Rider88's Story - (I'm too young)

[rider88]

I first started noticing my receded hairline in high school on my 17th birthday, after looking at myself in the mirror of my new car with a sun roof. I concealed it pretty well since I used gel/wax every day. I would however, never go to practice on days that it rained, because it would wash the gel out and everyone would see. After school, I usually spent my days around the house reading or surfing the web. I never

I'm a 20 year old attending college. And now that I'm in college, and living in a fraternity with 30 other guys with perfect hairlines, balding is emotionally taking its tole on me. I keep my hair longer, to try and cover my balding temples. But unless my hair is freshly combed down, my balding tends to show through. I feel inadequate, embarrassed, and have low self esteem. These feelings of embarrassment have led to me not participating in any kind of sport or outdoor activity, for fear of people noticing. I've subconsciously confined myself to my room/the indoors to activities like reading, watching tv, and computer games. I always shy away from photos when I don't have gel/wax in my hair.

My embarrassment about balding is preventing me from living my life... I'm not an abercrombie model by any means. but with hair I would look good. I've read on here that bald is beautiful, but it really isn't in my case. I've buzzed my head once or twice in life, and I've been told that I shouldn't ever do it again. If I looked halfway decent without hair I would have already buzzed it and I wouldn't be here complaining right now. I'd be out living my life.

I haven't spent that much on hair care products that promise to grow hair back... But I did get some of the oil stuff. I used it at home over break, but after that it's kind of hard to put oily stuff in my hair before I go to sleep when I'm either sleeping at my gf's every night, or in my fraternity house... it's hard to do that in front of my 2 room mates.

I have been to a dermatologist and they recommended minoxidil (rogane). But that's not going to work because I'm too embarrassed to do it in my fraternity house. There is never a time that I have the group bathroom or my own room (with 2 other room mates) to myself. And doin it at the gf's place (where i sleep 4 nights a week) isn't really an option either. "Hang on babe i need to oil my hair before i jump into bed with you".

About a month after my visit i decided to call the doctor back and get a perscription for Propecia. I wanted to get it filled, but I'm hesitant about the sexual side effects. I have a very active sex life with the gf and what if she notices that i'm not in the mood much anymore or worse yet - that i'm shooting water? Then I'd have to tell her I'm taking pills for balding... something I've been hiding from here since we met. I'm also not excited about becoming dependent on a pill for hair.

Anyways I decided today to get it filled and went to the pharmacy with my mom. But the stuff is $60 for a month's supply. My mom didn't want to pay that much so we left without it. I'm really hurting here because now I don't even have that option.

I made a trip to hair club for men for a free consult, but the glued on fake hair is too expensive and doesn't even really look good. They said no doctor would consider doing surgery on me since I'm so young.

I been lurking at this site for over a year now, and I really need to find something that will work for me.

 

[Dan_NW2]

Well for the sake of "no privacy" to apply your topicals...I must say you are in a real real tough situation. I guess in that case, I would probably attempt to do this while showering...hoping you at least get some privacy. You’re really going to have to be creative and figure that one out. As far as your mother not supporting your meds for your hair..that really sucks. I would try to meet her half way pricewise. With regard to a hair transplant, I don't know why age would be a problem when I've read that procedures have been done on kids. Maybe I'm ignorant...I don't know..

 

[rider88]

I decided to post some pics up here as well.

And I forgot to mention that I've been using Nizoral 2% since August (4 months). I was using it every day for the first few months but now im down to 3-4 times per week. That was originally prescribed because I had a very oily scalp. Hours after I showered my scalp would feel like it was soaking wet with nasty oil, and I was very flaky. During this time my hairs fell out every time i ran my fingers through.

Any time i did anything active to the point of sweating, my head would itch uncontrollably. The only thing that kept me from actually itching was the fact that i knew more hair would fall out so I stopped. That problem has finally gone away though, thanks to the Nizoral.

 

[Obsidian]

If you are losing your hair this young like me then surgery is a big no no because the possibly of you being very bald is a realistic possibility. Do you have any relatives, brothers, or Fathers who lost their hair early?

 

[cleverusername]

The shower idea is good. You could even put the minoxidil in another bottle like one of those little shampoo bottles you get from hotels. Get kirkland minoxidil of ebay its like $20 for 3 months and fincar from inhouse for $30 and together it only runs you $20 a month. Your parents bought you a new car at 17 and you're a frat boy so I'm guessing you're a rich kid who can spare 20 bucks a month.

 

[rider88]

Thanks, I'll look on eBay for the cheap/generic stuff. I will make it work some how... we have a group shower with no dividers, but I could probably do it in a bathroom stall or something before & after. Either that or I could probably get over my embarrassment and come right out and do it at the sink in the mirror. Why should I be ashamed?

Money is tight right now, and what money I have has to help pay for school - my single mother is also strapped and dad is out of the picture. The car I got when I turned 17 was used, its a 1995, i meant that it was new for me.

My mom's brother has a full head of hair currently at 59. She says that her dad definitely had all his hair when she was growing up. Looking at pics of my grandpa when he was older and retired he definitely lost it though. I've never met my dad, and no pictures either, so I can only go by what my mom says and she said he didn't even have a matured hairline at 38. So what I've gathered from this is that I really shouldn't be balding right now because of genetics.

As an adolescent I did masturbate a lot. I also used hair gel almost every day in middle school and high school. Could either of those have anything to do with it? I have a pic from when I was 12, which is also the age when I started looking up p**rn on the computer, and I had all my hair... Then there's like no pictures of me in 9th grade but around 10th grade (15) I have pics where its definitely receded a good bit but it was still strong.

Upon getting to college, I totally stopped self pleasuring because of having 2 roommates and the fact that I had a lady friend. So from freshman year and on, I noticed lots of hairs in the sink every time I looked. Over the summer between freshman and sophomore year I took a break from sex, but in my sophomore year I got very serious with a girl and we're still together now. I almost believe that sex increases DHT levels in the blood, and if I wasn't so damn horny all the time I might still have my hair.

 

[cleverusername]

The sex thing is a touchy subject. Most people will say there is no connection but I disagree. I also had a suspicion because I also jerked off a lot like daily from 14 to 17 and I actually started noticing my hair loss around 16. Also, I notice now that if I masturbate the next day or 2 I feel sluggish and anxious, especially if I do it a few days in a row. It's a hard habit to break and when you're in a relationship you probably have sex daily which I think can take its toll, I know it did on me. In Asian culture I've read it's good for someone in their 20s to ejaculate about every 4 days or so. Which seems ideal. Giving it up completely doesn't sound healthy at all and would probably make you pretty irritable.

this is also something interesting I've come across:
http://www.reuniting.info/science/sex_in_the_brain

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but it just my opinion based on things I've read I'm not preaching.

 

[rider88]

Interesting read...

I stumbled on this article randomly... http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Remed ... &id=360488

It discusses many natural supplements that inhibit the production of DHT by lowering 5-AR enzymes. This is the list of everything it mentions. Has anyone tried taking or applying any of these to the scalp? I couldn't find any results or studies with actual pictures to speak of.

grape seed extract
Stinging Nettle Root
pygeum
Beta-Sitosterol
american ginseng
pumpkin seed oil
saw palmetto berry ext
borage oil
zinc