Anyone hear of hair replacement for baldness??

Lmnover

Hi
I have started to lose my hair pretty rapidly over the past 6 months and am not ready to be bald!
I have heard of hair transplants but have never talked to anyone who tried it. i am at the stage where no one would notice if i had it done now but dont want ta end up a horror story!

anyone try it? know anyone that tried it??? and dont tell me to shave it all off!!

CDfm

I have a friend who had it done though I never have had the nerve to ask him.

I saw a TV programme on RTE about a barber in Blackrock having it done.

Aha - heres a link to the Blackrock Clinic

http://www.hairtransplantsurgery.ie/

If it was me - I would have it if I could afford it and there is nothing wrong with you for wanting it.

There seems to be medication to stop hairloss too - so maybe your GP can help too.

Agent Smith

Lmnover wrote: »

Hi
I have started to lose my hair pretty rapidly over the past 6 months and am not ready to be bald!
I have heard of hair transplants but have never talked to anyone who tried it. i am at the stage where no one would notice if i had it done now but dont want ta end up a horror story!

anyone try it? know anyone that tried it??? and dont tell me to shave it all off!!

Get a bit of a gut and join the brotherhood....



We have wimmins and everything.

CDfm

Agent Smith wrote: »

Get a bit of a gut and join the brotherhood....



We have wimmins and everything.

Everything except a full head of hair that is .Is everything a euphenism for a combover:pac:

Cicero

Lmnover wrote: »

Hi
I have started to lose my hair pretty rapidly over the past 6 months and am not ready to be bald!
I have heard of hair transplants but have never talked to anyone who tried it. i am at the stage where no one would notice if i had it done now but dont want ta end up a horror story!

anyone try it? know anyone that tried it??? and dont tell me to shave it all off!!

How rapidly? If it's gonna go, it's gonna go but if there is a (temporary) reason, then a trip to the GP might be a good first step..

RebelGirrrl

A temporary reason? Can your hair just go temporarily, if you haven't been washed it properly or regularly enough?

CDfm

RebelGirrrl wrote: »

A temporary reason? Can your hair just go temporarily, if you haven't been washed it properly or regularly enough?

My understanding is that there are medical conditions such as alopecia which can cause baldness and this would be temporary and it can be a side affect of other conditions too.

Thats why if hair loss is sudden a person should seek medical advice.

RebelGirrrl

Can it just fall out through lack of conditioning and would this be permanent?

Handsome Bob

There is the possibility of a hair transplant, but as far as I know it's quite expensive, it's like €1,000 for the upkeep which is every couple of weeks.

Personally OP I shaved my head at 17 because it was thinning terribly on top. I was lucky as it suits me (I think!) so I would encourage you to, if it suits you, bite the bullet and just shave it off. Do you really want to be known as the guy with hair transplants?

Alun

Seriously, if it's been that sudden over such a short period, I'd go and see the doctor first. Google "Alopecia".

r3nu4l

RebelGirrrl wrote: »

A temporary reason? Can your hair just go temporarily, if you haven't been washed it properly or regularly enough?

RebelGirrrl wrote: »

Can it just fall out through lack of conditioning and would this be permanent?

Washing and conditioning do not prevent baldness and are nothing to do with baldness There are many reasons for baldness, a lot of them are to do with testosterone levels (and a certain form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone). Some fungal infections of the scalp can cause temporary, patchy baldness too.

OP, If you are worried, go to a GP. S/he will be able to talk you through options with you.

In the meantime, have a look at this Wiki entry but please remember that Wikipedia is contributed to by more non-experts than experts, so take everything you read with a pinch of salt and do talk to your GP.

CDfm

RebelGirrrl wrote: »

Can it just fall out through lack of conditioning and would this be permanent?

Generally, thats unlikely and its either hereditary baldness or caused by illness such as diabetis or pregnancy or a fungal infection or by a chemical reaction to a medicine or something you have contact with.

AFAIK not conditioning your hair would not really cause that but excessive use of bleaches and chemicals could cause hair to fall out or break.

What I think is if it is a symptom of a medical or hormonal condition or exposure to something you would want it checked.

If it is natural fine but you would want ptential medical factors eliminated or treated if appropriate.

humberklog

OP it is a toughy to lose it at any age but the younger the tougher...and it doesn't get easier. I'm a bit thin on top but I did have a realisation, a moment of clarity, early on in the process and that was: if Elton John couldn't do anything about it (other than look rediculous) with his money then there's little chance for most people earning under 50 million a year.

I've seen the results of expensive and inexpensive treatments close up and it's either been really unpretty or (if they were lucky) completely useless.

It's easier to adapt a look and attitude that suits your loss as opposed to trying to steer your bonce in a direction it isn't going to go.

