My Experience So Far...

[Mnemonic]

I'm writing this as a way to get this off my chest and maybe help others who feel the same way I do...

First thing... I have no idea if I'm losing my hair; and I'm pretty sure I've scared myself into being completely paranoid about hair loss so much that any hair I find seems like a BIG deal.

I have (had?) thick hair for my entire life. I'm 32 now and I'm not sure if it's thinning or the same as it has always been and I'm just unable to remember what it was like when I was 20. After an arduous trip around the world, I began noticing hair loss more than usual... I also hadn't cut my hair in over a year due to travel, so it was quite long - perhaps why I started noticing. It's one thing to notice inch-long hair and another thing altogether to notice 6-8 inch long hair.

Unfortunately, once I started noticing, the paranoia and depression set in, and nothing anyone told me could quell my fears that I was losing my hair. Every morning I would look at my pillow. Every shower I was checking my hands as I shampooed my hair. I even set up a block over the drain to collect hair and then dried it and counted it to see if I could "assess" how much was coming out! I would catch myself repeatedly running my hands through my hair to see if I could gently extract hair - then try to determine if it was a) coming out at a "normal rate" or b) coming out from all over the head as opposed to the crown or front alone. If some came out, I would do it over and over and over and over. Completely insane!

Basically, I was becoming obsessed with this... and the problem was, that I had NOTHING to base any "evidence" on. When I was younger, I never looked at hairs in the shower, never tried to pull them out, and never checked my pillow. So now that I've started doing these things, I find myself feeding into this paranoia because I think "Oh man, I never lost hair like this before, did I?" I just have no way of knowing. I reckon from my calculations that I should be completely bald if I were losing hair at the rate I think I am... but of course, I'm not an expert.

At the same time, maybe there IS something going on... but you don't always feel you can trust family or friends to give you a straight answer, you know? They always want to be nice :P

I live in a small town, there are no doctors here who will perform a Miniaturization Test for me. The doctors I know generally don't care much about hair loss because they don't see it as a real medical concern. That's frustrating because my descent into OCD sure feels like a problem :P

Ultimately, my point is, for all the people wondering what is going on with their hair, other people feel the same way you do. They're scared, depressed, and lacking the same answers...

So don't feel like everything is going to hell in a hand basket; you're not alone and options are available. Just don't let yourself end up like me and let your concern about hair loss leave you completely paranoid :)

Best of luck!

[Dr. William Rassman]

We are now trying to enable people like you to do your own miniaturization mapping and determine if (1) you are balding at all, and (2) follow the course over time for if you are balding and treating the balding, the eventual question everyone will ask is "It the treatment working? and if so, the "How good is it working?"

Keep an eye on baldingblog.com and this forum for notification of the way to test yourself. The best part is you don't have to see a doctor to draw the correct and accurate conclusion.

[buckerine11]

Mnemonic, I'm in the same boat as you in that I'm not sure if my hair loss is 100% androgenic alopecia. Dr. Rassman did a miniaturization mapping test on me about six months ago, and found negligible miniaturization. However, at that point, I had already lost over 50% of my hair density, and it's still going fast. I lose hair all over my body, as I've lost an equal percentage of my pubic hair and I am now seeing increased loss of my eye lashes. (about 50%) The hairs that fall out are also thinner towards the root, but I'm told that it's normal and that it's not an indication of miniaturization - it's just a "winding down" of the dermal papilla cells before telogen.

The only other possibility is that there is a systemic hormonal or metabolic problem, but the blood tests all came back normal except for a vitamin D deficiency. I've been taking vitamin D supplements for almost 3 months, but that hasn't helped.

Propecia might be the only last frontier that I haven't tried. But, the loss of body hair is really a confounding factor. If I lost no body hair, I would pretty much be certain that it is MPB.

I'm definitely going to buy the equipment needed for a self-miniaturization study. Maybe, after six months, I am showing more miniaturized hairs.

[Mnemonic]

Your situation sounds pretty unique considering the loss of body hair. Who knows, in time you might find out the cause and be able to fix it and get all your hair back! I'll cross my fingers for ya :)

Recently I just lost patience and shaved my head. I was tired of trying to determine how much hair I was losing (if any) with long hair so I got rid of it (also to see if I could handle how I'd look without hair). Even with really short hair (less than 1/4 inch) I can't tell if I have thinning or not because of the way light reflects.

Oh well... I'll be looking into that mapping kit, just like you.

