Lolek's Story (22/pics)

[lolek]

hi, i'm 22 years old and i had NW3 now (in the beginning of treatment i had only NW2...), now i had shedding and i look like crap :sobbing:

My regimen is:
Finax 1mg since June 2009
Kirkland 5% March 2009 (March 2010 + flutamide), since May 2010 minoxidil 10% (i mixed 15% and 5% = 10%) + flutamide
ketoconazole 3 times in week since June 2009

I don't see even follicle... (had only on the beginning each treatmend 2-3 first days everytime - Kirkland 5%, Kirkland + flutamide, minoxidil 10% + flutamide)
So could i had any improvements without it (follicle)?

Can u give me some advice what i could do more? I'm really desperate now :shakehead: I had sometimes suicidal thoughts so it's really badly...

Thanks for answer, sorry for my English

 

[lolek]

Re: lolek's Story

Maybe now someone can help me

Now it is worse than on last photo
Sorry for quality, don't had better

 

[lolek]

so no any advice what i could do more?

 

[Maelstrom]

Hi Lolek,

Sorry to hear that hair loss is hitting you so hard. It sure is tough but you are definitely not on your own.

It's not possible to see clearly what is going on from the photo you posted. To me though, it doesn't look like things have got worse. What may make things seem worse is that you now have short hair. Perhaps you are maintaining and that is a success.

I think you are doing a great deal already. Perhaps someone else will be along with suggestions about what else you can use. I would suggest that you try and speak to someone about how badly you are feeling. Suicidal thoughts are not good my young friend.

 

[sadscalp]

First of all, you need to get rid of those suicide thoughts right NOW. Hair loss can be pretty f*cking harsh, but it's absolutely no reason to kill yourself. Coincidentally I just watched a documentary about the Hiroshima bomb and its effect, and testimonies from survivors (who look pretty messed up), and it really puts things in perspective. Yes, hair loss can be really hard to deal with, and most people's appearances do drop a few points if they don't improve in other aspects, but it's still pretty damn manageable compared to what other people have to deal with. Being bald (which you are still far from being), though it might not be considered desired, is still considered normal these days, and some even find it attractive.

Secondly, though those pics are pretty poor and hard to make out, you seem to have receded somewhat since baseline, but in all honesty it's not that bad. Still looks like a relatively normal hairline to me.

Thirdly, if the big 3 don't work for you, there's not a hell of a lot you can do. You can always try some experimental/alternative treatments like topical spironolactone and so forth, but I doubt they'd help you much. I say stick with the big 3 for at least a while longer.

And fourth, you've got a great head shape. Which means, that in the worst case scenario you have to buzz/shave your head, you'd be fine.

I'm not an expert though, my advices are given on the basis of what I've read on forums such as this over the last year.

 

[lolek]

thanks guys for a reply, i know i should quit my suicidal thoughts but i really sometimes can't. Sorry for quality of photos but can't do better, i had really receding hair and it's not good looking, i should shave my head right now but i'm not predisposed to be bald (i'm looking good only with my hair i think...) That's the whole problem...

 

[sadscalp]

thanks guys for a reply, i know i should quit my suicidal thoughts but i really sometimes can't. Sorry for quality of photos but can't do better, i had really receding hair and it's not good looking, i should shave my head right now but i'm not predisposed to be bald (i'm looking good only with my hair i think...) That's the whole problem...

It can be hard. Really hard. But you do have a really nice head shape, so I'd advise you to buzz your hair right now, and get used to it. And even though you might feel right now that you only look good with hair, that's only because you've probably had hair all your life, and you're not used to seeing yourself either without hair, or with short hair.

Seriously, our minds can be extremely powerful, and it seems that certain people on here (and that included me for a period) think that with hair they look like God's gift to women, and without it they look like some sort of an alien. But that's just not true. I've yet to see a case where someone looks extremely good with hair, and downright ugly without it. A lot of it is in our minds, and how we're used to seeing ourselves. Other people don't see us the same way.

