What I Wish I Knew About Hair Loss When It First Started

[Guest HLBD]

I'm one of the unlucky ones; one of the poor S.O.B.'s that started loosing my hair noticeably in my teens ??“ seventeen to be exact. Actually, strike the ??unlucky' part; I'm not totally unlucky. I have an excellent quality of donor and lots of it to go around and still, after twelve years of balding, I would require no crown work. So, there's some optimism for you. A little optimism never hurt any situation.

 

I know what it's like to start loosing your hair at an early age, believe me. It feels as if you are loosing your manhood, skipping your young adult life and fast-forwarding into a bleak midlife crisis. What's worse, lots of people who were not so unlucky have no pity for you. No, they just think your suffering is somehow amusing. No one would be laughing if male pattern baldness were as common in women as it is in men, I'm sure. I know that women do loose their hair, and for some women, they may actually inherit the male version of this condition, but by-in-large it doesn't happen as often to women as men. Because of that, there are no bald pride parades, no bald-only dating sites, no "race for the cure" fundraisers, no "locks of hope" for those of us who are just unfortunate and not also dying. Loosing your hair won't kill you, but it may feel like you're dying ??“ especially when it happens so young.

 

I know the pain. I used to have gorgeous hair ??“ actually, strike that again, I still have gorgeous hair, just less of it. Girls at school used to run their fingers through it and say how soft it was, what a pretty color it was, etc. Then, that stopped happening one day after the summer and my return for my senior year. Now people were laughing and pointing. Let me tell you, it was hard to make it through the day when I heard someone giggling about my "horns": the odd pattern at which my hairline was receding.

 

The point of this is not, however, to tell a sob story. I still have hope to one day love my hair and steal back some of my youth. It is possible, with the help of a wonderful surgeon and some of the great drugs already on the market and those wonderful new ones in the pipeline. Also, I still have a great head of hair, now twelve years later, and with a little help, I can make it even better. That being said, the point of this post is to shed a little light on some hair loss subjects I wish I had researched more when I first started loosing my hair.

 

I see so many young men like I was: scarred, confused, under educated about hair loss and (what's worse) fed misinformation about their condition. So, without further ado, here we go:

 

You inherit male pattern baldness from your maternal grandfather.

 

While this is not completely untrue, it is only a half-truth. Half-truths are, after all, the building blocks of myths and urban legends. The truth is that you can inherit hair loss from anyone in your family; mother, father, either set of grandparents and so on and so forth. You can even inherit the genes from incompletely, that is part of the genes from one ancestor and part from another.

 

There is one hair loss gene.

 

Recent findings and completion of the human genome project have led geneticists to believe that there are actually combinations of genes that cause male pattern baldness. That being said, there is one gene for alopecia totalis ??“a form of hair loss that causes hair to be lost all over the body, not just in patterns on the scalp as in MPB. This gene and the genes for MPB appear to be related, but not as closely as some scientists had believed (and hoped, as a genetic treatment might have been easier to concoct).

 

Men only inherit male pattern baldness and women inherit female pattern baldness.

 

This too is only half true. Men and women can inherit either form of baldness or, in some rare cases, both forms. That being said, women tend to have less pronounced hair loss with either form than men. Men with FPB tend to have more aggressive loss than a woman with the same condition. This was thought, until recently, to be conclusively a sign that women (having much less systemic androgen levels than men) are less susceptible to balding than men due to less androgens and therefore, less hair loss. Now, some researchers believe that it may actually be due to the helpful effects of estrogens. Ironically, some research has led scientists to believe that too much estrogen systemically can cause hair loss.

 

Shedding is the cause of hair loss.

 

Shedding is actually a natural process and is more indicative of hair growth than loss, which is why increased shedding may occur when beginning an effective treatment such as Rogaine. Shedding occurs when one hair is shed from the follicle so that another, healthier and newer hair might take its place.

 

More hair is shed in balding areas for those with MPB. The hair growth phases are out-of-wack in these parts of the scalp and, as such, the growth periods become shorter, the resting phases longer and the hair grows shorter and finer until the follicle is unable to support a full, healthy follicle.

