Are you bald or balding at a younger age than average?

[Rex Kickass]

I started losing my hair at 16. I don't have much up top anymore.

 

Keep your hair shorter, it makes the loss of hair less noticeable. When its really noticeable? Shave your head. Then nobody knows youre bald on accident.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Depending on how thin it is, the right hair cut might help. Keep it buzzed short and tell the barber to leave it longer where it's thin, usually on top and very short where it's fuller, usually on the sides and back. Also, get it cut every 2 weeks or so.

Now if you've got nothing on top, don't fight it, just shave your head.

The best solution is to go on Rogaine at the FIRST sign of thinning. Nothing will grow it back significantly, but some meds will help you keep what you have.

 

As a side note, doesn't it seem like a lot more guys in their early 20's are balding nowadays??

[shipps]

Geeze, I wonder who one of those friends is.....what an ass u are, LOL.

 

That is just speculation on your part.LOL

 

But yeah he was the first one that popped in my head.

[DBAHO]

I already have gray hairs.

[SoxFan562004]

I already have gray hairs.

Yeah, i'm 29 and I'm starting to get gray, but it doesn't bug me.

 

I have been going to the same salon to get my hair cut for years, and the women there have sworn to me they will tell me if I start losing or thinning and we will come up with a game plan

[Kyyle23]

Yeah, i'm 29 and I'm starting to get gray, but it doesn't bug me.

 

I have been going to the same salon to get my hair cut for years, and the women there have sworn to me they will tell me if I start losing or thinning and we will come up with a game plan

 

 

You are gonna start hearing a aerosol can on the back of your head instead of scissors clipping, lol

[DABearSoX]

I have also had really really thin hair my whole life. I remember being told in MIDDLE school about how large my part was and that I was going bald. I have been told (died before I was born) that both my grandfathers had hair. Only loosing it to chemo. My father and his brother are bald and my uncles on the other side are somewhat bald so I don't believe this generation s***. I have subsided recently however. My friend's Mom is a dermatologist and he gave me 2 cases of Rogaine for free. I use it once a night before I go to bed and it seems to have stopped the bleeding. Still got a nice spot on the crown and thin up top but my forehead isn’t that big. I still hate it; at least I got a girlfriend.

[SoxFanForever]

Back in high school some hall monitor was convinced I would be bald within 5 years. Well that was about 8 or 9 years ago and i'm still going strong! Put that in your pipe and smoke it good sir.

[RockRaines]

To be fair, Rogaine only works on the hair on the crown of your head, it doesnt work on your forehead. And if you go off of it, it you hair will thin back up and continue to retreat.

 

If mine got bad I would go right to the new transplants they have today.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Very, very few of those transplants look good. Plus you have to keep your hair kind of long to cover up your scalp.

[shipps]

Pat Sajack from Wheel of Fortune wears a hairpiece which was shocking to me.You normally could always tell whats real or not but his definitely fooled me.

[DABearSoX]

Pat Sajack from Wheel of Fortune wears a hairpiece which was shocking to me.You normally could always tell whats real or not but his definitely fooled me.

 

 

After researching that a lot I have found that it is pretty likely that that was a April fools day joke. My Grandma however did take that thought to her grave though....she was really dumbfounded by the Wheel that night....

Edited September 18, 2008 by DABearSoX

[shipps]

After researching that a lot I have found that it is pretty likely that that was a April fools day joke. My Grandma however did take that thought to her grave though....she was really dumbfounded by the Wheel that night....

 

Hes taken it off a few times on the show from what I heard.Atleast thats what my grandfather told me.Unless he considers the re-run a new episode.

[Jake]

I've always thought that if it got bad I could get a transplant. I sure hope they work. My dad is bald on top, but his brother and father isn't. My mom's father also had a full head of brown hair till he died at age 75. I don't know what is in store for me.

[RockRaines]

I've always thought that if it got bad I could get a transplant. I sure hope they work. My dad is bald on top, but his brother and father isn't. My mom's father also had a full head of brown hair till he died at age 75. I don't know what is in store for me.

You should be fine, its your mom's father that is usually the indicator, although it could of skipped him.

 

And some of the newer transplants are done in such a way that they are very unnoticeable.

[vandy125]

In my 20s and I just cut it real short. I always knew that I had no chance at all looking at the hairlines of the men in my family.

 

I like to joke that God created a few perfect heads and put hair on the rest of them.

[Jake]

You should be fine, its your mom's father that is usually the indicator, although it could of skipped him.

 

And some of the newer transplants are done in such a way that they are very unnoticeable.

 

You'd think I have a good chance, but my hair is very similar to how my dad's was when he actually had it. I'm banking on some good advances in hair replacement over the next 10 years.

