People noticing

[jackhammer199]

Hi, long time lurker, first real time posting...

I'm currently a Norwood 2.5 and have been slowly progressing through the scale since I was 19, I am now 23. I went for a haircut today, the same as I do every 5 or 6 weeks, and in the space of about 3 hours have had 4 or 5 acquaintances say things along the lines of "Wow, you're really losing your hair eh!" and "How are you losing your hair at 23??!"...

I've been pretty good (or so I think!) at hiding my loss so far so to have this happen after getting a pretty short haircut (that I thought would hide the thinning and recession) is a massive source of frustration and depression for me. I'm pretty certain that I won't be going down the propecia/RU/any other crazy concoction route, so I know I can't really complain about the whole situation..I'm just here to vent really.

How long has it taken your friends to get over the whole balding/bald thing? My confidence has been hit pretty hard by it, I wish I was able to just shrug off the comments and jokes but that's not really me.

[35YrsAfter]

Hi, long time lurker, first real time posting...
I'm pretty certain that I won't be going down the propecia/RU/any other crazy concoction route, so I know I can't really complain about the whole situation..I'm just here to vent really.

How long has it taken your friends to get over the whole balding/bald thing? My confidence has been hit pretty hard by it, I wish I was able to just shrug off the comments and jokes but that's not really me.

Propecia is usually pretty effective. RU of course is gray market experimental.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[fred970]

People began to tell me my scalp was showing by the age of 18.

On what planet are these people living? Losing your hair at 23 is not that common, but surely they should know it can happen.

Try to find fat people among those acquaintances, and just tell them:

"Wow you're really chubby, aren't you? How come someone can become so fat! Are you going to McDonalds everyday?!"

What?

[hal]

[QUOTE=jackhammer199;172393]Hi, long time lurker, first real time posting...



Wait 5 years. The hairline/hair you're so depressed about right now is the one you will desperately wish you had back again.

You'll say, God, if I only had the hairline I had when I was 23 I'd never worry about my hair again...

Anyway, you have 1 option at this point. Propecia. You roll the dice and take your chances and maybe you keep the hair you have. Or maybe it has side effects and makes your hair worse.

Hal

[Notcoolanymore]

If you don't plan on treating it, then you might as well get used to the comments because they will keep coming. Especially from friends or family that haven't seen you in a while. Once I got to a certain point where I lost too much hair to hide it, I just started buzzing my head.

[35YrsAfter]

Hello jackhammer199,
As about the comments, so can tell you that with time you will not react such painful. People will talk all the time and you will not close all the mouths, so try to learn to live without being offended at smb's words, as people who are free to make any offensive or unpleasant words in this regard, are not your friends, try to avoid them if possible.

Some people find faults with others because they are insecure and usually have a touch of social retardation. In other words, mamma didn't teach em any manners. Some of the wittiest people I know are good at the comeback because they think about comebacks and practice them on the smart asses of the world. I remember a live show where Don Rickles said to a woman sitting in the front row; "If you were my wife, I'd give you poison." "She immediately responded, If you were my husband I'd drink it." Years ago in the sixties there was a popular sarcastic radio program host called Joe Pyne. Joe Pyne lost a leg in the war and at that time men had wooden legs custom built. Pyne later went on to having a TV show where he often ridiculed and humiliated his guests. One night rock musician, Frank Zappa was Pyne's guest. Joe opened up with; "Well I guess your long hair makes you a woman". Without skipping a beat, Zappa replied; "I suppose your wooden leg makes you a table." Pyne was visibly stunned and speechless.

You could always say, I had my hair temporarily thinned to beat the women back, but it's apparently not working. Be creative, try not to be offended and have fun with it.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[topcat]

The bottom line here is people that bully and make derogatory comments only make them to people when they know they can get away with it. Hair is not going to help you avoid this because people can easily pick up on you and your body language. If you have not developed these skills growing up as a child then it becomes much more difficult to do as an adult…………not impossible just difficult. Chances are if you didn’t have a very strong father figure you might have missed out on these cues.

I have had a chance to see a lot working in the night club industry for over 25 years………….lots of great times and great memories……………….money can’t buy that……………..that excitement of living. I always got a good laugh out of the few who on occasion grew the beer muscles and started getting loose with the lips. They all of a sudden grew a pair of balls…………………….all it took were a few humiliating retorts to their comments where they were put into a position to actually now have to do something…………….. but their balls always shriveled back up and they were quick to apologize usually in front of the girlfriend they were trying to impress. You see they didn’t have any balls to begin with and sometimes it’s as simple as that, having the confidence and that confidence does not come from hair.

[Jasari]

People began to tell me my scalp was showing by the age of 18.

On what planet are these people living? Losing your hair at 23 is not that common, but surely they should know it can happen.

Try to find fat people among those acquaintances, and just tell them:

"Wow you're really chubby, aren't you? How come someone can become so fat! Are you going to McDonalds everyday?!"

What?

Some people are really really ignorant; especially regarding hair loss I've come to notice.

There was this one occasion about 2 years ago where I went to a hair dresser. I was around a 4a so my crown was pretty good but the front third of my hairline was more or less gone. I had a cap on & the moment I sat down & took it off the hair dresser called over one of their colleagues & said 'Check this out' 'Have you ever seen anything like it' 'You are really bald'

It's pretty odd for someone to react that way regarding something as common as hair loss.