 

Please guys, whatever you do, don't start counting hairs in the tub or the sink. It'll drive you mad. Besides it's near impossible to determine what hairs were shed for what reason. That being said, you can go (loosely) by these guidelines: hairs shed naturally will tend to be quite long (long as the rest of the hair around them), dark and as thick (or nearly so) as the thickest hairs on your scalp. If you loose a hair as the natural part of the growth process, you can be pretty darn sure that they will simply grow back strong and dark as ever, especially if you are currently on an effective treatment. Those hairs that are short, fine and (for some) come to a fine, colorless point; those hairs are most likely undergoing miniaturization and, without and effective treatment, will one day stop growing at all.

 

If however, any of this shedding is painful, there is a good chance it is not normal. You should see a dermatologist. Go to a good dermatologist that will take this problem seriously and not simply write it off as MPB. Shedding with MPB is the same sensation as in someone not experiencing MPB; it should not be routinely painful. A good dermatologist will be able to tell you whether or not this shedding is a part of the balding process or something entirely different. He or she may suggest a different way of washing, styling, or normal hair care to avoid this hair loss.

 

Hair follicles which have endured the end stages of MPB are dead.

 

Many recent studies have been able to determine what some of us have suspected for a long time: hair follicles do not actually "die", not in the literal sense anyway. Truly, a follicle that has stopped producing a hair due to miniaturization has simply reverted back to the same inactive state it was at during infancy.

 

The human male is, in fact, covered from head to toe in hair follicles. Most of this hair, 60% to 85% (depending upon the sample), is in the same inactive state as during infancy or the end stage of MPB. I have used this example for a while and it seems to get the point across: google "dog boys of Mexico". These men and women have not inherited the same genes as the rest of the population and so, most of their hair follicles are active and produce thick viable hairs. They have no hair loss in any family member ??“ although, I'm betting that, for them, some hair loss would be a welcome occurrence. Biologist, geneticists and anthropologists believe that at some point in (relatively) recent human history, all humans looked this way. It could have been during an ice age that this state would have been beneficial enough to keep the genes active. It could also be, due to hair's virtual redundancy in terms of human health, that baldness and hair loss affects such a wide section of the population. This theory, however, doesn't account for hair's role in sexual attraction and, before we balk at this idea, there are many examples of unnecessary and flamboyant sexual affectations and genetic accoutrements within the entire animal kingdom which serve only to attract mates.

 

All hair transplantation surgeons are the same. They used the same tool and techniques, so you might as well go with someone close and cheap.

 

WRONG! I can't begin to tell you how wrong this assumption is. Not all docs, not even coalition surgeons use the same tools or techniques. I won't go over the myriad of difference between them all, but here are a few: some use smaller blades, some use many different sizes of blades, some do FUE and some do not, some prefer a more conservative approach and some are willing to be a little more moderate with donor placement and density and the list goes on and on, ad infinitum.

 

You should choose the surgeon that is right for you. Period.

 

How can you tell if a surgeon is right for you? Well, you are doing a good thing by reading this forum. Find out what other patients say about the doc, compare their results to each other and to you pattern and extent of loss, talk to these folks, meet the doctor and their staff, get the doc's honest opinion of your situation, ask if the office can supply you with some patients so that you can see the results first hand, etc.

 

Remember that hair transplantation is a procedure with results that should last a lifetime. There is the good possibility that, if you do not choose carefully and wisely, that you may end up looking very bad for a very long time. Ethical and skilled surgeons spend a lot of time fixing the bad, irresponsible work of their "peers" (I use that term loosely as not to insult the stellar coalition docs.

 

A doctor is really good whenever he give me my old hairline back or just transplants the grafts alongside miniaturized hairs.

 

WRONG again! This is a very bad, amateur and lazy move on the surgeon's part. A good surgeon will design a whole new hairline and hair pattern for you, not just follow the old pattern. Put simply, you probably just don't have enough donor hair to have that hairline anymore. Even if you do have that much donor now, what are the chances that you will still have that much hair ten, twenty, or thirty years from now? Somewhere between slim and (closer to) none.

