Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Figarosmom on December 2, 2011 at 9:39am

Hi Jennah

A fellow FPB'er here (Female Pattern Baldness). We got to stick together girl. :-)

Okay. I am very recently diagnosed as my blog post says and I have the same mixed messages you have. Oh its FPB...oh no it's TE. Whatever!!! The point is my hair is falling out! I am 42 BTW. But it doesn't matter when it happens, it sucks every time.

Let me see. Shave your head. Yes your hair will grow back. The hair you have lost from FPB may not. But any healthy hair follicules you have that hair will continue to grow so don't worry about that. You said your hair is already short and if your picture is any indication, it's just to the shoulder? You don't need to shave that off to wear a wig. Use a wig cap to tuck it up and hold it in place. There are a few kinds of caps out there and I am still looking for one I like. My hair is to mid-back (it was down to my waist 3 months ago) and I manage to fit it in a wig but it does make it uncomfortable. I would think your length shouldn't pose any trouble.

I know EXACTLY how you feel about wanting to feel normal. AMEN!!!! I am not 29 but I still feel young and look young! I don't want to feel like an elderly women either. HR causes every person who gets it to become a new person, this is what I am learning. We aren't the people we were. I know parts of us remain. If we had a sense of humor, chances are it's still in there somewhere...waiting to come back when we feel "normal" again. Or if you are brilliant at math..it's still there. so..you are STILL you... but the new parts of you need time to assimilate into the existing you.

Now wigs. First off, have you heard of a site called wigsupport.com? The ladies on there ROCK and are totally awesome. Great attitudes and very positive. Join it. I'm on there too! :-) There you will learn TONS about wigs. Also there are lots of videos on sites like voguewigs.com and wigs.com, plus real people on Youtube, so you can see how they look and learn about cap construction, etc. You may also wish to consider a top piece (or topper) or a "fall." The differene between these I am still learning, but I think it mainly has to do with where your hair loss is. Is it mostly on top or is it at the crown? I think that determines fall versus topper. I am looking a toppers because I would like to do Rogaine and am concerned I will be very bald after that shed.

Don't fade on me Jennah! Keep talking!!! Keep a journal!! Write me! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Jennah on December 13, 2011 at 3:19pm

Hi Figarosmom!

Sorry for the late reply I have been having internet connection problems!!

Also I just wrote you a large reply and then lost it by hitting the wrong key! how annoying haha!

I agree the mixed messages on diagnosis are irritating! if I could only get a concrete diagnosis I think that would help.

The comment you made regarding the people we were is so true! I think I have lost a piece of who I once was with my hairfall, however the fun bubbly person I once was is still in there. We just need to learn how to drag it back out again so that we can live our lives and be happy again! It is so hard though isn't it? I find it has impacted on so many areas of my life work, relationships, self.

I will definitely check out wig support after I have written this comment as it seems to come with rave reviews from many who have visited :)

I have also been looking on voguewigs.com and am finding they have great selection. Have you tried any Amore wigs? I have been looking at Erica not sure of the quality of Amore though?

I had a bad experience with getting a topper made by a company here in New Zealand it didn't turn out well at all and terrible quality so am reluctant to try any others.

Do you know much about rogaine?

I love your cat by the way gorgeous!!!

How is your struggle going?

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Permalink Reply by Figarosmom on December 13, 2011 at 3:44pm

Hi Jennah

Darn internet! Amore wigs. There is a gal on wigsupport.com named Marey. She has reviewed several Amore wigs. Unfortunately she had to take those reviews down do to Trolls on You Tube. But you can always post and ask her about them. My memory has it that she LOVED them. Nice hair texture. I think the cap runs a little big which isn't a bad thing I don't think. But overall my understanding is they are nice wigs. I have one marked on voguewigs under my wish list...oh actually 2. Brandi and Brittany. Okay who names these things. One thing I would like to know is how well do they hold up. I have a few forever youngs and I hear if you wear them everyday they have about a 6-8 week life span but they are $40 wigs.

Rogaine. I do know about Rogaine but have not used it. I have been debating about using it for a few months now. What holds me back is the initial shed. Right now I can get away without hair pieces. My hair doesn't look great but I still can. If I shed lots however, forget it. So after discussion with my husband I decided that right now it was not a good idea to use Rogaine. I am still too emotionally fragile and i think Rogaine would push me over the edge. Lili has used it and can tell you more than me. I just know that initially you shed and how much and how long is different for everyone. Then results are different for everyone. For some hair grows, for some hair stops shedding, or both and for others it does nothing. it also can stop working. And any hair you keep from it, if you stop using it, that hair falls out.

