# Men's Hair Loss > Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story >  The Shaved Head

## Fixed by 35

I've noticed a lot of people on this blog and others are still encouraging people to shave their heads and get on with life. I used to find this recommendation extremely distressing when I first started losing my hair, and still do. I would like to make a few points about head shaving for the people who still don't get it: 

1) People who recommend shaving your head name the same five or six celebrities that suit the look. I can name hundreds of people who don't suit the look. You probably can too. 

2) Most people's heads are funny shapes. Therefore, their shaved head looks terrible. 

3) The shaved head is the look of choice for neo-Nazis. 

4) It involves a lot of work to maintain a shaved head, including an extra 15 minutes shaving every single day. 

5) Men who are not fit look terrible with a shaved head, so an extra hour of your life has to be given up to the gym. You also have to cut out all the foods you like for 'the look.' 

6) You'll increase your chance of skin cancer with a shaved head. Better to cover up with a HT, hat or wig. 

7) You didn't like going bald, so you'll hate being 100% bald. 

I think I've made my point!

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## Layercake

true to an extent, but in my opinion a shaved head generally looks waaaaay better than very thin hair, or the ol horseshoe.  

It also feels great.....though maybe not so much in the winter. 

Getting ready in the morning is also a good 60% faster when I shave my head, so I can make up for the time lost shaving by getting to sleep in a bit more.


That having been said I'd rather just have hair and not have to deal with any of it.

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## Fixed by 35

I'm seriously considering artificial implants. Whilst they are not available in the US, fortunately I live in the free world where they are! I think what I'll do is have a very generous real hair transplant at the front, where things need to look natural, and then when the rest of my head thins out more I'll get implants if I don't have the doner hair to finish the job.

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## Winston

These fibers have had a checkered history. First introduced in 1970s, they soon became the subject of much controversy because of their numerous complications including recurrent infections, rejection, and periodic loss of fibers needing frequent replacement, frequent allergic reactions leading to severe contact dermatitis, irritant effects, fears about carcinogenicity, cicatricial alopecia, granulomatous hypersensitivity, and cyst formation. 

In 1983, the US Federal Drug Administration banned the fibers for the following reasons:

1. The fibers presented risks of illness or injury owing to non-biocompatibility of the fibers and non-medical performance of the implant. 
2. The fibers presented fraud owing to the following: 
a) Deceptive information on the efficacy. 
b) Inadequate information on risks from implant. 
c) They did not show any benefit for public health.

Though the ban by FDA is yet to be lifted, the manufacturers are now trying to re-establish the credibility of these fibers and have introduced them in Europe and Australia. Presently, there are two manufacturers: (a) Medicap (Italy), which manufactures Biofibre, which has been available since 1996, and (b) Nido Corporation (Japan), whose fibers are available since 1999. Biofibre's reapplication for permission by the US FDA is pending, but the company claims that many of the previous problems associated with the fibers have been sorted out.

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## Fixed by 35

I'm trying to look into these further and the information you've provided has proved extremely useful. 

I'd be looking at NIDO, exclusive to the Crown Clinic in Australia. They have passed tests imposed by the Australian equivalent of the FDA, which is meant to be extremely rigorous. I always have more faith in medical procedures when a country with a nannying government is in power! 

What I'm keen to find out is whether the Crown Clinic in Sydney is reputable. I'm also interested to know if Advanced Hair Studio's 'Strand by Strand' is artificial fibres.

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## geminidb8

I was at the gym about 4 years ago and this was before I started having corrective surgery.  I was wearing a full cap wig which was bonded to my head when this guy who looked like a chemo patient-Shaved head came up to me and said -"Is that a Wig?"  I said yes-He then said "You would look better without it"  I said no in fact I have scars all over my head and look very disfigured without it.  He then said" Don't I look great"- I said " Personally I do not like that look but if you are happy with it then good for you"  He then said " You do not think I look great"  I wanted to say I thought you had cancer but said again " I do not like that look"  He finally left  and I thought to myself -Not all people look great with a shaved head.  I tried it and was depressed for months.  Not for me.  I will fight it and am again glad that there are transplants in one respect.  One must be super careful about who is performing them though.  Also they are not perfect but to me a better answer than looking like a sick person with a shaved head.  Not all people look bad either.  But I actually thought that the guy at  the gym was sick.  He just did not look healthy and would have looked much better with hair.  Again I.M.O.  I do have empathy for those who do the shaved look because some of them tell themselves they look great when in fact they do not. I suppose what are the choices-  Again this needs a cure not lies to oneself.

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## clee984

I still have pretty much all my hair but I've been rocking the shaved head look for a couple of years now, and although I don't think I'm one of the 20 odd percent of white guys who look good with it, it is extremely convenient and it does feel great. 

Different people have different opinions anyway, my younger sister hates it (she's too nice to ever say so, but I can tell), but one of my best friend's wives really likes it, she was extremely effusive when I first did it, and whenever she's drunk she pretty much won't leave me alone rubbing her hand over my head. It's actually a bit weird. I think she needs counseling. 

It makes me laugh to think what we're all going to do when they do come up with a cure - have a big party and then just disband all these forums and go home? Spencer Kobren would be out of a job  :Frown:

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## Fixed by 35

I'll probably go to a psychiatrist about my bad attitude when they find a cure  :Big Grin: 

The shaved head does indeed look terrible on most people. Acceptance with regards to baldness should mean accepting you are what you are and you're allowed to detest your outward appearance. Shaving your head and saying you look great is not acceptance - it's just another form of denial. 

My approach to baldness is on the one hand hate it, on the other hand work on the inside to be successful. Perhaps the most important thing is working for yourself and working alone - you get far less discrimination that way.

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## KeepTheHair

Bald looks stupid on most people. Like 95% of people. I am very athletic and fit but my head would look absolutely terrible if I shaved it...absolutely CRAP.

