20 y/o--My MPB Journey: Realizations/Improvements (Long read, my first and last post)

[dantastic23]

Please excuse the book-like title, though in my head my balding journey does sound somewhat like a story to me

I started going bald when I was about 16. I got that "oh shit, I'm going bald" hair cut all of us know too well. I buzzed it as usual, and boy, I didn't hear the end of it. I remember the first thing I heard when I came into school from this one girl "Never cut your hair like that again, it looks horrendous." This comment is one that set me into a tail spin of depression about my hair loss.

I spent the next six months in denial "Oh, my hairline was always like this" and "No way I'm going bald, I probably just have a mature hairline." I also received the comments from my family "No, don't worry. Your hair looks fine!" Although they meant well, the reality was soon to set in.

That summer (around 7-8 months after I noticed I was going bald) my Dad took me to his dermatologist at my request. I was 16 and embarrassed to be going for such a reason. The dermatologist came in, assessed me and promptly wrote me a prescription for propecia. My father, who is also around a NW5 at age 50, questioned him about the sexual side effects. The Dr told us that it was a very rare occurrence and I shouldn't be worried. I was terrified at the thought of such side effects. (which I don't have on my current regime.)

I was scared of the side effects of propecia, so I bought rogaine (which is not as effective, as we all know, if you don't use propecia or avodart). I began applying it for a couple of weeks until I was out one night with friends. My "friend" who was very cruel about my hair loss, pointed out that I had rogaine in my hair with five other people around. It was humiliating to have it known that I was using this product at age 16 (for all of the people reading this at that age, there is NOTHING to be ashamed about if you are trying to save your hair with such products).

After that event, I stopped using rogaine. I then continued on and off use until I was 18 and set to leave for college. I was still terrified of the side effects of propecia, and the thickening effect of the rogaine and some shampoos I used made me feel like I still had some time left. My freshman year I used it on and off, and started dating my girlfriend.

Into my sophomore year I did not use anything, instead relying on various hats to cover it up.

At the beginning of my Junior year (August 2013) I started propecia. I was scared of the side effects but I knew my time was running out. I then had a drug rash all over my body develop, one that I ignored. I cried myself to sleep when I received the news that it was the propecia after two months of use. I then took a chance and tried Avodart. I am lucky enough to not be allergic (one in a million shot of luck right there). The rest of my regime is below:


I started this regime around a NW4, I have since stayed the same since August 2013, with some regrowth and improvement.


Results/Regime:
- Propecia 1 mg (August 2013-October 2013: allergic reaction)
-Avodart .5 mg (October 2013-present)
-Rogaine (on and off 1x daily 2011-2012…2x daily February 2014- present)
-l-lysine 1x daily
-biotin 1x daily
-nizoral 3x week
-sulfate free shampoo and conditioner

At the beginning of this month (May 2014) I visited the dermatologist who informed me that she saw major regrowth all over compared to my last visit (Feb 2014). My hair loss has slowed. I do not feel like blacking out/ putting up any photos. I do not claim to have mind blowing results, but I can tell there is some regrowth on the hairline and everywhere else. I am losing less hair in the shower. I am happy enough with these results to move on with my life.




REALIZATIONS: We are but individuals on a tiny speck of a planet in a huge universe. Our important problems are so minuscule in the grand scheme of things. In the case of a cosmetic issue like MPB, it is even lower on that scale. I have spent the last 5 years of my life in a depression over this. I have let MPB affect my self-worth, ambitions and progress in life. My loss in self-worth eventually led me to lose the love of my entire life around 7-8 months ago. I did not feel deserving of being so loved and so cared for. I looked in the mirror and felt sick. I felt like a monster. I felt like I didn't deserve to live because I was losing my hair. She stuck by me through it all, but I could not come to grips with the reality of what I had to lose in my life besides my hair. Hair was everything. Hair ruled over every aspect of my entire life. I broke up with her and tried to win her back a few months later (to no success). I had hit rock bottom.

For all of you reading this, I know that MPB is a very difficult thing to deal with. And I believe that you should do every thing you can to fight it early on, but it is, in my opinion, very small in the grand scheme that is your life.

