On the threshold of baldness

[EXprettyboy]

In 2008, my receding hairline and a slight thinning of my hair, was devastating for me.
Other people couldn't tell but I was very aware of what was happening. My self esteem and ego took a real hit. I began rogaine and laser comb as well as nizoral. More recently resveratrol and curcumin (surprisingly effective).
I've pretty much maintained what I had for the last 3 years. I analyse my hair in mirrors constantly although I can't bear to take photo's with a flash anymore, Its too much for me to bear.
Recently I was stressed, was smoking, stopped meds, and generaly lived unhealthily for about 2 months. My hair looked rubbish so I did what I always do when I get in that state, Shaved it all off.
But This time it's different. No doubt about it. My crown is considerably thinner than anywhere else on my head. I AM going bald. I was NOT being paranoid. I need to do somethin because I'm not takin this lying down.
So here's my plan:
1. Resume and improve all treatments. (construct an entire laser helmet instead of just a comb / Regular heavy minoxidil doses etc)
2. Quit all bad shit, and live really healthy.
3. Style and maintain it appropriatley.
4. de-stress and find a way to deal with this mentally. (thats partly why i joined this).

I reckon that will get me one more year of apparently normal non-balding appearance, to the untrained eye that is.

At that point I am praying that Replicel, or follica, or histogen or whoever finaly does it.... I WISH THEY'D HURRY UP ALREADY!!!! C'MON!!

[scar85]

In 2008, my receding hairline and a slight thinning of my hair, was devastating for me.
Other people couldn't tell but I was very aware of what was happening. My self esteem and ego took a real hit. I began rogaine and laser comb as well as nizoral. More recently resveratrol and curcumin (surprisingly effective).
I've pretty much maintained what I had for the last 3 years. I analyse my hair in mirrors constantly although I can't bear to take photo's with a flash anymore, Its too much for me to bear.
Recently I was stressed, was smoking, stopped meds, and generaly lived unhealthily for about 2 months. My hair looked rubbish so I did what I always do when I get in that state, Shaved it all off.
But This time it's different. No doubt about it. My crown is considerably thinner than anywhere else on my head. I AM going bald. I was NOT being paranoid. I need to do somethin because I'm not takin this lying down.
So here's my plan:
1. Resume and improve all treatments. (construct an entire laser helmet instead of just a comb / Regular heavy minoxidil doses etc)
2. Quit all bad shit, and live really healthy.
3. Style and maintain it appropriatley.
4. de-stress and find a way to deal with this mentally. (thats partly why i joined this).

I reckon that will get me one more year of apparently normal non-balding appearance, to the untrained eye that is.

At that point I am praying that Replicel, or follica, or histogen or whoever finaly does it.... I WISH THEY'D HURRY UP ALREADY!!!! C'MON!!

I feel your pain. Sometimes, it isnt about what others see. but more about what you see.

In the end, all you can do is stop stressing and see if meds work for you. If all else fails, atleast you know you did whatever you could to stop your hairloss.

[EXprettyboy]

Thanks for the support man, I feel like gettin this shit off my chest is helping me at least a little, I've had it bottled up for a long time. When I do tell people they think I'm being ridiculous, which makes me feel even worse.
Although it makes me feel less attractive and older looking, and all the other associations you make with balding .....there is something else, I feel like I'm losing my Identity. I previously was aware of how i should live my life and what to expect. Now it's like I have to learn how to live in society all over again, new rules apply cos I am something else now. Not only is it different, It's much ****ing harder!

[scar85]

Your absolutely right. Couldnt agree more, it seems as if most of us here share the same feelings. I also feel like im losing my identity, im 26 and was known for a thick full head of hair. The truth is, I generally do have thick hair..all over..except the biggest place..the crown..which dissapeared overnight after a fungal infection. Has it grown back? No..will it grow back? Who knows, I doubt it..

But what I do know is that Im a different person. there were no rules to socializing for me just last november, it was like life couldnt have been better..and then IT HAPPENS..the discovery that your losing hair..makes you feel like live is over..like your alone outside walking in the rain as you pass by a house which you were uninvited..with people having the time of there life but you.

There is nothing you can do..life is just unfair. My life ended the night I discovered my hair loss. Ive learned to live with it for now..the fact is im not living..just not dead yet.

All you can do is just continue treatments and cross your fingers. There isnt much else I can say to you, being bald is not GREAT..I wont lie to you and tell you that a bald head is sexy or your social life will be great. Its not, but what really matters is if your confident about yourself. if not, then you too my friend are in the same boat as all of us whos lives have been ruined due to this CURSE.

[EXprettyboy]

I'll be 26 soon. When I grow my hair it looks thick to others, hairline maybe a little high,... up until this point that is.
I've been using minox and lasercomb which I find humiliating, but less humiliating than further loss. I also present my hair well to create an illusion of thickness, tight back and sides, clay not gel, thickening shampoo, and particular styling to hide weaknesses. It's ****ing exhausting. All that effort to have less than average hair, and a subdued self conscious personality.
Now though, I'm on the verge of crossing that line when people will start to notice. I am terrified. I'm sure I can make it look reasonable for a short period but I can only postpone the inevitable for so long. My hair was great once.
People don't get it. It's like a tall man suddenly waking up shorter and shorter til he is a midget!