A lot of people have these tiny heads and big bodies so shaving the head would look really bad... balding just looks a million times worse than if you have a full head of hair.


Dammit lol. I have to prevent this from happening to me.

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## Fixed by 35

I'm coming closer to the decision to have artificial implants. Plenty of supply, just need a regular top up every now and then. I'll see what happens for the rest of this year and if it's still a load of nonsense, it will be time to go artificial.

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## KeepTheHair

Have you tried propecia? That together with rogaine and the lasercomb will definitely help keep what you have and also improve it to a decent extent, then get a hair transplant and your basically set.

From what I have read you sound successful. Surely you can afford a hair transplant? Have you considered it? I am might get one later this year and I am only 20...I don't want to have thin hair.

What have you tried so far?


and why artificial implants?

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## Fixed by 35

Seriously, if you get a hair transplant now you'll end up with weird bald patches in unnatural places by the time you're thirty. 

For guys like us who began balding early, hair transplants won't work. Propecia will still give up on you after about 10 years of use, and then a massive shed tends to be the result. You'll end up looking like Joe Biden. 

The laser comb really doesn't work and rogaine is useless on frontal recession. 

I use dutasteride and it keeps what I have, but the dam will break sooner or later! 

The only thing that reduces the misery of my hair loss is refusing to pass it on. I hate the gene with a passion and I take a huge amount of satisfaction that I'm going to kill the bastard.

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## KeepTheHair

By the time I am 30? As if I give half a shit about 10 years from now... in that time something will have probably happened to make hairloss a ton easier. If not why not just another hair transplant lol...I should have plenty of donor hair left. If I can use rogaine propecia and the laser comb to just maintain this should be a decent option.

I think there is more hope than you think.

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## KeepTheHair

I just feel I have to stay "alive" for the next 5-10 years sothat something can happen that would make those times easier. For now I will try to get on propecia. Already ordered rogaine and will get a transplant later this year.

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## Fixed by 35

My recommendation would be to become a recluse for 10 years. It's far easier than having to deal with people who look you in the forehead instead of the eye for the next 10 years. 

In 10 years time, a 'cure' will be in the second stages of clinical trials and it will fail. That's what the 'cure' cycle is all about. Companies work on a 10 year cycle promising the earth, going into pre-clinical trials, growing hairs on an animal that doesn't go bald, then going into pre-liminary trials where the results are iffy, then onto second stage trials which prove the cure doesn't work.... then they abandon it and someone like Provillus buys the research and sells it as a cure. 

The ultimate cure is castration. Wish I'd known that at 20!

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## KeepTheHair

WHY have you not tried hair transplants? They work...

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## Fixed by 35

When you commit to hair transplants, you have to commit to a life time of corrective surgery. I'm likely to be a Norwood VI by 40 (disgusting, I know, I've always been repulsed by baldness) and therefore the best I could hope for is this sort of thin, whispish comb over look by that age, with all my available doner hair. 

That's a very expensive way of looking like Bobby Charlton, in my opinion. 

Unless I can be sure of the reliability of dutasteride over the long term, a hair transplant will not be a realistic option for me. 

The only realistic option I have at the moment is becoming a recluse, which is cheaper and means I won't have to deal with lots of people with a lot on their head and nothing in it on a daily basis.

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## clee984

> You'll end up looking like Joe Biden.


 What's wrong with looking like Joe Biden? He's a handsome dude!  :Big Grin:

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## KeepTheHair

It takes MUCH less hair follicles to look better than you think dude...really go give it a try IMO or just look at some before and afters of younger balding people. Just delay it for now and do what you can NOW and just make it as best as possible until future solutions arise

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## Fixed by 35

I strongly advise you to think more carefully about getting a HT. Reputable hair restoration surgeons would probably turn you away at the door for having unrealistic expectations...

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## KeepTheHair

Yeah yeah I know.


But I am just saying, once I have been on rogaine and propecia for awhile and it is not working that great...then I might try a hairtrainsplant just to fill in what I have lost and so. 

Anything that helps helps...

I know I am probably too young for that right now.

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## Fixed by 35

I think the cure is coming soon. I want to set up some sort of news moniter for all the reputable research companies, such as Histogen, Follica, Aderans and TRX-2. 

I've also heard that Dr Woods, the Australian guy who developed FUE, is looking at the possibility of splitting hairs (so you'd get two for one, double the doner density). I don't know if there's anything in that rumour.

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## KeepTheHair

Sucks, most stuff will be too late though...I wish i had gotten on propecia like a year or 2 ago...

Will try to get on it soon.

Haven't gotten my rogaine yet.

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## Fixed by 35

I'm not that much of a fan of rogaine to be honest. I think it works to an extent, but not to the extent that justifies the cost, regardless of how low the current price is. 

Definitely get on propecia though. Whilst you're waiting for it to arrive, get saw palmetto and beta sitosterol. Whilst studies are limited, anecdotal evidence is generally positive and they should adjust your body to propecia. It's also better than taking nothing.

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## KeepTheHair

What are some good online sites to buy this? The stuff online here have weird names like.

Prostate Enlargement pills lol

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## Fixed by 35

You could try a company called Healthspan for saw palmetto. They're very good. 

For beta sitosterol, you need to try and find a cholestorol lowering drug. It's often the main ingredient in one of those. Just make sure you don't have low cholestorol first!

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## KeepTheHair

Ah, ok.


Is it a good idea to take both saw palmetto AND propecia?


Do you have AIM/MSN/SKYPE?

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## Fixed by 35

I don't see why not. Native Americans used to eat saw palmetto for food. But don't sue me if I'm wrong, I'm not a doctor!

