Many of us here, if anything, every one of us here feel pity within our selves because of the burden of hair loss, it is and incredibly difficult thing to deal with. Hair loss is truly such a unique problem since there's no easy fix to it, is largely irreversible, and treating it is so slow. That's something with those who have never gone through the experience of hair loss will never understand how negative it is no matter what unless they were to go through it themselves. It's a problem that is ever seldom given sympathy for in the real world.
Being concerned over hair loss is not a vanity issue in any way, rather, is absolutely normal having concern over a genuine medical condition. Since we live in a world where we're put down for having concern over a real problem which we never chose to inflict upon ourselves in the first place, it's nearly impossible to never feel depressed about it.
True, I've never had any sympathy given by people other than my dad and my brother, people who both know very well how it's like to be balding... Sometimes I think "why am I worrying about such a superficial thing" but then reality kicks me in the nuts. I'm not even far gone yet (though I am a lot worse of conpared to others of my age) but seeing how baldness has affected people close to me (brother and father), I know times are only getting harder.
Your complaints are incredibly honest and reasonable. I'm guessing that you are profoundly, a naturally empathetic person as well as good natured. Your struggle or conflict is very real and has cost you much already. I think also it has caused you to value pleasure/people even more than you probably originally had. Mutually, I hope science can better help us transcend this earthly purgatory male pattern baldness while we are still young and able.
Thanks for the kind words man. However, I have to say that I value people way less than I used to. male pattern baldness has made me realise how much looks actually matter in real life. There was a short period of denial where I thought it was all confidence but boy was I wrong. Like I said earlier, I still have a decent head of hair and I have not experienced nearly as much discrimination as some of you have (I salute you all) but looking at relatives tells me it's going to be over soon. Anyway, realising that people in general are really shallow has made me kind kf a sad person. The halo effect is such a nasty and mean but true concept... Nog only with dating, but just about in every aspect in life.
I too hope science will give us something good soon. For the time being though, I hope my current meds will help me maintain.
Just be confident bro
But seriously, I do this too. Sometimes I feel really sorry for myself. I look to my family for support but its been going on so long even they don't know what to say anymore. Doctors don't give a crap because its Androgenetic Alopecia. I look at my friends having the time of their lives, socialising, partying and going to festivals, things I used to love. While I'm sat here with non-stop scalp pain and itching, my hair slowly being burnt away. Sometimes I want to tell them about it, but because it's "just hairloss" I would be ridiculed. It's chronic pain/inflammation but it wouldn't get the same sympathy of other chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis or Crohns. It's an incredibly lonely experience and one I wouldn't wish upon anyone. I guess thats why I come here, the only people going through similar experiences.
I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I recently had the courage to open uo about baldness and depression to a very close friend of mine and he said "so you won't be able to get hot girls anymore, that's all? That's nothing to be that sad about, right?" At first I though he was right, but then I quickly realised this wasn't about dating/sex life alone. This is about discrimination, in a lot more areas than dating/sex life alone.
Indeed, these forums are the only places for us. We can't get sympathy from other people.
Yeah, sorry trying to get sympathy from others will only make you look weaker.. Dont do it bro, imagine when friends tell you about their problems, and you're probabbly thinking "Thats nothing compared to what I go through (hair loss)".... They'll be thinking the same way if you were to tell them your problems..
Hair loss is really just something you cope with yourself. I even tried telling my family and I felt much worse because they told me not to worry about it, and its just hair.. But yet again, what else can we expect from others, its not like they are going to pull a cure out of their ***.. We're just gonna hear "Its just hair" or "Its okay" or "Dont worry about it".. its not worth telling anyone.
You're right, I've had similar experiences (Like the one I just described). I try fo find ways to cope with male pattern baldness on my own so I don't have to expose my weakness to other people, but it's hard. For some reason, just writing stuff down for myself is less effective than actually talking to other people.
As I said in my OP, I need better ways to cope. Unfortunately, that's really hard.
I'm probably the queen of self pity. I would even go as far as saying I feel more sorry for myself than anyone here.
"queen", I guess you're a woman then? If so, I'm truly sorry for you. Balding as a teenager feels bad, but losing hair as a woman must be even tougher. I'm not trying to feed your self pity here, just saying that I can't even imagine how it would feel for you and I probably never can. What do you do to cope with it? Or is self pity your only way of coping with hair loss?
Hair transplant
System
Choose 1
I don't understand why people pt themselves throuh so much pain and agony. Its quite simple, maintain with drugs and choose your course of action.
Dwelling on brittle and thinning hair is more torture then reward. Make the steps nesaesary to live a better life. Living under a hat, and concealer is no way to live.
hair transplant is not an option for someone who's 17 y/o (I'm going to lose more hair than now, even though I'm on a pretth strict regime that's almost a guarantee. Very little people maintain 10+ yrs on AA's right? I haven't read a lot of such success stories) and a I still have too much hair for a system (I'm somewhere between a NW2 and a NW3). So both are not an option for me.
Enter meds to maintain. The insecurity that meds give me is pretty hard. Do they work or no? That's the reason I switched from finasteride to dutasteride after 6 months. I don't have the time to wait 1 year to know whether finasteride works or not, I can't afford to lose any ground this early. I want to keep a good head of hair throughout my twenties (that's a reasable thing to want, right?) so I'm in for a very long battle at the very least. Very long meaning maintaining on dutasteride and ru for 13 years at least, not counting in future treatments (IF they come out).
