Just Shaved my Head-A lifetimes observations

[Last blade]

Im 19 and have been struggling with hairloss since about 17.I Just thought id post,what i would call my moment of clarity,for the benefit of any1 else in a simillar position.

My hairline has reccedded quite badly and done so rapidly,i have been at least norwood 2 for quite some time.Having reluctantly accepted the fact that i was indeed balding i made it my lifes goal to make it undectable.An aim i thought i achieved by growing the hair above the temples longer and combing it down while spiking it up in the middle and over the top.I thought this was a good look,however anytime i saw a photo of myslef i looked like sh*t,and i could not understand why it was that i was unrecognisable,in contrast with the way i thought i looked.

I was however always painfully aware that this was a cover up and i was manically depressed for a long time,i even reached the lows of contemplating topping myself,all becuase of my hair.

As time progressed i began to accept the fact that yea i was going bald,but so what,"it wasnt that bad".

About a month ago i was in the student union and sum girl,a friend of a friend,made a comment about me only having this 1 bit of hair to style in the middle.I lost the plot and launched a tirade of abuse,despite being aware of the fact that what she had said was true.

Today i finally shaved my head to a number 1,and realised that this is indeed the only real answer to hairloss worries.Im only 5'8,im not a tank,i dont have a tan,and i dont have model looks. but u know what?;i look better with my head shaved than when i attempted to cover it up.Also bear in mind i can now wear hats,i dont have to worry about the wind/rain etc,i now longer have mood swings because i had 1 of those days were my hair looked like utter shite.

Shaving ur head is the only effective remedy because it puts the focus on your eyes,not ur hair.Therefore ur face,and not ur forehead becomes the distinguishing feature of your head.Also the hairline is definately less noticeable than the dellusion that by hours of styling you have hidden it and no1 notices.The fact of the matter is that every1 noticed you were balding a long time ago but no1 mentions it becuase its old news.

i just wish i had have shaved my head an age ago,finally i feel complete in a way i havent for over 2yrs.Your hair should not be a disablillity and if it is,its becuase you have allowed it to become that.The only answer at such a stage of ultimate despair is to bite the bullet,and get over it.People are more than hairlines,the only time you appreciate that is when you discard your crutch and face your demons.

Sorry for the long post.All the best

 

[SnowRider22]

Congrats man . Just don't think about it man, before you turn 30 I am sure there will be a cure, then you can decide if you want hair again or not.

 

[hairfin]

your dead right, im 21 used to have long hair in my teens but at 18 i noticed hair falling out and althought i tried to do different styles it was such a headache (tried finasteride but due to sides gave up after a few months), always self concious on whether others would notice etc, then at 20 i just thought f*** it ill shave it off (2/3 on top, 1 on sides).

its the best thing ive ever done, head just feels free, no worries about anyone noticing, no time spent gelling etc and it actually looks way better, sorta sporty look.

maybe when were older a cure will come out, but till then shaving it off gives you a peace of mind no medicine will ever do.

 

[The Bald Beach Boy]

I have shaved my head for the last 3 years but my head is a really bad shape so I hide it. I'm also really short (way under 5ft 5ins) and a shaven head isn't a good look when you're that small. I'm trying to gradually grow it slightly longer bit by bit and see which length is best for me.
It's really the way to go though for almost everybody though, especially if you're using minoxidil.
Having a haircut you can do yourself also means you'll never have to go into a hairdressers and get that "What am I meant to do with that?" look ever again.

 

[kosmo]

Last blade, have you had any success at all with propecia? im considering lowering my dosage to .5mg/day and i just wondered if if did anything for you?

 

[Bod]

Shaving my head was the best thing I ever done but after 3 years of having a shaved head you get a little bored of this haircut, I just hope propecia works (only been taking for 3 weeks) for me so I can style my hair different.

 

[Aplunk1]

Last Blade,
thank you for the inciteful comment. I hope that everyone can learn to "face their demons," as you say. I personally wear my hair short-- more like a marine haircut, I guess you could say.

This is addressed to the posters in this thread:

By "shaving" your head, do you mean actually cutting it short and taking a razor blade to "shave" it? Or do you mean, that you just take clippers to your hair and keep it very short?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

All I can say is that shaving my head was the best move I have made in the last 6 years to slowdown my hairloss.

Considering I have lost a lot of hair straight in the last 6 years (specially in the first 2 years when I had the hair shoulder-long, before shaving it), it looks like shaving it slowed it down like mad, plus I don't have anymore dandruff and can apply the topics easily.

I almost have the same hairline and density than 3 years ago, so definitely shaving slowed it down. Too bad I waited for two or three years with my shoulders-long hair, when i was losing 200 hairs a day, almost all the hair i lost was during that time )

I was shy to shave it, because i thought it could look bad, but when i did it, it did not look bad at all

And when I mean shaved, I really mean shaved. With a MACH 3.

If you don't use a MACH 3 or a razor, then it's not shaved.

I let it grow 1 cm for 1 month so the scalp have some rest, and then shave it again.

 

[Bash]

Maybe...just maybe... this is the way to go.

How did fessing up to the world that you're bald make you feel? Everyone knows why you shaved it...who would go through the trouble otherwise? Isn't shaving also a sort of concealing, a kinda hidin?

I'm pretty short too (170 cm) and been hitting the gym for the past four months. Maybe by the summer I would of buffed up enough to pull the shaved head look.

But I don't know, I cut my hair real short once (1 cm)and it looked like absolute crap, and that't when I still had a reasonable amount left. A big head and forehead doesn't help either.

Maybe I'll go on vacation this summer...far away and for a long time so I can adjust to this new look and shock everyone when I've come with this spectacular change. Or maybe I can just grow a pair of brass balls and march into the bathroom with the scissor and razor in my hands and JUST DO IT right now, just kill that fuckin demon :evil: and run down the street with no shirt on screaming ATTICA at the top of my lungs and a smile of relief on my face

Or maybe I should wait for the treatments to kick in and keep on hopin and mopin :cry: ...damn it...despair can only be found where hope still resides.

 

[asdf2]

For me, i think there is nothing more cringe inducing than men losing hair and trying to pretend their not with silly haircuts that obviously don't hide it. I was in denial for the first 5 months when I was losing hair, then said f*** it and took it down to a number 1, sometimes a 0, and it was the best decision i ever made. even if there ever is a cure, i'm pretty sure i'll still buzz it atleast once a week like i do now, it just feels better to me. couldn't imagine having long hair again.

 

[mr_sparkle]

it's easy enough for you guys though your problems all seem to be the hairline.

what about those who have a perfectly good hairline but thinning on top. Spiking hair up is usually a good way to conceal but when shaved this emerging bald spot is there for everyone to see.

I would shave my head but I'm simply afraid. Plus I look better with lighter, blonde hair but shaving to the root would make my hair look really dark..

 

[Guest]

Yeah an d what about those who loos all over the head..
It s bad anyway... just stoopid point out what is worst or worster )

 

[jeffsss]

it's easy enough for you guys though your problems all seem to be the hairline.

what about those who have a perfectly good hairline but thinning on top. Spiking hair up is usually a good way to conceal but when shaved this emerging bald spot is there for everyone to see.

I would shave my head but I'm simply afraid. Plus I look better with lighter, blonde hair but shaving to the root would make my hair look really dark..

why wouldnt the option for shaving your head be acceptable for thinning top?

that's what i have.. and a bad hair line.

 

[Bash]

did you guys think you were gonna like shite before shaving it down? You know, kinda looked at your foreheads and thought "no way" but then decided to bite the bullet, did it and were pleasantly surprised?

And again, be specific if it's a shave or a short trim.

One last question...doesn't shaving every other day take a hell of a lot of time? And even trimming?

 

[gand]

Does shaving your head can stop male pattern baldness or just make the things better???

 

[Guest]

it's easy enough for you guys though your problems all seem to be the hairline.

what about those who have a perfectly good hairline but thinning on top. Spiking hair up is usually a good way to conceal but when shaved this emerging bald spot is there for everyone to see.

I would shave my head but I'm simply afraid. Plus I look better with lighter, blonde hair but shaving to the root would make my hair look really dark..

I have thinning and I shave it anyways...

Shaving it is not only a good choice for those who have receeding hairline, it is a great choice for everyone who has hairloss problems.

Cheers.

 

[Aplunk1]

I'd shave it if I looked good... trouble is, I can't do the Mr. Clean

 

[asdf2]

did you guys think you were gonna like shite before shaving it down? You know, kinda looked at your foreheads and thought "no way" but then decided to bite the bullet, did it and were pleasantly surprised?

And again, be specific if it's a shave or a short trim.

One last question...doesn't shaving every other day take a hell of a lot of time? And even trimming?

I'll post a pic once my exams are over and i have time to get a camera etc. But i was terrified before i got mine done. I normally have it done at a #0 or #1 dependiong on how i'm feeling that day. I'd never had hair shorter than 3-4 inches and it was a big decision for me, but I had to do it as i have loads of recession and some serious thinning on top almost all the way back to the crown. I absolutely love it though and its given me loads more confidence. You can still tell i'm losing my hair but now it doesn't look like i'm in denial. I've got 10 times more confidence than i've ever had and get triple the amount of chicks these days. But then again, I've decided aswell as everyone i know that i never really suited having hair when I did have a full head of it. Plus, I live in liverpool, UK, where the norm is to have a skin head pretty much so i fit in.