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## Phatalis

> Seriously, if you get a hair transplant now you'll end up with weird bald patches in unnatural places by the time you're thirty. 
> 
> For guys like us who began balding early, hair transplants won't work. Propecia will still give up on you after about 10 years of use, and then a massive shed tends to be the result. You'll end up looking like Joe Biden. 
> 
> The laser comb really doesn't work and rogaine is useless on frontal recession. 
> 
> I use dutasteride and it keeps what I have, but the dam will break sooner or later! 
> 
> The only thing that reduces the misery of my hair loss is refusing to pass it on. I hate the gene with a passion and I take a huge amount of satisfaction that I'm going to kill the bastard.


 going to have to call a big timeout on that one. Rogaine Foam nearly regrew my hairline to the extent that it was when I was like 18 years old. I mean it's almost fully back. *knock on wood* I hope it lasts....

I'll even upload pics.

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## KeepTheHair

^thats awesome news...


I hope it does something similar for me...

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## adragon999

_ I'll probably go to a psychiatrist about my bad attitude when they find a cure

The shaved head does indeed look terrible on most people. Acceptance with regards to baldness should mean accepting you are what you are and you're allowed to detest your outward appearance. Shaving your head and saying you look great is not acceptance - it's just another form of denial.

My approach to baldness is on the one hand hate it, on the other hand work on the inside to be successful. Perhaps the most important thing is working for yourself and working alone - you get far less discrimination that way.

Bald looks stupid on most people. Like 95% of people. I am very athletic and fit but my head would look absolutely terrible if I shaved it...absolutely CRAP.
A lot of people have these tiny heads and big bodies so shaving the head would look really bad... balding just looks a million times worse than if you have a full head of hair.

_

Wow...helpful not even a bit! Although it's "your" perspective!  Why promote these ideas? At least try being less harsh and use more appropriate adjectives!
The poor guy, reading this with the freshly shaved head...

This is "ACTUALLY" something people have control over. 
So dude, you made a good first point! 
Half of one appearance is their self confidence and attitude! 

A clown nose looks stupid on most people...bald just takes some getting use to!!! 
Think about it, Bruce Willis looks odd now, if he has hair on! 

My point is, this for many is for a largely about acceptance! So making comments like: most people, 95%, stupid, crap...etc.
Is not helpful and yeah, you got it...really "STUPID"!

Think of all the money, self esteem and trouble. Having a general "better attitude" for self as others could save for everyone related!!

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## geminidb8

It is true though.  Bald does not look good period.  It happens and people say accept it.  So does body odor but we cover it up with anti persperant or deodorant.  I saw some bald guys with a shaved head at the gym the other day and what a shame.  They did look awful.  Truth is truth.  If one wants to say accept this then I should go out with my penis hanging out and say Accept it this is great!  Bald needs a cure not acceptance. It is ugly and disfiguring.  Sad but true.  For those who want to lie then tell yourself it is.   Just don't take a lie-detector test.   I felt this way 30 years ago and still feel the same today.

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## Fixed by 35

Bruce Willis still looks odd to me. However, he is somewhat fortuitous that he fits neatly into one of the shaved head stereotypes (meathead man).

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## KeepTheHair

adragon999 this is not about acceptance. It is about admitting the truth.


It looks bloody awful. PERIOD. The shaved head looks dumb on 99.999999999% ppl. Seriously I can NOT think of anyone that has a shaved head right now that would not look way better with a full head of hair.


Hair looks good, period. thats it. it just does.

In this thread we admit that. Then try to move on. We don't try to lie to ourselfs and say the shaved head looks ok, LOLOL IT IS SEXY


NO ITS NOT.

It's retarded. It looks retarded. It's dumb. It's uncomfortable. I hate it.


I still have a good amount of my hair, I am only 20. Now that I cut my hair it loks like I am somwehere around N3 ro so. But it looks way better cut, way less obvious that I have thinning actually. 

Just admit the damn truth. use your medication. Wait for the cure.

I won't lie to myself. 


You get a whole different first impression from a bald guy than a guy with a full head of hair. A WHOLE DIFFERENT FIRST IMPRESSION.


Thats why I agree with Fixed By 35. Hairloss sucks, because it doesn't allow  you to be who you want to be.


I am glad I didn't start balding in the dark ages, since now I can just use rogaine and finas untill some cure comes out.

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## Fixed by 35

I do think baldness hits the more reserved the hardest. Unfortunately, a shaved head is still a 'statement' and not just a hair cut. If it was just a hair cut, it would be fine. But I sure as hell don't want to make this statement or get any comments on my hair. 

That's the trouble. If I went home and shaved my head tonight, I'd draw attention to myself. I'd go into work on Monday and have to deal with a barage of unwelcome comments. 50% will probably be 'you look good' and 50% will be matey 'alright slaphead' remarks. It'll only last a few days, but I don't want to let this happen. Some people like being told they look good, I hate it. And I know I'll hate it ten times more when I hate the image myself.  

That's not to say a shaved head won't work for someone else. I'm a fairly conservative minded accountant and I dress appropriately for my image. I don't think the shaved head is any worse than the Goth or Hippy look. But these might work for other people and so will the shaved head. It just won't work for me, and I won't like the look on other people. 

I really don't know what to do about my hair loss now. I'm really not keen on anything artificial, because I think maintenance will be hard going. I'm not worried about other people's thoughts, because I plan to emigrate, but still, it's just a dodgy option in my view. However, I can't decide whether it's the lesser of two evils. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with an image I detest either (not that that is likely with Histogen and Aderans, but you get the idea). 

I'm also not sure whether to carry on with Dutas or whether to switch to Propecia. I'll use up my supply of Dutas, don't want to waste money, but I'm not sure what I'll do after that! Also, I'm not sure whether to start using minoxidil. 

I think what I'll do is just keep using Dutas and then once I've emigrated I'll apply Toppik liberally in the workplace. My hair loss doesn't bother me anywhere else.

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## KeepTheHair

You should use minoxidil also untill histogen comes out with something... It really cant hurt dude and it probably will do more good than you think it will.