[scar85]

Yea thats exactly what hairloss does. I remember the days when i would wake up, shower, get out the bathroom in less than 15 minutes. I didnt have to comb my hair a certain way or be very gentle and picky with my hair that i am now..those days are long gone.

For me, its also a matter of time now. People swear by looking at me that I will never go bald..just the other day one of my friends who has no idea whats going on made a comment about my hair. He said that my hair looks thicker than ever, almost like he can throw a ball at my head and the ball would break. However only I know the truth, the slight thinning in the crown, which most likely will start to expand in the next few weeks/months/year. What will i do then? How does it feel to have thick hair on the top/sides/back, and in the future possibly look like you have a hole in the crown with your scalp exposed? I just dont understand this ****ing curse, why did my crown just dissapear like that? I could understand if my temples went back so high and my hairline receded, then I could understand for a guy my age to have a thinning crown..but why the preasance of a full head of hair and thinning in the crown.

I dont know whats causing my hairloss, wether its still the infection, or stress, or hell even MPB (which my derm) doesnt think I inherited from my family..but I know deep down that thats what it probably is. Its a total downer my friend, life changes in an instant. Like I posted in another thread, the days get shorter and nights get longer. I feel like soon I will go bald, and people will notice it. I just dont see how Im going to have hair any longer man at the pace that i lost my crown.

I too my friend, I too am terrified. Not a day goes by that im not scared shitless. I guess we can only wait and see, we all know the aftermath of a huge approaching storm. I dont find hairloss any different.

[kanyon]

I also have long and thick hair at the back and sides of my head and I do my very best to use this hair to cover my very thin crown. It's exhausting styling it every hour. I can't handle the rain or wind so I always have an umbrella and when it's windy I walk on my better side of whoever I'm walking with.

I don't know how effectively I'm covering my thin crown. No doubt some people know because some people have mentioned it. But these are people I know well. I don't think the layperson knows. I tell you what though, my hairstyle is ridiculous. People have made jokes about how stupid my haircut is - I look like Donald Trump. Like I'm wearing a toupe. But it's just the texture of my hair now. They don't know I'm doing it strategically. They think it's my choice.

So ive been using Proscar but if it doesn't work then I don't know how much longer I can keep my thin hair from being blatantly obvious. It's kinda like coming out of the closet. I'm half tempted to post my Facebook status as: 'I have an announcement, I'm losing my hair fast. Come see me before it all goes!'

[EXprettyboy]

Kanyon there is a point when the battle to conceal it is over, I am aware of this. Once you cross that line you have got to bite the bullet an shave it OR get a serious treatment like a HT.
How do you know when you've crossed the line? well there are a few parameters that let you now :

1) You spend a long time concealing hairloss, yet it's still visible and you don't feel any better.

2) Close friends and relatives will politely inform you that the particular styling isn't fooling anybody. They do this because they love you and they don't want to see you ridiculed.

3) Malicious people can see your hairloss and the fact that your trying to hide it, and and then they use it as ammunition to abuse you with name calling and insult.



I will have shaved it of well in advance of this point. I am a hypochondriac so when I saw even the slightest recession a few years ago I fell into depression and shaved it all off. People were arguing with me that I was being ridiculous. Unfortunately now they acknowledge it's advanving now.


But anyway I feel that it is my duty as your balding brethren to tell you this and help you in your struggle because you won't do yourself any favours ignoring it... ....You tick all 3 boxes Kanyon, It's time to liberate yourself from fear.... SHAVE YOUR HEAD..... continue with the meds, perfect everything else in your life, and pray for the cure. Be brave...

[kanyon]

No i haven't reached that point yet. Some people actually think my hair is cool and thick because the style is so wild. So I'd prefer to have it like this. You cant see my scalp. I honestly think I have most people fooled. With Proscar hopefully it can stay like this.

I got a haircut on Friday and came out of there looking like I had great hair. The guy used volumiser and wax and it looked good. On your first point, you say you take a long time trying to conceal your hairloss but it's still visible and you don't feel better. Well yes I do spend a lot of time concealing it but I do think I'm good at it and when I leave the bathroom I do feel better about it.

The wind is my enemy. If it's not blowing then I'm usually ok.

[EXprettyboy]

Oh right I got the wrong impression, I thought you might be one of those guys rockin a serious comb over or something.

There is nothing worse than seeing a guy sporting a half bald "style". But then again some guys with minimal damage can still look great with some creative styling.This grey area can be a real nightmare period in the balding process. When is it time to give up even styling hair and start shaving your head?