[Flash Tizzle]

I consider myself a resident expert on the subject of balding. Not that I'm currently going bald, but I've done a lot of reading on the subject online and have browsed through various internet forums for years. Many of the reputable posters on well known hair loss websites have more knowledge than any dermatologist or hair specialist.

 

For one, using your family as an indicator of hairloss is a complicated subject. It's not as simple as suggesting the gene is inherited through the mother. For example -- my father is from a family of thirteen, my mother ten. Out of 23 people only my mother has blue eyes. Guess what I have? Considering the recessive nature of blue eyes I shouldn't have it, yet I do. Baldness is no different. It's a luck of the draw, with the odds more/less against you depending upon the prevalence of hairloss in your family.

 

Here is how my family breaks down:

 

Paternal Grandfather -- bald

Father -- bald (late 20s)

Uncle #1 -- bald (late 30s)

Uncle #2 -- full head of hair

Uncle #3 -- full head of hair

 

Maternal Grandfather -- full head of hair

Uncle #1 -- full head of hair

Uncle #2 -- full head of hair

Uncle #3 -- full head of hair

 

Of course, I'm likely screwed. My father went through the same exact hair color transformation I have. When I was a child I had blond hair. In the teenage years it became gradually a mix of blond/brown, until now, where it is bordering on dark brown/black. Whenever I run into people I haven't seen in awhile they always ask if I have dyed my hair. This is exactly what happened to him.

 

Far as treatment, there is a saying among people experiencing hairloss to use the 'big three' -- Minoxidil (Rogaine), Finasteride (Propecia) and Nizoral shampoo. Only two treatments, Minoxidil and Propecia, are approved by the FDA to treat hairloss. So are laser combs but they're not effective as sold through the market. You'd have to make your own buying individual diodes and assembling a laser helmet. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, google "Overmachogrande" and behold the lengths people will got to combat hairloss.

 

Minoxidil is available over the counter in several liquid formulas: 2%, 5% and foam (5%). Five percent liquid is the most effective. Even more so than the foam, which is difficult to apply to the scalp unless the person has shaved their head, or take the conscious effort of separating the hair and dabbing it carefully. Most people adopt a regimen of foam in the morning (because of the ease of application), liquid in the evening. The downside, as RockRains pointed out, is you'll have to use it indefinitely to maintain results. This is because Minoxidil doesn't inhibit DHT (the main culprit behind hairloss). You'll still recede; just more slowly than if you had done nothing.

 

Propecia is by far the most effective treatment. It is a drug taken internally which was first created to combat an enlarged prostate, but had the welcomed benefit of halting hairloss. Some forums have before/after pictures and the results are amazing. Even more so in combination with Rogaine, which creates a synergistic effect.

 

There are several issues, though. First, Propecia requires a prescription and depending on your age/level of hairloss your physician may not want you to take it. Second, Propecia is expensive. $70 for a two month supply if I recall. Third, and most important, are the side effects. Merk (the manufacturer of Propecia) claims 2% of respondents experience side effects, but browsing forums for years it's probably more on the lines of 40-50%. These side effects may include -- limited libido, watery semen, less intense orgasms/erections, feeling of depression, brain fog. Testosterone is a powerful hormone, obviously, and whenever you're impeding its production within the body there's always the chance of unexpected side effects. Personally, I'm hoping that by the time I'm experiencing baldness there is a topical solution which holds similar results to Fin. I'd take Propecia if pushed, but I hate the possibility of taking a drug to limit hairloss while not enjoying the benefits because of internal complications.

 

Final treatment is Nizoral, which is a shampoo sold over the counter in a 1% formula. A 2% formula is available through prescription. It has been clinically shown to be effective in treating irritation of the scalp (subset of balding), and reduce suface DHT as a topical androgen. Of the three treatments it's the least effective on its own, but in combination with the others, has shown significant results.

 

To conclude my essay, I'd say if you're serious about hairloss you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor and convince him/her to prescribe Propecia. Take it as recommended (1mg daily), and if the side effects are serious cut back to .5mg daily. Many people experience side effects initially but gradually overcome them. You have to be the judge, as a complete loss of erection or some other problem which effects your daily life shouldn't be taken lightly. It's just hair, afterall. Additionally, or perhaps on its own if you're reluctant about Propecia, is but Minoxidil. Be consistent with the treatments (don't take weeks off or miss applications in the morning), and don't be shocked if shedding occurs. It's completely normal part of the hair regeneration process. Final step is going to Walgreens/CVS/wherever and purchasing a bottle of Nizoral. Use it every other day, and leave it on your scalp when showering for atleast a minute. If the hair appears brittle or straw like, consider buying a conditioner.

 

Also, in case anyone looked at 3eb's post a page back thinking there's a cure on the horizon there isn't. Knowing him I'm sure he is aware of this and has taken great joy from raising your hopes, haha. Propecia has been around for over 10 years, Minoxidil 20; yet no major advancements have happened since.

