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19 and losing my hair.....

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi all, this is my first post here so if I'm posting in the wrong forum or something I apologise in advance.
The reason I'm posting here is because I'v been very depressed lately, I'm 19 and I'v been losing my hair slowly since I was 17 but recently it has become much more rapid and recently a friend pointed out to me that it has become quite obvious so I shaved my head to a grade 3 hoping that it would disguise it but it has only made it worse, I now have a huge gaping hole in my hair and I have no idea what to do about it, it has really began to eat into my self esteem, I don't enjoy going out anymore and when I do go out I wear a baseball cap and dare not take it off, if I am asked to go into a situation where I can't wear a baseball cap I make up an excuse to get out of it which can be very tricky at times.
I know that male pattern baldness is common but I feel that I shouldn't be dealing with this at such a young age and I feel like some kind of freak, whichever way I cut it it just isn't "normal" for a teenager to be balding, especially not at this rate.
I'v been researching hair loss "cures" on the internet and their all a bit crap, most are snake oils while others have insane side effects and still don't guarantee anything, I thaught about shaving my head slick bald since many guys actually look pretty cool with their head shaved but I have a huge scar on the side of my head and I'm pretty sure I couldn't pull it off anyway since I'm so scrawny and baby-faced.

enough voicing my self pitty, does anyone have any suggestions on how I can rescue my sanity and/or my hair?
also, is there something really badly wrong with me? I'v never heard of anyone losing their hair at this age.....

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One of the guys at my dive club has been loosing his hair since we were mid teens, so you're not the only one, and like you he has the rest really short, looks fine to me and he's probably what you'd call baby faced.

    Have you talked to a professional about it? As a first step I'd suggest making a rountine appointment with your GP, see if they have any ideas.

    My brother used to live in a baseball cap, and parents threatened him that it would stop his hair growing properly as it never saw any sunlight of fresh air, I suspect that was to try and get him to take it off rather than based on anything specific.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi mate thanks for the reply, I'v been to the doctors and he said he could prescribe me some propecia if I wanted but he said realisticly I could only hope to hold onto what I'v got rather than grow back the hair that I'v lost, also it is only effective on the scalp rather than the front which is where my hair loss is occuring, I'm out of ideas.
    Good to hear I'm not alone though :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My mate is losing his hair quiet rapidly and he is 22.

    With him its his mums side of the family that have the males balding.

    There is a drug that your Dr can give you called finasteride which prevents balding due to DHT on the scalp.

    Nizorol shampoo is also popular amongst people going bald.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry I can't be of any more help, but you're definitely not alone. I only really know about the guy from the dive club because in one of our long heart to heart type conversations he said something and now I know I've noticed over the years that he's got less than he used to. Otherwise I think most people just assume he has a short hair cut.

    Another one of my mates has total alopecia, he's 21, completely bald (in fact hairless all over) and people tend to assume it's deliberate until it hits them he has no eyelashes.

    Like a lot of appearance things, you notice it far far more than anyone else does. I have to say from my point of view, I'd suggest sticking with the short hair though, think guys look far hotter like that than they do with longer hair with thin patches.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tribal wrote:
    enough voicing my self pitty, does anyone have any suggestions on how I can rescue my sanity and/or my hair?
    also, is there something really badly wrong with me? I'v never heard of anyone losing their hair at this age.....

    There are some drugs out there that can help with hair loss but I understand that one of the side effects is erection problems.

    I would suggest that you embrace the idea of being bald before your time and learn to live with it happily because if you think about it, there are younger people out there that have far worse things happen to them. On a scale of awful things that can happen to someone before they are 20, yours is kinda insignificant. And bald can be very, very sexy ...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teagan wrote:
    There are some drugs out there that can help with hair loss but I understand that one of the side effects is erection problems.

    I would suggest that you embrace the idea of being bald before your time and learn to live with it happily because if you think about it, there are younger people out there that have far worse things happen to them. On a scale of awful things that can happen to someone before they are 20, yours is kinda insignificant. And bald can be very, very sexy ...
    I think actually finasteride can actually help with erection problems.

    If he is conscious about being bald, then I think him using his medication would help him alot.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for the suggestions all, I'm just going to buzz it down to a number 1 cut and be done with it, I'll be starting MMA training next week and theres no way I'll be able to get away with wearing a cap for that so I need a quick fix.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tribal wrote:
    Thanks for the suggestions all, I'm just going to buzz it down to a number 1 cut and be done with it, I'll be starting MMA training next week and theres no way I'll be able to get away with wearing a cap for that so I need a quick fix.
    shave it....bald men are seeeeexxxxy :yes: :heart:
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