Thankful for Effective Hair Loss Solutions

Christopher Erstner [00:00:02]:
So, like, I think that's part of the issues that men have is, like, I want to be attractive, and I want people attracted to me. And then, you know, we make the world go round, right? But in terms of, like, society changing their ideas about that, it really hasn't changed, because at least from my perspective, men were just. They kind of have the world on a string, right? I'd like to look a certain way. The world completely changed in a different way, and people are just like, you know what? I'm just gonna live life the way I want to live. And if that means that I have to admit to one or two things, I am going to seek help for hair loss. Or I'm not. It's one or the other. I gotta be me.

Tyler Morehead [00:00:56]:
Welcome to HairPod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I'm your host, Kevin Rolston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. This week, we are feeling the holiday spirit for those of us in the United States. Hopefully, we are all taking the time to think about gratitude for the things in life that bring us joy. I'm very happy for my hair, my family, my kids, football, you know, the things that really matter. And I'm thankful that I get to host the HairPod. Not only do I feel like I get to help people out who are looking for hair solutions like I have always been my entire life, but I'm learning a lot about hair loss myself, and I'm starting to apply some of the things I've learned right here on the HairPod.

Tyler Morehead [00:01:52]:
And I'm thankful that you're listening. Thank you so much. As we enter into the season of gratitude, we want to revisit some of our most inspiring conversations with guests who have shared their stories with us, from the challenges they experienced to the joy that they felt when they finally got their hair back. If you've been watching your hair get thinner and you're feeling a little bit down about it, we hope these amazing guests can show you that there are options out there. And, hey, maybe someday you're going to be sharing your own hair journey with others and helping them out too. Our first clip is from Tyler Morehead. Yeah, great name for a guy losing your hair. Tyler is a filmmaker and an outdoor enthusiast.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:34]:
He came on the show to share his story with us. Starting all the way Back when he first began to notice a little extra hair coming out in the shower.

Tyler Morehead [00:02:46]:
I think I kind of started noticing somewhere around, it was early 20s, say maybe somewhere around 23, 24. I was living in New York at the time, in New York City, and I just started noticing hair on the bottom of the shower when I got done, you know, showering. And at first I didn't really think that much of it, but it seemed like it was just getting more and more. So it took a little while for me to physically notice that was happening. But yeah, it just kind of crept in one night and that's, that's what it was.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:14]:
What age were you when you finally tried to do something about it? What were the first steps you took?

Tyler Morehead [00:03:20]:
Let's see, what would I have been about 30? I was in my mid-30s at that point and you know, I lived in, worked in, in la. I was. Filmmaking is really was what I wanted to do. And so I'd go on these sets and I had hair and makeup artists that would always say, oh, you should try this stuff. And there's all kinds of little things you can put in your hair to make it look a little thicker. And I was doing them all, you know, I was trying them all. But I think by the time I hit my mid-30s, I kind of started getting tired of doing that and it just seemed to be getting a little bit harder and harder to do that too. And you know, I have to credit my mom on that one.

Tyler Morehead [00:03:53]:
One day she said, hey, you know, why don't you check out no hair club?

Kevin Rolston [00:04:00]:
Like many people, Tyler had reservations about trying a new hair loss solution. He wasn't sure what to expect. And even when he went in for his consultation, he wasn't sure which direction to go. He didn't want to pursue a surgical option and he wasn't sure how the non surgical options would look. Thankfully, his biggest cheerleader, his mom, convinced him to give it a try. After all, if he wasn't happy with the result, after all, if he wasn't happy with the result, he could always go back to the way things were. So he had really nothing to lose. After Tyler tried a hair system for the very first time, his decision was made.

Tyler Morehead [00:04:42]:
You know, I, it sounds so cliche, but I really remember that, that moment vividly actually, because initially, you know, they, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I saved the picture. They took a picture of me before and one right after. But I'll never forget, they didn't let me look in the mirror until it was done. They said, don't do it. Just let us do what we need to do. You look at it when you're done, and if you want to keep it, you're good. Well, when they wheeled me around in the chair, they swung it around, and I saw myself in the mirror. I made the joke to myself, and this is a farm kid thing.

Tyler Morehead [00:05:15]:
Like, we don't speak up too much about much. But I remember thinking to myself, oh, there's that guy. I haven't seen him in forever. And it was just a really great feeling. And when I left there, I'll never forget, too, I had a big dog at the time. I had an Akita. She had been in the house all day long. So I.

