Tempted to shave head

[HighHair]

Hi guys, I've just joined up although over the years google has brought me here every so often. I'm 27 years old and I've always perceived that I had a high hairline. Occasionally someone would mention that I was receding and I'd say "No, i've always had this high hairline" which was true. It seems as though just as I accepted it and thought I could work with it I started to notice genuine receding in my hairline. At first it was basically on nights out in a club when a little sweat started to run my hair would curl a little or stick together and expose skin at the temples but more recently i've noticed looking at the edges of my hairline that it is really thin and has definitely moved a bit higher. Apologies if pics are too big or if you're not meant to fill threads with pics: First pic below is 19th January this year and the second is today, May 15th. Obviously the lighting is far better in the latest pic but to me it shows a fair bit more recession.




I don't even know where that fits in on the norwood scale but where I'm at just now is that I think in the long term i will probably have a FUE treatment as (touch wood) i'm seeing no hair loss anywhere else but my hairline/temples and have pretty thick hair elsewhere but I don't think it's time for that just now as my hairline receding is still ongoing. So i'm considering shaving it all off but I'm concerned about how it will look. I feel like I have a large forehead and although a shaved head effectively means the forehead is ignored as it just becomes part of the overall head i'm concerned that without hair i'll look like some big head alien. Looking at the pics below is there any opinion on whether it's a good idea or not. I should also add I don't ordinarily have such a terrible haircut, I've usually got quite long hair on the top which I wear over my forehead although i think it emphasises the temple recession as a split appears in my hair between the topfront and sides. I was effectively in the middle of a haircut but i'm unsure whether to finish it or just shave it all.



Edit: Just removed the term sly as I think i've misunderstood it. My intention would be to use clippers and cut maybe a number 1 guard rather than using a razor to shave my head entirely clean of hair.

 

[Fermat]

You look like you're in the same position as me in terms of recession of hairline, ~NW2.5. But I have thinning on top with minor loss at vertex. I too have always had a high-ish hairline and have had a widows peak for as long as I remember, and I actually think a slightly receded hairline suits me (NW1-1.5) more than a NW0 would.

Anyway you made no mention of finasteride or any other treatments, haven't you considered/used finasteride or minoxidil?

 

[zzzzz]

I would start finasteride before it gets worse

 

[HighHair]

Thank you for your replies. I haven't tried anything medicinal. I slapped some Alpecin on my head for a while but it didn't make any difference (I realise it's not a medicine, it's just the only thing I've tried that suggests it could do anything to help) Fermat have you seen any improvement after using the treatments listed in your regimen? I do have some concerns about the side effects but also as I say I didn't really grasp that I was losing my hair until quite recently as I've spent some years simply covering over and hiding a naturally high hair line.

 

[mr the hairy monkey]

Hi highhair

it's up to you, whether or not you can accept yourself with a shaved head.
if you chose this option it would save you the expenditures of a minoxidil/finasteride life treatement. (your clippers would be like "minoxidil/finasteride of the poor")

I don't see any thinning as you mentioned , before rushing into any treatment it would be wiser to be certain that your hair is still falling out (more than 100 hair falling out a day is the most common symptom) , hairloss can stop at a certain stage , noone can assure you that your hairline would keep receding ... especially when there is thick hair.

basically , what is gone is gone and what is thick is regular ,so don't rush , you need to be sure that it is still falling out (perhaps see a dermatologist) , as long as it isn't thinning , it's ok , when it starts then you can start taking measures.

the side effects occur very randomly , before stopping minoxidil I didn't have any , except for some slight headache and mild rise of heart beat , no big deal.
but I've heard that the finasteride ones are unpleasant (balls ache)

 

[Fermat]

We all have differing opinions on how much our hair means to us, personally I am not that afraid of side effects from finasteride since there are no 'serious' side effects and permanent side effects are extremely unlikely. So the worst case scenario is I don't tolerate sides very well, stop taking it, back to normal. Best case scenario is I regrow tonnes of hair. The most likely scenario is thickening of existing hair and significantly slowed loss.

If you're not that bothered about going bald then by all means, forget about spending money on medication and possible adverse reactions.

Also, yes I did see some improvement after using minoxidil but I've been on it for 3 years now and I think it's losing its effectiveness, although I've only used 0.5ml per day throughout the 3 years. As for finasteride, I'm only on day 5 so I can't comment, I will be making a thread in a few months when I have some photos to compare with my baseline, so keep an eye out if you want

 

[Diffuser44]

If you did go sly I think you would need to add some flare the offset your appearance. Earrings or hat or something. I can tell by the shape of your forehead and overall head shape you will look a little goofy being bald. But it's really all about attitude. If you don't care how it looks and like the way it feels and makes you not worry about a stupid vain thing like hair loss go for it. Otherwise finasteride is worth a shot and sooner than later is better. Otherwise you might end up being Norwood 4 + and by then it will be too late and you might end up trying the drug anyway!

 

[HighHair]

Well I definitely think I'm going to look into some hair saving treatments like finasteride but in the meantime i decided to buzz my hair, partly because no-one responded with "You'll look utterly ridiculous," goofy I can cope with and to be honest with you I've been cutting my own hair for years, shaved (no2) back and sides and letting the top grow down into a Tom DeLonge/short emo style (great for someone with no interest in that music or scene) and I usually feel a regret when I cut any hair off the top but this time I'm relatively pleased. I've went with a no2 buzz all over but might take it down to a 1 depending how i feel over the next few days. My hairline isn't great but it's not as bad as I was expecting to be hidden underneath. The thinning parts at the temples don't look half as bad without the longer hair around them contrasting it. Side on and from above is where it looks the worst but at eye level straight on I don't think it looks too bad, and no worse than a look that is good until the wind blows. I'm also looking forward to waking up and leaving the house within about 10 minutes tomorrow instead of spending 45 minutes pasting my hair into a style that covers my temples.



I'll maybe see if my old piercings can still open or grow some facial hair to draw some attention downwards anyway though.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

I do the same #2 buzz like you do. You have better coverage than I do though. I don't think it looks bad on you. One positive is that buzzing is cheap. I spent about $25 for a wahl clipper and it works great. Pays for itself after a couple of haircuts.

 

[Diffuser44]

Now that I see it shorter you are comparable to me. Except I have a widows peak and have more accentuated recession. And I might be a tad bit thinner in some areas.

 

[mr the hairy monkey]

same here , I cut my hair myself (I got myself a wahl clipper as well) but usually #1 and I let it grow until the equivalent of a #6-#7.

what I can tell you is that the combover only works from #5 to higher. but my type of hairloss isn't comparable to yours ,hence I don't know if it does apply to you.