To Shave or not to Shave

[Intellecturall]

Guys, I really appreciate all the advice and knowledge contained in this board. I haven't made many posts, but here is my situation

27 years old, probably been thinning since 19. I am currently still able to put something together with toppic and surf hair, but I feel like my options are waning. I workout regularly, and am currently muscular with around 9% BF. I have been using minoxidil at night for over a year, but it really doesn't seem to have had any major effect. I am also considering starting finasteride again, but I really don't like what it has done to my body when I've tried it in the past.

Here are some pics of the damage, I am praying for HM to be here soon..









Any questions, comments, thoughts are appreciated.

 

[zackmcqueen]

To shave or not to shave eh? Tricky one that.. because if youre still on minoxidil you wont be able to keep using it if you shave your hair real short..on the other hand..If, as you say, you are fit and healthy, then you will stand a much better chance of wearing the shaved head than if you were not. My personal opinion is that you should shave it because at least then if you are ok with the result it will be a huge weight off your mind and worries about the near future, and you wont have to bother with the hassle of using the minoxidil. From the looks of those pictures, even if you do shave it, that is not the end, because it will grow back. My hair was worse than that at age 20 and i shaved it to a number one and it does grow back eventually, however slowly. This is part of the reason why I advise you to shave it.. Im 22 now and have lost almost all my hair on top..I shaved it clean with a wet shave when I was 21 because my worries about how it would look in a year bothered me so much..I just wanted to shave it, find out and accept how it looked, and try to get on with my life. Since shaving I have never looked back because I was happy with how it looked. Im not guaranteeing that you will be happy with the results, at first you may hardly recognise yourself, but if you are ok with it then it will be a huge load of your mind for months, even years to come. In my honest opinion you have nothing to lose by shaving it aside from maybe a month wearing a hat if youre not happy with the results, and much comfort and convenience to gain..I am forever singing the praises of how useful having no hair can be when it comes to maintenance and weather. Plus, girls LOVE a guy with a fit body and a shaved head. Keep up the fitness regime and eat well and do it

 

[Renegade]

if you have shaving with a razor in mind, then I would just like to add that it's far more of a hassle to maintain a shave head (shaving at least once a week) than to apply the minoxidil.

 

[Intellecturall]

Thanks for the comments so far guys, I really appreciate it- really a tough call, but it really does take me a good 30 min in the morning to make my hair look decent- a real pain in the ***.

 

[zackmcqueen]

30 minutes a day vs five minutes a week...get the razor out!

 

[ceee]

To shave or not to shave eh? Tricky one that.. because if youre still on minoxidil you wont be able to keep using it if you shave your hair real short..

This is completely wrong....

 

[zackmcqueen]

Maybe I am ignorant then, but I only tried minoxidil once, and on the box it clearly states that it should not be used by those with shaved heads, and that it needs longer hairs to actually work on rather than stubble. So there is both a health and a practical issue here. Either way, I still reckon he should shave it...

 

[Strat54]

It’s the first time I’ve heard of that.
The Rogaine page doesn’t have a warning about shaved heads, but I did found this warning on another page.

I really don’t understand why you shouldn’t apply Rogaine on a shaved head.
Maybe it’s because of the increased absorption?

Taken from here: http://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/details.asp?productid=FMREES360

Regaine for Men Extra Strength should not be used:
If you suffer from a problem with blood pressure and/or receive treatment for your condition.
If you have any condition that affects your scalp including sunburn and psoriasis or if you use other creams, ointments, lotions etc. used to treat scalp conditions e.g. dithranol, tretinoin, corticosteroids (steroids) and petrolatum products (soft paraffin) or have any kind of dressing or bandage on your scalp.
For sudden, unexpected hair loss which may be linked to thyroid or other medical problems.
Total baldness or complete loss of all body hair.
Hair loss caused by drug treatment.
If you have a shaved head.
If you are allergic to minoxidil, ethanol or propylene glycol.
If you are under 18 or over 65 years.
If you are a woman.

Taken from here: http://www.rogaine.com/Mens/DrugFacts.aspx?ID=1938&CID=1072

Do not use if
you are a woman
your amount of hair loss is different than that shown on the inside of this label or your hair loss is on the front of the scalp. 5% minoxidil topical foam is not intended for frontal baldness or receding hairline.
you have no family history of hair loss
your hair loss is sudden and/or patchy
you do not know the reason for your hair loss
you are under 18 years of age. Do not use on babies and children.
your scalp is red, inflamed, infected, irritated, or painful
you use other medicines on the scalp

 

[cruiser]

"do not use if you have a shaved head" BULLSHIT :roll:

 

[zackmcqueen]

All I'm saying is that that's what it said on the box when I tried it, and by extension, that is the advice I think a person should follow.. I mean, boxes of washing powder say DO NOT EAT, but you don't just say 'bullshit' and eat it anyway.

 

[MPBWarrior]

yeah that is strange. doesn't minoxidil work on the follicles? what difference does it make if the hair is long or short?

 

[ceee]

That warning is only found on extra strength liquid solution rogaine. No idea why.

 

[Guest]

That warning is only found on extra strength liquid solution rogaine. No idea why.

it has to be the increased absorption from the shaved head and 5% minoxidil being stronger than 2%.

 

[ang_99]

Your hair looks pretty bad, I would think the shaved look would work well for you. Especially since you're fit. Maybe take it down as close as possible without actually bicking it.

 

[jimjohn]

i also saw that on one of the rogaine or minoxidil boxes i got. but i alwasy thought that just meant when u first shave it, dont apply it after a while. isnt it that you can wait 5/6 hours after u use the razor on it and then u can apply the minoxidil.

 

[hopewas]

minoxidil may leave your head flaky..that might be the reason. i know it makes my scalp flaky..and i have to shampoo it to get rid of it..without hair it might be noticible..also the minoxidil might drip from your head to your face with a shaved head..try rogaine foam i guess if you have a shaved head

 

[Guest]

Imo you should shave your "hair". For being honest it looks pretty bad at the moment. At least wear it shorter!

 

[Intellecturall]

Thanks for the comments guys, yeah, it looks pretty bad at the moment. It's pretty amazing how decent it can look with surf hair and toppic, but as I've said, it's a time consuming process. I guess I'm just scared to do it, still can't decide if I'm ready to make the jump. I should take pics more, much worse than I thought...

 

[Ray777]

I say shave it. Don't even think twice about it, I shave my head and am pretty happy with the way I look, you just got to get used to it. Just shave it and keep using your same regimen it shouldn't really make a difference.