themintbandit

Its a fact that 2/3 of men (in the US anyway) are going to experience some kind of hair thinning/baldness in their lifetime. That's to be expected. IF I was 65 years old, I wouldn't care at all. However, when you're 20 years old and your friends comment on your hair thinning, its a different story.

I've always had thin hair since I was little. I used to have a shaggy hair-do, just let it fly after it dryed after a shower, no styling or anything. Once I got sick of it, I had my buddy buzz my hair and I loved it and haven't stopped since. That was a year and a half ago. Shortly after, just checking out my face and such before bed time, I noticed how thin my hair was; I could see my scalp. I have widow's peaks but I never thought anything of them until then. Well a year and a half has passed, my widows peaks appear to have receded a tad higher on my crown and I feel as though I can see my scalp a little more. My friend commented on how it looked like I was going bald. I was devestated. If anyone has a similiar story and can tell me how they look now, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hell, share any stories about your hair thinning. I just need a confidence boost bad. Thanks!

thingstodo

Man, I can't help you. Just turned 50 and I have a full head of hair.

I hear that you inherit from your mother's side but that didn't hold true with me. Her brothers - all three - are bald but not me. My father has a full head of hair.

It's really fashionable to have a shaved or nearly shaved head. It sure would be easier!! I know it's easy for me to say that, but I do keep my hair pretty short so I don't have to do much with it other than wash, towel dry and then let it dry on its own.

__________________
If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves.

Stangers have the best candy.

Zar

Eh, yeah, my hair started going at 18ish. I'm 23 now, and it's still not particularly noticeable unless I point it out. Of course, I had extremely thick hair to begin with.

Like you, I pretty much completely freaked out and did a shitton of research on the subject. For instance, I learned that something like 10-20 percent of men start losing their hair in their late teens/early 20's. That may not seem like much, but that's still 1 or 2 guys out of 10. So there's quite a few out there going through the same thing. I started taking Propecia soon after I realized what's happening, as it seems to be the only method of combatting hairloss that has been scientifically proven to have some beneficial effect (other than hair transplants, but that's a whole other set of problems). According to the research, it slows or halts hair loss on the crown of your head, but is less effective at dealing with your hairline. The research also shows that it may begin losing its efficacy after a number of years of taking it.

I no longer feel the intense anxiety and such concerning my hair loss that I once did. It has not impacted my life negatively in any way that I can see. Women still find me attractive. Confidence attracts women much more readily than hair. The attitude you want to go for is, "Yeah, I'm a balding badass, what of it?" In fact, I no longer really make any attempt to hide it. I'll bring it up in casual conversation if it seems pertinent.

And don't worry, as the years go on, more and more of your friends will
be going through the exact same thing. You're a trend setter .

EDIT: A few additions, as I've had some time to think on the subject, and I'm drunk.

For one thing, once my hair started going, I developed a "bald-dar" (a derivative of gaydar) so to speak. You really start noticing how many other guys are going bald once you start to. And it's really surprising. For example, I realized that the homecoming king during my senior year of high school was going bald. Heath Ledger? Going bald. Lots of men are going bald. Many of them highly successful people.

The only way it can negatively affect your life is if you let it. For a couple of years I was anxiety-ridden that people would figure out that I was losing my hair and that somehow I'd become a loser or a failure. I started wearing hats constantly, doing all sorts of stupid shit. All of which just really pointed out what was happening, and that I was uncomfortable about it. Don't start wearing hats all the time, heh.

The truth is, your friends won't give a damn, besides possibly giving you a little shit, to which you give them shit in turn. And the only women who would care are most likely shallow creatures you don't need to be with to begin with. As I said, women are far more attracted to confidence than hair. I've actually been with more women since I've started losing my hair than before, as I gained more confidence in myself during that period.

Enough rambling. As for some practical advice: keep it short. It just looks horrible and sad when you grow it out long to try and compensate. It's actually easier to tell a person's going bald when their hair is long, as the thinning hair is typically lighter-colored and the thinning patches are more prominent. Keeping it short lets you keep a clean looking look where it is less obvious, and far less sad. Compare Andre Agassi just before he started shaving and now.

