new thread
Hello Everyone,
My name is Brian. I've been lurking here off and one for a while, and figured it was about time I introduced myself. I've been wanting to grow my hair long for as long as I can remember. Due to peer pressure, etc, I never did. Finally, in 2005 I decided to do it. It was about two months after my last hair cut I made this decision, so I don't remember the exact date, but I know it has been about 19 months since my last cut. I'm going for terminal.
Unfortunately, I have very fine, thin (and thinning) hair. The other reason I'm here is I'm hoping to get some help from the experts. I like to keep my hair combed down the sides of my head, but being as thin as it is in the front, it's almost impossible for me to keep it looking good. Any suggestions on what I could do with it, other than cutting it? I've tried things like mousse, and that seems to help, but it dries it out too. I should also note my hair gets greasy fast. I have to wash it everyday to keep it looking decent. In the last few weeks I've been forcing myself to wash every other day though, just to keep from overwashing it.
I've included some additional pictures of myself. Sorry about the picture quality.
http://www.atariansun.com/Hair/FrontDistance.jpg
http://www.atariansun.com/Hair/FrontClose.jpg
http://www.atariansun.com/Hair/LeftSide.jpg
http://www.atariansun.com/Hair/RightSide.jpg
http://www.atariansun.com/Hair/Back.jpg
Yes, these photos were taken today in Massachusetts. It reached 71 degrees in January!
Brian
Hi Brian,
When you say "wash," does that also mean "shampoo?" I'm no expert, but if that's the case, you shouldn't have to shampoo every day. -->Shampoo tends be make hair look bad.
True, in my experience, mousse dries hair out usually by the third day after using it. What confuses me about your post is that you say your hair gets greasy quickly, yet you use mousse.
What kind of conditioner are you using? have you tried leave-in conditioner?
Hi Donjuan,
Yes, I always wash with shampoo. I've tried it without before, and in my case, it just seems to spread out the oil in my hair and make it look worse.
I don't use mousse very often, but oddly enough, my hair doesn't get greasy quite as fast when I use it. I have oily skin, so the only thing I can think of is the mousse keeps my hair from rubbing up against my skin, so it doesn't pick up the oil as fast.
Right now, I'm just using the cheap Suave Daily Clarifying conditioner. Most conditioners leave my hair too weighted down. I've never tried leave-in, as I'd expect it to make my hair greasier.
Brian
Brian,
Your hair looks great! Each of us are our own worse critics, and the reality is that we see imperfections that others do not. Actually, I have found that the longer my hair gets the less I worry about it. Just keep it growing and enjoy the journey.
Wow, 71 degrees! Here in upstate New York we only got in the high 50's, but I'm not complaining.
Karsten
Thanks Karsten! Yeah, you're probably right, I see my hair differently than most do. Hopefully, I'll worry about my hair less as it gets longer. Then again, as it grows, it may be more tamable. At least that is my hope.
Yeah, 71 degrees. I'm not complaining either. It just felt weird taking down some of my Christmas lights in shorts and bare feet.
Brian
The pic from the back is the only one that concerns me. You need to see a Dermatologist as soon as convenient. I think that Propecia will help you to hold what you presently have and possibly re-grow some hair. I would also suggest that you try Rogaine. Your hair looks great and long hair suits you well. Please, see a Doctor and find out if these treatments are right for you. Let us know how it goes. BTW, you can shampoo every day. Shampooing does not cause hair loss, genetics, androgens and age do that. I should also mention that stress can trigger genetic hair-loss, but stress is not a direct cause.
Best wishes to you.
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey,
Thanks for your comments. Overall, I'm quite happy with my looks with long hair, over when I had short hair. And yes, I plan on seeing a dermatologist as soon as it is financially convenient. I'd love to start on Propecia, but as it stands right now, I couldn't afford it.
I have considered picking up some the generic Rogaine from Walgreens sometime, and start on that while I'm waiting to afford to see a doctor. And I know shampooing every day doesn't cause hair loss. But it does seem to dry my hair out. There's nothing quite like the top of my hair being greasy and the ends being dry.
My father always tries to tell my that growing my hair long is causing me to loose it faster. I know that's not true, and I have no idea where he came up with that. Actually, the thickness of my hair doesn't seem to be too different from when I started growing my hair long. But the long hair seems to make it show up more.
Brian
When you do see a doctor, ask him about Proscar. You can cut the tablets into quarters and save a lot of money that way. I don't know if generic Propecia is available yet, but I suspect that it will be soon, if it isn't already out there. If it may be a while before you see a doctor I would strongly suggest that you consider Saw Palmetto. I have no idea what the proper dosage would be since there has been no FDA evaluation on it. Saw Palmetto seems to be a broad spectrum androgen inhibitor, including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, whereas, Propecia is more androgen specific, however, Propecia is probably the more potent of the two. Good luck and please, keep us posted.
Wecome aboard Brian,
I think your hair looks good. Karsten is right we do tend to be pretty harsh on ourself. Jeffery also has some good points and he's right on top of thinning hair solutions.
