Nw3.5 At 21, I'm Nervous To Shave My Head For My First Hair System. Any Tips?

[Stubble]

Hi guys, I'm a 21 year old who's been at university this past year and my hair loss has advanced way quicker than I thought it would. I always thought there were no fully-bald men in my family so I was relatively hopeful that my situation would slow down, but I recently found out that there was someone in my mother's mother's side who was completely bald very young, so I guess I've got his genes. Anyway, here are 2 pictures of my hair:

So with my hair loss being so aggressive, it's been a real shock to my system, to see my looks dramatically change for the worse so quickly. With that being said, I also understand that since my situation is so bad at such a young age, I'm very likely to go fully-bald with another year or two without hopping on the big 3. I've researched all hair loss treatments extensively over the course of the last 2 or 3 years and I just feel that I'll be going through a massive up-hill struggle just to have sub-standard hair anyway, even if I end up getting a hair transplant to cover for lost tracks as well as hopping on the big 3 straight away. I also feel that I'll be having to get on Dutasteride in no time as well because with someone like me, Finasteride isn't likely to work effectively for more than a few years.

With all this said, I've decided to start wearing a hair system. I'm currently working on growing my hair out so I can send out samples to get the right colour. I'll be doing all of the maintenance entirely myself from the very start. I know it's a steep learning curve, but honestly, I spend probably 10 to 15 hours per week thinking about how sh*t my hair is, so if I spend my time maintaining a hair system instead of doing that, it'll be a very worthwhile trade.

Anyway, my main worry is deciding how much hair to shave off the top of my head to prepare for the system. I'm going to order a system from LordHair.com. They come in an 8x10 inch size, but they offer to cut the system down to size for you. I'm steering towards measuring out an area on the top of my head and asking them to cut it exactly to that size. Then I'll get my mother to shave the top of my head to those dimensions once I have the system in my hand. Do you guys think this is the right move to make? Only issue is that I'm not sure how far to measure down back of my skull and how wide to measure on each side of my head. I'm very nervous about too much hair getting shaved off the top of my head, placing the hair system on and then having a bald spot somewhere round the side of my head since it's been shaved too low. Has this ever happened to any of you? Any advice to avoid this?

As for getting someone to do it for me, it's not really an option. My country's a small country and there aren't any salons that distinctly offer this service.

Thanks, guys.

 

[BaldBearded]

I will answer the issue about size. In this situation, since you have your mom to help you, I would have her create a template of the thinning area, and use that as a guide. You can either send them your template, and have them cut to size, and then send you the unit with the template. If that's not possible, you can still use it when the unit comes.

Your mom then places the template carefully, using a clipper, marks the surrounding edges, and then uses those as a guide to shave your head. Once that is done, the system is attached (front to back) and then the u-shaped excess is trimmed down to the edge with a nail scissors or a razor-knife then you have a system that perfectly matches.

There are quite a number of vids on YouTube that can guide you to create a template, it's really useful to have one, even if you only have a stock unit.

I DO NOT recommend cutting a system to fit "free-hand", you could wind up with a disaster.

Best of luck,

Steve

 

[Stubble]

I will answer the issue about size. In this situation, since you have your mom to help you, I would have her create a template of the thinning area, and use that as a guide. You can either send them your template, and have them cut to size, and then send you the unit with the template. If that's not possible, you can still use it when the unit comes.

Your mom then places the template carefully, using a clipper, marks the surrounding edges, and then uses those as a guide to shave your head. Once that is done, the system is attached (front to back) and then the u-shaped excess is trimmed down to the edge with a nail scissors or a razor-knife then you have a system that perfectly matches.

There are quite a number of vids on YouTube that can guide you to create a template, it's really useful to have one, even if you only have a stock unit.

I DO NOT recommend cutting a system to fit "free-hand", you could wind up with a disaster.

Best of luck,

Steve

I haven't seen any of these template videos on YouTube but I will definitely take a look. Hopefully LordHair will be able to work with me if I do manage to create one, but honestly, I messaged them a few days ago with such a basic question about hair samples and they still haven't even replied to me, so I don't have a lot of faith in them sadly.

