21 and going bald

[KeepTheHair]

I'm allowed to be irresponsible, I'm not a doctor! Of course, I should clarify, I'm from the 'Fight Hairloss to the Death' School, so I take much bigger risks than others might.

SIGN ME UP SIGN ME UP!!! TEACH ME GREAT MASTER. !!!
lol

I am actually planning on getting 15% minox as soon as I can.

It sucks going bald at 21. I'm 23 and know exactly what you're going through (since 17). I kept my hair long for all of my childhood which complimented my surfer and "rebellious" lifestyle. After years of hapless worrying about my condition, I finally decided to accept what I could not control. I still keep it longer and have decent coverage but accept that it's a losing battle (if there were viable treatments, there would be no bald men). Rogaine only amplified my bald spots and propecia was never an option (it turns men into eunichs)

All I have to say is that you must see the world from your own perspective and realize that everyone is different. No one is safe from imperfections and it seems to become clearer as I mature. Everyone has their problems and it's silly to see so many grown men fret about these problems relating to vanity. We have become such an image obsessed culture that people think that how you look is how you are. It's great to have conversations with people and blow their minds when I talk in depth about politics and business (looking like a stoned surfer). It's crazy to see how prejudice everyone is about how you look, but change that when they discover how you are.

Of course the men on here who worry about being bald won't be the ones who own their look and become successful in spite of their shortcomings (only the strong will'd people do). I highly respect the "f it" attitude held by most men who face balding. I'd rather be a human who accepts his fate in this ONE CHANCE of life we have than someone who pathetically tries to cheat fate. Once you see the truth (and it's not easy to come to terms with) you will find that hair, vanity, image, and worshipping youth isn't what makes a person successful or happy.

Dude, there are good treatments. You don't have to accept it. Many people have kept and regrown good hair. And they look MUCH BETTER than going bald because of it. AND YES. it is worth the time and money!

Definitely is.

I will do whatever I can. Because if I go bald and didn't do anything I doubt i could ever forgive myself. And if there comes a cure along the lines sometime in the future...I want it to work to its maximum potential. If it can add hair. No point in being a norwood20 when you go for treatment!

We are fighting a worthy battle here

[JOE-91]

Very wise words ODB, if you can follow through with that thinking you will be happy. Losers like keepthehair really are in the minority when it comes to balding when you actually get out there in real life.

'You' are fighting a worthy battle keepthehair, don't put every balding man in the same sad box that your in.

[smileyface19]

KeeptheHair and fixedby35 aren't very cool. This forum is about giving the RIGHT advice (regardless of being a doctor or not) because people can't always get it elsewhere. If YOU (keepthehair and fixedby35) want to rot that's fine, but don't jeopardize other people from being able to treat their condition properly, who want to find a cure and live successful lives. Don't blame others because you're unhappy with the cards you've been dealt (you're whiny). I recently shaved my head, and it's not that bad, it feels great and takes no time to style (oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I'm not a meathead or a jock). I'd love to have hair more but I can't, and I get that now and I'm almost okay with that. Of everything I've learned about this experience, is that life is short and at the end of the road do you want to be the one who achieved success or not? That's the bottom line and everything in between is just an obstacle, including hair loss, in my opinion.

[Winston]

Well put smileyface. I think it’s fair to say that most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the curve when it comes to how we feel about our hair loss. We also have to remember that some of us come here with less knowledge about treatments then others, so it is good for those the know to help educate those who might be posting from the hip, so to speak. Fixed by 35 is on the extreme end of the self loathing spectrum, but I do understand how he feels because I have felt the same at times. However I also know that there are far worse things then hair loss and I choose to live the best life I can no matter how things turn out for me.

[KeepTheHair]

I never told any one to go get minoxidil 15% from the start, or dutasteride from the start.

I really try to give good advice, even though I am a novice myself.


I was kidding about going extreme, although I would not stop myself from doing it all that much in the future if I had tried all other treatments.

Fixed By 35 has been very useful to me as a new user here, unlike you. He has provided me with lots of information to be honest. I appreciate that and respect him for it. Sure he has extreme views...I don't care. I think hair loss sucks and we just admit it. If it doesn't bother you, then whatever.

It bothers us. A lot.

[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?