Until yesterday I used to have long hair. Due to unusually high tempetures I started having problems with the skin on my head. So, to avoid problems. I shaved it clean and it will remain that way until the skin in treated.
Now that I’m bald, I now know what’s it’s like. It sucks. My old hair suited me perfectly. It was messy just the right amount, perfect length, made me look different than the rest and handsome as hell. Every girl would look at me where ever I went to. Compliments floating over the air, jealous looks from other men etc. etc. It made me feel powerful.
But most importantly, it suited my personality and clothing. It was perfect! But now it’s gone. I hate bald me. I will never look back at this bald version of myself.
It feels weird. I don’t feel that bad but still it’s disheartening.
I don’t think “bald” is the right expression. You have a shaved head, which is different, right?
Also, shaved heads can go with most kinds of fashion. Your hair is always perfect, no matter the wind or rain.
Finally, if you got self esteem only because of compliments on your hair, now is the perfect time in life to find other ways to love yourself. Deeper ways. :-)
I started to go bald at the age of 20, and it was a major kick in the nuts at first. After I finally accepted my fate, i now use a disposable razor in the shower almost every morning, and keep my remaining hair at almost zero length. Some girls dig a bald head, and some girls think its a turnoff. But i have come to enjoy it. It is very low maintenance and it feels great in the summer. More aerodynamic as well lol
I started shaving my head when my hair started thinning in my early 30’s. That was 25 years ago. I used to love my hair, but now I would not go back to having hair if I had the option. It took a few weeks to get used to for me.
When I started shaving i went all the way smooth…didnt jive with me. Let it grow and used clippers the next week, set to the closest and that worked great…
You could not ask me to have hair again.
Give yourself a minute…it grows back.
Depends on how good you look bald I guess. Either way, good to accessorize
Since you’re stuck with baldness until the skin is treated, maybe have fun with it? Get some kids’ WASHABLE markers and let your friends’ kids draw on it.
Oh, what am I saying? You already have A PERFECT ORB!
Just get yourself between 2 mirrors and contemplate it.
DO NOT CONTEMPLATE THE ORB!
That’s what I’ve been doing! Friends’ kids find it hilarious and I do too! Pretty funny how it just reflects the light!
As someone who suffers a receding hairline since he was 19 and is now 30, shaving my head at 20 was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s mostly a confidence issue, as others have already stated. Look at some bald celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Jason Statham and so forth… They own their look and they look good. If it’s only a temporary thing for you, know that hair will grow back soon.
How to deal with it?
- Sunburn and skin cancer risk is a big issue. Always use sunblock, I personally prefer spray and gel over cream.
- Headwear is obviously important too for protecting your scalp. Whatever you prefer: caps, bandanas, different hats. Choose one that fits well on your bald head, that means a little smaller than those you used with a full head of hair.
- Exercise is, as someone else already pointed out, very important when you rock a smooth dome. Looking fit and improving your posture can do wonders for your self confidence.
- Accessories and jewelry play a very big role too for bald people. Bracelets, necklaces and big aviator sunglasses usually look great.
- Social: according to a study, fully bald people are usually perceived as taller, more aggressive and dominant than their counterparts. This isn’t only positive as it means a lot of people could feel intimidated by you too. Smiling and a helpful, open-minded attitude do wonders there.
In general: if it’s only for treating a medical issue and therefore temporary, don’t worry too much. You’re so much more than just your hair! And hair will grow back with enough patience.
Do you have a gel sunscreen you recommend?
As I live in Germany, my product recommendations might not be as helpful for anyone outside the EU. I usually get something for sensitive skin by one of our two biggest drugstore chains, ‘Rossmann’ or ‘dm’. They have their own brands which are basically the same stuff for both, just under different names. One is “sun ozon”, the other is “sundance”. Weird names, but both have a “sensitive skin SPF 50+ face fluid” that does the job. Sadly it isn’t a 100% reef friendly sunscreen. Since it also is similar to other sunscreen in that it makes your skin shiny, this sucks for baldies if you don’t want to blind everyone when the sun hits your dome. I usually combat this by applying the sunscreen together with a mattifying moisturizer (there are a lot of good ones for oily/combination skin).
Two general recommendations I can give though: one, avoid special “bald guys” cosmetics. Those are usually way more expensive than others and offer nothing more in return. Good face moisturizers are usually better. Two, witch hazel toners can really make a difference on your scalp. I feel like it helps to keep your skin smooth and bump-free and it will also help to close micro cuts from shaving.
Thank you very much!
Ich besuche Deutschland jeden paar Jahre als ich in Hamburg gearbeitet habe. Ich sollte nächste Mal ein paar Sun ozon Tuben kaufen.
No problem/gern geschehen!
Sun ozon ist die Eigenmarke von Rossmann, bei dm ist es Sundance. Der genaue Name von dem Sun ozon ist “med face Sonnenfluid LSF50 mit Feuchtigkeitseffekt”. Hoffe dass hilft 👍🏻
Half of looking good is how good you feel about yourself. Your issue might not be the lack of hair, but the lack of self esteem. I’m sure that once you get adjusted to it the looks will come back.
To echo much already said… As a dude that had magnificent curly locks. I wtarted balding at 18 and now have a hairline of an 18th century monk… If you can shave your head do that. I also have eczema…so that’s out. So hats and just being cool with it. If you try to hide it … people know. Just own that shit. Frankly ladies don’t seem to mind it… Personality goes a long way. Humor goes further
If you were getting bald (which you might not) you’d have 2 options:
- hair transplant (if needed) and medication for the rest of your life.
- shave/trim and move on
I’m generally for team 2. I’d hate medicating (which from internet opinion has various long-lasting unwanted side effects) for the rest of my life for such stupid thing.
I must confess, I have the benefit that I don’t look that bad. Also, being fit becomes much more required when bald, 😅, you have to compensate your older look; and side effects from exercise are virtually all positive. So I’ll take it.
accepting your baldness will always look better than being all
about it.though that doesnt seem to be the issue here.
I really didn’t want to go the medicine route years back. Like OP Im a guy who always kept it long. I decided to give the basic regimen a try and went with a keeps like service because dermatologists are by far the worst doctors I’ve had to work with.
And although it thinned, the thinning totally stalled, to a point where it’s a little noticable but on a good day isn’t at all.
I haven’t cut my hair in years and despite it being annoying to take care of sometimes, I get to look in the mirror and see the version of myself that I like to see which makes the little bit of medication worth it imo.
I always hated the “just shave it and own it, bro” attitude because damn my hair is part of my identity, I love having it. I’ll put some effort into keeping it.
wait til you dont have a choice. uhg
Draw a smiley face on the top of your head in sharpie.
What issues were you having?
Problems with skin can be treated even without shaving. You don’t need to keep it shaved if you don’t feel good in it. Ask women, they’re used to treating their skin problems without shaving their hair off.
Older guy here, went bald in my 20s. Let me say this: while going bald or becoming bald sucks ass, being bald is fine. I had lots of thick hair, and when it started going away and I didn’t look like me in the mirror anymore. I figured women would find me less attractive.
What I learned is that it takes a while for your self image to catch up to your reflection in the mirror. One of the shitty things for most people about going bald is that it happens over a long time, and when you’re used to one level of baldness, it gets worse. But eventually it levels out.
There are women who aren’t attracted to bald guys (and that’s fine, attraction is subjective), but it turns out there are women who are especially attracted to bald guys, and that the vast majority of women don’t care. Doing things like having a comb-over or wearing a toupee are often a turnoff, but I think it’s as much because of the associated lack of confidence than the look itself.
I can sincerely say that I wouldn’t want my hair back today. The look suits me and it’s easier to deal with.
That’s exactly it. There was a grieving process for a few months as I came to terms with it, but now I don’t think I’d go back if given the chance. I’m a bald guy, I look good bald and can make bald jokes whenever the ice needs breaking.
The only bit that really sucks about being bald is if you don’t wear a hat you get skin cancer.
Yeah, true, there’s an increased risk, and I’m not as good about it as I should be.
Or if you do it in the cold, you get the mother of all brain freezes after a while.
On the other hand, direct scalp access can come in handy for various medical things, and on a hot day I love splashing cold water on it.