Try to get a really strong concentration and give it a go for a few months.


Switching medication is a very risky thing to do. It might work way better ...or way worse.

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## Fixed by 35

I thought of a good analogy for shaving your head the other day. If someone wrote '****' on your forehead and on the back of your neck, would you shave your head so you could write '****' all over your head. 

Because, basically, that's what a shaved head says about you to every potential employer out there except the army, most of whom are.... best not say on an American website.

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## KeepTheHair

Sadly I agree with you once again. People get entirely different first impressions from bald people. I know I do.

This is not who I want to be.

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## Gusto

> Sadly I agree with you once again. People get entirely different first impressions from bald people. I know I do.
> 
> This is not who I want to be.


 I agree with you. Many men embrace a shaved head as if it's something cool.

I don't think it is, especially in winter when you need hair on your head.

In my mind's eye I SHOULD have hair, but I am bald. I have my hair cut very short, never went completely bald shaved.

I am also wearing a baseball cap. But am seriously thinking of going for the hair replacement route, IF THE PIECE IS GOOD.

If it's bad, it goes straight in the bin. :Smile:

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## KeepTheHair

I know for a fact it will look way better. But definitely some sacrifices you have to make with it. Also, it is just another thing in your closet :P I mean the dirty secret one lol


hehe

Let us know what you decide on lol

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## Fixed by 35

Like head shaving, wigs are a lot of work. I don't think I'd be motivated to maintain it for very long! 

I'm starting to think it's best just to forget fashion and appearance once and for all. As long as I'm hygenic, no one has any right to complain! 

Honestly, the balding look isn't great, but it's no worse than the shaved head and it's a lot less effort. I think it's time to give up on appearance and focus on something else, like maximising the misery of people with hair. 

Does anyone ever feel like that? That it's somehow justified to make men with hair miserable? Like, this afternoon, a bloke about twice my age with a full head of hair couldn't find his hotel and asked me for directions. I couldn't help but send him in completely the wrong direction, wrong though it is. It's as if this meanness is subconscious in me!

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## KeepTheHair

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  OOOL


DUDE. hahaahhaahahhaha


hahaha that is good... lol 


I don't think I would do that. But maybe one day I will also take it that personal. One day he has a smirk on his face, next day he is getting wrong directions lol

haha man. I do feel that way sometime. But really though. I see no point in that.

I want to say just keep a smile and don't let it get to you. But if it doesn't get to us then we wouldn't be here. 

To be honest I don't know what to do. I am just enjoying life trying to keep my hair lol.


I do whatever I feel like doing hehe

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## headshape

Regarding some of the comments above....
- I tried using minoxidil (both in Rogaine form and Dr. Lee's ******* with azelaic acid).  Despite the threat of going bald, I found it difficult to comply with the 2x daily regimen.  It's also hard to tell if the minoxidil is working if you're taking propecia/dutasteride at the same time.

- I haven't tried fluoridil or Rogaine foam...will look into them.  I suspect Rogaine foam will be at least as effective as the liquid version, which is hard to absorb in to the skin.  I don't know if it will be effective for me, given that the dutasteride barely works now.

- I think a small minority of guys look very good with a shaved head.  Others look OK or passable, although not as good looking as when they had hair.  In my case, I was born with a misshapen skull (in fact I've only seen one other guy whose skull shape resembles mine) so I am in the minority that look truly terrible bald.

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## KeepTheHair

Applying rogaine only once daily will NOT be effective. I think there has been studies done on this and I have read again and again about it. You have to use it twice daily. I have missed once so far in the 10 days that I have used it. But I have applied it more before and after that so it makes it "ok" lol...in a way. But still you have to keep helping those follicles. Once a day is not enough I think.

Rogaine foam is actually proven to be LESS effective than the liquid version since it is harder to absorb and harder to get to the scalp or so. There is study online about that. The difference is definitely noteworthy, but not that much.

I think fluridil has some promise and once I can afford it I will add it to my regimen later this year.



COME GUYS. LETS NOT SHAVE THOSE HEADS JUST YET! WE MUST HOLD OF THE DHT UNTIL WE CAN BUY A CURE! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD


HOOOOOOOOOLD

lol

Keep the hair....keep the damn hair

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## headshape

KeepTheHair,

Thanks for the info.  Yeah, I am definitely NOT an authority on Rogaine/minoxidil, so if you're reading this please take my inferences with a huge grain of salt.

Regarding fluridil, I found a link to one paper, which I plan to read.  
http://www.hairsite2.com/flu.pdf
Any other studies that you know about?  I'd like to know if this is a legit product or not.

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## KeepTheHair

I posted this thread about it http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2557

join the discussion

I read some of that study you just linked to and yeah, it definitely does look like a good product. If I could afford it easily i would have already bought it I think. But I am desperate. hehe

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## KeepTheHair

oops wrong thread

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## seatown

> 1) People who recommend shaving your head name the same five or six celebrities that suit the look. I can name hundreds of people who don't suit the look. You probably can too.


 - *I can name hundres of ugly ppl with full set of hair also.. I can also name hundreds of ppl with full hair who don't suit the look.. and off course I can also name hundreds of partially balding ppl with toupees,wigs, and bad transplants that looks the worst compared to shaved heads..*




> 2) Most people's heads are funny shapes. Therefore, their shaved head looks terrible.


 -* shaving it off is more for freedom.. no more worry about hair loss and covering up.. most ppl heads are funny shaped? that's ur opinion.. like saying most ppl's faces and body shapes are funny lookin..who looks more terrible? a man with bad toupee? an older man with baseball cap full time? a man with horrible looking transplant? a man with thinning hair coming out of public pool or locker room shower? these men get stares from other people and receive many more bald jokes and remarks..hardly anyone stares at men with shaved heads..maybe only you do..believe it or not a lot of chicks digs completely shaved head men, probably thinking they have bigger balls than those who try to hide their baldness*




> 3) The shaved head is the look of choice for neo-Nazis.


