thin hair since 12

[Wendy]

When I was a child, a boy wrote in my sixth grade yearbook, " Wendy, I hope you never go bald. " Very hurtful words to a young girl. :cry:
Of cource school was very difficult the following years. I wore my hair up in a clip my entire high school career. I always felt completely alone with this problem. No one knew because I would hide it, or maybe they did know. :wink: I can't even begin to describe what this has done to me or wonder how different I would feel if I had gorgeous hair. (A VERY BIG BUT DUMB DREAM OF MINE----but hey, I'm a girl, it's only natural) Actually I have curly hair, would be beautiful if I had much more of it. :lol: I am 26 and have three children (with gorgeous curly hair) now and my life really has changed as far as what I focus on. I really dont have time to be depressed about my hair. But the pain I think is always there when I have to get dressed and look in the mirror.
It is a bit of relief to learn now, that there are options and other ACTUAL WOMEN like me. It is a tough world to live in, even harder for a balding girl.

 

[ksejr1]

i've been noticing that i am losing my hair since i was 12yrs. as well and am 26yrs now. Though its more noticable now. I don't know how to deal with it. At least your busy and don't have time to be depressed, i cry sometimes. I finally found someone on here who started losing there hair at the same age as myself. Have you gone to the doctor or anything? take care
ksejr1

 

[Wendy]

Oh, I am sorry to hear. It is very depressing. I just recently took a picture of my own scalp to see what it would look like. OH MY!! I said to my husband "I couldn't believe what I was looking at!" And he said "What did you see?" He is a either a really good sport about it or he really doesn't notice or even care. I thought it looked worse than any other womans scalp I have ever saw posted. I dont cry specifically because of my hair but I think that when I do cry, when the pressure or stessors of life bulid up, sometimes it is one of the underlying or contributing factors (like when I dont want to meet one of my husbands friends because I dont feel like I look good enough and he tells me I do). I feel so sad inside when it inteferes or controls other situations.
I have been to the doctor. Male pattern baldness is what I was told. I am going to go to another doctor after I am done nursing my son ( I cant really try any topical treatments while I nurse).
I have been getting blonde highlights in my hair to help me feel better, it makes me feel like it hides it somewhat. Even if it doesn't, it still gives me that bit of confidence to walk out the door feeling OK.
I deal with it too by looking foward to trying to correct it.
The strange part about this problem is this...> Through the years I have been more out going. It began almost as a way to prove to the world that I am happy and normal and that it doesn't hold me down. Or maybe to try to make up for the fact that I felt not so pretty and had to make people notice me in another way, but inside I always am thinking about it. Healthy or not, I don't know. That is just who I always have been.

 

[diskobox]

Wendy, maybe you should think about starting up a regimen.

Revivogen seems like a good way to block DHT in women. Since you can't use Propecia for obvious reasons, it may be a good option. Also, Tricomin or Folligen might help grow some hair and generally make your scalp healthier. To top it off, something like T-gel or Nizoral should be used for optimum effects. None of these products have any side effects except for mild irritation, and it usually goes away after a few weeks.

If your hairs are just miniaturized/thin and not completely gone, this regimen might prove to be quite effective. It's much easier to thicken up existing hair than to regrow.

Women's minoxidil is also supposed to be good for regrowing, but there are potential side effects.

 

[Vee]

Hi Wendy. I just read your post and your husband seems like a really good guy. I don't remember how old I was when I started losing hair because my aunt wore a wig and I knew that I was going to be bald but I didn't want to believe it. People in school teased but they were mostly my friends that teased me and I guess that hurts the most. I've been dating this guy now for two years and I think he is noticing the thinning of my hair. I really want to talk to him about it, but I don't know how. Any advice?

 

[brunetteswirl]

Thin hair since childhood too

It's bittersweet to see these posts because they mirror my own experience. While I am happy to find that I am not the only woman who suffers from this problem, I am so sad because I know the pain firsthand.

 

[Wendy]

Actually, while I was still dating my now husband....I felt the same way you do. I used to wear my hair up and he had no clue. I got to the point where I felt like I was lying to him. So one day while eating out, he asked the famous question...."do you ever wear your hair down?" I told him that I didnt like to because my hair is very thin and I joked about going bald. He laughed and said that the last thing he needed was a bald girlfreind. He really had no idea...he didnt believe me. I nearly died! But I knew him and I knew that we loved each other. A few months later we moved in together and he saw my hair down then. I was so scared. He has never admitted to me that it looks bad. He swears im beautiful. In your case I would have to say that your boyfriend looks past or doesnt notice or care either. After two years! That is a long time together. He wouldnt be with you if he was that shallow, right? I would bring it up somehow to get it off my chest. One would think it doesn't matter. My husband is a good guy, thank you.
Just remember...You are probably your own worst critic.

 

[Vee]

I guess the hardest thing about discussing it with my boyfriend is how to bring it up and what to say. I can't just be like "Hi Hunnie, guess what?" That would be interesting though. I guess I don't want him to be embarrassed or say something that sounds silly. I've had a couple of boyfriends before that noticed but he hasn't really come out and said anything.
Anyways, it is so nice to finally find some people that understand and have been through what I am going through. Sometimes I think hair loss is no big deal since other people in other places are going through my tough times than this. But then I wonder out of all the people, why does it have to be me? By the way, I'm 22 years old this year.

 

[Mr.Humble]

Hey girls...i just wanna say how amazed I am, of how strong you girls all are. Stay positive and keep happy.

Vee, dun worry I"m sure he'll be supportive and loving still.

Love is seeing past our small flaws.

