I'm 20 years old, from Melbourne, Australia and have diffuse fine hair.
I finally picked up the courage to post here, in the hopes of seeking advice and of course some much needed encouragement.
This is my story;
The first time I ever noticed I was losing my hair was when I was 11, when I was innocently reading a book and noticed one or two hairs had fallen from my scalp and onto the the page of the book. Little did I know, that this was the first sign of a condition that would cause deep stress for me throughout the years.
In my late childhood and early teens, I was quite overweight (120 kgs/264 lbs at 15). My overall appearance body image didn't bother me, I was happy playing video games all day. I did however get blonde tips at 12 to be the 'coolest kid' in elementary school. Around 14, my Mother noticed that my hair was thinning. It became quite a recurring worry from her, and got worse. More people started noticing. Kid's at school would ask me why my hair was 'see through', not knowing I was well, going bald. That was only for grown ups.Bullied, I was also suffering from OCD and depression and started anti-depressants. My Mother, ever so worried that her son was losing her hair so young did some research and took me a to a top Professor of Dermatology in Melbourne. After a quick examination, he simply told my Mother and I that I had male pattern baldness at 14. He prescribed me with Finasteride, to take once a week and quarter of a tablet of Minoxodil. There was improvement, and a few months later I stopped taking everything in though that my problem was fixed, and that's when my hair started thinning again. Discovering that you simply can't stop taking these drugs, I went back on them and thus began a cycle.
For five years, my teenage years, has been a cycle of hair growth and hair loss. I can have an almost full head of hair, and then go back to very fine hair usually in the space of six months. From memory, this would correlate in times when I did and didn't take my Minoxidil - I had stopped finasteride after a year or so. It became a routine for my parents to ask if I had been taking my medication if they had noticed my hair was thinning. The anxiety got worse, and I got older, and hormones began to rage.
When I was 16, I came out as gay, which coincided with feelings of lust and desires.I started going on dates and what not, and so my body image and appearance became much more of a concern to me. That's when I discovered hats and amazing ability to act a security blanket. A year later, I had no need for my hats and beanie collection as I had a thick head of hair. At around 17, I had lost 50kgs/110lbs and had new found confidence. I was a young, intelligent, pretty young gay dude. I started partying, drinking, and just having fun.
Around a year ago, at 19 my hair started getting thin again, to the level of worryingly thin. To that same level where I had to start wearing a hat - it became a part of my 'look'. Another six months, and yep, I had thick hair again. Fast forward to today, I'm 20, I live in a beautiful apartment and work for one of the largest fashion retailers in the world. Around six months ago, I decided my hair was thick and healthy enough to bleach, which I did again a few weeks ago. Living on my own, funds were pretty tight before I got my new job and I couldn't afford minoxidil. Big mistake. I didn't take it for at least three months, and now my hair is probably the worst it has ever been. My hair is definitely fragile and I won't bleach it again.
Being 20, young, blonde, in the fashion industry and gay it is such a horrible burden for me, which causes me great anxiety. I work and have passion in an industry where good looks are key. The whole gay scene doesn't help either, where elitism and judgement is rife. Enter a world of fake tans, bright lights, raspberry vodka and Madonna. With guys, I'm to embarrassed to even go on a date anymore. Luckily for me, wide brim hats are in style. The thing that does not help the most however is my OCD and depression. my recent bout of thinning hair has taken such a large chunk of my confidence away, and it constantly lingers on my mind.
I'm back on Minoxidil again, thankfully and also applying the Rogaine foam and taking a silica, Vitamin C and blood orange supplement as well for 'hair, skin and nails'. From past experience, I've just got to wait a few months to take that stupid hat off. This time though was the final reminder to be diligent with the upkeep of medications.
Finally, I have a few questions:
Looking forward to hearing back from you and your stories!
Cheers,
M
I finally picked up the courage to post here, in the hopes of seeking advice and of course some much needed encouragement.