 - *that's also the look of choice for buddhist monks, most NBA players including white players, many boxers and MMA fighters like myself and my brother, many hispanic and black males and even young asian males, and so on..and on..and on... who give a fvck about the look of choice of anybody? the real Nazis from the WW2 era who killed 6 million Jews don't shave heads and have hair so they're cool with you and neo-nazis are not only because they shaved their heads? you're a joke* 




> 4) It involves a lot of work to maintain a shaved head, including an extra 15 minutes shaving every single day.


 - *What maintenance??? How much time a person spend to dry his hair with either towel or blow dryer? then to comb, brush or style his hair after shower? how about applying hair products like hair sprays, gels, brushes, combs? How about trips to hair stylists every two weeks or so to pay $20, $30, $100..who knows?? a man with shaved head can dry his head with one wipe..and done! no need to stand in front of a mirror.. Shaving the head is like 5 minutes top, especially if u shave everyday.. there's very little hair to shave if you do it everyday..belive it or not facial hair grow faster than hair on head.. How much money are u planning to spend on HT or on different wigs or different hats or baseball caps? Shaved head can save you time and... money!!!* 




> 5) Men who are not fit look terrible with a shaved head, so an extra hour of your life has to be given up to the gym. You also have to cut out all the foods you like for 'the look.'


 - *again, ppl who decided to shave the head do this because they don't want to deal with hair loss anymore.. some ppl with full set of hair still shave it off cuz they don't want to bother with maintaining (again.. shampoo, hair cut, hair style etc).. nothing to do with fitness.. most ppl u see in the gym are there for fitness..to lost weight, to get a six pack abs, to lower body fat or to lower cholesterol or whatever.. not to match their bald head..and SO WHAT if a person with shaved head try to lose weight and get fit to match their head? it's fvckin' great! he'll have a healthy life style!*




> 6) You'll increase your chance of skin cancer with a shaved head. Better to cover up with a HT, hat or wig.


 - *DUHH!.. ppl with full set of hair still need to wear a hat with brim to cover the rest of the face.. skin cancer can hit any part of ur body especially on the face, chin, nose, lips, etc.. go to a hospital or clinic and look at skin cancer patients and tell me how many of them have completly shaved heads and and also see if they have skin cancer on top of their heads..* 




> 7) You didn't like going bald, so you'll hate being 100%bald.


 - *Sure they don't like going bald..but for a lot of ppl, 100% bald is better than partially bald and trying to hide it under the hat or toupee full time..* 





> I think I've made my point!


 - *Huh? you think?? guess what? YOU THOUGHT WRONG! you haven't make any point..you a senior member here? too bad you only think like an ignorant little 12 yrs old boy*
*stupidity is worse than baldness..*

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## KeepTheHair

seatown, your very first response is what made me instantly realize you don't know what you are talking about. Sure you can name people who look bad with a head of hair etc.


The point is and will always be that without hair most look MUCH worse. It's about the majority here. Most people look good with hair and then ugly without. That happens a lot.

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## seatown

> seatown, your very first response is what made me instantly realize you don't know what you are talking about. Sure you can name people who look bad with a head of hair etc.
> 
> 
> The point is and will always be that without hair most look MUCH worse. It's about the majority here. Most people look good with hair and then ugly without. That happens a lot.


 only most ppl with *complete set of full hair* or with hair that cover more than 75% of their head looks better..ok? Also depends on the volume..how thick or thin.. don't tell me ppl with cul-de-sac or horse-shoe shaped hair looks better than ppl with shaved head..and oh yeah, combed-over are awesome, huh? how about hair so thin, one has to avoid standing under bright light or try not to get it wet in public or going out on windy days? C'mon dude...
how about the other arguments I made? there's a total of 7 arguments..I'm assuming you read it all..and do u disagree to all? if u do, you have no clue either..have fun struggling with thinning hair..
I'm not saying you guys should not wear wigs, caps or get HT.. that's ur choice..*I've been there and done that!* keep ur hair if you wanna.. I'm just try to point out that whatever that guy (fixby35) trying to say about shaved head is not true at all..in fact the list he made is total nonsense..

gotta go.. be back in a few hours to check on your and others' replies..

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## seatown

> true to an extent, but in my opinion a shaved head generally looks waaaaay better than very thin hair, or the ol horseshoe.


 that's what I'm talking about dude..

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## geminidb8

Shaving ones head is no cure and mostly looks awful.  I am glad I have had corrective surgery and would have done it all over again before a shaved head.  I tried that look and literally wanted to commit suicide.  I hated, hated , hated it!  Do anything but most people that shave their heads tell themselves that they look good, have freedom etc.  Truth is YUK!!!  Gross and any other adjectives that go on those lines.  Baldness needs a cure not an excuse.  Don't Shave your head. Very Very few look ok.  The only ones that look ok have chiseled features IE:  Vin Disel.  He looks ok but would look far better with hair.  Now  write in and dispute this claim all you want but remember this-- If the shaved head look was so great the hair replacement business would not be around.  It is a multi - Billion dollar business.  It would be defunct if everyone just loved that shaved look.  YADA YADA YADA!!  Yeah the shaved head is great!  Like the apple in the garden of eve.  YUK!

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## Gusto

Yeah, I agree, some bald men suit shaved heads. That's if they're fit and slim. Where I don't think a shaved head looks good is on an overweight man with rolls of fat on his neck.

I am average weight but give me hair any day. I don't care whether it's 100% grey! :Big Grin:

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## smileyface19

"Shaving ones head is no cure and mostly looks awful.  I am glad I have had corrective surgery and would have done it all over again before a shaved head.  I tried that look and literally wanted to commit suicide.  I hated, hated , hated it!  Do anything but most people that shave their heads tell themselves that they look good, have freedom etc.  Truth is YUK!!!  Gross and any other adjectives that go on those lines.  Baldness needs a cure not an excuse.  Don't Shave your head. Very Very few look ok.  The only ones that look ok have chiseled features IE:  Vin Disel.  He looks ok but would look far better with hair.  Now  write in and dispute this claim all you want but remember this-- If the shaved head look was so great the hair replacement business would not be around.  It is a multi - Billion dollar business.  It would be defunct if everyone just loved that shaved look.  YADA YADA YADA!!  Yeah the shaved head is great!"

Must work for a chain clinic!

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## geminidb8

No I work for noone.  I was a victim of bad hair transplants for years.  I now look Mostly normal.  Just expressing how I have felt for over 25 years about baldness and the shaved head.  That is all.

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## Mane Man

While I have never taken a blade to my head, I have had my barber take my hair down to a a very short 1 1/2 top with a shadow fade on the sides and back.  I agree that shaving one's head (mine is short enough to qualify) is not a _cure_, it is very refreshing not to have to deal with your hair.  Instead of waking up and worrying about styling your hair in a way that hides thin areas on your scalp, you just commit to your look.  If you are an optimist, you have no bad hair days.  If you are a pessimist, you have no good hair days :Big Grin: .  The good thing about shaving the head is you don't end up staring at yourself in the mirror trying to devise a strategy to make your hair somehow look better.  You get used to the shaved head.  It actually feels good not having hair, especially on hot days.  

As far as it being ugly, I disagree.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Not all women like the look.  But not all women like dudes with long hair either.  That is fact.  But plenty of women either like the bald look, or don't mind it.  Believe it or not,  you'll even find women who love it.  Those women are awesome.  I think you have to have thick skin being a bald/balding man, or being a man in general.  You have to like yourself before others will like you too.  

Everybody keeps looking for names of handsome dudes with bald heads.  I'll throw out a few-

UFC
Georges St. Pierre 
Randy Couture (looks better without hair)
Dana White

NFL
Matt Hasselbeck

Finally, Vin Diesel and Jason Statham are handsome because they are bald, not in spite of it.

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## jooder

Maneman - I agree with everything you have just said.....sense at last : )

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## geminidb8

Truthfully I tried the shaved look and like I said Hated, Hated , Hated it.  I do not care if women or men like it. I did not.  That is what counts.  I have hated baldness since the age of 6 when I had a full head of hair.  I am not a pessimist or optimist.  I am a realist.  No person likes baldness and a shaved head is a way out for many men but they do not look good in my eyes for 99.9% of the time.  I agree one must do what works for them.  I am going for more surgery in august and friends tell me that I look 90% better than when I was bald.  I feel it too.  The more hair I get the better.  U can keep your shaved heads - Not for me!

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## Mane Man

> Truthfully I tried the shaved look and like I said Hated, Hated , Hated it.  I do not care if women or men like it. I did not.  That is what counts.  I have hated baldness since the age of 6 when I had a full head of hair.  I am not a pessimist or optimist.  I am a realist.  No person likes baldness and a shaved head is a way out for many men but they do not look good in my eyes for 99.9% of the time.  I agree one must do what works for them.  I am going for more surgery in august and friends tell me that I look 90% better than when I was bald.  I feel it too.  The more hair I get the better.  U can keep your shaved heads - Not for me!


 The important thing is that you feel good about yourself gemini. If you didn't like the way you looked with no hair, then by all means, do what you have to do to feel better.

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## geminidb8

I agree with you Mane Man.  It really is what makes one happy.  Go with what works for you.

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## Fixed by 35

> Finally, Vin Diesel and Jason Statham are handsome because they are bald, not in spite of it.


 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Not f**king Vin Diesel again. How many more times? The guy is a twat! 

That's the problem with baldness. The so called role models are all crap looking tossers. 

People keep bringing up these bald 'role models' and I just read through them thinking 'twat, twat, twat.' 

There's no such thing as a bald role model, only bald men too oblivious to how ridiculous they look.

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## clee984

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Not f**king Vin Diesel again. How many more times? The guy is a twat! 
> 
> That's the problem with baldness. The so called role models are all crap looking tossers. 
> 
> People keep bringing up these bald 'role models' and I just read through them thinking 'twat, twat, twat.' 
> 
> There's no such thing as a bald role model, only bald men too oblivious to how ridiculous they look.


 Yeah but, everyone thinks they're right, what makes you special? You might not think Vin Diesel is a handsome guy. Other people clearly disagree.

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## jooder

In all seriousness - 'fixed by 35' - have you ever considered a psychological assesment?

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## Mane Man

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Not f**king Vin Diesel again. How many more times? The guy is a twat! 
> 
> That's the problem with baldness. The so called role models are all crap looking tossers. 
> 
> People keep bringing up these bald 'role models' and I just read through them thinking 'twat, twat, twat.' 
> 
> There's no such thing as a bald role model, only bald men too oblivious to how ridiculous they look.


 Are you for real?  How many times are you going to post your negative crap on the same thread?  You've had ample opportunity to share your opinion on this topic and now you are just acting like a kid in junior high.  You have almost 300 posts here and I am willing to bet that most of them are a complete waste of yours and everyone elses time and energy.  Why don't you start a new website called baldguysareugly.com and you can be the big star.  I suggest a new user name for you- Miserable Forever.  You are never going to be "Fixed" until you change that nasty attitude of yours.

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## kenny57028

Shaved heads are ugly? Well I guess im ugly >.< . Ya I'll admit I looked better with hair no doubt, but you make it sound that people with shaved heads are the ugliest things out there.... sorry id rather have a shaved head than half my face blown off? But if that guy with the face blown off still has hair he's the one thats guna get the chick, right?

I weighed out my options before I shaved my head. I could spend tons of money on pills, plugs, and rugs or I could shave my head. Ok while the side effects of the pills may be blown way out of proportion, do you want to take the risk of *not being able to perform* anymore just for a couple hairs? 

Doesn't even spencer say if you can shave your head and move on with your life that you should do it? So than why do you come on the site and go "Spencers completely ****in wrong." I know you didn't say that, but you implied it.

Come on dude what is your grudge against people with hair anyways? I'm envious of a full head of hair just like any bald man is, but did those people with hair when they were an embryo decide to have you go bald one day? Serisouly they did  nothing to you, guy cuda wanted directions to go to his daughters wedding, but nope thanks to an asshole like you he missed it... and why, simply becuz he had ****in hair.

Now kid grow the **** up becuz i thought this site was spose to help people not bring them down.

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## kenny57028



----------


## Fixed by 35

> Shaved heads are ugly? Well I guess im ugly >.< . Ya I'll admit I looked better with hair no doubt, but you make it sound that people with shaved heads are the ugliest things out there.... sorry id rather have a shaved head than half my face blown off? But if that guy with the face blown off still has hair he's the one thats guna get the chick, right?


 Wow, you really do look awful, like a back alley mugger or something. Most people can just about pull off a professional image despite the baldness, but you really got the worst card in the deck didn't you? 

I can honestly say if you turned up for an interview at my offices, I'd be inclined to call security. Needless to say I wouldn't employ you. I'd be worried about how my clients might react. Is there really no way you can soften your brutal image? 

Just for the record, having my face blown off isn't any higher in my list of priorities than baldness! 




> Doesn't even spencer say if you can shave your head and move on with your life that you should do it? So than why do you come on the site and go "Spencers completely ****in wrong." I know you didn't say that, but you implied it.


 I don't agree with everything Spencer says. That's not to say he is wrong, but that there is a difference of opinion. What he has done well is this website; I do disagree with the view you mention above because I think he underestimates the perception of others. 




> Come on dude what is your grudge against people with hair anyways? I'm envious of a full head of hair just like any bald man is, but did those people with hair when they were an embryo decide to have you go bald one day? Serisouly they did nothing to you, guy cuda wanted directions to go to his daughters wedding, but nope thanks to an asshole like you he missed it... and why, simply becuz he had ****in hair.


 Going to a wedding in jeans and an anorak? I doubt it. Besides, the expectation of some people, that I can just be stopped in the street by a stranger and suddenly be willing to help, is ridiculous. It's the sort of overconfidence I only ever get from people with hair and Germans. I have better things to do than directing pompous twats with massive quiffs to the nearest hotel and I couldn't give a damn if he did have a wedding to go to. 




> Now kid grow the **** up becuz i thought this site was spose to help people not bring them down.


 Spencer's job is to help people through confidence building and the like. Mine is to be brutally honest and articulate the realities bald people face. I do receive notes of support on this website for doing so. If nothing else, using lines I teach other sufferers can be extremely useful in obtaining free cosmetic surgery from the NHS.  :Big Grin:

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## ThinFast

I have had the chance to observe a couple of bald guys over the passed couple of weeks.  The first was a guy that appeared to be in his early 30's.  He had a shaved head, was fit and tan, not completely jacked, but was a decent looking guy even with a shaved head.  He was sitting with the hottest girl in the bar by far.  Seeing this really gave me a lot of hope and a competely different perspective.  The bald guys I've seen strike out, really were not great looking in the first place.  I'm not saying that the stereotype doesn't exist, but fix what you can and I do believe there is definitely hope.

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## JOE-91

> I have had the chance to observe a couple of bald guys over the passed couple of weeks.  The first was a guy that appeared to be in his early 30's.  He had a shaved head, was fit and tan, not completely jacked, but was a decent looking guy even with a shaved head.  He was sitting with the hottest girl in the bar by far.  Seeing this really gave me a lot of hope and a competely different perspective.  The bald guys I've seen strike out, really were not great looking in the first place.  I'm not saying that the stereotype doesn't exist, but fix what you can and I do believe there is definitely hope.


 I see this quite a bit. It's obvious who look good bald and who don't, good skin and symmetry/ headshape and build are the biggest factors in my opinion, generally giving off a healthy/ vibrant tone is what you want, which is why I have concerns about using minoxidil because although I tolerate it well it makes my face look less healthy.

Keepthehair, I'm sorry that most people on the balding websites bring up the same bald role models e.g. Jason Statham and Vin Diesel but I actually personally know NW5 head shavers that I think look great, and in terms of other 'known' bald guys I can think of plenty others bar the same old names that pop up on hair loss forums. Do you hate balding shaved heads only? or do you think a number 1-2 on a good head of hair is a bad thing also? 


-

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## StayStrongMen

I think it's about time Fixedby35 gets banned. Kenny has the nads to post his photo and Fixed belittles him. Typical scumbag move from a scumbag. For the record, it's tough to tell from the lighting but his head looks fine to me. Not gettiing employed??? LOL once again, get some mental help.

Fixed's mind is already made up and there's no point of listening to him rant about how much lower he is in social society due to his baldness. Everyone has given him sound advice over and over again and he just rejects it and spews the same BS.

Of all the sexy bald celebs out there, I think Vin Diesel is the studliest of them all and looks fabulous.  :Wink:

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## Winston

The darkness of the image is what makes Kenny look a little thuggish, not his bald head or his face. He actually pulls off the look very well if you ask me. As for Fixedby35, I don't think he should be banned, I think he needs our help desperately! Its people like him that need the most sympathy because he is so hopeless. I feel sorry for him and hope he finds some peace in his life.

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## KeepTheHair

What a thread...

I have no idea why that guy just posted his picture? 


It looks just about how you would expect a shaved head to look. To be honest I just don't like it at all. I don't like the feeling attached to it. Fixed By 35 said you look like a back alley mugger...lol... Perhaps it is not that bad but it does not look "warm" as a head full of hair does. It looks cold and unappealing.

