Hi. Balding since 13 :(

[JWS]

Hi everyone,

Can't really believe I've signed up and posting on here. I'm struggling with my hair loss and have been fighting it none stop!!

I started losing my hair at 13!!!
I was so insecure about it all the way through school. I was receding but it wasn't too bad at that stage - I could mess it up and look like a blonde surfer dude. Nobody even noticed in school or commented on it.
It was at home I was teased by family. My brother/ my stepdad and they told all family members how insecure I was about it so everyone would comment or tease me about it. My brothers hair also receded the same as mine but not as bad and he'd let me know about it CONSTANTLY!!
"I'm 5 years older than you and I have more hair than you"

My step dad - "you're gonna be short, bald and fat"

The constant teasing and horrible words has always stuck with me. Once I left school my hair started getting thinner so I couldn't do the surfer messed up style anymore. What id do was style sort of a fountain at the front so it would cover up the sides. My hair was going back though and my forehead was looking huge (still does .

Now I'm 24 - 25 in 2 months. It's awful! It hasn't gone completely!
I have a massive forehead now. There's a patch in the back. Receded on the sides and it's way too thin to style or do anything with.

I've tried so many things. Regaine, caffeine shampoo, so many stupid pills and lotions over the years. I swear half of it made it worse because my brother didn't use any of those products and his hair is still better than mine.

I got stuck using this powder stuff. Which looks terrible!! I can't style it very well and trying to create a hair line with it is so hard.
Last couple of years I've been shaving my hair and using the hair I shaved off and gelling my hair and scalp and putting the shaved hair back on and hair spraying it on.
... It's better than that terrible powder stuff but it looks like I have a afro lol!!

I think I'm good looking guy when I have hair but I look so ugly without it. I have a wide head so it looks worst!! I look so old without it.
I get down!! I sometimes feel life is unfair! I've struggled with this since 13. It's something I can't except. I keep thinking if it goes altogether and I can't get a hair transplant I will kill myself.

I really want a hair transplant but I just can't afford it I'm so broke!!
I can't get a loan for it. I can't afford regaine or anything else. I feel so stuck and miserable. I have fears of relationships that they won't want me if they know. When I was using that powder in my hair - people I dated would always ask what have u got in your hair. I'd never go swimming!
I surf and trust me nothing helps u out more than staying on the board. Everyone comments - how do u never fall off... When in reality I can't! Cause f I do all the stuff I got on my hair which makes it look like I got a fall head of hair would wash off.

All laughing aside I struggle with it!!

[JayM]

Woh sorry to hear your story dude it really sucks.

Do you have any pictures so we could help you out? There are a few things you can try. When you say pills do you mean finasteride? Because you should try that ASAP.

I honestly don't think a hairtransplant on its own will give you what you need. If your early 20's and slick bald from what you describe then you're never going to get that surfer look back. Look at the hairtransplant threads and see where you're at compared and get an idea of what you can achieve.

You can always look to scalp micropigmentation. Done right it can look like you just shave your head. For someone whos been losing since 13 it could give a lot of relieve. There is a thread for that as well, give it a look it might be closer to your budget as well.

[JWS]

Thank you for replying.
Pills I was taking... They were some hair multivitamin tablets that were inexpensive.
Thank you!! I will have a look around all those now. I have not heard of those.
I'm thinking now this forum will help because I'm gonna hear of more options than just hair transplant surgery which is all I know of.

[JayM]

Yeh this is the best place to be to understand what treatments are available to you . How much do you know about the cause for hair loss? I would look at taking finasteride. It is a medication you need to get a prescription for from a doctor. I wont blabber on because you might already know about it, if not me or someone else will reply and help Although just looking through the threads and reading what's out there is good.

In terms of a HT, most docs will want to see you on finasteride medication for a few years to see if you can stabilise your hair loss. It's really your own opinion after looking at results if this will satisfy you and what you want.

SMP is basically tattooing your scalp to give the illusion that you just shave your head. Luckily again this site will show some fantastic results and results which are rubbish so you can make an informed decision . With good results people won't know you have had it done. Again stabilising your hairloss could be important with this procedure because it will be merged with your natural hair.