Yeah, I'm very against the idea of cutting a system free hand. I can imagine how the slightest mistake with the scissors would render the whole system useless.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge though and I hope to message you again with some questions once I've made a template. Thanks!

EDIT: I've now looked at making templates and I think I will just make a template, order the stock system in 8x10 inch size and carefully cut around it myself using nail scissors.

 

[Derelict]

You could still recover fairly well from that with aggressive treatments before going the hair system route, im not knocking hair system, if they help give confidence back to people more power to them, i just think they should only be used after trying everything else

 

[Stubble]

You could still recover fairly well from that with aggressive treatments before going the hair system route, im not knocking hair system, if they help give confidence back to people more power to them, i just think they should only be used after trying everything else

You're probably right, I could definitely get back some of my lost hair, but with the intense depression that this hair loss has put me through over the course of 2 or 3 years, I'm just ready for a dramatic change. I'm basically just at my wit's end with hair loss and don't want to have to go through the stress of having to find out whether I'll respond well to aggressive treatment or not over the course of a few months. I do appreciate the reply though, thanks man.

 

[Noah]

Hi Stubble

I agree with BaldBearded - it's worth creating a template, whether you are going for a stock piece or a custom piece. In the case of a custom piece you will send the template as part of your order, and in the case of a stock piece you will keep it as a pattern to which you will trim down your system.

One tip I have found is that if you have weak thin hair alongside your bald area, it's better to count on buzzing it off and making the system slightly bigger to cover it, because it is easier to get a good invisible blend if the system hair is abutting good strong healthy hair than if it is alongside weak thin hair. On that basis, I think your template should be something like this:



The contour of the front hairline is just a guess.

Hopefully you will have found some videos on template-making. If not, here a couple of good ones:

Once you have your system, and you're ready to attach it, a good tip is to put your template on your head and position it in the right location, then shake talcum powder down on your head (with the template still on). Then carefully remove the template. The hair that doesn't have talcum powder on it is the hair you have to buzz.

Best of luck

Noah

 

[Derelict]

You're probably right, I could definitely get back some of my lost hair, but with the intense depression that this hair loss has put me through over the course of 2 or 3 years, I'm just ready for a dramatic change. I'm basically just at my wit's end with hair loss and don't want to have to go through the stress of having to find out whether I'll respond well to aggressive treatment or not over the course of a few months. I do appreciate the reply though, thanks man.

No problem, it's just that for me personally hair system is the last on my list of things to do to deal with hair loss, but do whatever makes you comfortable and good luck.

 

[Noah]

Everyone has to find their own path, but I can't see why a prosthetic solution should be a last resort. It is a far less invasive, far less expensive, far more predictable and controllable solution, and ultimately more like a nice normal head of hair. Surely you would try that first to see if it can make you happy, before launching into the hit-and-miss world of transplants and endocrine-disrupting drugs.

 

[Fanjeera]

No problem, it's just that for me personally hair system is the last on my list of things to do to deal with hair loss, but do whatever makes you comfortable and good luck.

It's a side-effect free solution. Exactly like Noah said.

Once you have your system, and you're ready to attach it, a good tip is to put your template on your head and position it in the right location, then shake talcum powder down on your head (with the template still on). Then carefully remove the template. The hair that doesn't have talcum powder on it is the hair you have to buzz.

Best of luck

Noah

Tried this talcum powder trick. Quite horrible. Didn't work for me for some reason. I think it just came off. Didn't create a very distinct line. Had to spend so much time cleaning the bathroom afterwards. Why not use a crayon or marker? I don't know how to do this.

 

[Fanjeera]

You are young which means you have a good chance of filling in your crown completely just with dutasteride and minoxidil. It seems a lot easier than messing with a hair system for the rest of your life. Hair systems are generally for older men with more advanced hair loss than you. Diffuse thinners of your age respond very well to treatment.

If you're an anxious person none of the options is good for you. You will be paranoid about the theoretical side-effects and also with getting caught with a system.

 

[BaldBearded]

You are young which means you have a good chance of filling in your crown completely just with dutasteride and minoxidil. It seems a lot easier than messing with a hair system for the rest of your life. Hair systems are generally for older men with more advanced hair loss than you. Diffuse thinners of your age respond very well to treatment.

