is balding acceptable for old men? what age does it become ok?

[whymewhynow]

My father is 60, I'm not sure about his exact norwood rating but he's nearly bald. For most of his 30s, and 40s he was around Norwood 2.5 to 3.5, it was only in his late 50s that he really started losing his hair and he's a Norwood 5+ now.

The thing is he doesn't seem to care. At least not visibly. I noticed he's started wearing a beanie more often, that could be a defensive strategy, though it is winter.

No one discriminates against him. He's still confident and social. No one seems to care.

So if you think about it you only have say 20 years or so until you're hair loss will be accepted. It may seem like along time but I think there's become a point where no one cares , around 45?

Hair loss is a young , superficial person's issue. You're all shallow get over it .

I've realized there's more to life than just worrying about your looks. Stop worrying about something you can't control. Sure you're not this perfect "beautiful" archetype society obsesses over , so what, build other things in your life that are celebrated.

 

[DoneWithIt]

OP, I cannot get over the stupidity of your post.
The question you ask; "is balding acceptable for old men? what age does it become ok?" is alright, and sure enough I think less people care about a mans hair when he reaches a certain age.
I'd say if you make it to 50 with a relatively full head of hair you are lucky, and if you get to keep your hair until you're old and grey it becomes a downright blessing.
I'd say hair loss impacts at all ages, but if you're under 30 and especially in your 20's or even teens when you start losing hair, it's a downright catastrophe.
For me, being a 21 year old WOMAN going bald it's no such thing as "getting over it", and I'm sure I can speak on the behalf of every single other young hair loss victim - male or female - to back me up on that.
Of course no one discriminates your dad at that age, but does that apply to the younger sufferers? NO WAY. We are discriminated and deemed less worth than people with full heads of hair or at least decent hair.
When you are young and most likely not settled, a lot comes down to looks sadly, and hair is probably the most important aspect of someones looks.
How easy do you think it is for a balding young person to attract a mate? Especially a woman, who does not have the option of shaving her head.


"So if you think about it you only have say 20 years or so until you're hair loss will be accepted. It may seem like along time but I think there's become a point where no one cares , around 45?"

ROFL. Do you really think 20 years is a short amount of time when something is ruining every aspect of your life? For me it's taking away my youth. I cannot "get over it".

"Hair loss is a young , superficial person's issue. You're all shallow get over it."

Hair loss is not superficial when it ruins your self esteem, and your entire life. When it becomes a problem so great you are considering suicide, it's not a shallow issue.
Sure, it's not a deadly disease, but it does matter to a lot of people including me, especially on forums like this.

Have some sympathy for people going through a hard time and trying their best to figure things out. I don't know your hair situation but if you are losing it and fine with it, good for you.
Just don't put other people down for it cause no two people are exactly the same and their stories will be different.
People deal with things differently and YOU should get over THAT.

 

[whymewhynow]

DoneWithIT let's just say we accept your theory 'balding is catastrophic and will ruin your life'...
guess what there's no cure you have to learn to live with this condition.

ok then what? Just give in ?

What I'm saying is there is an option. You have to find a new identity apart from your looks. Find a career or a new interest. EVERYONE goes through the journey of being less shallow to maturity at some stage. For a balding person this must come earlier.

My hair situation is that I'm Norwood 2.5 but my hair is creeping up slowly , maybe it has stopped receding now, I don't know for sure. I have been paralyzed for ages. I had a meltdown where I thought about ending it all. Now i've realized how fleeting this "beauty obsession " is.

We are thinking myopically-like the kid who thinks all that matters is high school popularity- in 10 years all this **** may not even matter- we will have new identities, maybe be married or something , have a good career you know... it's just that we are young -i'm 23 so I know what it feels like being a young sufferer- our perspective is so limited to waht our friends are doing and it mostly revolves around looks (going to parties/clubs/dating and all that).


My plan is to make the best of what I can do . Ill treat my hair loss , i'll continue with my life as always. AND IF worse comes to worse and I lose all my hair then I'll accept that and develop other traits people can admire about me. We have no choice sorry. Sometimes idealism doesn't occur in reality...

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I'd say 55 years old. It has always been and will always be perceived as an old man's disease.

