Coping with Hair Loss in Every Day Life

[clandestine]

Sometimes it is hard not to become markedly depressed about hair loss.

I would like to put forth the idea of creating a new subforum. Something along the lines of 'Coping and Acceptance' or 'Coping with Hair Loss in Every Day Life'.

The new subforum would be a place of solace; of comfort and consolation. People could vent, others could choose to listen and respond, give input.

There is a whole lot of compassion on this forum, in my eyes such a subforum would be a welcome addition.

(i.e. Bald Truth Talk - Hair Loss, Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration Community > Men's Hair Loss > Coping and Acceptance)

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[NotBelievingIt]

I think its a good idea.

I'm "new" to my thinning. Its so funny. It took one picture this past summer that was taken looking at me from the left side that exposed, to me, the assymetrical loss going on. I'm sure there was an acceleration that occured to this past Fall but I didn't exactly track it with photos.

Since then I've gone back through photos and realize it started sometime in 2009. I was in Jamaica in Sept 2008 and there was maybe a teensy bit of thinning on the top back of my head, but my hair was also wet, in the pool. Every other photo from that trip my hair is thick. Unfortunately my "right side" is my "good side" so majority of photos of me are taken at that angle, and not from a top down...so all of the photos my hair looks fine from your typical family gathering photo. Plus as I've said in other threads, I've always kept it short.

But a couple specific photos from June 2009, looking at them now knowing what to look for, you can see it happening.

Also, I'm disappointed my barber never said anything specifically about it (or any family/friends for that matter...) I didn't really have a relationship with the barber per se. It was a group of 4 people in a tiny little barbershop and I never cared who did my hair, I didn't get it styled or anything. But again, knowing now that my hair was thinning, I can recall many times being asked "little longer on the top to comb" and always going sure...it never dawning on me why the question was being asked, just figuring that it was a courtesy type question or something.

So I switched to a stylist. I know its going to be more expensive, but I also made it clear why I am going to them - I want my hair to look as good as it can as it progresses, however it will. At some point I will likely make the decision to get it cut ultra short and the stylist will no longer be terribly necessary. But right now unless you're on top of me, you can't really tell unless you're looking at me directly from the left and I'm not looking at you and then you still gotta be close enough to make it out.


I have my bad days and good days. I had a lot of bad days for a couple months after 'realization' and I have less of them now, but it gets to me every so often. Frankly I don't care that I'm going to lose X% of my hair - what I care about is looking dumb while its happening. The asymetrical crap going on is mainly the reason.

[chrisis]

I like the idea. Hair loss is affecting things I do on a daily basis now. I can't get my hair wet - so no swimming, and I avoid going out in rain without a hat/umbrella/hood. If my hair loses its style then I feel extremely vulnerable and paranoid that my hair loss is evident. I like to run, but now it must be with a hat because if I get my hair sweaty it looks bad.



Let's have somewhere to discuss these daily nightmares, with perhaps tips on how to cope with such situations and support where needed.

[rupe]

yeah mate, i think its a fantastic idea. it has also changed my life, i refused an outing to the beach with some friends as i dont want my hair wet when just 8 weeks ago i was going to the beach 5 times a week on my holidays. its srsly f*****. and when you have a bad hair day, like i did today and eysteray, it is terrible. feel worthless and feel like im expiring.

[brooklynx24]

Coping with Hair Loss

Hi I agree.. I am a female and boy has HL really affected my life. I started with thinning over the years but now I have severe HL. I am now a hair wearer. It has been very hard especially being a female because It is not as accepted. Im not saying that as a male it is easier to deal with, but men can shave their head and get away with it. HL has made me a stronger person, but everyday I have to make sure I fight and not let it take over. It is not easy, but I try to remember that I am a healthy, beautiful person who has many things to be thankful for

[clandestine]

Glad you all feel similarly. This condition is indeed life-changing. Hair, in most cases, is a big part of who we are as a person. It is intrinsically part of our identity for the better part of our youth. Losing our hair can be seriously detrimental to our lives in so many ways.

