Maelstrom
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 1
I think I could cope now with going bald. It’s been 10 years since I first became aware of it and at 36 it’s hardly uncommon for my age. The trouble is my hair loss is compounded by many other issues.
When I was 14 I developed severe acne. Many different treatments were largely ineffective. I thought it would go away when I got to my 20’s. It didn’t.
At 20 I developed psoriasis and at 21 seborrheic dermatitis. At nearly 37, I am almost a NW4. Never been married, no kids. My elderly mother is the closest family I have.
My acne is largely under control now but I have the oiliest skin of anybody I have ever known. I wonder if this excessively oily skin of mine is partly responsible for me going bald. “Marinating the follicles in DHT†as someone once described excess sebum and hair. As more skin is revealed, it isn’t normal skin. It’s slick within about 2 hours after washing. I wipe my face with a paper towel every hour or so in work.
This, together with scalp psoriasis has made me fear balding much more so than most guys, I think. It’s destroyed my self-esteem, my self-image, my self-confidence. I cannot bear to look at myself or even touch my face except immediately after washing. The last time my skin was dry - was normal - was 1987. That's right 1987. 23 years ago. That’s the last time I was able to look at myself without seeing some disease on me.
My hair was the one feature about my appearance that I actually liked and I never thought I would go bald so early. My Dad didn’t, my grandfather didn’t. I thought it wouldn’t happen to me until I was maybe 40 or something and by then there would be treatments that would stop me from ever going fully bald. It happened 15 years too early for me.
My life has been ruined by my skin and by hair loss. These 'trivial' of problems. And it’s so hard to keep going on like this. I've tried but I can't live with this self-loathing. If I had just one problem to deal with - if it were just baldness alone - I think I could come to terms with it. But not everything.
I know others have much worse problems but that way of thinking has never helped. My problems don’t feel diminished because someone has it worse. I can’t help but feel this way. I am so down right now.
When I was 14 I developed severe acne. Many different treatments were largely ineffective. I thought it would go away when I got to my 20’s. It didn’t.
At 20 I developed psoriasis and at 21 seborrheic dermatitis. At nearly 37, I am almost a NW4. Never been married, no kids. My elderly mother is the closest family I have.
My acne is largely under control now but I have the oiliest skin of anybody I have ever known. I wonder if this excessively oily skin of mine is partly responsible for me going bald. “Marinating the follicles in DHT†as someone once described excess sebum and hair. As more skin is revealed, it isn’t normal skin. It’s slick within about 2 hours after washing. I wipe my face with a paper towel every hour or so in work.
This, together with scalp psoriasis has made me fear balding much more so than most guys, I think. It’s destroyed my self-esteem, my self-image, my self-confidence. I cannot bear to look at myself or even touch my face except immediately after washing. The last time my skin was dry - was normal - was 1987. That's right 1987. 23 years ago. That’s the last time I was able to look at myself without seeing some disease on me.
My hair was the one feature about my appearance that I actually liked and I never thought I would go bald so early. My Dad didn’t, my grandfather didn’t. I thought it wouldn’t happen to me until I was maybe 40 or something and by then there would be treatments that would stop me from ever going fully bald. It happened 15 years too early for me.
My life has been ruined by my skin and by hair loss. These 'trivial' of problems. And it’s so hard to keep going on like this. I've tried but I can't live with this self-loathing. If I had just one problem to deal with - if it were just baldness alone - I think I could come to terms with it. But not everything.
I know others have much worse problems but that way of thinking has never helped. My problems don’t feel diminished because someone has it worse. I can’t help but feel this way. I am so down right now.