I think you can argue this change occurs much earlier.

I know 30 year olds you have no cares about hair loss. seriously hair loss is a problem for people in their twenties, after your twenties sure it hurts, like your slowing down, all the teenagers will make jokes of you 'the old man' who cares? aging it part of life. not everyone gets to look young and hot until they are 40 like Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt.. not ideal , well too bad it could be worse, you'd have to get old at some stage.


time your are worrying about hair loss = 10 years (age 20 to age 30)
time you are alive = 80 years

10/80 = small percentage of your life

 

[ChrisW1980uk]

It is an interesting question. I just turned 33 and have minimal loss. It still bothers me. Yet I have friends who are much further down the line who I told about finasteride, but they are happily buzzing their hair down.

 

[yadayada029]

this topic has been covered already

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interac...2-6-YEARS-UPDATE-Page-5?p=1129428#post1129428

I agree, I roll my eyes when I hear teens to twenty somethings say "but when I'm 30+, it won't matter as much." Yes it will. To loose your hair later in life will be one more slap in the face. It may in fact make be worse. You'll have hair loss, which will further age you, in addition to the pile of complaints you'll have about getting older in general.

To the twenty something and younger crowd, go ahead and put that non-sense line in the grave where it belongs. You'll want hair now and forever, age will not diminish the hurt of losing your hair one damn bit.

 

[whymewhynow]

this topic has been covered already

I agree, I roll my eyes when I hear teens to twenty somethings say "but when I'm 30+, it won't matter as much." Yes it will. To loose your hair later in life will be one more slap in the face. It may in fact make be worse. You'll have hair loss, which will further age you, in addition to the pile of complaints you'll have about getting older in general.

To the twenty something and younger crowd, go ahead and put that non-sense line in the grave where it belongs. You'll want hair now and forever, age will not diminish the hurt of losing your hair one damn bit.

I disagree with this comment.

having your hair when you're 50 is a BONUS, sure it is good to have your hair, but if you lose it then that's something you can deal with and SHOULD be able to deal with given aging is to be expected.

For young people it's different, they are looking at life through a different prism, one where looks matter more, you can say looks are their identity or are very important to their life.

Would you shed a tear for 50 year old Tom Cruise if he's balding? Not really. You might say 'sorry man bad luck but you had a good run', you're not feeling devastated for him.

You're argument is like a 6' man complaining he's not 6' 4", you already won the genetic lottery by not balding until 40 or whatever, don't ask or expect more gifts.

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I didn't read your post, I should have.

You don't have any idea of what you're talking about. You come here vomiting the same crap people with full heads of hair have been telling us since we began to lose it.

Yes, this is me, and I'm f-ing 23 years old. Do you look like that? Could you live with that? You really don't know what it's like until you experience it. Part of ageing you say, I started going bald at 17. I was not even an adult yet. Like you say, I guess I was just getting old.

You have no place here. Get on with your life and come back when you reach NW4, I will be pleased to hear what you have to say about hair loss by then.

It's not about your norwood status, I know that's strange to say, but more important is how much impact it's had on your life.

I went through a period that nearly destroyed me. I couldn't function. It was the fear that caused it, i went from a NW0 to a Norwood 2.5 in a matter of a year (i'm sure if i didn't take treatment it could be worse). My head-shape doesn't suit this balding... I lost so much. I quit my job. I quit university (i'm back now). I didn't want to go outside. This experience has been traumatic for me but I've learnt to deal with by getting perspective.

I know for your case it may be more severe , don't discount the impact to people who have less norwood status but have also suffered.It's not only NW4+ talk.com

 

[DannyBoyy]

I dont get why people say people who are NW1 or 2 cant say anything yes they are not as bad as a NW5 but it still hurts you...we all been there when we saw our first thinning and hairloss it was hell (i was 16)...now 21 and over it my hair is like freds but cut shorter i just had a 4day holiday with pals went to the zoo,arcades,shops etc public places with my head help up ****ing high...do people stare? maybe do they judge? maybe but most important do i care? hell no one day i hope you all will be at this stage trust me it is a great feeling...peace out for now peeps.

