Is there any hope for me?

[akliner]

Hi everybody. My name is Alex. I want to thank all the hair loss sufferers who posts on here as well as the fantastic physicians out there who give hope to guys like me. Here's my story. (sorry if this seems disorganized, I just want to present this information chronologically).


I've been lurking this forum for a few days after doing tons of research. In May 2010 (one month before my 25th birthday), I finally noticed my hair loss during a haircut and freaked out. I always knew I had a high forehead, but it wasn't until May that I truly noticed that my hairline was receding. I've attached a picture of myself from May 2010. (I'm the guy in the pink shirt and vest on the left).



During a physical with my doctor, I asked him if he noticed any pattern balding. He responded that there was a little thinning, but not too much.

I've always been proud of my hair and did not handle this news well. In response to the news that I was experiencing ANY amount of balding, I buzzed my hair to practically NOTHING. I was devastated and I didn't want to look at my hair continue to decline.

After doing some research, I immediately began using Rogaine 5% foam, which I've now been using twice a day for 8 weeks. Two weeks later, I got a prescription for Propecia... and have been taking 1mg daily for the last 6 weeks.

I decided to let my hair grow back in so I could better evaluate the success of the treatments.

Also, around two weeks ago I went for a consultation with a leading hair transplant surgeon here in Chicago. At that time I was mostly worried about lowering the sides of my hairline a conservative amount. I was told that I had thinning in the crown area as well. Add to that, I was informed that my donor area is too thin for the strip extraction method. I was told I needed (via FUE), 1000-1250 to achieve the hairline restoration I wanted.

All this time, I was constantly told by friends and family that my hair loss wasn't very noticeable, especially not in the crown or vertex.

I have added Nizoral 1% to my regimen yesterday, which I plan to use on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

As I've let my hair grow in, I've noticed that it's thinner all over than I ever remembered it. I'm an actor used to constantly being under stage lighting and being photographed-- and even in February of 2010, under stage lights (I'm on the right), I didn't notice any sort of diffuse thinning.



Fast forward to just this moment, where I've taken a bunch of pictures. It seems I'm shockingly thin everywhere (especially with a flash and overhead lighting).

Right now I'm feeling hopeless, nauseous, shocked, depressed, and all-around awful. I can see my scalp from every angle. I've been told that diffuse thinning will lead to profound baldness. It wasn't until just this moment that I realized I am probably a Norwood VI or so. I feel so stupid that I didn't notice this and that I let everybody around me lie to me and say that my hair loss wasn't very noticeable. It makes me sick to look at myself.

I would get an HT, but I don't know what they can do for me. If I am this profoundly bald, is there even a point?

Is there any hope for me? At all?

I'm not sure what to do.

W/ Flash







Away from overhead lighting





In overhead lighting; no flash

[akliner]

I realize it was a dense post, filled with emotions-- but I'm not quite sure how to interpret the lack of replies.

[CIT_Girl]

I think hair restoration surgery would be premature for you at this point. It's only under the harshest light that any thinning of your hair is even detectable and the fact that there is minimal contrast between your hair and skin color will actually aid in concealing any appearance of thinning.

At this point, your best bet is to continue the medical therapies you have recently started. Propecia and Rogaine are particularly effective in the crown, and in young men who have recently started losing their hair. With these products, you should be able to stabilize your hair loss and possibly even re-grow some hair.

I can only imagine how stressful and disheartening it is to experience the unpredictability of hair loss. However, you're a cute guy and you'll be cute guy with or without the hair so try not to let the anxiety disrupt your life!

[akliner]

I think hair restoration surgery would be premature for you at this point. It's only under the harshest light that any thinning of your hair is even detectable and the fact that there is minimal contrast between your hair and skin color will actually aid in concealing any appearance of thinning.

At this point, your best bet is to continue the medical therapies you have recently started. Propecia and Rogaine are particularly effective in the crown, and in young men who have recently started losing their hair. With these products, you should be able to stabilize your hair loss and possibly even re-grow some hair.