Tyler Morehead [00:05:33]:
When I got done at Hair Club that day, I went home to walk her, to let her out and let her do her thing. And I remember walking her, you know, around the area where I live, and it just felt great. I didn't have to wear a hat. I didn't have to worry about all the hair junk in my hair. I mean, it was just one of the most amazing things. I just. To this day, I still remember how it feels.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:53]:
You used to do some modeling too, is that right?

Tyler Morehead [00:05:55]:
I did. That was back in my younger years when I still had my good looks or whatever looks I did have.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:02]:
So when you see yourself, you're in an industry where, you know, everything is your image and your appearance. Did you feel a little bit of that same kind of confidence you used to have as the younger model, Tyler?

Tyler Morehead [00:06:15]:
Honestly, yeah, I had it all. I mean, I had all that confidence back. I mean, it was pretty wild, you know, and at the same time, there was always a little bit of trepidation, too, because I knew what I had done, and I always wondered how many other people knew. And, you know, I think going back to what you said earlier, fewer people, I think, have recognized it or seen it or even asked me about it.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:36]:
Yeah.

Tyler Morehead [00:06:36]:
Than I thought would.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:42]:
Tyler's experience is a great reminder that the first and most important thing you need to consider when choosing a hair loss solution is to focus on how it makes you feel. Tyler felt his confidence come back, and he saw that guy in the mirror that he hadn't seen in a while. And this is the experience of so many guests that we talk to here on the HairPod. Hair loss can be an emotional thing. It can cause a lot of discomfort or anxiety. For many people, hair is tied to their sense of self identity and maybe most importantly, their confidence. And Tyler was no exception. Our next guest story is unique in that she was born with a rare condition that caused her hair loss at birth.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:23]:
Abby Jensen was diagnosed with amniotic band syndrome. This condition caused scarring on her scalp, and a lot of her hair never came in. Things could have gone very differently for her if her mother hadn't found Hair Club for Kids when Abby was just 4 years old.

Abby Jensen [00:07:47]:
I was 4 years old when I started a hair club. So my mom was very on the ball of, like, I don't want her to go to school without hair. So we started with. I forget the organization, but there was one that wouldn't help me because I didn't have cancer. And then my mom found Hair Club for Men, because back then it was just called For Men. There was really nothing else. And I would have to ask my mom who the directors or the people in charge were, but she found them, and they kind of were like, okay, let's meet with her. Let's see what we can do.

Abby Jensen [00:08:16]:
So they met with me and my parents, and I've been a client now for 20 years, and they.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:20]:
Wow.

Abby Jensen [00:08:21]:
Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:22]:
20 years.

Abby Jensen [00:08:23]:
20 years.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:25]:
That is crazy.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:26]:
Tell me a little bit about your journey.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:28]:
You started when you were four with Hair. You talked about, you know, the different.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:32]:
Wigs that they have, and they have an amazing. I mean, the. The technology and the advancement of wigs. And you can speak to this more than I can. Have you seen just the technology and how it's changed from when you were four until what you can see now?

Abby Jensen [00:08:45]:
Oh, yeah. So I remember my first wig was one I could put on and take off. So my parents had, like, a little head that we would put my hair on. We would go out in public, and then I'd go home and they would take it off and I'd be without it. And then my mom slowly realized that this was not sustainable for, I mean, a kid, like, running around, like, swimming and dancing and stuff. So we got into. They came up. Well, I'm.

Abby Jensen [00:09:07]:
I'm sure I was not the first person to do this, but they had me start using a hair piece that I could glue onto my head. So they used, like, a poly fuse kind of solution in the back of my head because it's less sensitive. So I tape in the front and glue in the back for a long time. And they. I was able to swim, I could dance, I could run, I could shower, I could straighten it if I wanted to, like, add heat products and stuff. So that was, I mean, huge. It allowed me to be normal, like my Friends and, like, my parents and everyone else I knew. So that was.

Abby Jensen [00:09:38]:
I mean, just huge in itself to be able to have the hairpiece. I mean, it just. It saved me, honestly. Like, I can be normal. I can look normal. And you wouldn't know that I wear a wig unless you asked. And I used to be so hidden about it.

Christopher Erstner [00:09:52]:
I.

Abby Jensen [00:09:52]:
Like, if people would tell me, oh, like, I heard this, I. Whatever. And I was just like, no, like, that's not true. Like, my hair is real. I used to hide it. Actually, I'm 24 now, so I've gotten to the point where I can share it. I tell my friends. I mean, I've only just recently started taking my hair off every so often, so I can kind of get used to washing my head on my own, because that was something I could never do to be able to share with my friends and family.