I'm also in much better physical shape now compared to how I was before I started losing my hair. I am much more motivated to keep in shape and looking good, and that has paid multiple dividends. Hitting the gym is never a bad idea. I may have lost an inch of hairline, but I've gained some abs and pecs. Not a bad tradeoff. The endorphins are nice too.

As for fighting it; as I said, Propecia has been proven to combat hair loss at the crown. Rogaine is said to help hairloss at the hairline, although the application of that oily muck was too much of a headache for me to deal with. You may feel differently. Overall, though, neither of these medicines have proven to be effective in the long run. Thus, the best idea is to learn to accept the hand that's been dealt you, and making the most of it. Which, for me, has been not bad at all.

Amirah

Hi! My hairs not thinning but I inherited the broad forehead from my father and this is not what I would call cute for a girl...ever since my school years my own friends and sometimes relatives would make unpleasant jokes about it and I hated it. I was always wearing a cap or a bandanna. Call me a weak character person (I don't mind as long as you don't call me Frontausaurus...front in french means forehead, so this is supposed to mean a dinosaur with a large forehead) so I did have a hair transplant. I feel better now. Some people can accept themselves as they are but I don't mind being the "looks" type. Here is the address of the clinic I went to if ever you might consider hair transplant someday. I'm not saying you should. Zar is right about one thing I guess:

I guess its easier for men to accept it. But no guy would go out with a bald woman and don't even dare to say the opposite coz the only guy who ever went out with me in high school only did it for sex and afterwards dumped and did as if nothing happened between us cause he didn't want to ruin his reputation. I'm not saying all men are like that but sometimes men really are dogs.

Easytiger

I'm thirty now and I've been balding noticeably for about seven years, but I don't care that much. I've got a lovely wife and I don't get too much shit from anyone about it. Your reaction to balding is a head game (pun intended).

dlish

try propecia or proscar. ive tried both. ive still got my full head of hair 2 years later. bothw ork exactlky the same, proscar is a lot cheaper though.

however the side effects on me were the eaxct opposite. my libido sky rocketed 1000% since i started taking proscar. its weird... but im not complaining.

talk to your GP..your best bet.

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

genuinegirly

My Turbotom's hair is thinning.
He is in complete denial.
hmmmm

but I think he's sexy with or without hair... so oh well!

Edit: He's 25.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

maleficent

my brother was in his late teens when his hair started thinning - a lot (he comes by it well my grandfather was bald as a billiard ball, so's my dad... He started using some medication that he took orally and used a lotion on his scalp - and his hair came back... for a few years and he was off my parents insurance policy and on his own and it didnt' cover vanity products... so he stopped using it and all his hair fell out that the drug grew - within weeks...

He's now 39 - shaves what's left of his head... is married to a gorgeous tall, blonde woman, and he's never let it get to him...

Grass doesn't grow on a busy street... bald is very sexy...

__________________

raeanna74

From what I have heard, one reason for male pattern baldness is a higher than average level of testosterone. I have not verified that if it's really true but it's definately not a BAD reason to be going bald.

As for the shaved or even bald LOOK. I really find that attractive. I know several women who find bald/shaved guys very handsome.

Do you have any dandruff, psoriasis, or folliculitis? inflammation of the follicule can cause someone to loose their hair. One shampoo that helps has Clortrimazole in it, or Nizoral (which is VERY expensive) and another that was recommended to hubby and has made a big difference for him is JCPenny's salon shampoo 'Sexy Hair' I think it runs nearly $10/bottle but it lasts quite a while and is a better buy compared to the dandruff shampoos out there.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

neria

Hey being bald is not that bad. Some girls find it sexy though.
So why not shave it all. Thats if you have a pretty shaped head.
Otherwise, go see your dermatologist, there are a lot of medications in the market now for hair loss.

__________________
Stop Hair Loss!

Baraka_Guru

I have really fine hair and a high forehead. People told me I was going bald when I was as young as twelve, although in reality I didn't thin out until I was in my twenties. Now at thirty, I've come to accept the fact that people can see my scalp, although I have maintained much of my original high hairline (relatively).

