My Dilemma, Opinions Appreciated.

[JakeMaverick]

Hello, so this is my issue.

 

I'm posting this to hopefully get some peoples opinions on what i should do.

 

Just over a year ago i realised my hair was thinning, it had actually been doing so for a good few years, i just wasn't aware. I had always been under the impression i had thin hair and chalked it up to that. When i think about it carefully, it has probably been thinning since i was about 20 at least, i'm 25 now.

 

Anyway, upon noticing this, and being a very vain person by nature, i started to worry about it and wondered what i could do. I did what most people do in the same predicament, started researching solutions on the internet etc. trying to decide what to do.

 

In around October time, i actually went for a consultation in Manchester for a Total Cover Plus hair system, as i had been mesmerised by their videos and wanted this instant solution to getting great looking hair.

 

However i decided against it for the time being, and in January time, decided to start Propecia. But, 3-4 weeks in, which i realise is NO time to assess how it was working, i decided to ditch the medication and go for a hair system.

 

Apart from some initial problems due to the particular guy in Manchester doing a number on me, when i got sorted it was awesome. The hair looked fantastic and i felt so much better for it. I really was convinced i had done the right thing. I no longer worried about how my hair looked.

 

However, fast forward about 4 months, I was in a bit of a financial situation because I was being unwise with the turnover of the systems. I was getting a new one every 4 weeks or so, when they can easily last for 8 at least. The last one I had was on for 8 weeks before I took it off, and I could have made it go for another month easy.

 

So with this happening, I was started to wonder whether I should have kept up with the medication instead, which is of course a cheaper option also. After doing a lot of thinking, I decided to ditch the systems and go back on Propecia.

 

It is now 8 months since I started taking it again, and I'd like to add I have had no side effects. But, I'm not happy with my hair again, and feel like I'm back at square one when I first started looking into solutions.

 

Right now, I want to go back down the hair system route because it's the only thing that actually made a difference to my self esteem. Plus, I play in a band, and in a couple of months we're about to do our first major tour, which is in the US, and I just want to look great for that.

 

I will add at this point, I still have a good amount of hair, and sometimes it does look alright, like under certain lighting or somewhere it is a bit darker, say a bar. But under harsh/bright lights, it's so noticeable and really gets me down. It's clearly thinning and has receded, I feel no amount of time on Propecia will give me the results I want.

 

A also feel a hair transplant is out of the question because of the massive cost of getting a good one. Hair systems are expensive, but I just don't have access to the funds for a hair transplant, especially with the music stuff, which is a massive expense at the moment too.

 

So I have posted all this to get some of you to give me your thoughts on it all. I appreciate any feedback you can give. I realise this is a long post, and appreciate it if you have read it all and are willing to give your opinion.

 

I have enclosed some photos so you can see what I'm dealing with. One from when I first took the hair system off. Another fairly recently under bright lights in the bathroom to show the true nature of my hair loss. Then one from the same time in a more flattering light.

 

Also, two photos are enclosed where i have used a hair thickening spray, which seems to work wonders when done correctly under the right light, but when you get back into the bright light, it really falls down. You will see this from the photos.

 

My main concern is the fact the hair on top is still quite thin, I want ideally to wear a longer style, but I just don't have the thickness, plus I hate the way the hairline has receded.

 

Thanks for your time.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Jake

Welcome to the forum…Im a little confused…Is there anything added in the first set of pictures? If not, that is one of the MOST REMARKABLE propecia transformations I have seen in anyone in an 8 month period..

Also, Just my opinion…I hate hair systems..Over time I think you would save money getting a quality transplant from one of the surgeons on here! Good luck to you!

[Spanker]

If yuo ever plan on having an HT in the future, stay on the meds. Your loss is fairly advanced for your age and you will need all of the help you can get. I don't have any history with a hair system, so I can't really help there. The only systems I have seen I have been able to spot, so those particular ones can't be that good.

 

I also do not think that maintaining a system will be than easy on tour (not sure how long it is).

