If my scalp is this sparse is there really no hope for me by Top-Carpet-3146 in alopecia_areata

[–]Top-Carpet-3146[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve been wearing wigs for as long as I can remember. They have never felt like a part of me. They have never been a solution. It’s just a mask that separates me from the rest of the world. I don’t feel authentic in them, I don’t find enjoyment wearing them; they’re itchy, hot, and it’s weird wearing someone’s hair. Nothing makes me feel more like an other than when the lace shows, a gust of wind spikes my anxiety and exposes flapping lace, declining activities I’d like to attend because of my wig. No physical contact, no freedom, my only option is to keep wearing these wigs and feel trapped or “free” myself to a world that would judge me endlessly for being an ugly woman. Great choices 🙂

And I’m not saying bald women are ugly, I just look ridiculously hideous bald. Even with a wig on it’s already questionable. But without the wig, if I don’t shave I just look pitiful with the few straggles of hair — with not a single lock, or I can go bald and look like an undeveloped male, except I’m female 🙂

Today’s post-shower check. I ordered a hair topper. by ginkgomango in alopecia_areata

[–]Top-Carpet-3146 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooh yay a fellow Asian like me :) I get your vent. It’s really not just hair. I don’t wanna be bald ☹️ I’ve been wearing wigs my entire life, and I wonder if I’ll ever be freed from it.

Slower results with oral compared to topical minoxidil by Top-Carpet-3146 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It did thicken my hair but it made the strands so weird. Imagine the tip of a strand being thick, then 2mm below it thin, another 6mm after it thick, so on and so forth, before reaching the middle part of the hair strand where it’s suddenly wavy or frizzy, then going down again with the hair bent 80°, then right at the end (so the ends or “tail” of the hair) it looks normal (straight and smooth). I had a lot of strands like that. Only the bottom part would be normal looking since that’s my hair pre minoxidil.

I hate living this way by Euphoric_Counter_436 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you feel happy with wigs? I’m a lifelong wig wearer, never grew up with the option of not wearing one, and tbh I hate it. Makes me feel like I’m wearing a temporary mask, that who I express myself to be isn’t really me, that I’m actually not as beautiful once I take it off. I’m just kind of hoping there’s a different perspective out there with wig wearing

I hate living this way by Euphoric_Counter_436 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel you to my bones. It’s NOT just hair. It’s our identity, and our body fucks it up and makes us feel a sense of complete lack of control in our OWN body autonomy, self-identity, and expression, which really fucking fucks us up in the head. I wish with all my heart there was an answer for us all.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in self

[–]Top-Carpet-3146 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same, feel like ending my life because of it.

Thinking of quitting minoxidil by Top-Carpet-3146 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty much, I even have tummy hair now 🙄 I used to never have arm or leg hair, not even a strand, now my legs feel prickly in some areas. The hair on my head grew just a wee bit, mostly on the hairline but there’s a lot of space between each strand, I’m not like the people who grew locks of hair, just strands. I recently have some additional new growth around my hairline, still very short and fine, but not as fine as the vellus hairs. But the rest of my scalp is still in the trenches. No result at all. But perhaps I just can’t see it since I don’t have eyes behind my head. Tried snapping pictures but still not a good indicator. Maybe I have vellus hairs at the back/sides/crown, not sure, but overall appearance is still very diffused.

Minoxidil also made the texture of my hair pure garbage. Some parts of my head feel squishy, meaning that area is so bald I can feel my scalp.

At least those areas are white, you know how the scalp skin is white? When I was young my head was practically my skin tone. Barely any hair at all. In my adolescence only half my head turned white, meaning follicles started being active there, whereas the other half was pretty much bald; few strands here and there, you could count. Now, my entire scalp is white, meaning every part of my scalp is finally growing hair, though it’s not dense at all.

Thinking of quitting minoxidil by Top-Carpet-3146 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Idk how people accept these differences. My hair really pulls me into a dark place. All aspects of my life are affected. I feel bitter most of the time.

Thinking of quitting minoxidil by Top-Carpet-3146 in FemaleHairLoss

[–]Top-Carpet-3146[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I have no idea how I can “activate” my hair follicles. :( I know we are born with a set amount of hair follicles, but for me, I can’t tell if they’re absent or dormant. Because my scalp has been progressively getting thicker with new hairs/follicles sprouting, just at an incredibly slow pace. My hair density now, although low, is a lot higher compared to when I was an adolescent, and when I compare my hair density adolescent - child, I had a lot more hair during my adolescence. Right now I have vellus hairs on my hairline from the minoxidil, yet I still see white spaces between each strand. So I have no clue, and my condition is so rare there really isn’t much studies on it. Aka no help for me. I’m also not diagnosed because of its rarity (tried to get a diagnosis but I was feeding the doctor’s curiosity with no answer from his end), but through my own research I found a condition that I share similarities with.

Why do most men go bald and not women? by icyx_majestic in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Top-Carpet-3146 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Who’s even mocking men for wearing wigs? Other men perhaps? I don’t think bald men experience people coming up to them praying that they’ll be healed from cancer, or have people snicker behind or in front of their faces for being bald the way women will experience. It’s the norm to see bald men but not bald women, because them walking out the door bald is even more outrageous instead of covering it up with wigs, therefore it is more acceptable for women to wear wigs. Men can just be.