I just wanted to share my experience to those of you considering being bald or fighting against it by taking the medication Propecia. I shaved my head when I was 22, I thought it was the WORST thing in the world. I hid under a hat for a long time before I took the plunge. After I did the deed with a zero I still wasn't happy with it so I went to the dermatologist to see if I was suffering from Alopecia Areata (which I knew wasn't the case, I was just looking for hope). That day sealed my fate.
The dermatologist SOLD me unto Propecia claiming it was the magical formula that every guy was looking for and assured me the side effects were next to none. What could I lose right? I was drastically hit by all the physical side effects the first month : aching balls, impotence, low libido, etc. I found out quick what was worse than balding. I just figured I would give my body some time to heal. During this time I was still insecure about balding and kept my new and elite problem tucked away in the back of my mind because I had too much going on: college, new job, probation, etc. It's actually funny because as soon as I said F*#k Propecia, I found this site and saw a thread by the forum creator Tyler giving all a warning about Propecia; had I found this site 1 month sooner it prolly would have saved my life.
A year went by and I wasn't sexually active because of the impotence problem and still somewhat insecure about my bald head. Then low and behold one day I just snapped out of it and instantly fell in love with my bald head. Literally one day I looked in the mirror and finally accepted myself as a bald man, I grew that day. Ironically balding was the absolute BEST thing that ever happened to me.
It taught me not to take things so personally, not to take things so seriously, just accept myself for who I am, that life isn't about looks its about attitude. After that day, girls were literally throwing themselves at me like NEVER before; young, old, black, white, asian, co-workers, bosses, "taken" chicks and being brutally honest even cousins. I just couldn't do a damn thing about it. I was always viewed as an attractive guy growing up; got most attractive in high school, ranked #2 hottest guy in america by cosmo girl in 2005, was a model (I quit because I was afraid they wouldn't like me anymore because of my balding), dated the hottest girls. I was humble but banked on my looks because I viewed myself as average at everything else I did in life and honestly thought thats why people liked me, which is why I was so scared about balding. Young and vain. And looking back now during my year I was somewhat insecure about my bald head, it wasn't about the way I looked but the way I viewed myself; so thats how people viewed and interpreted me. People can smell someone who is insecure and someone that is confident.
Going bald is a funny thing. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. There is something about a confident bald man that screams "This is me, and I don't give a F*$K what you think about it". If I knew then what I know now, I would have shaved my head bald in High School. If you're a young sensitive person like I was, you were meant to go bald. Balding will make you soft, then slowly start hardening you up till you become rock hard, then you eventually turn into air. And what can people say to you when they see their words can no longer penetrate you, can no longer even bounce off you; they see their words will simply go right threw you so theres nothing to say. Balding was a lesson and a blessing in disguise that I rejected because I couldn't come to terms with it right away. And that modeling agency I quite because I was afraid they wouldn't like me anymore because of my bald head, HAHAHA so ironic they liked me even more. Balding taught me more about myself than anything else on this earth ever did. And I used it as a metaphor for many other things. I started being above average in everything else I did in life because if I could conquer balding, I could conquer anything.
Unfortunately this great time in my life lasted only about a year. I thought what Propecia caused were only physical damages. I completely ignored it because I was finally so genuinely grateful for everything else I had in life and because I got confidence not only from being bald but excelling at everything else I put my mind to (besides sex). Something triggered mentally and all went to hell..literally. I really believe my impotence problem caused me to become schizophrenic. I'm now 25 and my whole past year has been a complete waste and I can go on and on about the ways in which that one mistake I made destroyed my life. I honestly feel like my soul has been stolen from me. I care about nothing. I'll have a nightmare , wake and I'm still in one. My passion, gift, interests, opinions, friends, attitude, respect, integrity, health, emotions, etc have all been taken away.
I've never been to war, never battled cancer and don't know what its like to lose a child but Propecia has severely damaged my entire life in so many ways, shapes and forms. There is no honor or respect in the way I ruined my life. I read member stories on here and it just reminds me of the good ole days when I was just insecure about balding. I never did bic my head bald even when I did fall in love with it because I knew in a way I hadn't earned it. And I would tell fence sitters to keep their head at a zero until their fully confident with it, only then can you earn the razor. The confidence and originality you get from being a bald man is indescribable. Wear it with pride.
Wow! What an incredibly personal and important testimony.
Every single man that is considering using Propecia should be made to read this.
Welcome to the Forum, RD. You're 25 my Friend. Take some simple advice from an "old" guy. We all have trials in our lives and there is not a single one that cannot be overcome. That cinfidence that you wore for a year is the key. Find it and hold it close to your heart.
My life was in the toilet when I was in my early thirties. I decided to fix it. You CAN do the same for yourself.