 

[GoldenMane]

Some people are much better at getting over drastic, and unwanted changes in their appearances than others' Some can even laugh it off... I can't. I'm 27, it's my most distinct characteristic and my best feature. We aren't going to be young forever, but while we are young, we'd like to look young, wear our hair however we want, style it, dye it...

I'm sure it's devestating for people in their 40's, 50's and 60's too, but the younger it happens, the tougher it is. If somebody told me I could 100% keep a thick, full head of hair until I'm 40, then I'd drop dead, I'd be okay with that...

 

[yadayada029]

I disagree with this comment.

having your hair when you're 50 is a BONUS, sure it is good to have your hair, but if you lose it then that's something you can deal with and SHOULD be able to deal with given aging is to be expected.

For young people it's different, they are looking at life through a different prism, one where looks matter more, you can say looks are their identity or are very important to their life.

Would you shed a tear for 50 year old Tom Cruise if he's balding? Not really. You might say 'sorry man bad luck but you had a good run', you're not feeling devastated for him.

You're argument is like a 6' man complaining he's not 6' 4", you already won the genetic lottery by not balding until 40 or whatever, don't ask or expect more gifts.

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It's not about your norwood status, I know that's strange to say, but more important is how much impact it's had on your life.

I went through a period that nearly destroyed me. I couldn't function. It was the fear that caused it, i went from a NW0 to a Norwood 2.5 in a matter of a year (i'm sure if i didn't take treatment it could be worse). My head-shape doesn't suit this balding... I lost so much. I quit my job. I quit university (i'm back now). I didn't want to go outside. This experience has been traumatic for me but I've learnt to deal with by getting perspective.

I know for your case it may be more severe , don't discount the impact to people who have less norwood status but have also suffered.It's not only NW4+ talk.com

I couldn't disagree more strongly with your statement. I'm guessing you are young. I see no shortage of 40+ wearing toupees, combing over, getting hair transplant's if they can afford it, taking propecia, and rogaine, and of course complaining. The anecdotal evidence suggests strongly that many people care just as much no matter their age. I have a friend, older than me, and I'm no young guy, who once told me when I was in my 20s, that people always perceive themselves younger than they are (a perpetual state of rationalization about appearance).

People adjust to their appearance to some degree, but if you live 40 or 50 years of your life with hair and then it starts going away...you're going to care. You're comments, and other similar to them, imply "well, you're old any way what do you care."

 

[uncomfortable man]

I think the OP is just pontificating on what it is like to be bald like many other NW2s, thinking "pht, can't be that bad."

:shakehead: :doh:

 

[HairGuru22]

Exactly. For the record, everyone has that mindset around me, no matter how hard I try to convey how hair loss is one of the most difficult challenge a man or a woman can face in their lives.

I've heard: "You do it a little on purpose, you want people to feel sorry for you!". I wonder how they would feel in front of a whole bar starring at them while a group of people are singing "HE HAS NO HAIR!".

Damn, you have witnessed that? Sorry to hear, I hope those that were singing will get what they deserve and thats the goold old male pattern baldness.

 

[LooseItAll]

We are thinking myopically-like the kid who thinks all that matters is high school popularity- in 10 years all this **** may not even matter- we will have new identities, maybe be married or something , have a good career you know... it's just that we are young -i'm 23 so I know what it feels like being a young sufferer- our perspective is so limited to waht our friends are doing and it mostly revolves around looks (going to parties/clubs/dating and all that).

This line of tought is idiotic. If we follow it deeper then we should all just stop doing anything in life as the final result will always be the same and that is death. You may think that things like (your example) high school popularity do not matter. Our experiences from the past are the things that made as who we are now. A high school loser will most likely be a loser in adult life.

You can't just grow into adult life missing out all the fun. The pain of not living your youth to the fullest will always accompany you and most likely prevent you fom comfortable maturation and taking up new more responsible roles in life.

You can't just cheat nature and pretend that something doesn't matter when it does.

BTW Most 50 year olds are not bald. Balding yes, but mostly anywhere from NW2 to NW4.