Hi I agree.. I am a female and boy has HL really affected my life. I started with thinning over the years but now I have severe HL. I am now a hair wearer. It has been very hard especially being a female because It is not as accepted. Im not saying that as a male it is easier to deal with, but men can shave their head and get away with it. HL has made me a stronger person, but everyday I have to make sure I fight and not let it take over. It is not easy, but I try to remember that I am a healthy, beautiful person who has many things to be thankful for

Hair loss is never easy, no matter your gender. This is a tough battle, but all we can do is stay optimistic. Never should we let this affliction dictate how we live our lives. You are indeed beautiful, I'm glad you realize this. We all have many things to be thankful for.

I like the idea. Hair loss is affecting things I do on a daily basis now. I can't get my hair wet - so no swimming, and I avoid going out in rain without a hat/umbrella/hood. If my hair loses its style then I feel extremely vulnerable and paranoid that my hair loss is evident. I like to run, but now it must be with a hat because if I get my hair sweaty it looks bad.


Let's have somewhere to discuss these daily nightmares, with perhaps tips on how to cope with such situations and support where needed.

Glad you support the idea. And I feel you man. Hair loss has literally become a daily struggle for me. Every time I see myself in a mirror or a window reflection I'm reminded of this affliction. My confidence, gone. Vulnerable and paranoid are very accurate words to describe what I've been feeling.

I think its a good idea.

I'm "new" to my thinning. Its so funny. It took one picture this past summer that was taken looking at me from the left side that exposed, to me, the assymetrical loss going on. I'm sure there was an acceleration that occured to this past Fall but I didn't exactly track it with photos.

I have my bad days and good days. I had a lot of bad days for a couple months after 'realization' and I have less of them now, but it gets to me every so often. Frankly I don't care that I'm going to lose X% of my hair - what I care about is looking dumb while its happening. The asymetrical crap going on is mainly the reason.

The rate at which hair loss can progress surprises me sometimes as well. Looking back at old facebook photos is terrible man, just terrible. Not the least bit helpful (obviously), but I try to stay off facebook most of the time anyway. Interesting that you're not necessarily worried about losing hair in general, but the issue of asymmetry is more bothersome for you.

yeah mate, i think its a fantastic idea. it has also changed my life, i refused an outing to the beach with some friends as i dont want my hair wet when just 8 weeks ago i was going to the beach 5 times a week on my holidays. its srsly f*****. and when you have a bad hair day, like i did today and eysteray, it is terrible. feel worthless and feel like im expiring.

Appreciate the input, rupe. Thanks for the support. You're not alone with what you're feeling. Hair loss is ****ed up for sure.

[Maradona]

Glad you all feel similarly. This condition is indeed life-changing. Hair, in most cases, is a big part of who we are as a person. It is intrinsically part of our identity for the better part of our youth. Losing our hair can be seriously detrimental to our lives in so many ways.



Hair loss is never easy, no matter your gender. This is a tough battle, but all we can do is stay optimistic. Never should we let this affliction dictate how we live our lives. You are indeed beautiful, I'm glad you realize this. We all have many things to be thankful for.



Glad you support the idea. And I feel you man. Hair loss has literally become a daily struggle for me. Every time I see myself in a mirror or a window reflection I'm reminded of this affliction. My confidence, gone. Vulnerable and paranoid are very accurate words to describe what I've been feeling.



The rate at which hair loss can progress surprises me sometimes as well. Looking back at old facebook photos is terrible man, just terrible. Not the least bit helpful (obviously), but I try to stay off facebook most of the time anyway. Interesting that you're not necessarily worried about losing hair in general, but the issue of asymmetry is more bothersome for you.



Appreciate the input, rupe. Thanks for the support. You're not alone with what you're feeling. Hair loss is ****ed up for sure.

Good call definitely need this sub forum.

[rupe]

What to do? I am feeling so depressed about this About 4 weeks after stopping propecia (around 2.5 months ago), my hair has been shedding intensely and it has not stopped or slowed. It is like its progressing so fast, now i have to use toppik or you can see my scalp, and you can see my scalp anyway as toppik is not perfect. This morning I woke up and laid in bed for over an hour debating about whether to go to get a hair cut and get it cut short... which I ended up deciding to do but couldn't find anything on a Sunday. Its like cutting it short means I have accepted my hair is going, and I have no idea what it is going to look like short. Might it look even worse?! They say you shouldn't have long hair when thinning as the long hairs stick together and make it look thinner. Just over a month on minoxidil, nizoral and saw palmetto and now it has been 3 days on revivogen. Every time I shampoo my hair tens of hairs come out i will no longer use nizoral.

