For most blokes, there's a moment when you realise you're in a dog fight with your own hairline.
They'll be guys reading this in their mid-thirties/forties who've been holding out for quite a while. For others who aren't so lucky, you may be reading this in your early 20's (I feel for you lads).
Either way, you've had THE scare and found yourself at a fork in the road.
Do you embrace the bald, or fight for those follicles.
If you're swaying more towards the latter, then keep reading and because in this post I reveal how I salvaged victory from the jaws of defeat.
Turning this into this...
Act Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace
My turning point was seeing THAT photo... you know the one.
Where you almost have to do a double take to verify that it's actually your hairline. You inch a little closer to the phone to confirm that is in fact you with the tragic balding spot.
This might signal the end of the golden era for your flourishing barnet, but let me start by putting your mind at ease.
You're losing your hair at a moment in time when it's never been easier to gain it back.
The secret is acting quick!
The longer you leave it, the more you're looking down the barrel of a trip to Turkey or embracing complete baldness.
The faster you act, the more likely you are to revive that top rug.
My biggest regret is not acting quicker and salvaging more of my hairline. However, I was able to recover some of what was lost. Taking me from the before and after above in around 7 months.
Your Fate is Sealed
Losing your hair is proven to be hereditary. That means the the fate of your follicles is inherited from either your mother or father's side of the family.
My destiny was 50/50...
My dad is one of 7 brothers and when he got remarried many years ago, let's just say me and my brothers were the only males who packed hair dryers. It was like a line up of Harry Hill look-a-likes. It wasn't looking promising.
My grandad however (my mothers dad), had a glorious head of hair and to be honest, that's the glimmer of hope my hairline and I had been clinging onto for several years.
But to be honest, I've had a pretty good run!
It wasn't until age 33 that I had to take my hair loss more seriously. That is considering the first time I really noticed it getting thin was around age 26 (more on this below).
The rate at which you lose your hair varies person to person, but there's severval factors that contribute to it...
Stress
Nutrition
Tight hairstyles
Infections
Autoimmune conditions
Hormone imbalances
Radiation therapy
Being a personal trainer in Sheffield and therefore involved in the fitness industry, I've seen first hand, through close friends, how performance enhancing drugs also rapidly increase the rate of male pattern baldness (for the record, I've never personally tried them, possibly why it held on for so long).
The Moment I Knew!
As mentioned, I first noticed my hair going thin age 26. I'd just cut it short, down to a number 3, and there was no signs of anything untoward during that first trim. But during the months that followed, someone took a photo whilst my head was down and I was staggered to see how much it had regressed.
Of course, denial crept in and I'm pretty sure I convinced myself it was just the lighting or natural thinning that happens as you get older.
Over the next few months however it really bugged me, and every time I went for a haircut I could see it staring back at me.
So I ultimately did what most men do in this situation.
I grew it out and forgot it was even an issue. The hair loss equivelant of sweeping it under the rug. Problem solved! Or at least for a while.
It wasn't until this year, close to my 33rd birthday, that I realised it had gone from a relatively small issue, to a full blown crisis.
THAT morning, everything changed.
I recall waking up with a bit of bed head. My hair had shifted from its usual quiffed position to now hanging down over my forehead.
As I walked past one of the mirrors upstairs, genuine horror stuck me, as I almost didn't recognise the person staring back at me.
It was enough of a shock, to result in a selfie that I sent to the mrs.
This prompted my second upset of the morning, as I was bombarded with 'crying laughing' emjoi's and some new baldy banter.
Yep, didn't like that at all - and certainly didn't want to get used to it.
Time For Action
I now needed to take this more seriously and look into potencial solutions. First stop, hair transplants in Turkey,
No seriously, I researched all the best places. How much they charge, the logistics, recovery time, how long I'd be unable to train, side effects and worse case scenarios.
I was convinced this was my only option to solve the ensuing monstrosity,
That was until the algorithms began throwing every hair loss alternative you can image at me on social media.
My feed was bombarded with everything from rosemary oil, laser therapy, mens wigs and toupees (crazy how good these look nowadays to be fair)
But one did catch my attention.. hair loss tablets.
A pill that's delivered to your doorstep, you take it once a day and it claims to re-grow your hair within 3-6 months. Definitely sounded too good to be true.
I got drawn in by some good marketing and a fancy website. But after a lot of research it seemed these tablets had good backing.
Admittedly, they sound very black market, snake oil, witch doctor esque. However, I found out they're prescribed by actual doctors and came with a money back guarantee if they didn't work.
They do have some side effects. The most worrying being complications with future offspring. But I have one beautiful little girl already and for the sake of my own confidence levels, I thought this was worth a punt.