I can only imagine how stressful and disheartening it is to experience the unpredictability of hair loss. However, you're a cute guy and you'll be cute guy with or without the hair so try not to let the anxiety disrupt your life!

Thank you so much for this reply.

I'm really trying to understand this balding thing-- perception v. reality. I'm operating under the impression that my hair is transparent always to everybody around me and that I look damn near close to bald.

This really is taking a toll on me (obviously) and like many of the other young guys who are sharing their experiences here, I spend a LOT of time worrying about this.

Also, it may be worth noting that I have been in psychological treatment for genetically-inherited chemical depression and anxiety, which manifested itself in late 2009. For about 2.5 months (March-May), I had a stint in anorexia, due to the heavy depression.

I know everybody secretly hopes their experience is one of telogen effluvium...and I'm not deluding myself into thinking that is mine, but I thought it would be worth mentioning the depression and the eating disorder.

Thanks for the encouragement, CIT Girl!

[mlao]

I agree with CIT girl. The medications are a good start. Believe it or not it looks like you have a good head of hair. I think when anybody buzzes their hair it looks thinner when it starts to grow in.
As for your eating disorder not getting the proper amount of vitamins and protein is one of the worst things you can do for any part of your body including your hair.
The average adult male needs something like 70 grams per day.
(this is what my nutritionist told me)
It may also help to have some blood tests done to see if you any health issues you are unaware of.
If you want to see some amazing results with hair loss meds check out Dr. Robert Bernsteins website he has a section on medications and under the Propecia tab he shows some amazing results with both younger and older guys.
I hope this helps.

[akliner]

I agree with CIT girl. The medications are a good start. Believe it or not it looks like you have a good head of hair. I think when anybody buzzes their hair it looks thinner when it starts to grow in.
As for your eating disorder not getting the proper amount of vitamins and protein is one of the worst things you can do for any part of your body including your hair.
The average adult male needs something like 70 grams per day.
(this is what my nutritionist told me)
It may also help to have some blood tests done to see if you any health issues you are unaware of.
If you want to see some amazing results with hair loss meds check out Dr. Robert Bernsteins website he has a section on medications and under the Propecia tab he shows some amazing results with both younger and older guys.
I hope this helps.

mlao-- thank you for your thoughtful reply. One of the first things my doctor did when I began seeing him (following the conclusion of the eating disorder) was give me a pretty comprehensive blood test which included STD screenings, thyroid screenings, lipids screenings, as well as some other hematological screenings. Nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from eating full time again, I have been taking a multi-vitamind.

I checked out this website: http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medi...a-finasteride/ and feel pretty encouraged. Especially by this statement:

During the first six months you may note some thinning of your existing hair. This may be due to either progression of your hair loss before finasteride has had a chance to work or some shedding of miniaturized hair that makes way for the new healthy anagen hair to grow. It is important to be patient during this period. You should continue the medication for at least one year before you and your doctor can assess its benefits.

Thanks again!

[mattj]

You haven't been on the medications for long. Hopefully you'll see some thickening up, or at least you'll see a halt to continued loss. But seriously, on the basis of those photos, your hair doesn't look that thin. You should definitely give it a while to see how you respond to the meds before you consider undergoing a transplant.

What was the doctor's explanation for your hair being too thin for a strip procedure? FUE will make your donor area thinner if anything. Perhaps not noticeably so, but if it's already thin it could make a difference.

[imbaldinglikeamofo]

I've been told that diffuse thinning will lead to profound baldness.

What??? How true is this information because I have the same type of thinning!!!!!

[akliner]

You haven't been on the medications for long. Hopefully you'll see some thickening up, or at least you'll see a halt to continued loss. But seriously, on the basis of those photos, your hair doesn't look that thin. You should definitely give it a while to see how you respond to the meds before you consider undergoing a transplant.

What was the doctor's explanation for your hair being too thin for a strip procedure? FUE will make your donor area thinner if anything. Perhaps not noticeably so, but if it's already thin it could make a difference.