I know that many of you have been suffering for longer than my short 5 years, but in this time I have seen a lot pass me by. I have seen people grow and evolve and improve while I sit here an average student, living a life castrated by MPB. I avoid things such as going to the beach, going on trips, going out with my friends, all because of my hair loss. I have let this "cosmetic issue" rule me. There is no reason that this should be. There is no reason that any of us should give hair loss another thought if we're doing what we can do with treatment. But I have let it rule me.

I just want you all to know that there is so much more to life than worrying about about this. All we can do is use the treatments that we can and move on. Do what we can do about the hair loss and move on with our lives. This is my first and final post. I am beginning life after hair loss right now, whether or not my treatment continues to work.

I invite you all to join me. Because from what I have learned from this site is that it is filled with some of the smartest and most dedicated people I have ever seen (Hellrouser, I have to give you a shout out. I use your derma roller thread/study as an example to a lot of friends of the ability and power of normal people trying to solve problems like this). If all of us put our minds and efforts to something special, something less vain, something more meaningful, I know that this world would be a better place. If we all release ourselves from scanning these threads for more hope like I have done for all these years and instead apply our wonderful minds to other things, there is no limit to what we can do.

I am not putting ANY of you down. This post is more about the fact that we should do what we can do about our hair loss and move forward. Again, besides replying to other posts on this thread (if there are any), this will be my first and last post. I wish you all the best.

[dantastic23]

hellouser*

[Notcoolanymore]

This post is more about the fact that we should do what we can do about our hair loss and move forward.

These "this is my first and final" threads suck, but I do agree with your message. We shouldn't let life pass us by dealing with this stuff. I am happy that although unsatisfied with my hair for years, I never put my life on hold because of it. We should all treat our hair loss and move on.

[J_B_Davis]

Very healthy outlook! You are lucky it only took you five years to get to this point and that you are still so young! Many people, as you can see on this forum and elsewhere waste so much of their lives concentrating on what they don’t have instead of what they are lucky enough to have. Hair loss will most likely always be a part of our lives, but it does not have to hold us back from living and enjoying the important things in life.

[fred970]

We should all treat our hair loss and move on.

If only it could work that way. It surely can for other ailments, but not for hair loss. I started treating mine in 2009, and still use minoxidil to this day. Even after my FUE, it still won't be over, now I have to wait a year, possibly more to get the full result (I hope). And after that, I'll most likely need a touch-up in a few years.

Hair loss is by nature progressive, so you can't just have a one-time fix and move on. Hair loss can be resolved, and it is possible to move on of course. But as for myself for example, I don't think it will happen before at least 2017 after maybe another FUE. I'll be able to say that I treated it and moved on, but it would have taken 10 years. And even after that I'll still be using minoxidil, so I'll always be reminded of my hair loss.

You can almost be sure that OP will come back.

[Notcoolanymore]

If only it could work that way. It surely can for other ailments, but not for hair loss. I started treating mine in 2009, and still use minoxidil to this day. Even after my FUE, it still won't be over, now I have to wait a year, possibly more to get the full result (I hope). And after that, I'll most likely need a touch-up in a few years.

Hair loss is by nature progressive, so you can't just have a one-time fix and move on. Hair loss can be resolved, and it is possible to move on of course. But as for myself for example, I don't think it will happen before at least 2017 after maybe another FUE. I'll be able to say that I treated it and moved on, but it would have taken 10 years. And even after that I'll still be using minoxidil, so I'll always be reminded of my hair loss.

You can almost be sure that OP will come back.

You are right fred. Yes, it is very difficult to treat hair loss and move on, as in not think about it. I was trying to say that you don't have to let it destroy your life or put your life on hold. I became obsessed with hair loss about a year ago, but before that although unhappy with my hair, I still did everything I wanted to do. Went out, had fun, enjoyed my life. Even now I do what I want to do. I don't lock myself in the house and let time pass me by. I have heard you mention many times all the women you get. By your writing, I can tell you are educated, so although you have had to deal with hair loss, you still manage to live your life also.