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Androgenetic alopecia with frizzy curly hair left on my scalp: Hairpiece or wig?
I have had androgenetic alopecia for over 20 years now, and I have to say that my case is probably not the worst as I still have hair on my head. This is why I wear hairpieces only (volumizers, not extensions, not possible as it would show). My big issue is that my own hair is very frizzy and a bit curly, very thin and dry. So I have to wash and style it every day with a flattening iron so that it matches my hairpieces that have straight haircuts (I don't like the curly look on me). If I were to just show my own natural hair, I would look like a character in a cartoon after an explosion (if you see what I mean). So not sexy at all!
I look and feel much better with a hairpiece. But I am fed up having to style my remaining hair nearly everyday. If I don't style it everyday, it will not blend that well with the hairpiece. Anyway, I am at this point where I am ready to give up on my own hair, because I am fed up taking care of it, spending time and money on it, and spending money on hairpieces too. I am thinking of shaving my head next year, and getting a suction wig (I have tried other "regular" wigs before but hated them). I think that a suction wig would be the perfect solution for me. I am seeking experience, advice, and tips from ladies out there who specifically have remaining frizzy and curly hair as they might understand my issues better. Thank you very much!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by xsanx on
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Hi :)
I have just recently been diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia - well when I say 'diagnosed' I mean - my GP said this is what you have, there is nothing that can be done!
I am struggling to get my head around this. My main hair loss appears to be at the front of my head, on both sides. It is starting to look quite bad now & I have had to alter how I wear my hair.
I realise that this doesn't help you with your query, but I am finding it hard to find help with androgenetic alopecia - most of the literature appears to be aimed at the other forms of alopecia.
It's just nice to connect with someone else who may have some idea of what I am actually going through.
Good luck with your wig - I hope that you manage to find a solution that you are comfortable with.
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Permalink Reply by Miss Volume on
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Thank you for participating to this thread xsanx. At least we might learn some things together ;-)
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Xsanax,
Your hairloss sounds like mine! My loss is almost a Norwood 2 on the men's scale, but very embarrassing for a 55 yr old woman.
The dermatologist thought I had Frontal Fibroysing Alopecia, took a biopsy and came back with Female pattern hairloss, Androgenetic alopecia. She did prescribe Finasteride, and that seems to help in my thinning areas, but I don't think it will help grow my bangs back.
I have a topper now and have ordered a couple of cheap wigs to wear during this initial phase with Finasteride. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep and hide in my house I'm so embarrassed with the loss.
Wishing you luck as well
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Miss Volume,
I have had androgenetic alopecia for 16 or more years. It has been a long road with what I call "experiments" that either failed or somewhat worked. I used hairpieces for several years that were glued to my scalp. The glue irritated my skin tremendously, and I grew tired of having to worry about the glue coming undone or the hairpiece pulling away. This lead to research on wigs, and the research was extensive as I was quite apprehensive and resistant about wigs. Finally, though, I came to terms that I didn't want the hairpieces glued but I also didn't want to not have some form of cosmetic intervention. Wigs were the answer.
My first wig was through Follea. The hair was pretty and the fit was okay. However, I had many problems with how the company treated me.
I then investigated synthetics because I was working a nurse in an intensive care unit. The less expensive option of synthetics seemed like a good option in the event I was exposed to any situations at work. I found many fun styles through Wigs.com and no one knew that I was wearing a wig. In fact, I had multiple women stop me in malls, grocery stores, etc and ask if they could photograph my "haircut" to take to their stylist.
My second human hair wig was with Freedom wigs, which is a vacuum seal wig. The hair is beautiful but I've lost weight and the suction has changed. Also, I must shave before each wear in order to get a good fit.
There are pros and cons to shaving your head. The main thing is to be prepared. I finally was ready to shave my head. I constantly joked that I looked more like a sad baby chicken with my natural hair. I feel better with a shaved head than to see what little hair I have remaining, which is about 30%. However, I do have to shave about every third day. If I wear my Freedom wig, it's everyday. Shaving can cause scalp irritation too until you find the products that work for your skin. So there is a learning curve.
I'm not trying to talk you out of anything; I just want you informed. I found myself jumping into so many things and then having to learn and wishing someone had told me. I hope this information helps you explore your feelings as you move forward. Also, before you shave, make sure you have a very comfy cap that has no lumps or hems. You may get cold without the insulation that your used to on your head and I've found that caps with hems and embellishments can cause terrible pressure points while you sleep. Buffs are awesome to sleep in because they do not have any hems; they have a fleece lined option too for winter that I practically live in; I call them my snuggles for the head!