Spare us...

 

[Stubble]

Hi Stubble

I agree with BaldBearded - it's worth creating a template, whether you are going for a stock piece or a custom piece. In the case of a custom piece you will send the template as part of your order, and in the case of a stock piece you will keep it as a pattern to which you will trim down your system.

One tip I have found is that if you have weak thin hair alongside your bald area, it's better to count on buzzing it off and making the system slightly bigger to cover it, because it is easier to get a good invisible blend if the system hair is abutting good strong healthy hair than if it is alongside weak thin hair. On that basis, I think your template should be something like this:

View attachment 141781

The contour of the front hairline is just a guess.

Hopefully you will have found some videos on template-making. If not, here a couple of good ones:

Once you have your system, and you're ready to attach it, a good tip is to put your template on your head and position it in the right location, then shake talcum powder down on your head (with the template still on). Then carefully remove the template. The hair that doesn't have talcum powder on it is the hair you have to buzz.

Best of luck

Noah

Hi Noah,

Yeah I found some videos and I've got a bit of knowledge on how to make a template now. Really appreciate the informative reply along with that template sketch. I'm giving it a try today, so hope all goes well. Don't see any reason for it going badly.

If you're an anxious person none of the options is good for you. You will be paranoid about the theoretical side-effects and also with getting caught with a system.

I definitely would be the type to be paranoid about the effects of Finasteride. As for getting caught with a hair system, I've openly admitted to friends that I'd sooner wear a hair system than shave my head bald. Obviously I'd rather keep it a secret, but if I get caught with it, I'd admit it and 100% stand by my choice unashamedly. I'd always been known for my hairstyles before this terrible disease took hold of my life and I'm hoping to get that back before I lose any more of my sense of self-worth.

 

[Noah]

You have a good attitude, Stubble. I hope it all goes well for you.

Noah

 

[Mystery411]

I tried propecia, back in 2008, and had side effects. So, after 10 years of using toppik (which was a godsend), i finally got a system. I use a salon because I’m lazy lol, however, I can rebond/clean/dye/etc on my own (which I’ve been doing with covid-19). As for you, I would say grow your hair out a bit and maybe consider using toppik. A little goes a long way. You can comb the hair forward to hide the temple recession (the bed head look is quite forgiving). When you get to the point toppik is barely cutting it, then maybe switch to a unit. I’d say go to a well reviewed salon first. Mine has reasonable prices and they’re family owned. Steer clear from hair club for men. Good luck! I was once in your shoes, so I feel your pain. Oh, this is how my system looks on my own Install

 

[Hair-pun]

Hey Stubble, I totally get both sides of this discussion- I think systems are brilliant and could definitely be a great option for you. I am looking in to them myself as my run on the drugs is over. You already have some sound advice here so I'm just giving another side so that you have the benefit of a few different people's experiences. I just feel that in a few years you may regret not trying out finasteride/ dutasteride and minoxidil (foam) first, just to see what happens. I agree that the drugs are sometimes not amazing but there are also cases of full recoveries from where you are now (Nickypoo's dutasteride log might be worth a look- he was in a similar position to you and I think he is still maintaining the amazing regrowth many years down the line). Additionally, from looking at your photos if you could thicken up your crown i think you'd have a great head of hair. Fortunately both dutasteride and finasteride are very effective there- dutasteride's crown regrowth particularly can be dramatic. Also I had amazing regrowth at the front with regaine foam, though I never expected it to work at all there. Both are very well tolerated drugs and side effects are rare- in the uk you can get finasteride without a prescription from pharmacies. I know that you feel that because your loss is aggressive that the drugs won't help/ or will fail in a few years but honestly the correlation is not that clear cut- you won't know until you try. All it will cost you is six months to try it out and then if you are not happy then definitely get a system secure in the knowledge that you tried the drugs route. If you need more density right now you i have found Supermillions gives great results as a hair building fibre- much better than toppik. Systems will always be on the table if anti-androgens don't give you the results you want but you will only get one shot at keeping your own hair. There will be an option that will suit you so don't worry- I have just found it best to try them all and see what sticks. Whatever you decide- good luck!

