PRP / Exosomes – Podcast & Day 3 Update

On May 8th I posted a podcast (Episode 9) titled “My PRP Journey Update and The Power In Decision/ Action.” I also recorded video with it, which is just a video recording of the podcast, and I will post that below, along with the video I made this morning providing my Day 3 update since having my PRP & Exosome treatment here locally in Los Angeles. 

If you’ve heard the podcast, you can skip down to the second video, but if you haven’t, I do think it’s worth hearing to understand my whole thought process that went into deciding to do this, before taking the step to shave my head. This way, down the line if I ever reference 1,2,3 – we can all be on the same page as to what I am referring to as it pertains to the system I had put in place years ago for myself, that made living and accepting my hair loss situation completely manageable, doable, and removed it [hair loss] from controlling my life — dismantling the power it had formerly held over me, prior to my 1, 2, 3 system. Okay fine,  if you just want the punchline… here it is:

1) Wearing wigs (allowed me the ability to look and feel like myself again). Critical.

2) Cutting my hair into a massively short cut (quite often shorter than most men’s hair cut in the back), basically buzzed at back/nape and longer in front to integrate with my wigs. That action also happened same year as I started to wear wigs (2012). Cutting most of my hair off did two things. One, shorter hair tends to look thicker and two, it allowed me to not see the majority of the shedding. Seeing the shed (to me) is ONE of the most debilitating aspects of dealing with hair loss.  My hair is so freaking short, there are no tangles… which means the fallen hair is likely gonna slide out right in the shower without my knowledge. Usually. Total Win.

3 ) Lastly, and quite important for myself… PRP therapy (started doing this in Nov 2019). PRP therapy didn’t grow all my hair back, but it reduced the shedding, and slowed the progression of my hair loss. This was important to me. I do like to utilize some of my hairline with my wigs to enable them to look more natural and I also enjoyed keeping as much hair on my head as my body would allow. So 1,2,3. That’s the system I had in place. For a longer deep dive into my mind saga please listen to the podcast. 

Yesterday was more of an emotional day than I thought it would be, the visibility and reality of the current state of my hair that was highlighted by the treatment (temporarily ), as in injection sites/ blood on scalp… was more than I really I’d ever seen before (in 10 years of doing the PRP treatment).  I questioned what I was doing, and had it logically not been ill-advised, I might have made a run to the drug store for some clippers to call it a day. 

I share in the video from today a video I made yesterday, that illustrates where my hair line USED to be, so there are injection sites (redness)  seemingly into my forehead, but that’s really where my hair line formerly was, and not that long ago. For the video I just plopped a wig on my head, a little bit further back than I’d normally wear it, and of course with zero hairline integration/ blending as I normally have done for the last 8 years I’ve worn hair —  needless to say, the wig is looking sub-optimal, so if you’re into that, you’re in for a treat there.  But I digress, my hairline has been progressively thinning and moving back over the years, but this really has started to go next level for me. I massively appreciated that the doctor was able to see that on the onset of him looking at my scalp, he called it out..I didn’t have to talk myself into a blue streak and explain. To be honest, that was of tremendous comfort and gave me more confidence in this and him. 

I am often asked, why I continued to wear wigs over the years, if I was doing PRP. Or the reverse, why are you doing PRP if you wear wigs? PRP isn’t a cure, it allowed me to live out my 1,2,3, which allowed me to live beyond the confines of hair loss, and experience life AFTER hair loss. I wore my wigs loud and proud, still do — online and in my life… telling seemingly everyone. Everyone that knows me in life, knows I wear hair and that I have hair loss, and people that just meet me are likely to find out in short order if they say they like my hair, as I just let them know it’s a wig. That is separate and apart from all of this. I don’t want that to be confused at all with what I am currently contending with.

Hair loss is complicated, individual and how we approach living with it and dealing with it can be similar and also can be quite unique, as we all process things differently. Maybe doing 20 jumping jacks daily before you do whatever it is, is part of the program in your ability to deal with hair loss. Is it working? Perfect. Then it has value, because it has value to you. There is no right, and there is no wrong.

I chose to share this part of my journey, as I come to the crossroads I am at, because for 13 years since starting the Women’s Hair Loss Project in 2007, I have put my hair loss life/story/journey and experience out there in all its glory and quite often, non-glorious ways — so that other women knew they weren’t alone. So as I have done through the downs and ups and ups and downs, I share with you the place I arrive at, 21 years after my hair loss started in 1999…. at the age of 21. Again, for more of an understanding, please listen or watch the podcast to get caught up before the video I shot this morning.

Living with authenticity, sharing reality… and the fact that currently not everything is tied up in a pretty bow of a pretty wig…. allows me to also live proudly, I would feel like I would be doing a disservice to other women dealing with hair loss, to not share this part. If you’ve been with me since the start of THE WHLP, you’ve been with me at my lowest, you’ve joined me in a journey through transformation, rising up and wig wearing… From hiding behind sunglasses, to living out loud, and now we are here. Knowing ahead of time there could be a brick to the head years down the road, even after you find your peace at this moment (however which way you do) can be of some value…. I think so anyways. It’s just another point for transformation.

So without further ado… Below is the media that brings you all current to where I am today.  Much Love to All! 
XOXO
~Y

Video Recording of Podcast From May 8th

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Today’s Update

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