 

 

 

 

 

[Flash Tizzle]

You'd think I have a good chance, but my hair is very similar to how my dad's was when he actually had it. I'm banking on some good advances in hair replacement over the next 10 years.

What's bad for many of us is we're probably the last generation that'll have to worry about hairloss. With recent discoveries of the exact genes responsible for hairloss, it'll probably be a good 15-20 years before a literal "cure" comes out. What many people don't know is for a hairloss drug/topical to be released, under FDA approval, it'll have to undergo lengthy human trials. These may take years, since obviously, you need proof of the product's effectiveness and most hairloss treatments require a year plus of consistent usage. This would probably be trial one of three/four.

 

The first sign of something big would be tremendous results in clinical studies on mice or some other dumb animal. Numerous times this exact scenario has occured, but there were issues with having the transfer to human subjects. Most notably is the growth of tumors on the animals. When you think about hairloss it's essentially growing hair which has programmed to stop. Sounds an awful lot like cancer. So, the issue here is not only growing hair; but somehow making sure you're concentrating on the growth of hair and nothing else. Hair is incapable of turning cancerous, since it's only protein, but that doesn't include the scalp.

 

I remember hearing of one product which may be released in a few years. Recently, it has received more than a million dollars to help assist in clinical trials. The name escapes me. It's basically a topical which has shown similar results as Finasteride. It may be around just as I'm about to bald!

[Kid Gleason]

I had always thought I would eventually do the hair transplant thing, but then I found out how expensive they were and how extremely painful they are to get, and I realized I was no where near vain enough to go through all of that.

[Flash Tizzle]

I had always thought I would eventually do the hair transplant thing, but then I found out how expensive they were and how extremely painful they are to get, and I realized I was no where near vain enough to go through all of that.

The downtime for a transplant is ridiculous. You literally have to put a hold on life for two months while your scalp heals and the treated hair begins to grow back. Hair transplants have come a ways in ten years, more than traditional treatments, but it still isn't to the point where ordinary people can walk in, have non-DHT effected hair placed on balding spots, then go home without any problems.

 

I'd really hate to have a hair transplant done now only to have a more efficient, better looking alternative come out five years from now. Patience is the key. At the least, Rogaine/Propecia/Nizoral can help delay balding a good 7-8 years -- and the key is just holding off the inevitable until a better treatment comes along.

[Kid Gleason]

Oh, it also helps that my wife finds bald men very attractive.

[3E8]

Also, in case anyone looked at 3eb's post a page back thinking there's a cure on the horizon there isn't. Knowing him I'm sure he is aware of this and has taken great joy from raising your hopes, haha. Propecia has been around for over 10 years, Minoxidil 20; yet no major advancements have happened since.

No I was sincere. I either read or saw that stem cell researchers at an ivy league school accidentally discovered how to regrow hair in follicles which weren't producing anymore. It grew back with no color, but that's easy to hide. They said a marketable product would be available relatively soon. Have you already heard of this story and believe it to be bogus?

[Flash Tizzle]

No I was sincere. I either read or saw that stem cell researchers at an ivy league school accidentally discovered how to regrow hair in follicles which weren't producing anymore. It grew back with no color, but that's easy to hide. They said a marketable product would be available relatively soon. Have you already heard of this story and believe it to be bogus?

We're thinking of the same product, Follica. It just came to me after reading your post. After doing some quick research it seems they're currently undergoing human trials. Here is some information I extracted from their website:

 

Follica was co-founded by PureTech Ventures and a group of academic dermatologists from Harvard, UCSF and the University of Pennsylvania to address the critical issue of alopecia. The company recently announced a Series A round of financing in January 2008.

 

In a paper published in May 2007 in the journal Nature, technology licensed by Follica from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine was used to generate completely new hair follicles for the first time in normal adult mammals.

 

Unlike currently available treatments that attempt to retain or re-activate existing follicles, this technology provides for the first time, the potential to stimulate entirely new hair follicles. New hair follicles that form after disruption function normally, cycle through the normal stages of hair growth and exhibit normal architecture, including a full complement of stem cells.

http://www.follicabio.com/news/follica-ann...panded-team-40/

 

'Stimulating entirely new follicles' is an item I overlooked in the past when reading about Follica. It'd obviously be significant because treatments available today grow hair, but it often has a different appearance/structure than healthy hair. Also, these new hairs undergo accelerated shedding stages and are very dependent on treatment. It sounds promising, and since it is expected to be released within the next several years it's at least something to look forward to. I'm sure the prices will be f***ing ridiculous, too. If the trials show half of what is promised they can set their price and people will buy it regardless.

[Texsox]

BTW this reminds me of a aboz thread a couple years back