Something to think about...

[BitterBuffalo]

I was at the Bar last weekend with some friends, having a good time. My thoughts and eyes started to wonder like they sometimes do and found myself again envying other guys’ thick heads of hair. Why can’t I just have normal hair thickness for my age and not worry about this all the time… my mind drifts, I begin to think of my future… a year from now, five years from now… It seems I no longer measure things in units of time, but more in the amount of hair I will have at that point in my life…

I was quickly snapped out of my half drunken trance when I saw a 24 year old Iraq vet sitting a few tables down from me with some friends. He had been hit by an IED and had severe burns over I’d say 90% of his face/head. Needless to say, not having hair was the least of his worries… I began to think who the F am I to be sitting here thinking like this, I really need to move on and quit feeling so helpless about hair loss. I’m sure this guy would give anything to have some thinning hair.

My buddies and I ended up listening to some war stories, meeting some new ppl, and going home with a group of 4 or 5 girls we met later that night... If I didn’t already have a GF I would have made out very well… I really think my attitude changed and it was evident in my personality.

I still have hope to re-grow / maintain. However I am beginning to believe that hairloss, to some extent, follows the five stages of grief:

1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance.

It depends on the individual how long it will take to play out. Any thoughts?

 

[Knendell]

I agree, In the bargaining phase I bought propecia. Got depressed and am trying to accept it. So I am inbetween 4 and 5. Realizing these wonder drugs are not at all anything near what the so called stats crack them up to be.

 

[tt1103]

I gotta say that I too was just thinking that same thing and was going to do a blog like this too. who are we to be complaining about losing hair when there is so much worse stuff in the world. It makes me feel pretty selfish and down right ego centric. The ONLY rationalization I can come up with is that while there is all this bad stuff happening in the world none of it is happening to me directly so the only problems I have to think about are ones like hair loss which in the end is pretty insignificant when compared to other problems.

 

[Pondle]

There are always people worse off than you - sometimes a LOT more worse off than you (http://www.cochrane.org.uk/food/wellbeing.php). Then again there are always people better off than you, too. It may not be a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but men with hair may indeed have practical economic and romantic advantages over bald men.

Ultimately, hair loss treatment may be about vanity, but so what? Much of life is about vanity. As society gets richer and technology advances, people can be expected to devise and demand new means to satisfy their vanity - like hair loss treatments. Firms make profits and generate jobs as a result. As long as the stuff actually works, it's all good.

 

[Paramount-Ireland]

The "could be worse" thoughts are good for making you feel better.

It works both ways for me...

First when I see someone with a serious illness like the vet with burns you mentiond or someone who has cancer, it does put things in perspective.

Second tho, and this is kinda bad I think, I look at others that have far more agresssive loss than I do and thank god for the contrast, like this poor 18 year old lad in work who is basically just sides and back already.

I've only started dealing with this and am INTENTIONALLY trying to play down my expectations so I don't loose the run of myself.

 

[BitterBuffalo]

I agree with you... I think it is just the pitying myself I am done with. I am all for science and if progress means people can look better and feel better about themselves it is a very good thing. Hell, ppl have been trying to fighting baldness since b4 the Egyptians. I have just come to terms with things; I will do the best I can to fight the problem and focus all the negative feelings toward more positive self development.

 

[Paramount-Ireland]

Also someone made the point to me "why should we put research money into this when we could be researching cancer and AIDS cures"...well first we can do both, tho clearly prioritise serious illness over more cosmetic concerns, second, previous treatments were discoverd my accident as most scientific breakthroughs are..nobody sits at a table and says we'll take money from cancer reasearch and give it to hair restoration.

 

[BitterBuffalo]

Not only that, but do you know how much money pharmaceutical companies stand to make with a male pattern baldness cure. That could fund tremendous amounts of research.... look at v****

 

[Paramount-Ireland]

Public money goes into the more serious research like AIDS and cancer (as it should), for more cosmetic stuff the an male pattern baldness cure the old fashed profit motive may evntually save the day, any company that developed a cure would be using $1000bills as tolit paper in their restrooms.

 

[WorldofWarcraft]

Public money goes into the more serious research like AIDS and cancer (as it should), for more cosmetic stuff the an male pattern baldness cure the old fashed profit motive may evntually save the day, any company that developed a cure would be using $1000bills as tolit paper in their restrooms.

If I was president I would divert all public money into research for a male pattern baldness cure.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I'm a pretty superficial guy. When I think about my hair loss the only thing that makes me feel somewhat better is the fact that I'm not fat. So I think well it could be worse I could be fat and bald.

 

[Paramount-Ireland]

Public money goes into the more serious research like AIDS and cancer (as it should), for more cosmetic stuff the an male pattern baldness cure the old fashed profit motive may evntually save the day, any company that developed a cure would be using $1000bills as tolit paper in their restrooms.

If I was president I would divert all public money into research for a male pattern baldness cure.

Ha ha, your sucessor would probably undo that decision because you'd only last one term.
Think of the scandal!

 

[Matgallis]

I'm at stage 5 sadly. However, accepting going bald is different than just letting it all disappear.

I choose to fight