Figaro my kitty...yes he was a cutie. He passed away at the end of July and the next month I had the major shed that led me to discover my AGA. I loved him and miss him a lot. It's been a rough 4 months, let me tell you.

Today I feel okay, I still have little tiny panic moments in the morning. I don't always know why cause nothing changes.

How are you?

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Permalink Reply by Jennah on December 13, 2011 at 3:25pm

Hi Rose,

How are you?

I would love to get a human hair good quality wig,unfortunately my budget doen't stretch to that at the moment.

I have curly/ wavy ash blonde hair. can you suggest any wigs for me?

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Permalink Reply by Liz on December 2, 2011 at 10:14pm

Dear Jennah, I also have female pattern baldness. I started losing my hair in my late teens and have worn wigs on and off since then (I'm 52 now). For the last couple of years, I have worn a wig every day when I go out of the house. I do not usually sleep in my wigs. Over the years I have experimented quite a bit with different kinds of wigs and hairpieces. Recently, I prefer to wear Forever Young wigs from voguewigs.com. They are inexpensive but wear out quickly. I usually get a new one about every six weeks, because they get frizzy in the back by that time. Although it has been difficult losing my hair, I have learned to enjoy shopping for and wearing cute wigs, as well as hats and scarves. I get lots of compliments on my looks and it gives me confidence. Sometimes I feel a little guilty that I am wearing fake hair. On the other hand, I don't see why I should have to accept a problem that I had no choice in. I can choose to wear pretty hair if I want to! I know its hard but don't let this keep you from enjoying and living your life to the fullest!

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Permalink Reply by Lili on December 3, 2011 at 9:20am

I second Figarosmom on wigsupport, that place is so awesome and lurking and reading posts (I'm a new member) has boosted my confidence. Wigs look really nice now compared to when my mother was growing up. We've talked and I have FPB. Like Rose, I haven't shaved yet and wear my bio hair beneath a wig. -I tuck it under a wig cap. Abou the shaving- I think this is a totally personal decision and it has to feel right with YOU. Ultimately what others think you should do won't help that decision. I think everyone has a different level of what they can handle at the time. I've written that when my FPB starts to reach acertain level of noticeable, I'm going to shave. I think that with my comfort level, it would be easier for me to see clean shaven in the mirror than painfully thin, scraggly unflattering hair. My hair loss has been going on for over 2 years but I started with so much, that it didn't become noticeable till November. I had a really bad three month shed and had a normal looking head of hair, ie you couldn't see my scalp, in september. Now my hair is visibly thinning but not too horrible, but if it stays like this I can keep from shaving a while longer. I want to put off that moment as long as possible LOL. But the moment it looks worse than this off.it goes! I don't want to hold on too long. So in answer to if you should shave, I'd say do it when/if you reach an intolerable-but-not-too-far-gone look, but it's up to you to decide when/if you've reached that place... And this is just MHO...do what feels right!

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Permalink Reply by Lili on December 3, 2011 at 9:27am

Ps the ladies at wig support can prob help you find a good place to buy wigs.

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Permalink Reply by Jennah on December 13, 2011 at 3:01pm

Thanks for the comment Lily. Yes I don't think I am able to let go of my hair just yet, but I think when I am ready I may have to.

I will definitely check out wig support that sounds good. At the moment I am in the transistion period of finding a wig (which is difficalt) so I don't really have anything to hide the condition and I feel a little exposed and like everyone is looking at the issue! I know that is probably silly to think they say everyone is most focused on themselves in the street,not on strangers! However is saying that I do still feel terribly self concious about it.

It really helps knowing that there are other people like yourself going through the same issues as I am (which is horrible to say in a way I know!)

Do you wear a wig at the moment? :)

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Permalink Reply by Jennah on December 13, 2011 at 3:26pm

I thought you couldn't use heat on synthetic wigs??

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Permalink Reply by Jennah on December 13, 2011 at 3:22pm

Hey Liz thanks so much for the comment!

How are you?

Sorry for the late reply have been having issues with my internet connection (all sorted now :)).

If you don't mind me asking what is the extent to your hairloss at the moment. I seem to be losing most at the top and also all over.

Have you had any experience with Amore wigs, I have been looking at Erica?

:)

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