 

[Troymaclure]

i agree...we chaps feel down about it sometimes but it must be so much harder for women, and i have nothing but admiration for women who can be strong and get through it...my sister's best friend has AA, and until the age of 23 or 24 she would not go out socially and never met men...then she decided to take her life back and to hell with what other people thought...she is now 28 and married with a baby boy, if she'd have stayed a prisoner she would still be lonely and scared - her hairloss is very very severe but she is now happier than most people i know...she's also now a trained midwife, and delivered my sister's baby!

And the important most part is that everybody she knows and loves doesn't even care about her hairloss...when i see her i see here as Pippa, my sister's best friend...not as Pippa with the 3/4 bald head....why should it matter what strangers think?

anyway, i hope this post doesn't come across as patronising (i am, after all, not a woman ), just try and deal with things knowing that the most important people in life don't really care how you appear to them...

 

[MrTelogen]

Ya know, if more guys would get into the women's section here and try to help them out perhaps they would not have to rely only on that "other" site. They won't bite.Well they might, but that's okay.hehe I get emails from them thanking me.It's cool.

 

[Vee]

Oh oh! So much encouragement from y'all. I do plan on talking to my boyfriend about it before this year ends...which gives me like 20 or so days. And I also got a perm last week to make my head more poofy, so far so good. Well anyways, I will keep yall updated about what happens and it is so great to hear a guy's response on this forum. :lol:

 

[poet]

Any ladies have a hair transplant?

Hi,

I realize it must be very difficult for women to have hair loss. I do empathize with this being a man who has suffered from it and having some scarring as well that I use to conceal with my hair. Well this summer I had some transplantation work done with Dr.Woods in Australia and it is growing in great. I imagine a hair transplant may work even better with women since they usually still have some hair when they have hair loss, it's just very diffuse. There are many other doctors starting to perform FUE but I would wait a little on them while they refine their techniques. I would never recommend strip excision to anyone. But I think if you ladies can afford it, to research FUE transplants, Follicular unit extraction.

 

[diskobox]

I'm curious Wendy, is your loss diffuse or in a pattern?

 

[Wendy]

I think it is diffuse. A doctor told me it was male pattern baldness. My husband caught up with me. LOL. But sorry for him, he is ahead of me now. :wink:

 

[diskobox]

I think it is diffuse. A doctor told me it was male pattern baldness. My husband caught up with me. LOL. But sorry for him, he is ahead of me now. :wink:

Have you ever thought about seeing an endo about a possible thyroid problem?

I don't think it would be normal for you to start androgenic thinning at 12, but certainly your thyroid could start acting up that young.

Here's a good list of doctors: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdocs.htm

Go to one that will perscribe you natural thyroid and look at more than numbers. Many people with a 'normal' TSH have thyroid-related problems and hair loss.

Stay away from $ynthroid, as many people complain of hair loss as a side effect and it is even listed by the manufacturer. Natural thyroid is more effective anyway since it includes all the thyroid hormones, not just T4.

Time-release T3 therapy can also be helpful, as it attempts to reset the normal function of the thyroid.

It's worth the shot, especially if you have any family history of thyroid disease. Hair loss is the first sign of a thyroid problem for many people.

 

[Wendy]

Thank you for all of the information...I really am clueless to it all since I have never done much to correct the problem. I did have a thyroid test done by a medical clinic when I was 17. Supposedly it was normal. Havent bothered to do any research either. I guess I feel tied down by LIFE. Maybe after the holidays I will start looking into it again. The more I come back to this site the more I start to remember how much I want that piece of my life back.

 

[diskobox]

Thank you for all of the information...I really am clueless to it all since I have never done much to correct the problem. I did have a thyroid test done by a medical clinic when I was 17. Supposedly it was normal. Havent bothered to do any research either. I guess I feel tied down by LIFE. Maybe after the holidays I will start looking into it again. The more I come back to this site the more I start to remember how much I want that piece of my life back.

Many, many, many times they will just test TSH and nothing else. Many times what's 'normal' for everyone else might not be normal for you. Many times your TSH doesn't change until way down the road, yet your symptoms may have developed early.

If you ever get the time, I suggest reading through the thyroid.about.com forums... or even posting there with your situation. You'll find a lot of info, not just on thyroid problems, but on whatever else might be causing your loss. The people there are very helpful.

 

[maple]

Hello

Hi,
I was reading your posts and I wanted to tell you that I can relate to what you are going through. My hair started falling out when I was about 13, it became more noticable when I was in highschool and college. I am now 26 and find myself at times overwelmed and depressed. I have been using covere for about 2 years. It is such a frustrating process to basically paint your scalp everytime you take a shower. I always wear my hair up and I always get the questions "How long is your hair?" or "Gosh I have never seen you with your hair down!" Recently I went to a hypnotist show with co-workers and they said jokingly that if I get put under they are going to have me take my hair down...now they don't know and really have no reason to know I hide it well, but I was so nervous and embarassed the rest of the night. I thought of shaving my head....but I don't know.
I also have a boyfriend who I have been with for 5 years. He knows...it was extreamly hard to tell him. But he doesn't care....which I can't understand why when I care so much. I have gone to doctors had tests, and everyone tells me it hereditary. Figures. I have recently just adopted the fact that this in fact makes me a stronger person. It is hard to believe all the time. I live for those moments when I forget about it. Cause realistically I think about it everyday.
I just wanted to say that it is nice to chat with other people who understand. THanks for letting me spill

 

[Wendy]

It is funny that I just thought of this message board yesterday. I wondered what ever happened to it. I havent been here in months. It hasnt been active at all. :roll:

Anyway, I know how you feel. I still struggle sometimes. I do think of it every time I pass a mirror or have to go out, or have to see a friend I havent seen in ages. I wear my hair down now because I dont have enough to pull back anymore. I always cut it shoulder length now that I have kids. I go through phases where I think Im gonna do something about it and I never do.

Spill your gutts all you want. I understand you. :wink: