Help! Hair loss is ruining my academic life! ( HIGH SCHOOL)

michael.douglas18 · Mar 12, 2013

Been balding since i was 15-16 and im 17.5 now. So yeah its getting bad. I have it at a 1# buzz once a week now. Noone has noticed it yet, i came back from the holidays with a 1# and everyone just called me a skinhead and laughed. I still wear a hat to school everyday.

I have been staying home from school once a week because of the days when we have assesmbly and i have to take my hat off. Im just so paranoid because there is like 300 people sitting behind me and they might notice it.

WHY ME, i would kindly go in 3 years but not at high school, once it gets bad il be a freak! especially at the Prom which is in 8 months.

end rant

BT Charlie · Mar 13, 2013

Hey man. You are in the keratene thread too I think? There's no real way to know how to answer you without knowing more about your situation. You are 17 and half so you are nearly finished school anyway? College soon, exciting times! And your rocking a #1 buzz cut? And it suits you? You are mostly worried about people being able to tell you are balding? I think its very hard to tell if someone is balding or not with a haircut like that as there is a lot of scalp on show anyway. Thats more or less why I buzzed my hair too. Thinning was getting more obvious the longer I let it grow so I just went for it. You do know that whatever route you want to go down re treatment, it's going to be around the year mark (from what I have read) before you see any major progress anyway? Thats not saying not to try! The earlier you catch it the better and all, its just there is no quick fix. I wouldn't recommend finasteride though as your body is still at a really crucial stage in its development. You could maybe try growing your hair out a bit longer and using a concealer if you wanted to try something new? (and your hair is actually that thin in the first place!) I think in a way you are lucky people are used to seeing you with a close haircut. I know it doesn't take much to knock your confidence as a teenager but it seems like once you can get over worrying what other people may or may not think you'll be a lot better off. I mean I think it took balls to shave your head in the first place man, lots of people agonize over that decision for aaaages,fair play to you. Also short hair makes it way easier to apply minoxidil,sheds are far less noticeable etc...couple of big pluses there.... if you decide treatments are too time consuming, expensive etc you already have a nice tidy haircut figured out for yourself, nothing really to lose, generic minoxidil is pretty cheap now. I'd give that and nizarol a go for a year and see how you get on, could do just the trick! Good luck to you Mr Douglas! : )

michael.douglas18 · Mar 15, 2013

BT Charlie said:
Hey man. You are in the keratene thread too I think? There's no real way to know how to answer you without knowing more about your situation. You are 17 and half so you are nearly finished school anyway? College soon, exciting times! And your rocking a #1 buzz cut? And it suits you? You are mostly worried about people being able to tell you are balding? I think its very hard to tell if someone is balding or not with a haircut like that as there is a lot of scalp on show anyway. Thats more or less why I buzzed my hair too. Thinning was getting more obvious the longer I let it grow so I just went for it. You do know that whatever route you want to go down re treatment, it's going to be around the year mark (from what I have read) before you see any major progress anyway? Thats not saying not to try! The earlier you catch it the better and all, its just there is no quick fix. I wouldn't recommend finasteride though as your body is still at a really crucial stage in its development. You could maybe try growing your hair out a bit longer and using a concealer if you wanted to try something new? (and your hair is actually that thin in the first place!) I think in a way you are lucky people are used to seeing you with a close haircut. I know it doesn't take much to knock your confidence as a teenager but it seems like once you can get over worrying what other people may or may not think you'll be a lot better off. I mean I think it took balls to shave your head in the first place man, lots of people agonize over that decision for aaaages,fair play to you. Also short hair makes it way easier to apply minoxidil,sheds are far less noticeable etc...couple of big pluses there.... if you decide treatments are too time consuming, expensive etc you already have a nice tidy haircut figured out for yourself, nothing really to lose, generic minoxidil is pretty cheap now. I'd give that and nizarol a go for a year and see how you get on, could do just the trick! Good luck to you Mr Douglas! : )

been on minoxidil for 9 months, hope it works better with shaved head. yeah it was in the summer holidays so i said fck it and now i can go out without a hat on. Its just school because a 1# is so hated on

andrew lincoln · Mar 18, 2013

michael.douglas18 said:
WHY ME, i would kindly go in 3 years but not at high school, once it gets bad il be a freak! especially at the Prom which is in 8 months.

end rant

Hang in there bud I know how you feel, but trust me it's not worth your self esteem it will get easier when your older, but I know it's really rough for you now, just try and focus on other things to better yourself like working out, expanding your hobbies and finding ways to make money, all of this stuff helps a great deal.