This is my story;
The first time I ever noticed I was losing my hair was when I was 11, when I was innocently reading a book and noticed one or two hairs had fallen from my scalp and onto the the page of the book. Little did I know, that this was the first sign of a condition that would cause deep stress for me throughout the years.
In my late childhood and early teens, I was quite overweight (120 kgs/264 lbs at 15). My overall appearance body image didn't bother me, I was happy playing video games all day. I did however get blonde tips at 12 to be the 'coolest kid' in elementary school. Around 14, my Mother noticed that my hair was thinning. It became quite a recurring worry from her, and got worse. More people started noticing. Kid's at school would ask me why my hair was 'see through', not knowing I was well, going bald. That was only for grown ups.Bullied, I was also suffering from OCD and depression and started anti-depressants. My Mother, ever so worried that her son was losing her hair so young did some research and took me a to a top Professor of Dermatology in Melbourne. After a quick examination, he simply told my Mother and I that I had male pattern baldness at 14. He prescribed me with Finasteride, to take once a week and quarter of a tablet of Minoxodil. There was improvement, and a few months later I stopped taking everything in though that my problem was fixed, and that's when my hair started thinning again. Discovering that you simply can't stop taking these drugs, I went back on them and thus began a cycle.
For five years, my teenage years, has been a cycle of hair growth and hair loss. I can have an almost full head of hair, and then go back to very fine hair usually in the space of six months. From memory, this would correlate in times when I did and didn't take my Minoxidil - I had stopped finasteride after a year or so. It became a routine for my parents to ask if I had been taking my medication if they had noticed my hair was thinning. The anxiety got worse, and I got older, and hormones began to rage.
When I was 16, I came out as gay, which coincided with feelings of lust and desires.I started going on dates and what not, and so my body image and appearance became much more of a concern to me. That's when I discovered hats and amazing ability to act a security blanket. A year later, I had no need for my hats and beanie collection as I had a thick head of hair. At around 17, I had lost 50kgs/110lbs and had new found confidence. I was a young, intelligent, pretty young gay dude. I started partying, drinking, and just having fun.
Around a year ago, at 19 my hair started getting thin again, to the level of worryingly thin. To that same level where I had to start wearing a hat - it became a part of my 'look'. Another six months, and yep, I had thick hair again. Fast forward to today, I'm 20, I live in a beautiful apartment and work for one of the largest fashion retailers in the world. Around six months ago, I decided my hair was thick and healthy enough to bleach, which I did again a few weeks ago. Living on my own, funds were pretty tight before I got my new job and I couldn't afford minoxidil. Big mistake. I didn't take it for at least three months, and now my hair is probably the worst it has ever been. My hair is definitely fragile and I won't bleach it again.
Being 20, young, blonde, in the fashion industry and gay it is such a horrible burden for me, which causes me great anxiety. I work and have passion in an industry where good looks are key. The whole gay scene doesn't help either, where elitism and judgement is rife. Enter a world of fake tans, bright lights, raspberry vodka and Madonna. With guys, I'm to embarrassed to even go on a date anymore. Luckily for me, wide brim hats are in style. The thing that does not help the most however is my OCD and depression. my recent bout of thinning hair has taken such a large chunk of my confidence away, and it constantly lingers on my mind.
I'm back on Minoxidil again, thankfully and also applying the Rogaine foam and taking a silica, Vitamin C and blood orange supplement as well for 'hair, skin and nails'. From past experience, I've just got to wait a few months to take that stupid hat off. This time though was the final reminder to be diligent with the upkeep of medications.
Finally, I have a few questions:
- Should I go back on Finasteride, and if so, what dosage would be recommended?
- Currently, I'm taking 5mg of oral minoxidil a day, is that okay?
- What vitamin supplements for hair loss are recommended?
- In what frequency should I wash my hair?
Looking forward to hearing back from you and your stories!
Cheers,
M