Society these days is extremely focused on the importance of looks. But what has helped me, and is EXTREMELY important to remember, is that ALL, ABSOLUTELY ALL celebrities are dependent on MAKEUP to look as good as they do, and that is a FACT. Yes, DiCaprio, Pattinson, Efron, and all those guys look good, but they don't look as good as we think they do, and that's because we only see them when their faces are stuffed with makeup etc. Seriously, everyone has flaws, hell even Brad Pitt, who is considered to have "perfect" looks by many, both men and women, has bad skin and acne scars.
If you focus on flaws, you'll see that 100% of all men have some sort of flaw, even if it might not seem that way on first impression. And you know why it seems that way? Because you don't focus on it the way they themselves do.

We all need to remember that noone is perfect. NOONE. We'd all like to have full heads of hair, and absolutely no flaws in our appearances, and be famous and loaded with money, but if we had all that we'd still have something else to complain about. It's basic human psychology. Everyone in this world have things/features that they're not happy with. And if someone thinks they're perfect, they're just delusional.

Like Neill Strauss says, the author of The Game (a guide to how to pick up women (and he's completely bald and not even particularly good looking, check him out on YouTube)), we men are the lucky ones, because women don't really judge us by our appearances, which is true to some degree. As long as you take care of yourself, look healthy and confident, and know the right things to say, you can go a long way my friend. A very long way. Remember that.

 

[sadscalp]

Oh, and let me please add that the only time any stranger has ever commented on my hair loss (I'm an advanced NW3, diffuse thinner, much worse off than you are) was in the mens bathroom of a club. Some short, chubby guy mentioned it to me. This was in the beginning of my hair loss, just when it had started to become really noticeable, so I wasn't really prepared for it (and didn't have a good comeback to him), but if it had happened now I would've dissed him for his height and for being fat. Noone is perfect, remember that, NOONE. I've repeated it quite a few times now, but that's just because it's f*cking important to remember.

And let me also repeat the fact that your hair loss really isn't that bad, and certainly not as bad as you seem to think it is. Grow a pair and buzz it off, keep it that way for a few months, and get used to it. And improve in other aspects. Work out etc.
Hair loss, though it sucks, doesn't have to mean the end of the world, and for strong and brave individuals it won't. Don't become like some other users in this forum, who blame all their failures in life on baldness.

I worked with a girl a few years ago. She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I instantly fell in love with her. Not only was she absolutely gorgeous to look at, she was intelligent and nerdy in a cute way (she loved Harry Potter for example), and she was a really caring girl who didn't judge people by their appearances. Seriously, this girl was something else. Anyway, at a company party, she ended up going home with a NW4 guy, and when we were at work, she and a few other girls I worked with commented a few times when this guy walked by (who was a full NW5, shaved) that they thought he was very hot. I couldn't see it, I mean he was bald and in my opinion not really good looking, but the girls all thought he was hot. He wasn't rich or anything, and he was just decent looking in my opinion, but he was very confident and comfortable in his own skin. It means more than you think.

Confidence, taking care of yourself, and being healthy means a WHOLE lot, and I think that achieving these things should be the main goal for all of the users on this board. Because their/our problems are not rooted in hair loss. Even if we did get all our hair back we would still be complaining about something else.

 

[lolek]

Thanks sadscalp for that what you wrote, I know Neil Strauss (and had his book) anyway i'm really not prepared to shave my head right now (i had 22 years... bald 22 isn't good for me anyway...) so i must still fight. I know that when I shave my head now my confidence go down to 0 so can't do this like I said. I know anyone isn't perfect but with my bald head I think it will be disaster. So really thanks that you waste your valuable time for me, again thanks mate

P.S. I always write and talk little

 

[toocoolforhair]

With that hairline you probably wouldn't appear balding to the vast majority of people if you had a buzzcut. My advice is to clip your hair down to a grade 2 and see what life is like for you. If you do want a full head of hair again you should look into getting a hair piece.

 

[lolek]

With that hairline you probably wouldn't appear balding to the vast majority of people if you had a buzzcut. My advice is to clip your hair down to a grade 2 and see what life is like for you. If you do want a full head of hair again you should look into getting a hair piece.