Abby Jensen [00:10:15]:
It was a. I mean, a big thing for. I even come to work now with a scarf on, and that's pretty big, too.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:20]:
So what are the reactions you get?

Kevin Rolston [00:10:21]:
What do people say?

Abby Jensen [00:10:23]:
And, well, now they love it. I mean, yeah, I tell people now and they're like, wow, Like, I can't believe. Like, I mean, you go through that. I can't believe you deal with this. I can't believe you can talk about it so freely. I mean, that's. It's huge to be able to say to people like, oh, this is what I deal with. This is what I have.

Abby Jensen [00:10:39]:
And to show people. I think it's. When I was younger, I wanted someone to look up to, and I didn't have that. I didn't have somebody that looked like me or that, like, had something similar to me. So it was. It was hard. I mean, honestly, it was very tough. But now I can be like, this is who I am.

Abby Jensen [00:10:54]:
It's not going anywhere. I can't change it. I can just embrace it. And I think that's kind of where I'm at is too. I can show my friends, I can show my family. I can be open to strangers about, like, my hair situation and everything. So I think it's a big growth mindset, but also just like an acceptance factor is it's okay to be different. It's okay to have something different than other people.

Abby Jensen [00:11:16]:
And that's the biggest lesson I've learned.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:22]:
Thanks to the efforts of her mom when she was little, Abby got to have a normal childhood and do everything she wanted to do without feeling singled out. Her incredible confidence and openness have brought her to the point where she now can be a role model to kids who are going through what she went through as a kid, and that is a testament to her growth and strength. She's not the only one who's experienced some growth when it comes to being open about their hair loss. Our society as a whole is starting to change and treat hair loss differently. Part of HairPod's mission is to talk openly about hair loss journeys of all kinds, and to share the challenges and the triumphs that touch everybody's life at some point or another. One of our most popular episodes of all time featured an interview with Christopher Erstner, a beauty expert and the founder of a cosmetics brand. We talked about his experience with hair loss and the changes he sees in society when it comes to men and the options that we have for changing our appearance.

Christopher Erstner [00:12:28]:
I think the first thing I did was, like, I didn't want to be that guy that was like, bozo, honestly, where it was just like, hair, and then so I just shaved it off. And then I got really comfortable with wearing hats. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:40]:
Okay, so you had. You went with no hair at all, then you decided to take the whole thing off?

Christopher Erstner [00:12:45]:
Yeah, absolutely. I figured that if I wasn't going to be able to do it right or look right, I was just going to get rid of it. And so I own probably every single coach hat that they've ever made. And I just kind of went along with that. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:59]:
How do you think that made you feel? Because I was almost there. That was the last step before I walked into hair club and got my system was I thought I was going to shave the whole thing, but then I started to realize, to me, I look 15 to 20 years older when I don't have hair. How do you feel like you looked without hair?

Christopher Erstner [00:13:17]:
Same. I mean, of course, you keep it together with the hat. Right. So you want to try to keep it cool and fun with the hat, but there's only so much you could do. Like my sister's wedding. I'm not going to wear a hat walking her down the aisle. But I'm not going to lie. I would have totally done so if she would have let me, I sincerely would have done it.

Christopher Erstner [00:13:36]:
She wasn't, you know, she wasn't about that life. But, you know, you do what you got to do, you know? And enough about men do not have that space in the beauty world to have the ability to say, I don't like this, and I'd like to change it without having some type of, like, Joan Rivers complex, like, you know, with, like, the plastic Surgery. Well, maybe she went a little too far, but that's what she did for herself. We should let people alone. Men are just. And even she gets let off the hook and let you know, you got Kenny Rogers situation where it's like, oh my God, it's a little too much. And then you get talked about forever. And your legacy is to be an amp, you know what I mean? So you kind of have to be cognizant of that.

Christopher Erstner [00:14:17]:
But I think that it's getting better, obviously, social media, and there's so many forms of social media now that you really can't get away from the algorithm. And so at some point you're going to come across it if it's something that you're looking for.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:32]:
I think, yeah, tell me a little bit about. Because, you know, I think that is a big hang up for a lot of guys. It seems like in our society it's much more acceptable, or at least it was, that women would go out and seek beauty type treatments. But men, we take whatever life gives us and we don't really do that kind of stuff. And you talk about your own struggles with that because I think it is. You have to come to a place where you get comfortable. And now I have no problem talking about anything that I've done with hair Club. Very open about it, but it probably was something that either happened in society or my age.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:07]:
What do you think it was for you? Is it something that you get more comfortable with as you get older? Or do you think that societal perceptions about men and hair loss and the treatments that they have are different?

