My senior year of high school someone pointed out that I looked like I was balding. At the time, I had been accepted into the college of my dreams, I was dating the girl of my dreams, and I really didn't care. My dad has been NW7 since I can remember. My grandfather is like NW10 somehow....and my uncle chooses to shave his head. Some of those things have changed. While I'm currently still at my dream school, the girl I dated for three years and I decided to split up. This took an emotional toll on me like nothing in my life ever has. After my breakup, I began to become extremely self conscious about my appearance. There began my obsession with my thinning hair. I have had long(ish) hair my entire life. I joke now about how it was the Justin Bieber style. Ever since senior year, it has been thinning fast and now that I am a sophomore in college, it is almost impossible to style.
The past six months have been an emotional roller coaster. I poured over these forums, I have googled every possible combination of "bald," "cure," and "hairloss." I started Propecia on January 3rd, 2014. New year, new me and hopefully better hair, I told myself. After day four, I got the testicle swelling and ache. I decided this was the "adjustment period" and I would stick it out. After about two weeks I started noticing no more morning erections or random erections. Let's be honest, it happens...and after taking finasteride, it just didn't anymore. I found sexual jokes my friends would crack disgusting, I had little to no desire. Basically, I didn't feel like a normal college sophomore. I was newly single and yes, that brought it's own depressive fits, but even considering that, I should have some passionate desires and without them is no way to live. I decided to push through the month anyway. Yeah, I would consider myself a trooper at this point. However, one day I looked in the mirror and noticed my nipples looked kinda weird. After checking them out, I could have sworn they looked...puffy...I was terrified. I stopped finasteride immediately and called my doctor. He suggested I stop taking it. Perhaps all of that was in my head...however, I had lost 20 lbs post breakup so I don't think it was normal fat accumulation...this was hormonal.
I've had some backslides where I convince myself I can dodge the side effects...and I took another week of finasteride...I just became anxious and paranoid and that was almost as worse than the actual side effects themselves...I still have pills...but I'm almost certain finasteride IS NOT FOR ME. I WILL NOT ENTER THE ARGUEMENT ABOUT IT'S EFFICACY. FACT: finasteride ISN'T FOR EVERYONE. I believe I am one of those people and I haven't taken a pill since.
So here I am. Treatmentless. Heading for baldness. The Georgia summer is approaching and I was walking around my campus and the wind was having it's way with my hair. I walked in a building and went straight to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I hated my hair. I was sweaty, It looked stupid. I think people could agree. Therefore, I went home after class and shaved it. four guard on top and two guard on the sides. I was scared but when I was done I honestly can say it looks fine. My roommate was the first to see it he just laughed and said "you finally went for it." Today several people noticed and I had several really positive reactions. "Oh it looks great!" blah blah. I had some people ask "why?!" and I just smile and say "I lost a bet." They will never realllly understand why I did it. I did it because now I don't have to worry about the wind or the rain or showering in the morning or going to the bathroom to make sure it doesn't look messy. I am definitely a more confident (looking) me. It's only day two and I expect to feel some regret about it at some point but for now, I'm really enjoying it. I'm starting this condition in the face and saying bring it. Do I look like I'm balding more now? Yeah, slightly but at the same time it's clear that I'm not trying to hide it and people have some subliminal, unspoken respect for that. I don't know why. It's like when the guy in the room is completely confident in who he is, people will be confident in him too. Therefore, this has so far been a positive move. Maybe I'll keep you guys updated on how it's going in a week or two.
There's my attempt at my story. Part of my inspiration for all this was this guy's post. If you're willing to lurk these forums (like I have) you should definitely read this thread.
http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=90041
End of my story. However, I'm going to use this space to talk about how I think more men should be buzzing their heads instead of saying "how can I cling for dear life to the poor quality hair I have left." I have spent countless hours of my 20 year old life on these forums and on the internet trying to "cure" myself when (at the present day) the most effective cure for your psyche, for your well being, is to just embrace it. I know that people are probably going to get mad at me for saying that and that's fine with me. One day they will realize it. I just don't want to waste any more of my life searching for something that hasn't come yet. Watching the clock doesn't make it tick faster. It actually makes it feel painstakingly slow...so for all of you guys out there who were like me, and spend at least an hour a day reading internet articles and searching the forums for success stories. Please. I urge you to attempt the FDA approved treatments under doctor supervision. If that doesn't work/creates more problems, stop and just embrace it. Let it encourage you to make life changes that will make you more attractive. I personally want to bench press my body weight by the end of this summer. I want to be able to (easily) run a six minute mile. I'm at 6:11 right now. I know that buzzing my head probably made me slightly less attractive to some girls. Buzzing definitely reveals my thinning top. However, It may have even made me more attractive to others. I really don't know. I do know that I am going to use this disadvantage to encourage me to become the most physically fit, most attractive me I can be and I think that will mean more than hair to SOMEONE out there.