I know of someone who I hung out with once recently who went bald (he is friend of friend). We were going out, and he went in a seperate car, and the others were bitching about him, saying he said he had something called 'alopecia' and they told him to just to shave his head cos it will look better. Just went through his facebook photos and feel so sorry for him. I don't want this to be me next I am trying everythign I can to stop it, I tried propeca but this is no longer an option. I wish there were others around with same thing, but you never see a young guy balding in the streets

[Tracy C]

...saying he said he had something called 'alopecia' and...

All types of hair loss are called alopecia. Male and female pattern baldness, hereditary hair loss, is called "androgenetic alopecia".

...I don't want this to be me next I am trying everythign I can to stop it.

You are wasting your time, money and hair on things that are not going to help you and avoiding the very things that are most able to help you. This problem obviously does not bother you enough to take treating it seriously. Sure we all wish there were more options. We all wish there were better options - but at this time there aren't any better options. The current proven treatments work for most people who use them and most people who use them do not experience side effects. Use them or don't use them. It is entirely up to do.

[rupe]

You are wasting your time, money and hair on things that are not going to help you and avoiding the very things that are most able to help you. This problem obviously does not bother you enough to take treating it seriously. Sure we all wish there were more options. We all wish there were better options - but at this time there aren't any better options. The current proven treatments work for most people who use them and most people who use them do not experience side effects. Use them or don't use them. It is entirely up to do.

What are you taklign about saying the problem does not bother me enough to take treating it seriously? What makes you say that?

[StressedToTheBald]

I tried propeca but this is no longer an option.

Think about beta sitosterol+saw palmetto.. I will soon finish my first month.. Its the best alternative to propecia. It sadly takes time but so does propecia.

[rupe]

Think about beta sitosterol+saw palmetto.. I will soon finish my first month.. Its the best alternative to propecia. It sadly takes time but so does propecia.

I'm not syre where to get beta sitosterol from? Does it come in tablet form? Revivogen contains this I believe.

[Tracy C]

What makes you say that?

You are wasting your time, money and hair on bogus treatments that are not going to help you and avoiding the treatments that are most likely to help you. That is why I say that.

[StressedToTheBald]

I'm not syre where to get beta sitosterol from? Does it come in tablet form? Revivogen contains this I believe.

You can find it online pretty much anywhere.. there are many brands, I currently use Natrol, but there are other brands too. It comes in the tablet form. The most important thing is concentration per tablet - the more the better. I currently use 510mg of beta sitosterol + 300mg of saw palmetto daily.. I believe it has to be taken orally - to block DHT, I'm not sure that topical solution has any similar effect, or if it does.. it might be ways more limited. Also, certain more rare foods include beta sitosterol.. pistachios, avocados, almonds, canola oil etc.

Here is an interesting interview with a beta sitosterol user:

"Here it is, what you’ve all been waiting for, the interview with WidowsPeak. If you haven’t heard of this fella, he’s experienced remarkable hair re-growth from primarily using beta sitosterol. Without further a do…

How do you think beta-sitoserol has helped you to regrow your hair?

I believe that beta-sis works by blocking the binding of 5ar to testosterone to make DHT. This process still happens, so the body gets some DHT (which it needs), but not enough to kill hair follicles. This allows the hair to regrow.

How long was it before you started seeing significant regrowth?

I started to see hairs regrowing within a few weeks of taking beta-sis. It took about 6 months before I could see that I had hair regrowing about 1/2 inch below where my hairline was. Many of the hairs had no pigmentation, so I dyed them black and was able to capture hair regrowing about 1/4 inch down on film.
That’s how it’s been for over 2 years. I get 1/2 inch of regrowth in the temples, the 1/4 inch nearest the hairline shows up in photos and the other 1/4 inch shows up on film 6 months later.
So, everytime I post pics there is actually more hair regrowing than what you’re seeing, which is how I’m able to predict more regrowth every 6 months. That will stop, once I get back to a straight hairline, or however close I can get to that. I think I’ve always had a slight widows peak, but time will tell.