 

Hair transplantation, if performed properly and artistically, grants the illusion of density. In layman's terms, it will look like you have more hair there than is actually present. The illusion of density is at play even in men with hair not currently ravaged by MPB. For instance, if you have seen a picture with a camera flash from close up, you've probably noticed that even a man with a full head of hair can look as if they are thinning. This is due to the illusion of density created by the natural, native hair; this man, most likely, although not suffering from MPB has a lower or average density level in this area. Some men, even those with MPB have high density levels and so they can seem to have a hair helmet that always looks thick and full ??“ these men, by the way, make some of the best HT candidates as they will have lots of donor hair to transplant.

 

Beyond all the technical skills and techniques, there is also an artistry level. Hair transplantation is about improving aesthetics, after all, and you're bond to want a doc with an eye for detail and the kind of artistry that suits both your needs and tastes. Take a look at the doc's work and decide if YOU like it or not. Just because it may be technically good doesn't mean that it will suit you aesthetically. YOU are the patient and YOU are paying a great deal of money for this procedure. YOU should be happy with your decision and assured you've made the right choice with a doc that is ethical, honest, skill and artistic enough to give you a result with which you will both be please ??“ hopefully overjoyed.

 

Well guys, this is a very long post, so I'll wrap it up now. I just wanted to share some advice and help out the younger guys so they (hopefully) won't make the mistakes I made.

 

I'll just leave you with this: I was in such a funk with my hair loss that I had hair transplantation with a MHR when I was only twenty. This was before I found this site and knew what I know now about hair loss. I though, ??What's the difference? This place is cheap and in the same city. What could go wrong?'

Well, something did go wrong. Namely, many of the transplanted follicles never grew and those that did sprouted out of my scalp so far from the native hair and so sparsely that the look is still comical to this day (comical to others, that is). I'm sure that the doc had his hands busy as he was doing a scalp reduction in the next room (imagine!) and three other procedures. They told me that I had 1,000 micro grafts of one hair each (they had also told me that having any more than 1,000 grafts in one session was not safe, but then again, they told me that micro/mini grafting was the most advanced procedure available in 2000). I would find out later from several dermatologists that there was no way that I had gotten 1,000 grafts and, give the size and density of my donor area (I still have a lot of hair), they probably through away any grafts that they did not place.

 

Years later I would discover that the MHR doc that performed my botched surgery had been sued many times, some from his own practice years ago in Chicago where he gave patients hair plugs and did even more barbaric scalp reductions. Instead of doing what I've been told that many of today's ethical HT surgeons did in waiting for HT technology to advance, this doc saw dollar signs and followed the easy money.

 

Don't do what I did, kids. Don't assume anything!

 

So guys, that's my two cents. Feel free to add or debate anything. Also, you can message me and ask me anything.

 

-HLBD

(Hair Loss Be Damned)

[thanatopsis_awry]

Appreciate the post. I was never mocked for hairloss during school, though, I suppose, I did start thinning my junior year of high-school, and my best friend remarked once, rather incredulously, that my hair looked "a bit thin". I can, however, imagine the torment of having hairloss while in school; and, though I dare not tell anyone outside of the forums this less I sound like a madman, my reluctance to return to school (college) is in (fairly) large part due to my hairloss.

 

Are you looking into getting another HT (a repair session, I suppose) w/ an elite clinic?

[Bill - Seemiller]

HLBD,

 

What a great post!

 

And I've also learned the meaning for your alias all in one great post!

 

Thanks for sharing both your personal experience and a number of things about hair loss you have learned over time.

 

Certainly this should be a challenge to everyone to be sure to research thoroughly before making any hair restoration decisions.

 

Clearly there is a lot to learn.

 

Bill

[balody]

good post hlbd.

[notgoing2gobald]

fantastic post! I didn't want it to end. That is the most informative single post I have ever read that was not from an MD. I found your input and explanation for the different types of "shedding" to be most insightful. Many people, when asked, say they know hair loss med 'x' is working for them because they don't see as many hairs in their sink. Doesn't sound too scientific or conclusive (even reasonable) to me.