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi guys, I'm a 21 year old who's been at university this past year and my hair loss has advanced way quicker than I thought it would. I always thought there were no fully-bald men in my family so I was relatively hopeful that my situation would slow down, but I recently found out that there was someone in my mother's mother's side who was completely bald very young, so I guess I've got his genes. Anyway, here are 2 pictures of my hair:

View attachment 141585
View attachment 141586

So with my hair loss being so aggressive, it's been a real shock to my system, to see my looks dramatically change for the worse so quickly. With that being said, I also understand that since my situation is so bad at such a young age, I'm very likely to go fully-bald with another year or two without hopping on the big 3. I've researched all hair loss treatments extensively over the course of the last 2 or 3 years and I just feel that I'll be going through a massive up-hill struggle just to have sub-standard hair anyway, even if I end up getting a hair transplant to cover for lost tracks as well as hopping on the big 3 straight away. I also feel that I'll be having to get on Dutasteride in no time as well because with someone like me, Finasteride isn't likely to work effectively for more than a few years.

With all this said, I've decided to start wearing a hair system. I'm currently working on growing my hair out so I can send out samples to get the right colour. I'll be doing all of the maintenance entirely myself from the very start. I know it's a steep learning curve, but honestly, I spend probably 10 to 15 hours per week thinking about how sh*t my hair is, so if I spend my time maintaining a hair system instead of doing that, it'll be a very worthwhile trade.

Anyway, my main worry is deciding how much hair to shave off the top of my head to prepare for the system. I'm going to order a system from LordHair.com. They come in an 8x10 inch size, but they offer to cut the system down to size for you. I'm steering towards measuring out an area on the top of my head and asking them to cut it exactly to that size. Then I'll get my mother to shave the top of my head to those dimensions once I have the system in my hand. Do you guys think this is the right move to make? Only issue is that I'm not sure how far to measure down back of my skull and how wide to measure on each side of my head. I'm very nervous about too much hair getting shaved off the top of my head, placing the hair system on and then having a bald spot somewhere round the side of my head since it's been shaved too low. Has this ever happened to any of you? Any advice to avoid this?

As for getting someone to do it for me, it's not really an option. My country's a small country and there aren't any salons that distinctly offer this service.

Thanks, guys.

Just like any advice you get on this forum or in real life, you have to make your final decision based on what is right for you and what you are willing to sacrifice to do it. Whatever avenue you decide is going to always be trial and error along with some type of fear factor. Shaving your head whether for a hair transplant or a hair system is probably a huge fear every person faces. For some, it might even be a deal breaker. The good news is that if does not work out, you can grow it back out and live with what you have now. Or if you don't mind shaving or a buzz cut at least you will be familiar with how you will look once you do it. If I were in your shoes, I would PM either Noah or Baldbearded and arrange to skype or zoom with them when you are ready to actually do it and let them guide you live. I am sure they would be willing to do that as they seem very helpful.

And if this option does not work out, if you curiosity creeps back, you can always try a topical finasteride minoxidil combo and see how you do and feel. I personally, would be doing that as my first option because it does not require too much effort other than applying a topical at night. And honestly, if you grew your hair out some more, I think you could still get away with a decent hair style for now. Do you have any photos of your hair longer than in that photo that are the most recent?

 

[BaldBearded]

I tried propecia, back in 2008, and had side effects. So, after 10 years of using toppik (which was a godsend), i finally got a system. I use a salon because I’m lazy lol, however, I can rebond/clean/dye/etc on my own (which I’ve been doing with covid-19). As for you, I would say grow your hair out a bit and maybe consider using toppik. A little goes a long way. You can comb the hair forward to hide the temple recession (the bed head look is quite forgiving). When you get to the point toppik is barely cutting it, then maybe switch to a unit. I’d say go to a well reviewed salon first. Mine has reasonable prices and they’re family owned. Steer clear from hair club for men. Good luck! I was once in your shoes, so I feel your pain. Oh, this is how my system looks on my own Install

That looks great.

 

[Mystery411]

Thanks man!!!

 

[Oscar66]

finasteride will help. Doesn't look horrible to me.