complex to have a sad life, just look at what's going on in nature around you. Honestly, who are we to say or not say this is a process of evolution and great physiological change in the human body. Go study some of the greatest men to have ever lived and it might surprise you at how many were not balding, but completely bald, and who knew that this body we live in is only a shell, you're brain and thought is what counts and what will be discussed later on down the latter. To get you started if you're interested, check out: Charles Darwin, Leonardo de Vinci, and Thomas Edison (although Tesla was a thousand times smarter but he had a lot of hair)... take notice I didn't mention the big 3; Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, and Jason Statham because these men have no real life quality except they can play characters well so how about we stop listing these guys off as front runners on the bald wagon.

[StayStrongMen]

As for people who say life is still worth living as a bald person, I think they need some food for thought:

1) Bald men never reach their full potential.

No bald man is at the pinnacle of their chosen career today in the western world. For example, politicians need hair to reach the top; businessmen in the largest companies need hair to be CEO and actors need hair to have the broadest range.

Bald men do okay, but they only come first in sport. Anywhere they can be discriminated against (i.e. anywhere that their career must to some extent be influenced by someone else), they won't come first. Not ever.

2) Bald men are less attractive.

Bald men are less attractive, but for some women hair loss is not as important as it is for others. Apparently studies show something like between 70%-90% of women prefer men with hair, but I guess this is not always important.

However, I think it will become more important when fashions change. I think we've lived through a very lucky age, where head shaving has been in fashion, but I don't remember the last time I saw someone with a full head of hair with a shaved head. It's going out of fashion fast.

The future is bleak. Some women will continue not to care as much as others and will prefer personality, but they'll choose a man with both over a bald man with character. Statistically you're likely to continue dating and maybe even marry, but probably not with your ideal woman because you can't be as choosy.

I'm incredibly lucky that I've bucked that trend, but most bald men I know did not.

3) Bald men are first in the firing line.

Whenever I've been at a company that has had to make people redundant, it has always been bald men and loud women first. It has its perks when you have no responsibility and jobs aren't scarce; I lost a job in the boom years and took a big fat payout before quickly taking another job. But it's not so great in a recession. Bald men get the boot first because they look less dynamic.

4) Bald discrimination is acceptable.

It's not acceptable to be a racist, sexist, ageist or religious bigot in today's society. It's also extremely wrong to make fun of 'special' people. But you can still make slap head jokes.

My sister once went out with a short borderline special needs bloke. You know the sort of person who was in and out of hospital during their childhood.

He once made a joke about my baldness. I said it was better to be a bit thin on top than a retarded midget. Apparently what I said was unacceptable, whereas what he said was okay. Well, no, actually, no one has the right to mock you and think their own weaknesses are unexploitable!



So, if you want this life, good for you. You must have a thick skin and low expectations. I'm not interested in that sort of life, and I'd happily trade in 50 years of life for one more year with hair.

We get it dude, how many times are you going to say the same thing? This forum is meant to help others, not hinder their progress. It sickens me to think how many people might come to this forum seeking guidance after first realizing they are losing hair and become dramatized when they start reading your nonsense about how life is meaningless. GTFO of here.

You represent "the most extreme reaction to baldness". Of course life is going to suck if you spend every day of your life writing novels about why everyone's life should suck as a bald man on forums. Take your pessemistic views and spew them somewhere else.

Have you gotten psychiatric attention yet?

[Fixed by 35]

Times are changing. What you need to realise is that once upon a time you could be bald and great. Those days are over.

To have the opportunity of greatness, with the exception of sport, you have to pass the image test first. You can't be a world leader until you are elected; you have to pass the image test. You can't be a CEO until you climb the junior ranks; you have to pass the image test. You can't be a mature actor until you've played some minor roles; you need to pass the image test.

We live in an image obsessed culture. In the past things like intelligence and wisdom reigned supreme. Now, you need image as well.

There's no point trying to lead a full life when one third of what you need has been snatched away before you even cross the starting line.

[KeepTheHair]

What he says is 100% the truth. Why does he need psychiatric help lol...


I agree with him about hair loss can greatly mess up your chances in life.


I still love life etc though. Life is good. Id rather live it bald than not live it. Very much so.


But I will also try to regain my hair. At almost all costs.

[Fixed by 35]

I get some pleasure out of life, in food and travel for example. I just get no satisfaction in my career and don't expect to because of hair loss. I also have no prospect of ever having the political career I wanted, again because of hair loss.

So it's like life is only running on half power at the moment and I'm starting to get bored of it. I don't think psychiatry could change that.

[KeepTheHair]

In my opinion, thats rational. Hair loss sucks ass. It's worse than people make it out to be. To me it might even be worse than losing a leg or so...I am not kidding. Both sucks...but I would choose hair.


Hopefully though histogen comes through for us folks. I doubt they will have trouble with funding, there are some rich bald guys out there.

[Fixed by 35]

The negative reaction to losing hair and losing a limb are surprisingly similar in most people questioned. Losing hair is just more common and less inconvenient. I think the real difference that might make losing a limb more appealling is that it engenders sympathy rather than ridicule.

It's the fact that baldness is allowed to be ridiculed that really makes me angry.

[KeepTheHair]

Exactly.

When someone sees a bald guy he gets a smirk on his face and thinks "lol...that must suck haha" they can scoff at you. They see your hair loss and it's a big joke.


Would this happen to a guy who lost a limb? no.


In my opinion anyway that says hair loss doesn't dramatically change your life is extremely deluded and needs help.

It's just the plain truth. Thats why these forums exist and that is why we are so damn desperate for a cure.

I won't lie to myself.

[JOE-91]

Hahaha, keepthehair and fixedby35 you pair are ****ing losers man. Upload some pictures so that people can see the cretins there hearing this shit from. How does it make you feel when you go out in the real world and see balding guys living happy, fulfilling lives while your both a complete mess over something that you can't stop.

[KeepTheHair]

Well atleast we dont go around calling people

"****ing losers"

[smileyface19]

keepthehair, you're not a loser, you're just gullible. fixedby35 is a loser though.

[Fixed by 35]

I've yet to meet a happy bald man under 50. I'll let you know when I do.