 

My advice would be to stay on fin so you have future options and sport the shaved head on tour. You have a nice head and you may grow to like it, which will really save you money and worry in the future, and honestly, if the 3 top photos, the shaved one looks the best. No one in the US will bat an eye at a nice, round, shaved head. If I had a nice noggin, I would probably have just kept a short buzz and skipped the HT. When you get back, if you still find that you can't tolerate the shaved look, explore your options further. You may not get a lot of regrowth from fin, but it is helping you keep what you have.

[JakeMaverick]

Hi, thanks for your replies so far.

 

Nothing added in the first 2. The shaved one is within a month of taking the system off. The next two are from about the same period (a couple of weeks ago) under the harsh lighting in the bathroom. The third of the 5 photos does have some Mane hairspray in, however i admit i might not have really done it properly.

 

The bottom two are in the bedroom which has a more flattering light i feel, the one on the right has the Mane hairspray, which you can see disguises the hairline a bit better than with nothing in.

 

To Spanker, thanks for your advice, i'm not sure i want to go down the shaved look, but i will definitely give what you've said some thought.

 

I do realise the meds are the long term fix really, something i have considered was doing both, keeping on the Propecia AND getting a hair system, that way i wasn't going to lose any ground, but id have the head of hair i wanted for the short term.

[jameslondon]

if it's any help, i think the propecia + spray looks pretty good

 

the phrase that you are back to square one jumped out at me, you at least tried the hair systems and the propecia, so you are further ahead than when you started and you have some experience and this is valuable

 

i'm in music as well. i'm wondering if a ht, say in turkey might be a cheaper and good option than hair systems? i am not sure what i'm doing now either, after being on propecia for some time, but i think i can't go through with a fut and am just taking my time investigating fue

 

i think something a lot of people say on here, is just take your time and do your research, don't let the emotional side of hair loss push you into making emotional decisions (much easier said than done i know)

 

harsh light is the worst

 

hope something i've written has helped you

[JakeMaverick]

Thanks James, you have helped. I'm still weighing up the options, the thing is, i THINK i am actually seeing some regrowth on the temple areas since i first started on Propecia. I've noticed that it started at one stray dark hair away from the centre, and over time has increased to a few more, lots of little clear hairs, and i think it is increasing. However any changes that are happening here are slow going.

 

I'm considering staying on the Propecia whatever i do, so if i decided to go for a system, i would keep taking it so i keep gaining ground rather than losing it. I could be wrong, but there all options i'm considering.

 

But thanks for your input, it is appreciated!

[JakeMaverick]

Hello again. So a quick update.

 

Currently i am booked to go for a hair system in a month's time. I've been deliberating since i last posted and ended up deciding to go down that route. However i have days i wonder if i'm making the right decision. Today is one of those days.

 

My hair does appear to seem better as it gets a little longer, and i'm able to disguise the temples better, the front hair is still wiry and thin though. I can actually disguise the crown very well i think brushing a certain way.

 

I wonder if it will look better as it grows out more, this is what i'm deliberating over currently. Last month or so, i have been taking my Propecia every couple of days, not really sticking to it. I take it when i think my hair might be worth saving. Sounds crazy i know, just where my mind is at.

 

From one angle it actually looks great i think, because of how i sweep the hair over, but the other side isn't quite the same and you can see what the front hair is actually like.

 

Anyway, pictures enclosed, let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

[jameslondon]

some people take half a tablet of propecia every couple of days and find that works better for them

 

think that the photos look good, will the hair system be minimal?

 

it's interesting that you've decided to go for a hair system. let us know how you get on with it?

[pkipling]

Just checking in to see how your latest hair system worked for you and where are you with your progress.... Have you found a solution that is working for you? I have zero experience or knowledge of hair systems, so I'm interested to see how it's going....

[JakeMaverick]

Hello, i had forgotten about this!

 

Nearly 5 months into wearing a system now and i'm loving it! I ended up going the DIY route and doing it all myself though.

 

You can see what happened here...

 

Northwest Lace, LLC - Hair Loss Forum:First system cut in soon! (UPDATE with PICS.)