I don't think so... like I said I had now worse hair then on last photo (few people said me I'm balding even before my treatment) I really can't be bald, this not my style..., yeah I don't want only feel like 50 year old man when I had 22 years. I'm not convinced to hair piece, what I could say to friends? That I'm wearing a wig... (that's not the same like your own hair). I know that when I'm wear that I'll be always afraid that someone see it, dump it or something else. So only chance is treatment I think...

 

[lolek]

Now is something like that

This is so fkn terribly... now I can't even style this, my depression increasing so rapidly.... I don't go outside home for few weeks, don't talk with friends, sleep 16-18 hours a day... the fight is over, i lost it.... life is crap

 

[Halp]

Get your *** outside and stop whining. Sitting inside will destroy you. Remember these people are your friends, they see through what you look like. They will just be glad to see you.

Get the f*** out of your house.

 

[lolek]

Ok, it's few months later and it's only worse and worse. Don't had depression like before but it's not so good. Now I don't had any alternative regime so maybe I should give up finally but really don't want it. Life is sometimes really unfair.

 

[Aedan]

Hey man i know it's difficult, but don't let hairloss beat you..

if u read my story you'l see im goin through a while pile of sh*t with my hairloss... it really is unfair.

The way i see it though, dont let the motherfucker beat you, and what i mean by this is not by just maintaining your hair, but even if u loose more, shave it to f*** and as everyone else says work hard with other aspects in life... when you find yourself thinking about hairloss. go do something constructive. There is a huge difference between a bald guy who is so insecure about his hairloss and one who doesnt give a sh*t, not that he doesnt give a sh*t about his appearance, he just knows hair isnt something he can control easy.

It's a bit like if you think about something negative over and over, you are actually attacking yourself. like if a friend did something to you, or someone annoyed you, by being annoyed by them you are lettin em live rent free in your head... so don't let baldness live rent free in your head, kick it out. I know its hard man i go through the same thing, I have a halloween party comin up with my girlfriend and i have to go, instinctively because of hairloss i dont want to go, but im forcing myself to go!

 

[Thickandthin]

I don't really see any hair loss. Not enough to be this upset over, at least.

 

[Cwells]

you hair doesn't look all that bad man and even though i cant really see the pics to well it doesn't seem like its gotten that much worse... I think its mostly in your head. Staying in your house will make it worse so GET OUT !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lolek]

Hey man i know it's difficult, but don't let hairloss beat you..

if u read my story you'l see im goin through a while pile of sh*t with my hairloss... it really is unfair.

The way i see it though, dont let the M*****F***** beat you, and what i mean by this is not by just maintaining your hair, but even if u loose more, shave it to f*ck and as everyone else says work hard with other aspects in life... when you find yourself thinking about hairloss. go do something constructive. There is a huge difference between a bald guy who is so insecure about his hairloss and one who doesnt give a sh*t, not that he doesnt give a sh*t about his appearance, he just knows hair isnt something he can control easy.

It's a bit like if you think about something negative over and over, you are actually attacking yourself. like if a friend did something to you, or someone annoyed you, by being annoyed by them you are lettin em live rent free in your head... so don't let baldness live rent free in your head, kick it out. I know its hard man i go through the same thing, I have a halloween party comin up with my girlfriend and i have to go, instinctively because of hairloss i dont want to go, but im forcing myself to go!

Hi, i read ur story, u at least had GF, i don't had because of my hair (don't had self-confidence while almost everyone had better hair...)
I know i shouldn't think about it but i can't if it destroying my life

I don't really see any hair loss. Not enough to be this upset over, at least.

you hair doesn't look all that bad man and even though i cant really see the pics to well it doesn't seem like its gotten that much worse... I think its mostly in your head. Staying in your house will make it worse so GET OUT !!!!!!!!!!!

because they are dry and weak photos, in real my hair looks worse...
i know, like i said now is better than earlier

thanks for replies guys

 

[lolek]

it's only worse all the time so i add retin-a 30 minutes before applying minoxidil 10% with azelaic acid and flutamide, if it doesn't work i change minoxidil to 15% for two months and without results in next 3 months (1 month retin-a with 10%, 2 months retin-a 15%) i'll give up and welcome baldness...

 

[lolek]

i add photos from 15 November (before change treatment)