I was never worried about losing hair. My dad was as bald as Patrick Stewart for as long as I can remember him, and so was my grandfather on my mother's side. I don't think the saying "bald is beautiful" is merely denial. Women may look at hair as an element of first attraction, but when it comes down to it, sense of humour, intelligence, and a nice body might matter more to them. I've known some women who are actually attracted to bald men... I'm not too sure why, exactly, but maybe this is of some relief? Shaved heads are in vogue, at least, aren't they?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Coll Storm

My story is different from yours, but ends the same.

Up until I was 36 years of age, I had a full head of hair. Wore it spiked for years. Then suddenly, someone commented on my thinning hair. I decided to do something different with my hair anyhow and gave myself a buzz cut. It's then that I discovered the truth about my crown. I was thinning and even came here to this very forum and asked for advice. Someone told me, "that if you think you're going bald, then most likely you are" or something to that extent.

A couple of years later and it no longer bothers me, because I shave my head completely bald. I do this twice a month and I'm very happy with it. I no longer have to waste time with shampoo, gel, or getting haircuts.

I love being bald!

christian007

I think it is safe to say that majority of women prefer guys with hair u just have to accept reality I just think it is really sad how companies take advantage of balding men and make them pay a crapload out of there pocket. Sure guys say my wife or girlfriend say it doesnt bother them or they think its sexy but do u think if they barely met u at the club/bar or any kinda social event would they go for u? I dont think so, I am just being honest and probably will get constructive criticism. But I wonder if that hair restoration does work? Has anyone done that yet? I hear that is your best bet. One guy that has givein me a lot of confidence is TOM LEYKIS that guy is a genius sure u might not agree with him at first but if u listen to him it all ties in together what he says.

Leto

Over time the anxiety fades. Liken it to having zits as a teenager, you grow out of the lack of confidence.

Keep your hair short, and enjoy being confident. Lots of women are attracted to full heads of hair. But then lots of men are attracted to women with full breasts. It's reality.

jewels

Don't EVER do a comb-over.

Wear baldness with pride.

Personally, I think receding hairlines and baldness are sexy!

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain

BogeyDope

Join the military. Then, you have an excuse to have a bald head!

__________________
Focus. Control. Conviction. Resolve. A true ace lacks none of these attributes. Nothing can deter you from the task at hand except your own fears. This is your sky.

guy44

I'm 24, and believe me it was a horrible, depressing shock when my Mom suggested that I ask my doctor about Propecia when I was 22. I'm mean, come on! I guess my hairline had been slowly receding the previous couple of years, but it never even registered until that moment.

I haven't done anything about it, and my forehead is now a bit bigger than it used to be on the sides. It isn't really bad yet, but I have no doubts. I think my only prayer is that things sort of stabilize until my mid-30s...

Anyways, reading everyone's posts got me thinking about my crown, which I haven't even thought about. I just went to the mirror to try and see how the top of my head is doing, but boy that's a lot harder than it seems! Kind of like getting a good look at your profile in the mirror...

__________________
"You have reached Ritual Sacrifice. For goats press one, or say 'goats.'"

allaboutmusic

Have shaved my head for about five years now. Used to use hair clippers to go down to a #0, but now use a razor twice a week. Looks awesome.

Derwood

i'm 33 and have no thinning, but i am starting to notice a gray hair here or there

cookmo

My boyfriend is 31 and bald. He shaves it down till its smooth, and he is sexy as hell.

Sharon

Read that advice on combovers repeatedly until there is ZERO chance of you ever doing it yourself.

Count me in the camp of "men who look like they're getting slightly older ROCK".

Strange Famous

Honestly, I think being bald headed looks cool for a guy.

The thing about it is if you have thinning hair, I think it looks a lot better to just shave your head or have the hair you have cut really close - rather than a Bobby Charlton hair style - as others have said.

But seriously, I think being bald looks good. Im 30, and I wouldnt mind being bald.

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas