Teen Gothic

Hi. I'm starting to get into goth subculture, and I would like to know what the best gothic books are to read to learn about the gothic subculture.

Have you ever woken up after a big night on the town with arms crossed over your chest, hanging upside down on your couch with your legs hooked over the top thinking "Oh great. I thought I was a bat again last night"?

I've been listening to Gothic Rock since I heard "This Corrosion" for the first time in 1987. Yet I never heard of Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle at all until about a year ago. "Shadow Dance" is probably the catchiest of any Goth Rock tune of the whole era. How was I able to be a fan of Sisters, FOTN, The Mission, and so many others without ever once hearing of Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle?

I’ve (22F) struggled with hair loss since I was about 12-13 due to genetics and medical conditions. It was, and still is, my biggest insecurity, but I’ve mostly learned to ignore it/work around it. However, I still have days where I feel like shit because I can’t do anything with my hair besides wear a hat or head scarf lol. And it gets really old. Especially after seeing all the beautiful and unique hairstyles of people in the goth community.

I’ve tried wigs and they’re ok until the itching becomes unbearable. I’ve also seriously contemplated just shaving my head (which I’ll have to do at some point anyway) but I’ve been dealing with breakouts and acne scarring for years so I feel insecure about exposing my whole face.

Does anyone else struggle with this or have advice/encouragement?

during the summer months, i have somehow acquired a tan which is exactly what i didn’t want lol. i’m usually very pale, so much so that i get comments about looking ill. how can i help myself regain this shade of pale? 🙂 thank you