Did you get any side effects (positive or negative) from taking beta-sitoserol?

I noticed an increased libido almost immediately. I also noticed that when I first started taking beta-sis, my scalp got really oily. A week later, I noticed that my temples were starting to itch like crazy.
The oily scalp went away within about 3 weeks. The itching continues to this day, but is a lot more mild. Since the itching happens before an area regrows, I actually panic if I don’t feel at least a little itching everyday.

Do you think beta-sitoserol will work for everyone?

I don’t honestly know. I think that 60% of users responding positively is a fair number. Propecia, which works in a similar way, but is much more powerful, has about an 80% success rate.
The thing that I will never understand is….I’ve read accounts from at least 3 diferent people who were using beta-sis and had hair regrowing, but then quit because of fears about this or that. Beta-sis is in fruits, vegetables and grains. Have you ever been to the doctor and had him tell you that you were eating too many fruits and vegetables? Of course not.

What is your supplement regime (quantities / timing / brands / cycling)?

My regimen:
Twinlabs Cholesterol Success, 450 mg of beta sitosterol a day for 3 weeks, then 225 mg a day for a week, every month
Now Foods, Eco-Green Multi Vitamin
Now Foods, Spirulina, 500 mg
Now Foods, Grape Seed Standardized Extract, 100 mg
Now Foods, Glucosamine Sulfate, 1,100 mg
Now Foods, MSM, 1000mg
Now Foods, Zinc Supplements, 50mg
I take my supplements on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and then exercise for an hour.
A big part of my regimen is the following:
No shampoo
No sex
No junk food
No meat
No alcohol or drugs
No caffeine
Please understand that you don’t need to take the same brands of supplements that I do. My local health food store just happens to carry the NOW brand.
Also, if you’re a carnivore, you’re probably getting enough zinc in your diet and over-supplementing with zinc can block your bodys’ absorption of copper.
Lastly, the spirulina is for the B12 that I don’t get from veggies and the glucosamine is for my back.

What sorts of foods does your typical daily diet involve?

I eat 3 small avacados for luch almost everyday. They are high in beta-sis (75mg beta-sis per 100 grams of avacado) and glutathione (an essential amino acid that has anti-aging properties).
Alot of my diet is geared towards my 18 years as a vegetarian, so I eat things like the grain quinoa (keen-wah) to get all my proteins, I eat some soy, beans, fruits, veggies, brazil nuts (another complete protein). Lately I’ve been eating goji berries (another complete protein with 18 amino acids), as they have a polysaccharide in them that naturally boosts the bodys’ Growth Hormone levels.
I try not to eat after 8pm at night, as that can cause your IGF levels to spike, making you obese.

How often do you wash you hair and what with? Do you use hot, cold or warm water?

My hair is essentially self-cleaning, so I only rinse it about once every 2 weeks with cold water. Cold water forces toxins out of your body.

Do you exercise — if so what exercise for how long and how frequently?

I ride my bike for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night, as it is my only means of transportation to and from work. I ride up and down some very steep hills, so I think that’s as much exercise as I really need, although I do kung fu a few nights a week.

What are your sleep patterns?

I’m up at 6:30 am and in bed by 11pm on weekdays. On the weekends, I tend to stay up later and sleep in until 11am.

Do you do any scalp exercises?

I tried them for 6 months and got nothing except for increased wrinkles in my forehead. More power to ya, if they work for you, but nothing regrew hair for me until I found beta-sis.

Do you use any topicals?
No.I have used Apple Cider Vinegar and beer to wash my hair when I first quit using shampoo, almost 2 years ago.

Any other advice or tips for wanna-be regrowth folks out there?

Taking beta-sis regrew my hair in the temples, but I was still losing hair in the crown. This didn’t stop until I gave up using shampoo. Not using shampoo, or “going grunge” not only stopped the fallout in my crown, but I regrew a bunch of hair.

Ok. Thank you very much Mr Widows Peak for you time. I’m sure this info will be of great use to many. Cheers!"

[rupe]

You are wasting your time, money and hair on bogus treatments that are not going to help you and avoiding the treatments that are most likely to help you. That is why I say that.

Rogaine is a proven treatment. I believe I have already mentioned that I tried finasteride but had to stop due to side effects or maybe you missed that part?