Are you going to get another ht from a top notch doc? You mentioned that the grafts grew in only in some areas from your previously poor procedure. How unnatural looking is it?

Tell us more!

P.S. will you write a post on the age-old question "what do women want?" so we can forward it to all the women we know so they can finally figure it out?...

[agentHarley]

Originally posted by HLBD: I have used this example for a while and it seems to get the point across: google "dog boys of Mexico".

 

---hey bud, i did a yahoo + google search and came up with nothing. am curious about this if anyone finds it.

[Guest HLBD]

Than, Bill, Balody, Ng2gb,

 

Thank you all for your praise. I've been given such a great deal of useful information via this forum that I thought it was only fair that I give a little back.

 

You're too right, Bill - there is a great deal to learn and I'm still learning right along with everyone else. Hopefully the next few years we'll see some great leaps forward in hair loss treatments. I don't know if we'll see any cures any time soon, but I do think we will see some terrific treatment options.

 

To answer Ng2gb and Than's question, yes I am planning on seeing a coalition doc for some repair work and new grafts. It's really hard to choose when there are so many great docs, but I have spoken to many patients of Dr. Rahal and I really like his artistry. Although, I think it was the stellar praise of his bedside manner that has pretty much sealed it for me. My next step is to contact Dr. Rahal and continue with my research before I make a firm commitment. My brush with such bad surgery has made me a great deal more prudent.

 

The results of my previous, bad procedure look very unnatural: the hair was place in rows along the hairline, none were used to bulk the area behind the line, all single hairs were used and some of them didn't grow in. Clearly the doc was delusional in thinking I would sign-up for another procedure to fix his bad job, by hook AND crook. Luckily, I may not be the most intelligent guy on the block, but I'm not the dumbest and I learn my lessons very quickly.

 

Oh, and on the subject of "what women want"; I have no idea and fortunately, neither do they.

 

agentHarley,

 

The last time I did a search for the "dog boys" I got a lot more hits. I did some more searching and found these:

 

http://www.mexicancircus.com/wolfboys.htm

 

http://www.strangecosmos.com/images/content/105412.jpg

 

Their condition is called congenial hypertrichosis lanuginosa or hypertrichosis universalis.

[notgoing2gobald]

I know they have absolutely no idea, that's why I want to forward it to them.

it's ok if you don't know either, you can Bull $hit an answer. Just write it as well as you did that last post and I and they (for sure) will believe what you say...

regarding dog boys: do you really think that is real? that has gotta be fake, no? Why don't they get laser hair removal, eerrr scratch that make millions selling donor hair to us baldies...

[Guest HLBD]

Yeah, but I think that's the problem - they don't know that they don't know what they want.

 

This I do know: they're right. Even when they are wrong, they're right. lol

[notgoing2gobald]

"they don't know that they don't know what they want"---spot on with that one!

AND they expect YOU to know what they want!!! I know one thing MOST of them want: $$$...

Man, balding really brings us all together. I love this forum...

group hug...

[Guest HLBD]

Sorry NG2GB,

 

Didn't see your question about the dog boys" in your early reply. To answer your question, it is completely real and the members of this Mexican family (males and females) are affected with hypertrichosis.

 

They sometimes make the talk show circuit here in the U.S. and they have explained that they have accepted their condition and are happy with themselves. Most of the family are circus performers in the tradition of "Jo-jo the Dog-face Boy" of P.T. Barnum fame.

 

All that aside, I have seen a media spot in which a news crew got one of the older family members to shave his face. It looked very odd as he had stubble on his face.

 

I don't think that laser hair removal is an option as the hair is very close to their eyes and sensitive skin areas. Also, in some clinical studies, laser hair removal has shown to actually cause hair to grow - which is part of the evidence used by laser comb advocates as evidence of its supposed effectiveness.

[flyby]

Thanks! Very Intelligent, insightful post HLBD.

 

I must admit. I originally started to read your post after you first posted it. After reading the first paragraph I was getting a little bored and I saw how long it was and decided to move on. I think I was either having A.D.D. or it may have been because I had too much to drink and it was late :-). Most likely the second.