Thanks for the feedback. My consultation experience was actually a strange one. I went in and saw the sales guy/patient advocate guy (whatever you call him)...never a doctor. At the time, the consultant guy told me that I had a "great donor area". He took some photos.

About a week later, I received a phone call from the consultant saying that after the doctor looked at my photos, he determined that my donor area was too thin to effectively hide the scar from the strip extraction. However they did suggest a 1,000 - 1,250 FUE procedure to restore my hairline.

A few days ago I sent a follow-up email asking if I could speak with the doctor about estimating my future hair loss, the amount of donor grafts my head contains (seeing as though I was told I had thin donor area), and making an educated evaluation about my need for future procedures and budgeting my limited donor supply.

I haven't heard anything back yet.

I don't know what to think, anymore. I'd love to get a second opinion. I plan to take monthly pictures (from this point forward) of my head to better ascertain what's going on.

What??? How true is this information because I have the same type of thinning!!!!!

Oh I don't remember where I heard it. It's just one more thing to worry about

[mark-1]

No way are you a NW VI man.

[67mph]

akliner

right of the bat (you say that in America still right?), i feel for you on the depression front Akliner, it's a massive kick in the family bags, i went through the same thing due to the thinning in my hair, i got a prescrition for an anti-depressant and was on it for a couple of years then off for a few months then had to go back on again for another year or so, i have recently got off the most recent prescription and pretty much replaced it with Propecia, ok ok i know Propecia isn't a anti-depressant, i mean i've simply re:arranged my drug habbit, haa.

Ok, so the reply to your post, well from the photos i was thinking what's this guy on, he looks good the lucky beggar but of course this doesn't help, not sure it would have helped me a few years ago, perhaps now but not then.

All i wanted to say (finally) is stay strong Akliner, keep us informed and keep reading and writting the posts, as you may already know you are no where near the only chap to be going through this so take strength from the experiences on this site.

57mph

[akliner]

right of the bat (you say that in America still right?), i feel for you on the depression front Akliner, it's a massive kick in the family bags, i went through the same thing due to the thinning in my hair, i got a prescrition for an anti-depressant and was on it for a couple of years then off for a few months then had to go back on again for another year or so, i have recently got off the most recent prescription and pretty much replaced it with Propecia, ok ok i know Propecia isn't a anti-depressant, i mean i've simply re:arranged my drug habbit, haa.

Ok, so the reply to your post, well from the photos i was thinking what's this guy on, he looks good the lucky beggar but of course this doesn't help, not sure it would have helped me a few years ago, perhaps now but not then.

All i wanted to say (finally) is stay strong Akliner, keep us informed and keep reading and writting the posts, as you may already know you are no where near the only chap to be going through this so take strength from the experiences on this site.

57mph

57mph, thank you so much for your encouragement. After calming down a little (I get panic attacks about this every now and again), I do realize that I'm not a NW6. The diffuse thinning is really concerning to me, because it's harder to do transplants to thicken the whole top of my head...I realize that when it comes down to considering a HT, I will have to prioritize. I won't be able to have the hairline I want, plus increased density on the whole top of the head in all likelihood.

Depression runs in my family, and I'm working with a therapist and I have an appointment with a psychiatrist as well. I've been self-medicating on some of my mother's Welbutrin to hold me over (she volunteered them to me and my therapist doesn't take any objection with my using it for the time being).

I've always had self-loathing issues-- first about my weight (I dropped a total of 85 pounds between 2007 and 2010). Now this hair thing has me beating myself over something else entirely.

Sigh.

But thanks for all the encouragement everybody. Like I said, I will be doing monthly photo updates to better assess my treatments. I'd really like to hear from more representatives of HT doctors. I rarely cut my hair short, and if strip extraction was a possibility for me, I think I could easily live with the scar if it could potentially yield me a higher number of donor grafts in the future.

