Julie, I decided to give the product a shot. I started using it about 6 weeks ago. They say it takes about 10 weeks before regrowth is seen. I know many people are skeptical because its not a product all over the news, as was I. However I w...
Losing my hair terrifies me and consumes my thoughts way to often. I feel like I am losing a battle and I just want to shave it all off and just stop worrying about it!!
I am 26 years old and have been struggling with hair loss for 6 years now. Its not a dramatic loss (yet) but it is slowly but surely getting worse and more and more noticable. I find myself having to part my hair to the side every day to hide the thinning in the front center area of my scalp.
When I first realized my hair was falling out I saw a dermatologist. It seemed to come out of no where and I think it was when I stopped taking birth control. I took birth control for like 4 years, I can't help but wonder if that had anything to do with it. Anyways He did the usual testing and procedures and medications, and after about 6 months of no progress he gave up and sent me to a hair specialist. This hair specialist did a hair/scalp biopsy and shortly after diagnosed me with genetic womens hair loss (androgenetic alopecia).
He proceded to tell me that the "good news" was I have a lot more hair than the average person and it shouldn't be noticable for a long time to come. Well, it is, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. There are many days when I will just wear a hat so that I don't have to see it and think about it. I am generally a positive person and I realize I have many blessings in my life and could be way worse off.
However, it doesn't change the fact that I will literally burst into tears some days because I just can't stand the fact that my hair is falling out and I can't stop it. I figure I will attempt a hair transplant maybe next year to help it some. Although people who know I have this problem say they can't tell at all, I can and trust me those of you who know what I am talking about also understand that just because they can't see it doesn't mean its not happening and eating you up inside. I just happen to be so overly obsessed with hiding it that I have managed to get really good and styling my hair to where its hard to see. Of course to me, it sticks out like a sore thumb. To me its very obvious, and to me its a huge deal.
Anyhow I am still sort of counting on science to come up with a solution for us, I hear they are working to clone hair and that makes me very excited but not excited enough to have much of an impact on my daily suffering from hair loss. I figure the hair transplant will help, for a little while anyways, but I feel so desparate that anything is better than nothing. Eventually I will amost definitely just shave it all off and get a wig.
So the hardest thing about all of this for me is I don't have a single bald person in my family and this is supposed to be genetic! I can't imagine a biopsy could be wrong though. But heck even my 82 year old grandfather and my 78 year old grandmother still have a head full of hair, not as thick as it once was of course but not balding like their 26 year old grand daughter. Ridiculous!
I feel very upset and hopeless. If any of you have any ideas on something that might work that you think is worth trying please please share!!
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So my mother gave me some good advise the other day because I called her crying. I had one of those days where I just felt overwhelmed with feelings of losing the hair loss battle and dreading what is to come. Anyhow she told me, as she always does, to stay present in this moment. Don't worry about what is to come because I do not know any of that to be truth. I am not a predictor of the future and while I may have an idea of what I think the future could look like, its not worth the energy wasted worrying about it.
She reminded me the reason I was feeling so overwhelmed is because our minds are not capable of dealing with the future. We are only able to deal with what we are presented with in this moment. And in this moment I am alive and healthy and have so many blessings in my life that are being completely dismissed when my constant thought and energy is focused on what I don't have (which is much hair). She told me when you focus on what you do have and continue to remind yourself everyday of those things that you are grateful for it will lessen the importance of those things you don't have and at the very least give yourself a break from the torturing thoughts in your mind. She has told me this before and when I put effort into it I feel so much better. Of course it seems to be more natural for my thinking to go the other way since it seems to do that so easily and most of the time without my even knowing it until its too late and I am already upset. Either way figured it was worth sharing.
I really enjoyed reading your insights on hair loss, I feel the exact same way and have no history of hair loss in my family. I realize I'm a little older than you, however, I am also very worried about the future and what my hair is going to be like. I have three little girls and would hate to have passed this on to them. I am determined to find answers and solutions, one so that my hair could possibly stop falling out and two so that this doesn't happen to my girls. Thank you for sharing.
I identify with your story...thanks for sharing the advice your mother gave you-that really helps. I am in the same place when it comes to my hair not being very obvious to other people, and I've gotten so good at "covering it up" that no one knows but me. I've been telling people on this site about something I've been using that has at least helped me. If you are interested in hearing more about it, please read my blog. :)
I can so relate to you. I am usually not an emotional person, but in the past month or two, I cry at the drop of a hat. My husband doesn't really get it, but my mom does. (Mom's usually do get it) There are days that I look at my thinning hair on top, and wonder what it will be like when I am 40. (I am 30 now, this all started maybe 2 years ago) My mind is constantly thinking, and that is exhausting!