Christopher Erstner [00:15:17]:
I don't think that the society has changed on hair loss in regards to like the sexual capability or compatibility really of what men are to women. Right. So like, I think that's part of the issues that men have is like, I want to be, you know, attractive and I want people attracted to me. And then, you know, we make the world go round. Right. But in terms of like society changing their ideas about that, it really hasn't changed because at least from my perspective, you have, you know, our parents and then their parents, men were just, they kind of have the world on a string, right? And women were meant, were supposed to be like very well kept and you gotta wait for your husband to come home. So you have that very chauvinistic kind of attitude that they didn't realize was chauvinistic until years later. But.

Christopher Erstner [00:16:08]:
And those things have changed since, you know, the women's movement in the 70s and then the 80s were just like, you Know, one big party and then, you know, the 90s is, I think, what people started understanding. Like, I'd like to look a certain way and given the room to do so. And then you got to 2000s where things are just not the same anymore. And then pre Covid or post Covid now I think that the world completely changed in a different way, and people are just like, you know what? I'm just going to live life the way I want to live. And if that means that I have to admit to one or two things, I am going to seek help for hair loss. Or I'm not. It's one or the other. I gotta be me.

Christopher Erstner [00:16:47]:
And I think that more younger men are certainly happier with the options than I think that we were when we were kids, for sure.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:59]:
It's amazing how as our society changes and technology improves, there are happy endings in sight for more and more people who are looking to get their hair back. Nowadays, no matter why you lost your hair, there is an option out there that will work for you and give you the results that you want. The hard part could be finding the perfect match for you. Our next guest, Carol, found her perfect match after her cancer diagnosis and intense rounds of chemotherapy that took her hair from her. Thankfully, her cancer went into remission, and she was able to return to her life and career with a clean bill of health. But she still had to deal with the fact that her hair didn't come back in and she didn't feel like herself without him. She lost her extroverted personality and she began turning down opportunities at work. That was before a woman at a survivor support group told her about hair.

Carol Combs [00:17:57]:
I'll never forget the day. It was May 25, 1995, and I had a big retirement party that I had put on for somebody who had worked for the company for 40, and there were going to be over 300 people there, so. And I went with. With my new hair, and I was like my old self. I just. Nobody looked at me differently. People were like, oh, did you get a perm? Your hair looks so great. And I mean, in that moment, I just was so much joy.

Carol Combs [00:18:29]:
I mean, I thought, wow.

Abby Jensen [00:18:32]:
Look what.

Carol Combs [00:18:33]:
Hair club has done for me.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:36]:
It's. It's life changing. That's amazing to feel like that, to.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:39]:
Feel like yourself again. Did you feel like this was kind of the moment where you felt the victory over cancer? You felt like the old Carol was back and that you had nothing but life to live?

Carol Combs [00:18:50]:
Absolutely. I mean, I was done with treatments at that point and wasn't real sure, you know, how was it going to navigate back into my social life and all that and meeting that girl and going to hair club, seeing that it's all now possible, that was huge.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:13]:
Journeys like Carol's show, the incredible power of investing in yourself and doing whatever it it takes to get your life back. And I think the beautiful thing about these stories, as diverse as they are, they all come down to that. It's about listening to yourself and looking for the solution that is right for you. I was a person who realized at the age of 25 that I was starting to lose my hair. And looking back at the genetics of my family through my dad, my maternal grandfather, I knew I was probably doomed to have the same hairline that they did, which was pretty much non existent except for the sides. So at that age, I sought out help and treatment and I did some things that really slowed down my hair loss. But 15 to 20 years later, those measures just weren't as effective as they had been. And I knew I had to take a different step.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:04]:
I was getting to the point where it looked like I was really faking it. I'm getting like comb over guy kind of syndrome or just patchy baldness. It looked like I had some form of mange. It just wasn't how I wanted to look. I knew I had to do something. So I had two options. I thought, either you can go on ahead and just shave it all off, or you can go with a place like Hair Club. But like a lot of people that had seen the TV commercials, I was skeptical.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:27]:
Plus, for me, there was a stigma that I just kind of grew up with as a child. In the 80s, we're getting a different kind of hair, a toupee, whatever you want to call it, just really wasn't trendy and it's not where I wanted to go. But a problem for me, unlike a lot of guys, I do not look good without hair. So I set up an appointment to go to the Hair Club. And you know what, I didn't go. I thought, you know, no, no, no, this is not for me. Then I took another look in the mirror. I got off the clippers and I got close.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:55]:
But I said, you know what, just go sit down with Hair Club and see what they have to say. What they told me about a hair system blew my mind. I was going to have real human hair on my head. It was going to look natural. Strangers could run their hair through it and they wouldn't know that I had anything but my own natural hair. I Could be active in it. I could go swimming, bungee jumping, canoeing, whatever, and I was going to be okay. So I took the leap, and the results were absolutely amazing.