 

We'll I have now read the whole thing and BRAVO! Very well done. From your post you sound much wiser than your years (which I estimate to be about 27-28).

 

NG2GB I'm really intruiged about what made you think HL HT knowledge/wisdom would translate to what women want . Doesn't seem like HT forums would be the best place crack that code :-). Most of us on an HT forum will say women want "Hair" (on ur head, not on back!)

 

I've seen those Mexico wold/dog boys. Amazing! I remember one the Wolf Boys was even married and his wife was pretty hot. Now that's someone we should ask for advise on women :-)

 

From your post, I'd say you've gone above and beyond doing your homework and have already completed your thesis. Sounds like you're an awsome candidate for HT and Dr. Rahal will post another fantastic result. Why wait any longer? NG2GB wants to see another amazing result so he can chop you up an kill you :-) (see past post)

[Guest HLBD]

Flyby,

 

Thank you very much for the accolades, sir. I appreciate it very much. I must confess, I am a semi-professional writer ??“ I have done a lot of freelance scientific reporting, mostly for newspapers and small, local city magazines. I actually enjoy all forms of writing and I'm currently working on a novel and some autobiographical essays, though I have found that I am lucky enough to have an analytical nature and background (I worked for a number of years in a biochemical/genetics lab in Austin, TX) suited very well for scientific and consultative articles.

 

I am, however, sorry about all the typos ??“ I am the Typo KING! I make sure and get my money's worth from editors that way. I estimate that my fingers are about 20% slower than my brain and, unfortunately, my mouth is about 15% faster (which explains my track record with the ladies).

 

You were very close on the age estimate, by the way; I just turned twenty-nine in December.

 

The wolf/dog boys of Mexico are truly amazing and inspirational. It takes a great amount of courage to have that kind of self-acceptance. I hope one day to say I have the same level of confidence, with or without hair. Then again, I liken my attitude in the matter to Saint Augustine's prayer for chastity:

 

"Lord, grant me chastity and continence, but not yet."

 

I know a lot of younger men say, ??I won't care if I don't have hair when I'm old.' On a side-note, have you ever noticed that these men seldom define ??old'? I, on the other hand, am truly committed to growing less attached to my physical being as I grow older. I am, after all, from the South and my upbringing has taught me a few things about growing old in the South:

 

1. A Southern man's age is inversely proportional to the length of his shorts. The older he gets, the shorter they become.

2. At a certain point, a swimsuit or jogging suit becomes appropriate attire for any and all occasions.

3. Advanced age steals many things from you: your vision, your hearing, your teeth and hair; after all that it does duly compensate you for this loss with the God-given right to look, act and say any crazy-assed old man thing you want. ??Yes ma'am, I took a dump in your potted fern. I fought in two wars! I have the right to fertilize any plant I want!'

 

All that aside, for the next three decades (at least) I want a nice head of hair to give my cousin ??“ the bastard has the nerve to not only be in a band and get all the girls he wants, but he also has a lush, full head of hair ??“ a run for his money! So, yeah, I'm about an ant's inch away from hoping a plane to Ottawa and switching my mailing address so notgoing2gobald can't track me down and kill me. I will of course post pics of my progressive journey. =)

[Guest HLBD]

I think all the wolf/dog boy talk warrants a new icon.

 

So... ta-da!

 

[notgoing2gobald]

flyby,

the comment/question regarding "the age old question" of what women want, was tongue in cheek...

HLBD, now your avotar beat me for the most hair!!! Thats reason enough to chop you into little pieces!