We are dealing with lots of issues right not. We are trying to sell a house and be relocated for my husband's job. My 5 year old will start school in the fall and we have no idea where we will be. We were trying to get everything ready and be moved before school, but our house hasn't sold and my husband torn his achilles tendon playing basketball 4 weeks ago and had surgery 3 weeks ago. He is in a cast and cant bear weight for 12 weeks. That should be a great move IF we do sell. If we don't sell before school starts, we don't know if we want to. I hate the thoughts of taking her out of Kindergarten 1 month after she starts. I am sure she would survive, but I don't want to do that to her as her mommy! I am trying to handle my job at work, as well as at home as a mom... and then pick up everything my husband can't do since he can't walk. I feel like a single parent! SO, when I look in the mirror and see thin hair and crazy frizzy hair on top (the texture has changed some for some reason??) it's just like one more thing to worry about.
I feel guilty for my stress and worry. I have a great family, a wonderful husband, 2 healthy and beautiful babies... I am blessed beyond belief but I can't make my mind understand that. It still makes me feel overwhelmed. That is my new word... it is the only way I can explain how I feel right now with everything going on... OVERWHELMED!
I go back to the Dermatologist tomorrow because I had a reaction to the Sprionolactone. Maybe they gave reassure me or tell me something that I didn't hear the first time. :o)
Thanks for your honesty. I can 100% relate. I am having a hard time with being so emotional. I am not a cry-er normally, so its hard for me to cry and not feel stupid! That probably doesn't make sense, but I don't know how else to say it.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. You know I really really do not like the idea of taking this blood pressure med because it may have an low androgenic quality to it. I was told by my derm not to worry so much and to take this Spironolactone and rogaine. I relly feel dizzy taking her full dose so I am taking 1/2 of what she recommends and I feel my body can tolerate it okay. I had some more shedding and now it seems to have stopped for now. I am also taking 5% Rogaine and eating tons of veggies and fruits. I am thinkign about buying a juicer. I really believe eating whole foods can offer the best vitamins and health resource to help slow this AA down. It is hard to always just chomp on a celery stick or an apple or what ever but I think healthy eating should helpwith this issue. I also replaced ground meat ( like for taco's or for meatballs) with ground turkey and it really tastes fine - family enjoys it.
I hope you had a lovely Spring / Easter weekend. I had a good time playing egg hunt with my boys and enjoying a lovely dinner with my family.
Hi! I have been using the hairmax on and off for around 3 months. It is tricky, because I don;t really talk to my husband about my hair loss... just have never wanted to, even though he is obviously supportive. Reason I say that, is the darn thing is a 15minute/3X week deal and I find it hard to make time to do it 3X, every week. I am trying to get better about it. I feel like I am noticing some small hairs in my hairline though, which is great and it is improving the overall look of my hair. I am hopeful that if I can do it as often as they recommend, there just might be something to it! Welcome to the network. I will try to do an update, once I can get a solid 3X/wk regime going. Have a good week!
THank you for your supportive words. It's hard to date. I stayed at a guys' house last night and found myself (per usual) waking up way before him so he wouldn't see me. It makes it very hard to have any self-confidence.
I totally understand the living for today moment and making your self feel better now, but with hair transplants it is also important to consider the future because those 5 years will eventually turn up and you don't want to set yourself up for possible future suffering. And there is not guarantee that you'll even have 5 years of relief from this procedure. If your hair loss keeps itself on the top only, then you may be one of the those women who could be a candidate, but for me transplants for women is a scary thing. Just the whole unpredictability of women's hair loss and where we lose it. They have to cut out a strip of hair from the back of your head (which will leave a scar) and move it to the thinning areas but there is no guarantee that the transplanted hair won't just fall out as well.So just be careful.
Hi Crys, that photo is from about August last year, it's a bit longer than that now, just below my shoulders. I used to have really long hair, right down to the bottom of my back but last time I got a bald patch I thought if had it shorter it would make it look fuller (does that make sense????) I haven't written in the 'my story' bit yet, but I will update!! Thanks for your message!! Nicola
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