Kevin Rolston [00:21:24]:
And now, for over seven years now, I have been a member of the hair club. And let me tell you, it has changed my life dramatically. I look 15 years younger. I look a lot more attractive than I would without hair. I know, and my wife loves it, and that's really what matters. Plus, being in the public eye like I am, I was able to maintain my confidence. And for anybody, even if you're not in the media, it's a pretty big deal. That's why I want people to know about hair cloth, because I want you to have the same kind of great feelings that I do.

Kevin Rolston [00:21:54]:
Okay, we got one last clip for you today, and it comes from Jeff Elzeni. He's been working for Hair Club for many years now, and he truly believes in the product, not just because he knows it can make a difference, but because he uses it himself. Jeff's story, like the others that you've heard today, is one of triumph. Finding your confidence in living the life that you really want to live.

Jeff ElZenny [00:22:21]:
So I started losing my hair when I was a junior in high school. And, you know, the problem with that was I looked so much older than I was, you know, 17 years old. Looked like I was going on 30 at that point. It was crazy. By the time I graduated high school, I looked like I was in my late 30s, almost 40, you know, so it was a major, major hit to the ego. You know, you know me as this outgoing guy, and, you know, I'm always out and talkative and, you know, really just kind of living my best life. Right. When I went through that, I became a recluse.

Jeff ElZenny [00:22:51]:
I didn't want the attention. I didn't want people to call me out on it. So I figured it would just be easier for me to not be in those environments, so I stayed away from it. That's really where the story started. At 21 years old, I was dating a hairdresser, and we had a conversation, and she said, hey, there's this guy that comes into my place, and he's a member, and he looks really good, and maybe you should look into that. So at that point, I did ended up becoming a member not too long after, you know, and getting my hair back. And, man, you know, like I said earlier, it was a life changer. Not only did it make me look younger, feel better, it gave me me back.

Jeff ElZenny [00:23:26]:
It gave me my life back. You know.

Kevin Rolston [00:23:28]:
Yeah.

Jeff ElZenny [00:23:29]:
So, you know, all of that stuff, and then in the future, obviously, you know, she wasn't the one. So dating and being out there again and being single and living, you know, living that life, it was a game changer because you have your confidence. I wasn't worried about, you know, I looked older than I felt and all that stuff. I felt younger. You know, I had a cool hairstyle. I able to, you know, working out and all that stuff. So it was. It was a big change, you know, and then for me, about a year and a half into it, you know, I became an employee.

Jeff ElZenny [00:23:55]:
So I started working with a company, and really meeting with people was a. It was a mission of mine to be able to help people make the changes that I made. But that was really important to me. And, you know, I won't take anything away from what I did in my prior years, but a lot of people, you know, whenever I'm, I'm told to, like, say, tell me something that nobody knows about you. Well, I'm a licensed electrician, so that's what I went to school to be. Yeah, that's what I did before I got involved in. Yeah, man. So, you know, one of the jokes that I tell my friends that are like, why do you do what you do? It's, you know, it's just a crazy field to be in.

Jeff ElZenny [00:24:25]:
Well, my joke is nobody remembers who put the light switch in your house. Right. But everybody remembers who helped them get their hair back and who helped them change their life. Right. So it's. To me, it was more of a meaningful move because I know what it did for me personally, and I wanted to be able to help other people go through that themselves.

Kevin Rolston [00:24:46]:
We want to thank all of our incredible guests for coming on the show and opening up about their hair loss. If you're going through hair loss right now, you might know how hard it is to do. And if you're someone who is currently supporting a friend or family member who is losing their hair, you probably see it, too. HairPod would not be possible without people who are willing to share their stories in hopes that their experiences can help others. And we want to thank you for listening to this. You are helping us break the stigma surrounding hair loss by educating yourself and sharing with others one story at a time. For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to another episode of hairpod.

Kevin Rolston [00:25:33]:
Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or Search Hairpod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share it with them. If you're enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcasts.hairclub.com we're here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.