You know, some days I feel so freaking disappointed in myself because I feel so vain for letting this bother me... and I feel like I'm letting down the people that know me and have come to expect a certain "look" and personality from me.

Even writing that I know how ridiculous it sounds; but surely someone out there must relate.

Good luck sorting out your situation and all the best!

[Mark]

Your situation sounds pretty unique considering the loss of body hair. Who knows, in time you might find out the cause and be able to fix it and get all your hair back! I'll cross my fingers for ya :)

Recently I just lost patience and shaved my head. I was tired of trying to determine how much hair I was losing (if any) with long hair so I got rid of it (also to see if I could handle how I'd look without hair). Even with really short hair (less than 1/4 inch) I can't tell if I have thinning or not because of the way light reflects.

Oh well... I'll be looking into that mapping kit, just like you.

You know, some days I feel so freaking disappointed in myself because I feel so vain for letting this bother me... and I feel like I'm letting down the people that know me and have come to expect a certain "look" and personality from me.

Even writing that I know how ridiculous it sounds; but surely someone out there must relate.

Good luck sorting out your situation and all the best!

I know what you mean.

Before I started working at NHI, I never paid much attention to my hair. Then when I started working here and learning about hair loss I went back and looked at some older photos of me from about 5 years ago and I totally noticed my hairline receding! Talk about an eye opener.

We've got some good news for you guys that are interested in mapping the miniaturization on your scalp. Dr Rassman, myself, and Jason are working on putting together a package that you guys can use to start doing it yourselves at home. They're writing about it a lot on the blog lately and once we get some final details put together I'm going to put up a video here to show you guys how to do it and get the best results.

The main thing we're working on with these forums is empowering you guys, (and gals!). we don't want you to simply have to trust the expert doctors here, we want you to see exactly what we see and make informed choices about your hair loss.

Once we get all this stuff with the miniaturization test kits worked out, you'll be the first to know.

-Mark

[DownUnder]

Recently I just lost patience and shaved my head. I was tired of trying to determine how much hair I was losing (if any) with long hair so I got rid of it (also to see if I could handle how I'd look without hair). Even with really short hair (less than 1/4 inch) I can't tell if I have thinning or not because of the way light reflects.

Oh well... I'll be looking into that mapping kit, just like you.

You know, some days I feel so freaking disappointed in myself because I feel so vain for letting this bother me... and I feel like I'm letting down the people that know me and have come to expect a certain "look" and personality from me.

Even writing that I know how ridiculous it sounds; but surely someone out there must relate.

Hey mate, I can relate exactly! This sounds very much like what I have been through, except I am 24. My situation is complicated in that my hair takes a real lot of abuse...I colour it often, bleach it (blood red, electric blue, etc), get braids and extensions, etc...I have had some crazy styles...people stare when I walk down the street...

The problem is things such as braids and extensions can pull alot of hairs out temporarily...

Recently during one of my transitional phases with the extensions out, a couple of people claimed that my hair looked thinner on top. I myself didn't really think much of it until they observed this...and the paranoia began...

At first I thought it could have been traction hair loss, then my mind turned to genetic baldness...without any scientific evidence I convinced myself I was balding...

I went to a "hair replacement studio" that wont be named, to find out if I was balding or if it was tempoarary loss from all the abuse...I was met by a salesman who tried to sell me what I later found out was Monoxidile and laser theropy (which I now know is probably rubbish) at a VERY inflated price. He tried to show me a video so I walked out...without signing anything...

I went to see a GP and got refered to a dermatologst...the appointment was a 2 months away. As I could not bare the wait i got an appointment with a second dermatologist that had a consoltation time only a month away. I saw him, he pulled out some hair and looked under the microscope. He said there was a good ratio of hairs in the growing phase compared to the resting phase so I was not balding...I was happy.

The time came around to see the first dermatologist as a second month had past. I decided I may as well get a second opinion...he felt my hair with his hands and concluded I was balding...because it felt lighter on top...

Two different guys, professional dermatologists, two different approaches, two different diagnosis...

I saw a 3rd guy...who is one of only 2 hair specialist dermatologists in my state...and again he just felt the hair and proscribed proscar. This time I asked about miniturization (I had found this site by this time), and said none of it had any value, and that he had seen my type of hair enough to know what is going to happen...