Another thing to think about is the difference between FUE and FUT. I would say any young guy with hairloss like yours to just think about FUE. It is an almost scar less hairtransplant procedure so you wont be left with a massive scar at the back of your hair. It just means that again you can shave your head with these new hairs at the front so you have a better hairline to shape your face and if there is furtherloss you wont have scaring at the back of your head when you shave down.

Good luck researching this whole website Research Finasteride, Dutasteride, FUE/FUT HT, SMP and also venture to the cutting edge treatment area to see what is on the horizon(by horizon it could be a million years haha) and you can decide if any of it is worth getting excited about.

We're all in the same boat here and as a young person myself I know how it feels dude.

[Notcoolanymore]

It was at home I was teased by family. My brother/ my stepdad and they told all family members how insecure I was about it so everyone would comment or tease me about it.

My step dad - "you're gonna be short, bald and fat"

Your step dad's a scumbag.

Last couple of years I've been shaving my hair and using the hair I shaved off and gelling my hair and scalp and putting the shaved hair back on and hair spraying it on.

I have never heard of anything like this. You wouldn't happen to have any pics would you?


And like JayM said. Finasteride would be a good starting point to treating your hair loss. Of course it comes with a list of potential sides, but it is the best thing we have at this point in time to treat hair loss.

[JWS]

Thank you so much for the replies!!

I'm wearing a cap at the moment but I will do it now and post - show how it looks.

I know it's a weird thing todo but desperate!!!

[JWS]

Here it is:
I only did it quick to show you but when I do it properly I take more time making sure it looks real and I've covered my full head properly.

If I don't do this than I just wear a cap 24/7

[JayM]

Those pictures don't look to bad where you have stuck it all on. But this is really where I think finasteride with FUE or SMP really comes in its own. Because you could get this kind of results, with thicker looking hairline and better shaped hairline which will be permanent. And I know as a young guy losing hair that can make such a massive difference.

[JWS]

Thank you for replying. I'm going to look at those right now!!
I'm not so keen on the tattooing idea as that will fade and then I'd look even more stupid than before. Though I'd be interested to see someone in person with it to see how realistic it is than I'd probably want it if it looked good.
Thing is I don't really want shaved hair all the time but might be my only option from now on

[JWS]

So originally I was using that super million hair fibres or whatever it was called.
It was ok for a few hours and then it looked like I had mold in my hair and it was noticeable that I had something in my hair.

Plus it was expensive to keep using. I ran out once and was going out and I couldn't go if I didn't have anything in my hair. One day people see me with this head of hair than next a bald patch and receding hairline.

So I just thought well why don't I shave my hair really short and with the hair that comes off I'll cut it really short and put it back on the top of my head and hairspray it.
It looks better than that fibre stuff + it's the exact same hair colour + I don't have to pay any money out!!

BUT I know it's such a weird thing todo!!! And I'm so embarrassed if anyone I know figures out what I'm doing. It ruins everything for me! I don't want to work outdoors. I don't want to be in relationships.
I just want my hair back!!!!!

[JWS]

Those pictures don't look to bad where you have stuck it all on. But this is really where I think finasteride with FUE or SMP really comes in its own. Because you could get this kind of results, with thicker looking hairline and better shaped hairline which will be permanent. And I know as a young guy losing hair that can make such a massive difference.

Hey jay
I have just been looking at fue. I'm not really getting what it is. It's a hair transplant but not a hair transplant? What's the difference?

Thank you jay!

[JayM]

The difference between FUE and FUT is that with FUE you remove follicular units individually (unit usually contains between 1-4 hairs). With FUT you harvest these individual units by removing a strip from the back of the head leading to a larger scar. So it's less scaring but is more expensive as it takes longer to perform ect.

But fue still leaves minute little white spots as scars. Check the surgeons on the transplant forum. They are apart of a group where they are leaders in there fields. People like spex on here know this industry inside out so if you need more advice they can help

But most importantly I would suggest starting finasteride. There are scare stories but it can really help a lot of people. Again talking to the doctors and people who have been taking the medication are best to ask. It's a safe drug which has been used for 30 years fda approved and is the only medication apart from rogaine which is used to fight Male pattern baldness