Feel free to ask any questions or message me. I'm happy to provide any further thoughts. The bottom line is that you are not alone in this.
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Megan, thank you so much for taking the time to write this very generous and very informative answer. Yes, I have passed this point of trying anything to get my hair back, because they won't. And I can even laugh about it now! Anything else - hairpiece or wig - looks better than my real hair anyway so this is why I am ready to shave my head. Sure it must feel special and it must be emotional the first time we do it. But I guess that it is like anything else, a new habit to take. I have contacted someone from Freedom Wigs already. She was very nice and took the time to explain many things on the phone. I will send you a private message later, thank you for your offer. I have many questions about these vacuum wigs, and also about the shaving part and potential issues related to it.
It is true that with Androgenetic Alopecia we can feel very isolated. And I like the image of the sad baby chicken with a few hair on top. I laughed. Yep, looks like it ;-)
I will message you soon. Thanks again Meagan. Your answer is really helpful :)))
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That's exactly what I had! Once I made the decision to wear wigs, I decided to go full on and shave my head. I shave every day. I've never tried a suction wig; I always worry that it would be too hot for me and that the stubble would interfere with the grip. I've ended up getting human hair wigs that are straight -- and, as a former frizzy, curly hair person, this silky and straight hair has been a dream come true. ;)
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Hi Stacie :-) So if I well understand, you shave your head but you do not wear a vacuum or a succion wig, you wear "regular" wigs only, with human hair? I wonder if it is not still too hot? The wigs I have tried were too hot and itchy. And I would fear that the wig slips away. May I ask where you buy your human hair wigs? You can send me a private message if you prefer not to name brands here. Thank you Stacie :-)
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Hi, Miss Volume -- yes, I wear human hair wigs from Amy Gibson/Created Hair. The hair is all Russian/European. The caps are light and very breathable and quite secure. The cap style that I have now doesn't even require tape.
Before I lost my hair, I had short, very fine, curly hair. So when I first started wearing wigs, everything felt a little warmer, because I suddenly had a normal head of hair covering my head! ;) I got used to that pretty quickly.
I shave because it's the best option for me. I feel that it makes the wig cap fit more smoothly on my particular head and is cooler for me. Amy's stylist shaved my head for the first time and showed me how to do it. The two of them are incredibly supportive, super funny, and totally delightful. We turned on music, ate a bunch of candy, and told funny stories while my head was shaved. The experience was actually a very good one and it's a very fond memory for me - I had fun and I was extremely relieved to be moving forward.
When I first started wearing wigs, I did go through a period where I was scared that the wig would come off somehow - big wind or someone, for some reason, would grab my hair and pull it off. About two months after I started wearing wigs, there were big winds. A friend of mine and I stood outside and she watched my hair move; everything was great, couldn't make out that I was wearing a wig at all. And I eventually realized that the likelihood of some person coming up and pulling my hair hard enough and in exactly the right way for the wig to come off was pretty much zero. That fear was just the result of wig wearing being new to me.
I do find that when I wear wigs that have silicone strips across the forehead and at the temples, I tend to wear double stick tape to make it feel more secure. When I sweat, the silicone just gets a little slippery, so the tape helps. I don't have silicone in my latest piece, so I don't need the tape.
Hope all this helps!
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Thank you very much Stacie. Yes, it does help. A lot of good info and advice :)
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Well, androgenetic alopecia is a serious problem which the men and women both are facing so ..I would recommend hair loss treatment which gives natural result and is permanent . Must Go through this.
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There is no silver bullet treatment/cure for AA. Most treatments will not result in new or better hair growth/quality. Rather, most available treatments will, at best, slow hair loss. Many people - myself included - choose not to undergo treatment because it will likely be fruitless - and why should I undergo the emotional and physical strain of treatment that will never give me the hair that I want? Wigs allow me to have the hair that I always wanted -- a full head of shiny, beautiful, long hair. Wigs look more "natural" on my head than my bio-hair ever did. My choice is best for me.
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Permalink Reply by Stars-r-Aligned on
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Right. I don't want to get shots in my head just to see only two follicles of new growth...its a no from me.
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