I came to the conclusion that this would be my first and only attempt at salvaging the barnet before I hop on a plane to the land of conveyor belt cosmetics.
Hair loss pills, please, work your magic!
What Are They? Which One Do I Choose?
The two main compounds in each pill that work together to boost your hair growth are finasteride and minoxidil.
Finasteride - A prescription tablet that blocks the production of a male hormone that causes hair loss. Finasteride is also used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men and excessive hair growth in women.
Minoxidil
A solution that improves blood flow to hair follicles. Minoxidil can also be used to treat high blood pressure.
Side effects - Minoxidil's side effects are usually localised, like skin irritation or itchiness at the application site. Finasteride can have systemic side effects, including sexual dysfunction or mood changes in rare cases.
There's quite a few different companies out there offering this type of hair loss treatment. The top three being Hims, Sons UK and Manual.
I went Manual - for a few reasons...
Firstly, in true Yorkshireman style, if I can get it cheaper, it's already a front runner. And I'd stumbled across a discount code through a barbers instagram page.
I also liked how easy the questionnaire process was. Simple, easy, informal. Didn't feel like I was filling out a form at the doctors.
Once I'd answered a series of questions, about where exactly I'm experiencing hair loss, how long it's being going on, what my preferences are in terms of treatment etc.
I was then given their recommended course of treatment.
The finasteride and minoxidil tablets are the main component. But they suggest some extras based on your answers. These include a spray, shampoo and vitamins. I was recommended the spray and also opted for the shampoo.
I'd been using the likes the Alpicin and variations of for years, so I was keen to see if there's had any additional impact.
Let The Regrowth Begin!
The first thing they warn you about when starting this treatment is more initial hair loss.
Yep, to grow more, you have to lose more... apparently.
Here's how I understand it. The goal is to increase blood flow to the folicles that are left on your head. If you look closely within the area's you're going thin, you'll notice out of each follicle is only one strand of hair.
The goal is not to grow more follicle's (hence why it's important you act fast with hair loss - once the follicle is gone, it's gone).
The goal is actually to grow more hair strands out of each follicle. Boosting that one measly strand to 4-5. Making your hair look thicker.
When the minoxidil kicks in and begins increasing initial blood flow, the first reaction from the follicle is to discard the current hair strands, hence the reason for more hair loss initially.
Overtime as the follicle gets a new and improved supply of blood, it's able to produce more hair strands.
So, brace yourself for some rough moments in the first 4-6 weeks.
How Long Does It Take?
Don't think this is a quick fix!
I knew from the start that it would take some time to kick in. But when 3 months rolled by and I hadn't seen any changes, I was a little concerned.
After reading more in the expected time frames for results, I saw more people recommending you wait at least 6-9 months before calling it quits.
So I stuck it out.
At the 5-6 month mark I noticed the first signs of things improving and by 7 months in, I felt confident enough to take my first after picture.
Have I Noticed Any Side Effects
I really had to think back over the last 8 months to make sure I was being as honest as possible when answering this
I even pulled up the list of symptoms again just to make sure.
But honestly, nothing.
I can't recall it effecting my health in any way. My performances in the gym (or bedroom for that matter - yes this is a possible side effects).
I've had some bouts of overwhelm and feeling low in mood, but they're correlated more with work stresses.
There's been no physical irritation on my scalp or skin. No headaches or massive bouts of tiredness (no more than I'm used to with a 2 year old).
There is the underlying issue with disruption to future fertility, which I guess I won't know about unless we decide to have another child. But maybe I'll report back if that ever becomes an issue.
Just an FYI - although I've experienced none of the symptoms laid out from the start, this isn't to say you won't experience some. If for whatever reason you do, definitely consult your GP and get a second opinion.
Final Thoughts
I've always said, you can't put price on confidence. To feel like a self-assured, positive, confident bloke, is priceless, and losing your hair puts a massive dampener on all the above.
So if that means making the most of modern interventions to not only reclaim your hair, but your confidence as a man, it's a not brainer in my opinion.
It's really hard for me to say anything negative about the whole experience of hair loss tablets and in particular, Manual.
The facts are - was having a massive crisis with my hair and these tablets swung the ball back in my favour.
I said it from the start, it seemed almost too god to be true. But sometimes you roll the dice and it pays off.
It was simple and easy from the get go and let's be honest, probably saved me a trip to Turkey and fortune in hair transplant fees.
I'm not guaranteeing this will work for you, because these tablets don't have a 100% hit rate in terms of effectiveness (studies suggest its around 85%). But I think for the price, it's worth a punt.
As I near the 9 month mark of my time with Manual, I've got some idea's about my next steps.
I'll likely do a follow up post at some point in the near future to fill you in on how successful I've been at maintaining the newly restored barnet.
Good luck lads!
Ryan
Comments