Let me elaborate with some examples to highlight the difference:

Bad cases :
> I once worked with a guy with a norwood 6 who grew out his horse shoe and put gel in it and spiked it up, or out rather.... "dude... WTF are you doing?"
> Another guy I know Has hair so thin you can see his skull shape clearly, It looks like a hologram. One time he gave himself high lights!
> and finally a guy who's hairline had receded beyond the halfway point of the top of his scalp. His response was to gel a a spikey "fringe' at the front. This didn't make him look less bald, It looked bizarre like he had an astrodome for a forehead.

Choosing to respond like that does NOT look good, and it makes you look weak and like your not in touch with reality.

Now don't get me wrong, sometimes you can be well on your way to baldness and be lucky enough to make it work

Good cases:
> I normally spot mpb in an instant but Charlie Sheen had me totally fooled. he has pronounced recession and I had no idea watchin 2 and a half men. When he cut it short it looked terrible!
>Before Freddie Ljungberg went bald he used to have visible extreme recession, yet he had this huge spike quiff, and it actually worked quite well. a little bit like bruce willis in early die ahrd films.
>Jude Law still had amazing hair styles concealing the loss, so when he did shave it it was a shock to see his norwood 3.5 . His concealing styles worked so well nobody really saw it coming that fast.


Anyway only you know the extent of your condition. As mpb sufferers we will all go through this phase of uncertainty. I hope when the time comes I preserve my dignity and don't go into denial. Because the shit always hits the fan in the end.

[DAVE52]

Good cases:
> I normally spot mpb in an instant but Charlie Sheen had me totally fooled. he has pronounced recession and I had no idea watchin 2 and a half men. When he cut it short it looked terrible!.

Faiely certain that Charlie and Jon Cryer both wear rugs

Cryer has really thin hair and was recently on Letterman and it was an obvious rug

http://baldouting.blogspot.com/2010/02/jon-cryer.html

Sheen has the same hair style / length ALL the time .
Here's a pic of when he shaved his head and his " normal " look

http://www.overoll.com/Content/Charlie-Sheen-Shaved-His-Hair-Photos-/2010/4/19/228235.news

I don't think, he can let his hair grow out and it would be that thick / dense especially when you see what it looks like shaved .....he has recession

[EXprettyboy]

Jon cryer ....ouch

Charlie sheen I'm not sure if he is wearing a wig... possibly.

Anyway the point I was tryna make was that if you are losing your hair there is 3 basic phases

1) early phase : you know you have mpb and it is eventually gonna GET you, But for the moment nobody else is really aware of it and with some styling your hair can still look good. (some recession, mild thinning, possibly the shine and bounce is gone and feels like straw without product, BUT we can make it work.)

2)The Transition phase. This is the awkward phase I'm talkin about. Your tormented with inner conflict and self doubt. Your not sure whether you've crossed the line. You look just about alright in the bathroom mirror but then later somebody makes a joke or you stand under a spot light and catch your reflection in a mirror... "****... I'M DONE....". (I'm talkin a gap in the crown, or maybe you were previously able to conceal thin areas by committing all the hair in the forelock in one direction, but now a central parting to cover recession leaves too wide a part, or gelling all the hair in the forelock together to give it some weight exposes the recession.) It's fighting a losing battle. With meds you may attain a reasonable appearance but it's hard work.

3) Game over. Bullet biting time. Man up time. You might not be a norwood 6 or 7 yet, but half bald is as good as bald, shave it off. At this point it doesn't even matter if you've a weird head shape, You still need to shave it. Wispy strands, and exposed shiny areas or patchy clumps are worse than a clean shaven head. It definitely needs to go at this stage.

[kanyon]

I'd really like to hear from anyone who's come out of the closet so to speak and shaved their head after giving up trying to conceal hairloss. I'm close to that point and would be interested to hear anyone's experiences. What was it like the next few times you saw your friends? Or when you went to work the next day?

I hadn't taken photos of my crown for quite a while until last night. After I washed my hair and after I applied Regaine. Normally I sweep my long hair from the sides and back to cover my crown but I didn't when I took the photos. The photos were horrifying.

I know that I won't grow anymore hair with Regaine so things can only get worse (if Proscar is not working for me) so my only hope is for a future miracle cure because I don't want to get a transplant. Even if any cures are 4 years away, not only am I likely to have less (if none) hair left, it is a major hassle to try and conceal hairloss and I don't know if I have it in me to continue playing with my hair so much everyday until then.

So I'm sort of considering shaving it but am scared of reactions and that I will be completely ugly and unappealing to girls. Only 2 weeks ago I had sex with a girl I picked up that night so that may suggest that I don't look terrible right now with my hair as it is. It just looks particularly bad the day of and after I washed my hair (I normally wash it every 3-4 days).

On the negative side of having a bald/shaved head, I'm short, stocky, have a big head and have always been known for my wild messy hair so it would be a shock for people to see how bald I actually am.

On the positive side, I'm a trendy hipster, well dressed, fashionable thick glasses, can grow an epic beard and am in the process of getting in great shape thanks to jogging 5 days a week and eating well. I also tan well.

So can anyone recount any stories of when they shaved their head for the world to see?