Overseas Actor And Celebrity, Going Suicidal Due To Hairloss

[Santacools]

Hey guys, first i would like to thank everyone for contributing to these forums. Its hearing peoples feedbacks and having a shimmer of hope which is keeping me going at this point.


Basically the title says it all. I'm an overseas actor who is aggressively balding. It's happening over my entire scalp. The hair is so thin all over that when i shed hairs their white, vellus dead hairs. I'm only 25 and i've tried both minoxidil and finasteride. minoxidil ruined enough of my skin to make it noticable on camera and finasteride gave me gyno early on. It's been difficult to deal with. I mean, hell, my job relies on this.

It's come to the point where i think i'm going to have to get a hair piece and i would like an honest to god bit of input on the realities of wearing one. I live in a developing country and the only people in the local industry who have heard of hair pieces have been for set pieces and nothing like the ones on this forum.

Basically i'd like to know if can still keep the same look i used to have with a full cap hair piece. I've uploaded a sample photo of the haircut i was once able to sport. The hairline is exposed. I live in a tropical country and it's hot and humid, and i love to play sports. Can i use product on a hair system? Any advice is appreciated

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hey guys, first i would like to thank everyone for contributing to these forums. Its hearing peoples feedbacks and having a shimmer of hope which is keeping me going at this point.


Basically the title says it all. I'm an overseas actor who is aggressively balding. It's happening over my entire scalp. The hair is so thin all over that when i shed hairs their white, vellus dead hairs. I'm only 25 and i've tried both minoxidil and finasteride. minoxidil ruined enough of my skin to make it noticable on camera and finasteride gave me gyno early on. It's been difficult to deal with. I mean, hell, my job relies on this.

It's come to the point where i think i'm going to have to get a hair piece and i would like an honest to god bit of input on the realities of wearing one. I live in a developing country and the only people in the local industry who have heard of hair pieces have been for set pieces and nothing like the ones on this forum.

Basically i'd like to know if can still keep the same look i used to have with a full cap hair piece. I've uploaded a sample photo of the haircut i was once able to sport. The hairline is exposed. I live in a tropical country and it's hot and humid, and i love to play sports. Can i use product on a hair system? Any advice is appreciated

Hopefully @Noah will chime in. He is the best resource we have on this forum that I can recall. Hope you can help find the solution you are looking for. Can you explain what happened to your skin because some people don't believe minoxidil can affect the skin?

 

[Noah]

Hi Santacools, really sorry to hear about the problems you've experienced. It must be especially hard if your career depends on looking good. I guess that is why so many actors and performers opt for hair replacement.

The good news is that hair systems are a good solution cosmetically to hairloss. I say "cosmetically" because for many guys there is a psychological hurdle to wearing a prosthetic - feeling fake, fear of exposure etc. - which is the principal reason why they won't look at this solution. But in your profession a bit of fakery is part of the deal, so hopefully you won't be bothered by that so much. As I said, you certainly won't be alone in the entertainment industry in wearing a hairpiece.

If you are in a developing country then in order to get the most natural and undetectable look that modern technology offers you will have to order your hair on-line from Europe or the States and get educated enough to look after your system yourself. That may seem like a tall order, but it's really not too bad. There are a few techniques to be acquired, but I know a lot of guys who have done it and are getting great results. I will PM you with some suggestions for suppliers.

You can certainly recreate the look in your photo with a hairpiece. If you can do so, there are some advantages in using your natural hair for the back of your neck and your sideburns and temples, and covering the rest with a three-quarter-size hairpiece - these areas are more difficult to recreate with a prosthetic. Even if your hair in those areas is thin, there are haircuts you can choose which conceal that thinness and still allow you to still use what you have. But if your hair is totally gone, then of course a full cap piece is the fallback option.

A good modern hairsystem allows you to expose the hairline. If you want a slicked back hairline, that requires a bit more work and skill, and I wouldn't really recommend that for a complete beginner. But the hairline in your photo, where the hairline is partially exposed but in the shade, is doable even for a beginner.