All this time I was becomming more and more depressed...the 12 months up to when this happened was probably the best in my life...then this happens...and like you I am checking hairs in the shower, at work at the desk seeing how many hairs are on the table...

There was one more guy, a professor, that I could see...but to be honest I have had enough with all this...and like you I shaved it all off. Being honest with myself, I don't have a bald spot, and my hairline hasn't changed looking from photoes from 4 years ago. Maybe it is thinner though the top, but I cant really remember how it was 4 years ago...and none of this paranoia can be helping...and it is pointless.

I am just gonna let it grow from shaved position, see how thick it comes back, and maybe get this minturization kit when it becomes available...the science behind it makes sense to me (I have reads loads on androgenic allopacia, so I understand the miniturization process), and I think all of these dermatologists I saw should have done this test...

What really kills is not knowing...I reckon I would be happier if I knew I was balding. Shaving my head also I has made me get used to a look that I may have to have one day. At least going through all this I am prepared and informed from an early age about the condition and what to expect. I wont take the proscar until I know I am balding...even though getting treatment early is important, I want some evidence before I start taking medication...

I am not going to let this stop me doing crazy stuff to my hair when it (or if it!) regrows to a good length...you are only young once...If I am balding, hopefully I can hold out until hair cloning/multiplication is available...

Yes I understand what you are going through, and yes it sucks. It has forced me to evaluate parts of my life though, and I am more determined now to fill it with more than just going out on the weekend and clubbing and trying to look cooler than everyone else...If this is all I have to worry about in life, than I am pretty lucky...

[casper]

few months ago i bought finasteride from bmpharmacy.com

can anyone tell me if this is genuine drug company or not as im not even sure if there was any results( i believe im still loosing hair after 3-4 months)

help

also does anyone know a decent,cheap,legit pharmacy online for finasteride or similar.

Thank You

[Mark]

few months ago i bought finasteride from bmpharmacy.com

can anyone tell me if this is genuine drug company or not as im not even sure if there was any results( i believe im still loosing hair after 3-4 months)

help

also does anyone know a decent,cheap,legit pharmacy online for finasteride or similar.

Thank You

Is there any particular reason that you need to buy the drug online rather than go to your doctor and have it prescribed?

-Mark

[amanrakkar]

Hey,this thread definitely resonates with me!

The whole vanity thing is something i regularly wrestle with. And when finally i've convinced myself that this hair loss business really isn't worth worrying about so much, i get one sly remark or derogetory comment that sends me back down.

Perhaps, the worse, is the constant (innonent) hassle im getting from my mum. The poor woman is only 5 foot, so cannot quite see im thinning on top, but she is giving me so much stick for not wearing my hair as "long and as proud as i used to". She thinks the crew cut makes me look like a thug.... wow, mum, you don't realise how close to tears you've brought me!! :P

But i can't help but admit, i want my hair restored to some form of normality. I'm just too young for all this! (22) :(

[LAZERFISH]

I know where all you young guys are coming from...I'm 44 now and started losing my hair around 19. The funny thing was, was that when I was 18, I had massively thick hair. My last year of high school, 1984, I was into the New Wave music scene. I had thick burgundy hair hanging into my eyes and I was REALLY Popular with the girls.

Then all of a sudden it started thinning bigtime. I remember when I was 20, I went to a party. Kind of a high school reunion of all my former high school buds. Lot's of girls there ofcourse. I remember over hearing several girls talking about me. The comment that sticks in my mind to this day was

'Hey, there's Mike, he USED TO BE cool.'

Meaning that when I had great hair, I was cool, and thinning, I'm not!!
Now, if that comment doesn't destroy a 20yr old guys confidence, then I don't know what does???

Well...back then, there was no Propecia, no Rogaine, nothing.....just had to bear it.

Anyways, I don't wanna cry in my own soup. My solution to my hair loss was to hit the gym. I said to myself, if I can't have a great head of hair, then I'm going to have the best body around!

My advice to all you young guys who are losing your hair now is to
1. Believe in yourself no matter what!
2. Hit the gym and build yourself a powerful body,
3. take Propecia and other proven treatments
and most importantly,
4. don't take sh*t from anyone who ridicules you or puts you down.

Good Luck!

Mike

Guys, I just wanted to add one more thing. Even though you are losing your hair, don't let that effect your youth! Enjoy your youth guys! I was 22 still losing hair but I went to Hawaii for college. I'm originally from Toronto. After that I moved to Japan. Been here ever since. Enjoy life guys!