SDK
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 7
Hi all,
Just registered after being a longtime lurker. As you may have guessed, I am losing my hair. Though it isn't terribly bad yet, it has been gradually getting worse over the past few years. I first noticed my temples receding as an 18 year old, fresh out of high school. Needless to say, ouch. But, with nothing but bald male relatives all over my Dad's side of the family, I should have known it was coming. However, I expected it to start around the age of 30 or 35...NOT at 18. It was incredibly difficult to talk about it at the time because almost nobody else in my age group was going through what I was going through. Those who I told dismissed my claims as obsessing over nothing and told me not to worry about it. So, I tried not to.
Fast forward four years and it's clear that my temples have receded a fair bit. Now the middle of my hairline is starting to miniaturize and retract upwards. Not a good feeling, as I'm sure many of you know, when this starts to happen. That's when you know you really have to buck up and start preparing for life post-hair loss. My crown has thinned a bit, though it's still not that noticeable yet. I alternate from having my hair cut really short (2 on the stop, 1 on the side) to having it grown out a bit. Only a few people have actually commented on the fact that I'm balding, though I'm sure many can tell by now. My Dad actually came by the other day and said "sorry for the genetics" in kind of a joking manner. He lost most of it by 35.
Am I going to let this beat me, though? You bet your *** I'm not. Over the past few years, I've been hitting the gym hard in preparation for having to bic everything off (skinny bald guys just cannot pull that look off.) While I'm not huge or anything, I have a decent amount of muscle and definition and that helps when my hair's shorter. Thankfully, my head shape is actually pretty good and there's only a few minor dents on the top of my skull, so I don't think I'd look too bad shaved. The key for me has been taking care of the rest of my life (ex. things I CAN do something about.) Hair loss is inevitable if it's in your genes, and I've finally come to terms with that. I tried Kirkland Minoxidil a few weeks ago but after just one application I had an awful allergic reaction so I had to stop.
As far as the women go, well...my game hasn't suffered despite balding and I'm incredibly lucky to be in a long-term relationship with a beautiful girl who is sympathetic to baldness. But I suspect that has a lot to do with the fact that I just don't let it bother me anymore. I used to check the mirror every day to see if my hairline had miniaturized more than the last time I looked. I used to take pictures of the back of my head every week to see if my crown thinned out more. One day, I just stopped caring. And I started caring more about things I could actually change. I'm happier and more content with myself than I ever was before I started losing my hair.
Moral of the story: don't let this consume you. It can definitely mess with you emotionally, but you have the power to beat it. Stay strong.
Just registered after being a longtime lurker. As you may have guessed, I am losing my hair. Though it isn't terribly bad yet, it has been gradually getting worse over the past few years. I first noticed my temples receding as an 18 year old, fresh out of high school. Needless to say, ouch. But, with nothing but bald male relatives all over my Dad's side of the family, I should have known it was coming. However, I expected it to start around the age of 30 or 35...NOT at 18. It was incredibly difficult to talk about it at the time because almost nobody else in my age group was going through what I was going through. Those who I told dismissed my claims as obsessing over nothing and told me not to worry about it. So, I tried not to.
Fast forward four years and it's clear that my temples have receded a fair bit. Now the middle of my hairline is starting to miniaturize and retract upwards. Not a good feeling, as I'm sure many of you know, when this starts to happen. That's when you know you really have to buck up and start preparing for life post-hair loss. My crown has thinned a bit, though it's still not that noticeable yet. I alternate from having my hair cut really short (2 on the stop, 1 on the side) to having it grown out a bit. Only a few people have actually commented on the fact that I'm balding, though I'm sure many can tell by now. My Dad actually came by the other day and said "sorry for the genetics" in kind of a joking manner. He lost most of it by 35.
Am I going to let this beat me, though? You bet your *** I'm not. Over the past few years, I've been hitting the gym hard in preparation for having to bic everything off (skinny bald guys just cannot pull that look off.) While I'm not huge or anything, I have a decent amount of muscle and definition and that helps when my hair's shorter. Thankfully, my head shape is actually pretty good and there's only a few minor dents on the top of my skull, so I don't think I'd look too bad shaved. The key for me has been taking care of the rest of my life (ex. things I CAN do something about.) Hair loss is inevitable if it's in your genes, and I've finally come to terms with that. I tried Kirkland Minoxidil a few weeks ago but after just one application I had an awful allergic reaction so I had to stop.
As far as the women go, well...my game hasn't suffered despite balding and I'm incredibly lucky to be in a long-term relationship with a beautiful girl who is sympathetic to baldness. But I suspect that has a lot to do with the fact that I just don't let it bother me anymore. I used to check the mirror every day to see if my hairline had miniaturized more than the last time I looked. I used to take pictures of the back of my head every week to see if my crown thinned out more. One day, I just stopped caring. And I started caring more about things I could actually change. I'm happier and more content with myself than I ever was before I started losing my hair.
Moral of the story: don't let this consume you. It can definitely mess with you emotionally, but you have the power to beat it. Stay strong.