This video also helped me take the plunge
I'm done preaching. I hope someone gets something positive from my experience. For proof I'll post before and after pictures. My hair loss isn't even terrible...but I wanted to do something about it. Take care, I wish you guys a better future, with or without hair.
The past six months have been an emotional roller coaster. I poured over these forums, I have googled every possible combination of "bald," "cure," and "hairloss." I started Propecia on January 3rd, 2014. New year, new me and hopefully better hair, I told myself. After day four, I got the testicle swelling and ache. I decided this was the "adjustment period" and I would stick it out. After about two weeks I started noticing no more morning erections or random erections. Let's be honest, it happens...and after taking finasteride, it just didn't anymore. I found sexual jokes my friends would crack disgusting, I had little to no desire. Basically, I didn't feel like a normal college sophomore. I was newly single and yes, that brought it's own depressive fits, but even considering that, I should have some passionate desires and without them is no way to live. I decided to push through the month anyway. Yeah, I would consider myself a trooper at this point. However, one day I looked in the mirror and noticed my nipples looked kinda weird. After checking them out, I could have sworn they looked...puffy...I was terrified. I stopped finasteride immediately and called my doctor. He suggested I stop taking it. Perhaps all of that was in my head...however, I had lost 20 lbs post breakup so I don't think it was normal fat accumulation...this was hormonal.
I've had some backslides where I convince myself I can dodge the side effects...and I took another week of finasteride...I just became anxious and paranoid and that was almost as worse than the actual side effects themselves...I still have pills...but I'm almost certain finasteride IS NOT FOR ME. I WILL NOT ENTER THE ARGUEMENT ABOUT IT'S EFFICACY. FACT: finasteride ISN'T FOR EVERYONE. I believe I am one of those people and I haven't taken a pill since.
So here I am. Treatmentless. Heading for baldness. The Georgia summer is approaching and I was walking around my campus and the wind was having it's way with my hair. I walked in a building and went straight to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I hated my hair. I was sweaty, It looked stupid. I think people could agree. Therefore, I went home after class and shaved it. four guard on top and two guard on the sides. I was scared but when I was done I honestly can say it looks fine. My roommate was the first to see it he just laughed and said "you finally went for it." Today several people noticed and I had several really positive reactions. "Oh it looks great!" blah blah. I had some people ask "why?!" and I just smile and say "I lost a bet." They will never realllly understand why I did it. I did it because now I don't have to worry about the wind or the rain or showering in the morning or going to the bathroom to make sure it doesn't look messy. I am definitely a more confident (looking) me. It's only day two and I expect to feel some regret about it at some point but for now, I'm really enjoying it. I'm starting this condition in the face and saying bring it. Do I look like I'm balding more now? Yeah, slightly but at the same time it's clear that I'm not trying to hide it and people have some subliminal, unspoken respect for that. I don't know why. It's like when the guy in the room is completely confident in who he is, people will be confident in him too. Therefore, this has so far been a positive move. Maybe I'll keep you guys updated on how it's going in a week or two.
There's my attempt at my story. Part of my inspiration for all this was this guy's post. If you're willing to lurk these forums (like I have) you should definitely read this thread.
http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=90041
End of my story. However, I'm going to use this space to talk about how I think more men should be buzzing their heads instead of saying "how can I cling for dear life to the poor quality hair I have left." I have spent countless hours of my 20 year old life on these forums and on the internet trying to "cure" myself when (at the present day) the most effective cure for your psyche, for your well being, is to just embrace it. I know that people are probably going to get mad at me for saying that and that's fine with me. One day they will realize it. I just don't want to waste any more of my life searching for something that hasn't come yet. Watching the clock doesn't make it tick faster. It actually makes it feel painstakingly slow...so for all of you guys out there who were like me, and spend at least an hour a day reading internet articles and searching the forums for success stories. Please. I urge you to attempt the FDA approved treatments under doctor supervision. If that doesn't work/creates more problems, stop and just embrace it. Let it encourage you to make life changes that will make you more attractive. I personally want to bench press my body weight by the end of this summer. I want to be able to (easily) run a six minute mile. I'm at 6:11 right now. I know that buzzing my head probably made me slightly less attractive to some girls. Buzzing definitely reveals my thinning top. However, It may have even made me more attractive to others. I really don't know. I do know that I am going to use this disadvantage to encourage me to become the most physically fit, most attractive me I can be and I think that will mean more than hair to SOMEONE out there.
This video also helped me take the plunge
I'm done preaching. I hope someone gets something positive from my experience. For proof I'll post before and after pictures. My hair loss isn't even terrible...but I wanted to do something about it. Take care, I wish you guys a better future, with or without hair.