Edit: 1st post around these parts, I didn't know this forum existed...so eh...hello as well.

jonas7

Realistically the only thing you can do is accept the fact that you're losing your hair and move on.You're not the first and you wont be the last man on this planet to lose their hair.There are no "miracle cures" so just let it go and keep your dignity.

r3nu4l

humberklog wrote: »

OP it is a toughy to lose it at any age but the younger the tougher...and it doesn't get easier. I'm a bit thin on top but I did have a realisation, a moment of clarity, early on in the process and that was: if Elton John couldn't do anything about it (other than look rediculous) with his money then there's little chance for most people earning under 50 million a year.

I've seen the results of expensive and inexpensive treatments close up and it's either been really unpretty or (if they were lucky) completely useless.

It's easier to adapt a look and attitude that suits your loss as opposed to trying to steer your bonce in a direction it isn't going to go.

Edit: 1st post around these parts, I didn't know this forum existed...so eh...hello as well.

Welcome humberklog, great first post in the GC

LMnover, I should say that I began to notice myself losing some hair at around 23 and since then (I'm 34 now) I've lost a huge amount on top. I don't shave my head but I do keep it cropped tight...otherwise I begin to look like Krusty the Klown's long-lost cousin!

It never hindered me when I was single either and even when I wasn't single I still got attention from women if I was out with the lads and the women didn't know I wasn't available. So if you're worried about that end of things, don't be.

If you act confident enough and are yourself and just relax, then it won't have any impact on your social life

If there's no medical reason for it and your life isn't endangered by it then just learn to accept that it's a part of who you are. I know that might be easier said than done but in the long run you'll be better off for it.

rafared

I know how you feel but the lads are right Im afraid.
Accept it and cut it very short.......its the best way.
Best of luck.

papajimsmooth

They did a piece on the late late show a while back about this.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/20090501.html

You need to click on the forth box to watch the hair transplant part.

speedboatchase

Long post but wanted to give OP a full rundown:

OP, there's a lot of misinformation in the earlier posts - I'd be 99% sure you're losing it because of hereditary reasons and if you're young (like I am), it attacks a lot quicker than usual and it means you don't have much chance to stabilise it with any treatments - so the next step is up to you.

Hair transplants are perfectly fine if you can afford them, people say "you don't want to be the guy with a transplant etc" but a huge amount of celebrities have them and no-one has any idea; Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Piven etc. If you can get afford it absolutely go for it - although the Irish specialists are apparently rubbish and you'd be better off researching it and getting done in the U.S or UK. The major downside is cost - it'll be around 6-8 and a few years down the line you will likely need another operation. It is still the best option though

Otherwise you can do what I did and spend money on the two main deterrents - finasteride (Propecia or the cheaper generic version Proscar) and minoxidil (Rogaine or the cheaper generic version Kirkland Minoxidil). Propecia/Proscar is a tablet you take every to stabilise hairloss and is FDA approved and works for a small percentage of men, with alarming side effects (moobs, loss of erection). Once you stop taking them any gains you have will go, as will the side effects. I stopped it because I started to actually experience some of the side effects and it really wasn't worth it.

I still use Kirkland Minoxidil, mainly because it's cheap (Rogaine isn't) and I don't want to lose any apparent gains. You use a dropper and squirt twice each day on the affected parts of your hairline. Alternatively Rogaine have a foam they recently released that is like a mousse and does the same job. The idea is the finasteride will stabilise the hairloss and the minoxidil will regrow it. I've experienced very minimal gains but you should still give it a try if you feel like it, people I've seen on forums have had miraculous results with them both

The final alternative which I'm currently doing is to bide your time. I use a product called Toppik on my temples; it sounds embarrassing to say as its basically pepper on your hair, then you hairspray and lock it in and brush your hair downwards over it. Sounds terrible and I was very sceptical but it's amazing actually and has and will give me at least another 3-4 years to decide my options or see if I can afford a HT in the future (if I win lotto lol etc).

The other drastic option is a hairpiece. My mate is the same age as me and we all know he has one - it looks bad. Don't do it. People hear will say "just shave it!" but it's not an easy decision for a lot of us, losing your hair is losing the ability to look any other way and if you're not ridiculously built or have the wrong face shape, it's tough to just accept a newer, older, uglier you. Those are the options anyway but do what makes you happy and don't just consign yourself to any decision that won't

Grid.

Did anyone see those hairsystems they had on the Late Late, think it was last year, I thought they looked great and was really hard to tell the difference... worth investigating if all else fails!;)

BigDuffman

Not bald yet but I'm starting to thin out on top, to a point where I'm adapting hairstyle / product (using matt putty / wax in stead of gel). Don't need a transplant or anything but worried that will start going bald on top (I'm 25 and not ready to shave it as I would look like a thug!).

The idea of big moobs and lacking erections just won't cut the mustard so might start looking into the rogaine stuff, is that the same as regaine?

sharper

BigDuffman wrote: »

Don't need a transplant or anything but worried that will start going bald on top (I'm 25 and not ready to shave it as I would look like a thug!).

I'm a little bit older (33) and I had the same worry. I have male pattern baldness and then a few months back alopecia on the back of my head sealed the deal. I was very worried at first but it's no big deal.