If you live in the tropics I would strongly recommend you to chose a lace hair system. The base is a fine lightweight mesh, so the system is really no hotter than having a full head of natural hair, and it is breathable, so sweat just runs through the mesh and evaporates. The adhesives are good enough for even sweaty activities. The only caveat is that I wouldn't personally risk a sport where you get very sweaty and then there is actually head contact, like wrestling or some martial arts, or rugby. The system wouldn't come off, but you risk the hairline being ripped loose, which would obviously be embarrassing.

You can use any products on system hair that you can use on your natural hair, but you need to keep alcohol-based products off the adhesive.

In summary, this is a viable solution for you. Let's work together to get you started on the right track.

Noah

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi Santacools, really sorry to hear about the problems you've experienced. It must be especially hard if your career depends on looking good. I guess that is why so many actors and performers opt for hair replacement.

The good news is that hair systems are a good solution cosmetically to hairloss. I say "cosmetically" because for many guys there is a psychological hurdle to wearing a prosthetic - feeling fake, fear of exposure etc. - which is the principal reason why they won't look at this solution. But in your profession a bit of fakery is part of the deal, so hopefully you won't be bothered by that so much. As I said, you certainly won't be alone in the entertainment industry in wearing a hairpiece.

If you are in a developing country then in order to get the most natural and undetectable look that modern technology offers you will have to order your hair on-line from Europe or the States and get educated enough to look after your system yourself. That may seem like a tall order, but it's really not too bad. There are a few techniques to be acquired, but I know a lot of guys who have done it and are getting great results. I will PM you with some suggestions for suppliers.

You can certainly recreate the look in your photo with a hairpiece. If you can do so, there are some advantages in using your natural hair for the back of your neck and your sideburns and temples, and covering the rest with a three-quarter-size hairpiece - these areas are more difficult to recreate with a prosthetic. Even if your hair in those areas is thin, there are haircuts you can choose which conceal that thinness and still allow you to still use what you have. But if your hair is totally gone, then of course a full cap piece is the fallback option.

A good modern hairsystem allows you to expose the hairline. If you want a slicked back hairline, that requires a bit more work and skill, and I wouldn't really recommend that for a complete beginner. But the hairline in your photo, where the hairline is partially exposed but in the shade, is doable even for a beginner.

If you live in the tropics I would strongly recommend you to chose a lace hair system. The base is a fine lightweight mesh, so the system is really no hotter than having a full head of natural hair, and it is breathable, so sweat just runs through the mesh and evaporates. The adhesives are good enough for even sweaty activities. The only caveat is that I wouldn't personally risk a sport where you get very sweaty and then there is actually head contact, like wrestling or some martial arts, or rugby. The system wouldn't come off, but you risk the hairline being ripped loose, which would obviously be embarrassing.

You can use any products on system hair that you can use on your natural hair, but you need to keep alcohol-based products off the adhesive.

In summary, this is a viable solution for you. Let's work together to get you started on the right track.

Noah

@Noah, you have been a great source of information for hair systems. I have learned alot from you and because of you, I would definitely consider it as an option if I ever had to. Thanks for your great posts.

 

[Noah]

Ah thanks Doctor; really appreciate it.

 

[Santacools]

Hey guys and Noah, thnx so much for the words. Noah i will definitely pm you. If people could chime in about their own experiences wearing a piece then great- the more the better. I would love to hear about someone's routine for those of you who live in hot and humid climates (this is what im most worried about). Finally, yes, my hair is thinning fast everywhere (even the sideburns). It must be alopecia because docs think it'll all be gone so i think a full piece might be my only option

 

[Noah]

I have lived for a while in Singapore while wearing my system, and I travel for work to humid locations like Thailand and Southern China. I wouldn't say the routine is any different, except that you have to find a way of staying cool and dry when you are applying the system and for about 4 hours afterwards. Any heavy sweating during that time will affect the bond, and may make the adhesive turn white and visible. Ideally you want to be in aircon during that time. I'm usually staying in a hotel, so I apply the system in the evening and then just chill out for the rest of the evening in the room. By the next morning the adhesive is fully cured and sweating is not a problem.

In my experience the tapes and glues are comfortably able to cope with a sweaty climate, just as they can cope with working out at the gym.