In regards to the OP in my experience people never get over your hair loss which makes it hard for yourself to do the same. That being said the moment you become confident enough to 'not give an f' the people around you won't either. Derogatory remarks are always the basis of people who aren't confident themselves. Unshakable confidence in yourself will get you further than any head of hair ever will.

[Notcoolanymore]

There was this one occasion about 2 years ago where I went to a hair dresser. I was around a 4a so my crown was pretty good but the front third of my hairline was more or less gone. I had a cap on & the moment I sat down & took it off the hair dresser called over one of their colleagues & said 'Check this out' 'Have you ever seen anything like it' 'You are really bald'

You should have walked out.

[35YrsAfter]

Some people are really really ignorant; especially regarding hair loss I've come to notice.

There was this one occasion about 2 years ago where I went to a hair dresser. I was around a 4a so my crown was pretty good but the front third of my hairline was more or less gone. I had a cap on & the moment I sat down & took it off the hair dresser called over one of their colleagues & said 'Check this out' 'Have you ever seen anything like it' 'You are really bald'

It's pretty odd for someone to react that way regarding something as common as hair loss.

When I was in my late twenties, I had a hair transplant by the big chain who advertised everywhere except the Internet, because it didn't exist then. The hairline never looked natural. I went back for a hairline refinement and think I could have done a better job than the doctor after a half hour training session with Dr. Cole. It's funny but the guy who made my hairline worse, still advertises and practices hair transplant surgery. He must be 85 years old. Perhaps a very slow learner with abysmal artistic sensibilities. Anyway, the people at my work recommended I have my hair cut shorter. Because my donor was butchered, I called the hair transplant clinic for a barber/hairdresser recommendation. After a little time in the hairdresser's chair, it became evident that she was a commissioned agent of the hair transplant clinic. She did her best to make me feel like I didn't have enough hair. She pointed out an older man in the chair next to me, commenting how wonderfully full his hair was and wouldn't I love to have a head of hair like that. It was disgusting. The hair cut turned out well but I was visibly pissed and the hairdresser didn't seem to comprehend why. Some people are socially clueless.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[fred970]

My first dermatologist who was 60 years old found good to point when he told me I was balding at 19 years old: "Look, Frédéric, even I have more hair than you!"

Prick.

[hellouser]

I went for a haircut today, the same as I do every 5 or 6 weeks, and in the space of about 3 hours have had 4 or 5 acquaintances say things along the lines of "Wow, you're really losing your hair eh!" and "How are you losing your hair at 23??!"...

This is where people deserve food poisoning for asking such stupid question.

HOW? Dafuq do they mean how? As if we're just LETTING it go. Idiots.

[AfterHair]

People who don't have this condition (hairloss) do not realize how sensitive we are to it.. and so they can say some brutal things without intending to hurt us. It sucks that they are so clueless.

[mpb47]

Hi, long time lurker, first real time posting...

I'm currently a Norwood 2.5 and have been slowly progressing through the scale since I was 19, I am now 23. I went for a haircut today, the same as I do every 5 or 6 weeks, and in the space of about 3 hours have had 4 or 5 acquaintances say things along the lines of "Wow, you're really losing your hair eh!" and "How are you losing your hair at 23??!"...

I've been pretty good (or so I think!) at hiding my loss so far so to have this happen after getting a pretty short haircut (that I thought would hide the thinning and recession) is a massive source of frustration and depression for me. I'm pretty certain that I won't be going down the propecia/RU/any other crazy concoction route, so I know I can't really complain about the whole situation..I'm just here to vent really.

How long has it taken your friends to get over the whole balding/bald thing? My confidence has been hit pretty hard by it, I wish I was able to just shrug off the comments and jokes but that's not really me.

Easier said than done, but try not to let them know the comments bother you and they will stop or at least slow down.

I am friends with an older couple (~10years). The girlfriend has some medical background and believes propecia will stop mpb 100%. She was upset that he wouldn't use it and went bald. She says to me something like, "Don't be stupid like him, you'd better get on it now or and you will be just like him in about 10 years". I said something like "thanks" and left it at that.

Last year a couple of friends and my sister mentioned it passing but not in a rude way.

When I was younger, it was hard not to show even passing comment did not bother me. Now it's not nearly as hard and I am not sure why.

[howardroarke]

I am not sure if this will help you .. but I just want to share my experience. This might be overly dramatic too. I had beautiful hair which I got compliments for until I was about 19. Then I slowly started loosing hair which has progressed to a NW3-3.5 now.I am 28. I have not given up still and somehow deal with it with some crazy hairdo. But the hardest part is to go the hairdressers. I can't blame them for what they do to my hair... I honestly think they can't do much about how it can be cut. I cringe when I see my reflection in the mirror .. my hair just looks disgusting. As I walk out of the saloon lobby to pay.. I can see most people staring at my hair.It's a very painful experience. I usually walk back home from this saloon ... and it's during this time I usually make decisions .. think about how to bring something good out of myself in the coming 15 days... This feeling is so intense and I have accomplished what ever I thought about. For instance, it was during one of the walks that I decided to quit my job and go to grad school. I did . Then I wanted to get a great gpa. I got 4.8 and then I got a better job. I can say most of these came out of the pain that I have experienced and none out of the happy moments. I am not looking forward to this pain but then when I come across it I realized I just will make it work for me somehow.