A teenager who began to lose his hair at age 16 described the experience as “completely exhausting.”
Judah Cousin, 19, said that the baldness made him isolated from his family and friends, and that his life was “controlled” by the condition.
“I didn’t go out if I winded, I wasn’t going to swim, I always went to the gym with a cap … I remember showering three times for the hair to be perfect and ended up late to my graduation party for that,” he said.
The common baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss in men and usually begins between 20 and 25 years, according to the National Institute for the quality of Health and Assistance in the United Kingdom (Nice for its acronym in English).
It is caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors, and usually involves hair loss in the front and side of the scalp before progressing towards the back of the head.
Cousin, from Cardiff’s Welsh city, said that when his friends began to comment on his hair loss their insecurities increased and their parents began to worry.
“I was in total denial,” he said.
“I have hundreds and hundreds of my videos in which I look miserable, checking my hair and the progress of the fall. I was fully controlled by this.”
Cousin said that when he told his friends that comments on his hair loss affected him, they began to respect their limits and support him.
The young man explored treatment options such as medications and capillary implants, including a semi -permanent capillary prosthesis that now uses frequently, and expressed his hope that others can do the same “without shame.”
“It’s about seeing what gives you more confidence, and being open about it is an advantage,” he said.
He is also making a film based on his own experiences, which hopes to “dismiss” hair loss.
How can common baldness be treated?
There is no cure for androgenic alopecia, but those who suffer from it have options.
In the United Kingdom, for example, there are two authorized medications to treat this condition ,: Finasteride and Minoxidil. None is available in the Public Health Service, and both can cause unwanted side effects.
According to the British Association of Dermatologists, capillary systems, such as wigs, tupues or extensions, and products to camouflage the skin, such as pigmented fiber aerosols, can help disguise baldness.
Surgical treatments, such as capillary transplants, can also be performed privately.
The hair transplant industry has experienced a boom in recent years and many young men travel to countries such as Türkiye to undergo surgery.
“I didn’t like what I saw”
It was Christmas Eve when Luke Shepherd was reflected in a mirror in a friend’s house and decided that he did not like what he saw.
“I was with my hair all combed back, very flat, sprinkled with almost half a can of spray to retouch roots and fibers.”
“I didn’t like what I saw.”
In January, Shepherd made a hair prosthesis that, according to him, has “changed your life completely.”
The 34 -year -old, who is a primary school teacher, said he felt a lot of pressure to look perfect.
“I saw so many people with different hairstyle styles on Instagram and I thought: ‘I would like to do that’, but I couldn’t,” he said.
“I watched television programs and everyone had perfect hair. For me, it was almost as if I wanted to have those opportunities; I felt my hair was braking me.”
“I just couldn’t continue like this because I was depressing, the lack of hair made me feel bad with myself, so I took measures to solve this.”
“Less stigma”
The former Rugby Professional player Xavier Rush waited to retire from sport to undergo a capillary transplant. He did not want to do it before to avoid the “abuse” that he could have received from other players, he said.
The former cardiff player and New Zealand opened a capillary transplant business after several men asked him about his procedure.
“We are in the Instagram era, people make calls by Zoom. Many people call me and tell me: ‘My God, I see my head in the camera every day and I don’t like it,” Rush said.
“There is less and less stigma around capillary transplants,” he added.
“But, said that, I was still terrified by the procedure as to how it would look. Would it look natural? Would it always seem to make me a capillary transplant?”
Sharon Thomas, a specialist in capillary replacement without surgery who creates capillary prostheses for men and women, commented that he served customers between 17 and 80 years.
“I’ve been doing this since 1996. When I started, capillary prostheses were much thicker and took much longer to get,” he said.
“Now, about 70 % of our clients are men.”
“Capillary transplants take longer, while this is an instant solution, volume is achieved and is cheaper.”
“There is a big difference. Even when customers come and are done the test for the first time, they are seen smiling.”
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