[WeAreCured]

NG2GB,

 

Chics dig BALLS. Seriously, it doesn't matter if you're bald, poor, or average looking at best; if you act like an alpha male, you can get a beautiful woman. They respond more to feelings than looks, that's why most guys don't understand women. Men make decisions rationally (for the most part), but women make decisions based on "feelings" (for the most part). I don't mean you need to tell them how YOU feel (never ever do that until you have been with them for a long time). I mean they respond to feeling a certain way themselves. You have to make them achieve that feeling to get them. Some guys are naturals at achieving this, and some have to learn it like myself. Why do you think so many unattractive men are with good looking girls, and why do you think so many women stay with deadbeat losers who drink away the rent money? They're doing something right whether they know it or not. I used to be really shy, even though I'm a good looking guy, but by the time I finished high school I had observed enough to realize that if I projected a certain image to girls, I could take any of them home or get to know them or have a meaningful relationship or whatever. I'm not saying you have to be deceitful or act like a jerk, just be more of a traditional "man". Basically, just tell yourself over and over in your head that you're the man and you can get any girl you want. Keep telling yourself that and eventually you will brainwash yourself and you'll start projecting that confidence and attitude to women and they'll respond. The most important thing I can tell you is not to think what you're thinking right now, if you don't think you're good with women. They can sense it, I swear. Don't act like the "friend", act like the take-no-shit "boyfriend". I know it's hard since most of us suffer from some sort of self consciousness about our hair situation. I'm not saying it's easy. It takes time, but just keep telling yourself you're the man, keep trying to talk to girls, and watch the men around you who are successful with women and those that are not, and in time, you'll get it.

 

Keys: Confidence, Uniqueness, Humor, Teasing (like schoolyard teasing, but make sure you maintain a smile when you tease a girl so she gets that you're joking around, even though you may be telling the truth), BALLS

 

Thankfully, these traits can be learned if they aren't innate.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Now, back to the HT discussion.

[thanatopsis_awry]

If you want to sleep with as many women as possible, act like an "alpha male"; if you want to not sleep with any women act hermetic and zealously shy; otherwise, do all you can to "be yourself", where "yourself" make you happy, and wherever and however the cookies end up crumbling you will be OK.

 

The happiest people I know -- and have known -- with regard to women and relationships, have been "awful" with girls.

[notgoing2gobald]

good lord!!! Since when do I get taken seriously on here!?!?!?!?

HelLllLoOOOooOOoOOo?????????

-----anyONE???????

aren't I ALWAYS an intolerable sarcastic @sshole???

I was shocked that I had a single response that didn't realize it was a "tongue in cheek" comment...HENCE---the "tongue in cheek" explanation....

 

OK...guess I will have to make it more obvious then before...

[WeAreCured]

You can say you were kidding, but I don't believe you.

[flyby]

NG2GB, I definitely knew you were being "tongue in cheek" with your what women want comment. My comment was just being sarcastic, hence the . I'll have to make it more obvious next time :-). I'd say you have a very good balance of serious/sarcastic @sshole ratio. Especially after you've thrown down some vino or the amber nectar. Looks like you've been slacking on your # of posts lately and you might be in jepordy of losing your title this month to Thana.

 

Anyone ever see that "Pick Up Artist" show on VH1 last year. Here's a guy who supposedly has all the lines, tricks, techniques etc, to picking up women. In my opinion that guy came across as the biggest DONKEY eee ooor ever. I could care less how many women he can pick up because of his confidence, style bravado etc. I still wouldn't want to be "That Guy"

[notgoing2gobald]

I've spent years creating the perfect vino *to* Alba pics *to* balding men pic ratio,--- to maintain this balance...

tonight it's mimosas and quesedillas!!!

It's ok if Than passes me this month. He deserves it.

Besides, I can just give myself another fake award which I enjoy more anyway; followed by a watery eyed speech...

By the way, I know the answer to the age old question--"what do women want?"

----WHO CARES!?!?

I KNOW WHAT I WANT...

Now then, back to my mimosas and cuddling up to my life size blow up Alba doll...

come 'ere baby, I won't pop you this time. I promise...

[Guest HLBD]

I knew you were being just being cheeky, ng2gb. Pardon the Brit expression; I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who and Torchwood as of late, which only exacerbate my normally fanatic Anglophile nature.

 

Perhaps I should write a book on "what women want", though. There seems to be a demand.

[Al - Moderator]

Women want a man with money and good looks. Unfortunately for us to get those good looks it will cost us all our money. Keep using that Alba doll.