 

[uncomfortable man]

OP is nw2. Rest assured if he went 5 then he would eat his own words. It's true that you don't know what you have (its true value) until it's gone and it's pretty obvious to me that Whyme takes his hair for granted to be so dismissive of the bald mans plight.

 

[Sparky4444]

Whenever I feel bad about being 43 and diffuse thinning through a NW3, all I have to do is read retard posts like this worrying about hairloss at 50 or 60?? Are you effin'g kidding me???

Here's a news flash for you -- If you get teased because you're in the bar and you're bald, then don't go to the E-F-F-I-N bar!!! That's where shallow people go!!!! Live life amongst the real and no one will ever notice your hairloss...

this world is E-F-F-I-N nuts!!

 

[uncomfortable man]

Whenever I feel bad about being 43 and diffuse thinning through a NW3, all I have to do is read retard posts like this worrying about hairloss at 50 or 60?? Are you effin'g kidding me???

Here's a news flash for you -- If you get teased because you're in the bar and you're bald, then don't go to the E-F-F-I-N bar!!! That's where shallow people go!!!! Live life amongst the real and no one will ever notice your hairloss...

this world is E-F-F-I-N nuts!!

Here's a news flash for you. Shallow people are not exclusive to bars, they walk amongst us mixed in with everybody else.

 

[Sparky4444]

This was directed at me? I'm NW55 and I'm 23, not 50 or 60. A bar is a social place, it was an Irish pub to be more accurate. It is a social place and it is not for shallow people only.

NW3 at 43 years old? I wonder how it must have felt to spend your entire youth with a full head of hair...

nope, not directed at you at all -- if you're 50 and worried about your hair than you're priorities are seriously eff'ed up...I've had some health issues since I was 40 and my focus is on being healthy first --

..but there's some good hope for you, of which I am confident that you'll be able to get your hair back enough to enjoy this part of your life...wait until the scarless FUE reveals itself before doing a standard FUE...you got time...

 

[Thom]

If you're 50 and worried about your hair you're not "effed" up, you're human. It ages you significantly so it shouldn't be any less problematic for a 50 year old than a 30 year old. Look, you're not slick yet, neither am I. Because we aren't slick bald we can't completely understand what its like. When that day comes will I endlessly complain about it? Probably not. Will I miss it? Every day. And if someone needs to vent that frustration online where they're safe in doing so I say let them.

 

[Sparky4444]

I'm 33 !! I start loosing my hair and my girlfriend told me that I would be awfull without hair :sobbing:I'm so scared :freaked:
I don't think it's question of age, more question of face ... :shock: :thumbsdown:

Yeah..you have a real winner there...I had one of the most beautiful girlfriends when I was in my 30's -- it ended for many reasons, not related to anything hairloss-wise...she wouldn't have cared one bit if i lost my hair...she ended marrying a guy who was balding and she now has 2 kids with him...

...wake the **** up people

 

[reckless]

The worst time being bald is 20s/30s. I'm 30 now and my hair is total crap.

This is a time where you have a career, so are finally able to support yourself and basically go out and live live to the fullest.

It's also the age when you go to bars and clubs (shallow environments where looks are pretty much everything).

Going bald at 40 probably would bother me a bit but not a huge amount. How many 40 year olds do you see hitting clubs and going crazy? Hardly any.

Balding young is a very humbling experience. My hairloss started around 21 and really accelerated in my mid 20s. I had a few years of living the good life but not long enough.
I had girls who were telling me that I was out of their league at 24, I doubt any girl would say that now.

I almost got married at 26 but unfortunately it never worked out. I wouldn't have obsessed about my hair loss if I had married her and had kids.

To make it worse my father's hair loss only got really bad in his mid 40s. He got through his 20s and 30s with an acceptable level of hair and was married at 24.

The worst thing about balding young is that aggressive hairloss is pretty damn rare in young people, maybe 1 in 40 people have it. As in maybe 1 in 40 people are slick bald by the time they are 30. So you will stick out like a sore thumb.

By 40 most men are married and even if they aren't, most 40 year old women don't care about hair loss.

 

[statistic]

to be bald or not that the question what would you accept for not loosing your hair ?

At the end, that's just a question of self image

OK OK ... I'm under finasteride for 2 years I have no lessons to give :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: