Hi Dave--I'm older, yet newer to AU. I just came across a great website by a young guy with early Androgenic Alopecia called Young Hair Loss--the URL is exactly what you'd expect: http://younghairloss.com/

His major recommendation: Confidence! And it sounds like you're doing all the right things. I'm also losing weight--25# down and 50# to go. I made my modest goal of getting below 200# by Thanksgiving.

The best example I have seen of living well while hairless is the manager of a chain restaurant near my home. Before my Alopecia moved "uptown" to my head, I had noticed him. My first reaction was that he's a handsome guy and very upbeat and friendly (which he would have to be out on the floor). It was only after a couple of visits that I noticed his lack of eyebrows behind his eyeglasses. After I bit the bullet and shaved my head, I approached him and he was very willing to chat. He's now in his late 40s and has had AU for around 20 years. He came to terms with it fairly early. His big stumbling block was he played in bands and all the other musicians had hair past their shoulders. One of his bandmates told him to ditch the wig and go with his own look. He found that it worked and that it wasn't giving him any trouble with the ladies. Now his kids all think he looks younger than the other dads because he has no gray hair.

Bottom line--physically he's a good looking man, but what really makes him stand out is his confident and outgoing manner. Granted, I have not seen him outside his workplace, but I suspect that he's not that different. I think you're making the right choice. I'm finding that having my Alopecia progress is actually becoming a catalyst for me and shaking me out of my lethargy. Sure, it's still a little weird seeing the Buddha in the mirror instead of Santa Claus, but it's DIFFERENT! Now I just have to decide who and what I want this new person to be.

Good luck and keep up the good work.