[StayStrongMen]

Hey alkiner, your story completely reminds me of myself. I first noticed my hairloss at 23, and I immediately went into panic mode; it felt like I was having a quarter0life crisis (if there is such a thing).

Hopefully my post will help cheer yo up and instill some confidence in you for the future.

First of all, great move be getting on the finasteride (propecia) and minoxidil (rogaine) immediately. The earlier you start, the better chance you have to maintain and possibly regrow hair. So many guys are scared of the side effects, or they quit the treatments if the side effects get to them.

Which leads me to my next point: Stick with the treatments for at least a year. Possibly longer. I have read a lot of stories of guys not seeing any results during the 1st year but saw improvement during the 2nd year. It can be frustrating to see your hair get worse on the treatments, but people will tell you that it has to get worse before it gets better.

Everybody is different. The rate that you lose hair and where you lose it is different for everyone. How fast the treatments work are different for everyone too.

I'm sorry my comp keeps acting up, I will post the rest of what I had to say later.

My main point was to say that no one pays attention to your hair the way that you do. I'm not suprised that your parents/friends said that your hair loss isn't very noticeable. When you interact with others, they aren't focusing in on your hair. Don't let your hairloss stop you from enjoying your life. To me, it is standard to have a lot less hair on your head when you are 30 compared to when you are 20. It is expected by society (including women) to gradually lose it.

[akliner]

Hey alkiner, your story completely reminds me of myself. I first noticed my hairloss at 23, and I immediately went into panic mode; it felt like I was having a quarter0life crisis (if there is such a thing).

Hopefully my post will help cheer yo up and instill some confidence in you for the future.

First of all, great move be getting on the finasteride (propecia) and minoxidil (rogaine) immediately. The earlier you start, the better chance you have to maintain and possibly regrow hair. So many guys are scared of the side effects, or they quit the treatments if the side effects get to them.

Which leads me to my next point: Stick with the treatments for at least a year. Possibly longer. I have read a lot of stories of guys not seeing any results during the 1st year but saw improvement during the 2nd year. It can be frustrating to see your hair get worse on the treatments, but people will tell you that it has to get worse before it gets better.

Everybody is different. The rate that you lose hair and where you lose it is different for everyone. How fast the treatments work are different for everyone too.

I'm sorry my comp keeps acting up, I will post the rest of what I had to say later.

My main point was to say that no one pays attention to your hair the way that you do. I'm not suprised that your parents/friends said that your hair loss isn't very noticeable. When you interact with others, they aren't focusing in on your hair. Don't let your hairloss stop you from enjoying your life. To me, it is standard to have a lot less hair on your head when you are 30 compared to when you are 20. It is expected by society (including women) to gradually lose it.

Thanks for this very thoughtful post. I've been feeling a little better about the whole thing ever since I've started to receive replies.

I think a big thing among hair loss sufferers (especially *relatively* young guys like me) is the feeling of isolation. I really don't have many friends experiencing hair loss. I don't have a lot of people I can talk about this with.

Thank you all.

[mattj]

You said you first noticed you were thinning in May of this year, which is the same month the photo (with the guys in the bar) was taken. When did you take the series of photos which show your loss? I'm trying to determine whether you've experienced a sudden burst of loss or whether this is how your hair has been since you first noticed anything was amiss.

The photos taken with a flash are surely the ones that were most alarming to you. Remember that direct lighting from above - especially from a strong light source such as a flash or sunlight - can be very unforgiving, and your hair is arrow-straight which allows maximum light to penetrate to your scalp. With your hair type at that length and with those lighting conditions, even men (or children) with no hairloss will show some scalp.
I'm not trying to tell you your hair isn't thinning - it is, no doubt; but I'm trying to honestly say that it might not be as bad as it seems during this initial stage of panic, a time that all hairloss sufferers can relate to.

I was going to mention that the medications you are taking can cause an initial shed of hair which grows back, but looking back over the thread it seems that you've read about that. This is important. If you have experienced an apparent acceleration of hairloss over the past couple of months then this could very well the cause of that.

Definitely keep us updated.