Have you tried parting your hair differently? I have a "high forhead" according to my wife and thinning on the crown so I part my hair on the side. When I grew my hair long the first time, late 90's I parted my hair down the middle which accentuated my fore head and crown. I've able to keep the critics happier this time.
60 degrees @ 6pm on the Connecticut shoreline!
Bruce
Thanks Bruce,
I have tried parting my hair on the side. It did fill in a little better, but I honestly didn't care for the look. Maybe someday, I'll be forced into it, but so far I haven't had any real critics of my hair, so I guess I'm doing better than I see myself in the mirror. And just maybe I can do something about it before it gets to that point.
Brian
hell i don't think you have any problems at all. you're another guy I'd gladly trade places with. when you finally get a receding hair line you'll have to part your hair on the side. you just do it and get over it being glad for whatever hair you have on top.
there are these hair care formulas for shampoos that supposedly help thin fine delicate hair but what they all seem to do is deposit a lot of coatings on the hair that just cause tangles. same thing for any leave-in conditioner. however your hair seems to be real straight so maybe you would not encounter any tangling. i have found for all those products they cause more problems than they prevent so i'm down to using a clarifying shampoo every 2 or 3 days and a basic conditioner. because you have thin fine hair you might want to use a volumeizing conditioner. try garnier fructis volumizing conditioner for fine hair. sorrry about my spelling--i just got up.
Haha, thanks Rob. I'll keep in mind to be thankful for what I've got, while I have it.
Yeah, my hair is straight, but because my hair is almost weightless, it blows around very easily, and tangles a lot. I'm going to have to come up with a better solutions for when I'm on my motor bike this summer.
Actually, I've just recently discovered the Garnier Fructis Body & Volume line. I got a free sample in the mail, and had good results, so I bought a bottle of the shampoo. It sure beats Fuller, Thicker hair
And don't worry about your spelling. My spelling is awful anytime of the day. Thankfully my Mac checks my spelling no matter where I type.
Brian
Hi Brian,
You've achieved some nice length for a short period of time, at least as long as mine and I've been growing it for a year longer than you have. I tend to agree with Jeffrey's comments about checking with a dermatologist. Your crown area looks quite similar to mine. I have early signs of MPB (I'm 53) and have just started taking propecia to combat this, hope I'm not too late. Propecia is more effective the younger you are. (I'm terrible with guessing a person's age, I can't tell your age from your pictures)
I also agree with Bruce that a side part can be better if you have a high hairline, although in your case I don't think it's that noticeable. I've always worn a side part, even when I had thick hair, as my hair had a natural side part. I had been contemplating going more to a centre part, like most longhairs on this board wear their hair, but after reading Bruce's comments, will probably stick with a side part.
Hope this helps,
David
Hi David,
Thanks, I actually cheated on the length though, by starting from a longish style. My hair was always several inches long. Yeah, as soon as I can afford it, I'll see a dermatologist, and start on Propecia. It sounds like the right way to go. I'm 27, so I'm probably right in the ideal age range.
Yeah, I understand what you say about a natural part. My hair seems to part naturally down the center. I've tried to comb my hair straight back, and it would part on it's own. It even parts when I try to tie it back into a combed back ponytail. For me, side parting would probably be kind of tough.
Brian
Hi again Brian,
I certainly would not panic that you have MPB at this stage. Your hair looks great, and it is entirely possible that the thin spot on the back may just be from the way the hair was parted, or even blown by the wind. The main reason I agreed with Jeffrey was that it can never hurt to see a dermatologist. The best that can happen is that your fears will be laid to rest, and even if it decided that you do have early signs, the good thing is you will be starting Propecia at a young age, when it is most effective. Best of luck, and my prayers are with you. Be sure to keep us updated.
David
Welcome Brian !
You hair looks just "fine" (pun intended...HA!)
I also have thin and thinning hair...try a little jojoba oil on the sides for some control and body.
Karsten's comments are true....try not to compare to others.
Thanks for Sharing
WWT
50 degrees in the desert (below freezing overnight)
Thanks White Tail,
Heh, I guess "fine" hair is a good thing to have.
Thanks for the tip, I'll see about trying some Jojoba oil.
I'll try not to compare. I know it made my hair a lot better when I accepted my hair for what it is. When I first started growing my hair, I kept trying to make it look like the folks with thick hair. Needless to say, that didn't work out to well, and none of those hair thickening creams seem to work.
50 in the desert, is that normal? I would actually have thought it would be warmer during the day, even in the winter. Yes, if you couldn't tell, I've never really been out of New England.
Brian
Hi Brian,
congratulations to your decision, you really look great with that hair! I wouldn't worry about it being too thin, I'd just let it grow even further, and I'd simply stick the bangs behind the ears. Or, just experiment a bit more with different styles (half tail etc). Even if it looks a bit "greasy", I'd just let it do its thing. It looks great anyways! Just remember, we are our own worst criticists! If you use conditioner, I'd think your scalp eventually leanns that it doesn't need to produce that much oil.
Happy growth, and welcome to the community!
Hans-Uwe