I completely dislike the shaved look... I will never do it.





As for this forum I am just gonna go live my life and come here every now and then...I am done with all this garbage. Sure baldness sucks and shaved head sucks...but what are we going to do? Moan about it for the rest of our lives? Not me. I am just going to do what I can until HSC comes out or whatever.

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## jooder

Keep the hair - i think you have made a wise decision in getting on with your life. There is more to life than hair and visiting the forums less will make you obsess about it less.
  I think kenny has done well in posting his picture, giving a two fingered salute to 'fixed by 35' in the process : ) I too think kenny pulls of the look - good head shape, strong features and the attitude to go with it. The picture quality is lacking a bit but you get the general idea.
  I would rather have people thinking im a mans man and even a little thugish at times........than a vain, miserable nancy boy clinging onto a few wispy hairs.
  I have no problem with people who want a hair transplant - whatever makes people happy is good by me. Some hair transplants can look good and change peoples lifes for the better. But given the choice  between a shaved head and a severly thining head of hair....... it has to be the shaved head every time.

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## Fixed by 35

I just thought the guy deserved brutal honesty; he was, after all, being brutally honest with me. As I've said on previous threads, lying to people to big them up isn't going to help in the long term either. 

I think the first thing any man who shaves their head must do is soften their image. The shaved head was the choice of thugs and homosexuals before it became popular for the balding and the stereotypes persist (I should point out that whilst being gay is not in itself a bad thing, being mistaken for someone who is gay is clearly not the objective of a straight man). 

Kenny has done no such thing. Whilst some men naturally have the features to look human without hair (for example 90% of the celebrities cited on these pages) most do not. Kenny, for example, looks like a convict. If he came to my place of business for an interview, I'd probably try to get rid of him as soon as possible. 

I have a similar problem. I have very hard features. Losing my hair is ruining my image, but shaving my head will turn me into a thug. I don't want to become one of those people that others cross the street to avoid, but if I shave my head that is what will happen. 

There are ways to soften the image. Dressing well, glasses to frame the face and not shaving all the way to zero. But they are in themselves limited as an option. 

Roll on Histogen!

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## jooder

Fixed by 35 - Disregarding the homosexual and thug remarks..... your last post wasnt too bad! I think if you can positvely engage in the debate, then people would not be as hostile towards you.
  You make a point about softening the image of a shaven headed man. I dont always think this is necessary but i take your point. I think getting a tan, getting teeth fixed etc can aid this process.
  You say that kenny looks thuggish.... but you are seeing one snapshot of his life. In person he may smile a lot, laugh a lot.....when he meets people he may shake their hand and put them at ease. So the difference in seeing one pic or spending 30 seconds with the man may be enormous.

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## Fixed by 35

> You make a point about softening the image of a shaven headed man. I dont always think this is necessary but i take your point. I think getting a tan, getting teeth fixed etc can aid this process.


 Teeth and tans? Maybe in the US, but not in the UK. The only way you'll get a tan here will be along with a good dose of cancer from a sunbed! As for teeth - well, you know what us Brits are like with dentists. In fact, people with amazingly white teeth are more ridiculed here than bald people! 




> You say that kenny looks thuggish.... but you are seeing one snapshot of his life. In person he may smile a lot, laugh a lot.....when he meets people he may shake their hand and put them at ease. So the difference in seeing one pic or spending 30 seconds with the man may be enormous.


 Here's the problem though. That's fine with family and friends but it's not okay in other scenarios. Think about, for example, a job interview. The split second prejudice of the interviewer takes more than half an hour to go away, surely? And if the interview subject is not themselves (how many of us can be ourselves in job interviews? I can't - telling them I'd rather be pulling my fingernails out than working for the smug git on the other side of the desk might be the truth but it doesn't pay as well!) 

Perhaps more alarming is the lack of release for a man with a shaven head. If you need to make a complaint about a service in public, for example at an airport, it is far more difficult to do so if you look intimidating. Sometimes, the best way to get a good service is to build a rapport - since I started going bald I lost this ability and I imagine a shaven head is a lost cause in this activity! You haven't got enough time for the person you're complaining to to really know you and you have to be firm. However, with a shaven head, it probably looks more thuggish than firm. I'm more likely to have to talk down to a service rep these days because the f**kers won't do their job any other way!

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## jooder

I disagree...... i credit most people with more intelligence than to make a single judgement in a split second.... then stick to it whilst disregarding other, overwhelming factors.
  I think you would do well to work on your self esteem.... im not having a go - i honestly believe its a big issue for you. In life, people get criticised for everything....being bald, having white teeth, being rich , being poor, being too mean, being too nice.The trick is to be happy with yourself.... something you seem to lack?

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## Fixed by 35

With the exception of hair loss, I am very happy with who I am, maybe even arrogantly so. 

The frustration exists because of a failure to both be who I am and be perceived as such. That was never a problem before, whereas now it is a problem that is huge. 

People DO make split second judgments. These are often subconscious and they have no idea that they've been so arbitrary. We ARE on the receiving end, along with fat people, tall or flat chested women and short men, among others. We will continue to be on the receiving end until either we can control the gene that causes hair loss or control the gene that causes split second perception. 

Guess which one I think is easier to achieve?  :Big Grin: 

In the meantime, the only resource is to fight back. I never give men with full heads of hair jobs; sod them, they have ample opportunities elsewhere. I also give them a hard time to balance out the misery. It's not the most rewarding thing to do, but the alternative is to come second all the time.

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## jooder

The problem that faces you is that you presume that most people are as prejudiced as yourself.
  Example.... a good looking girl, fun to be with..... but she is flat chested. Therefore she must be dumped?.....thats ridiculous.

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## Fixed by 35

I agree it is ridiculous. I disagree when you say it isn't something to worry about. It is alarmingly common.

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## jooder

Its ridiculous that you think peoples minds work that way.....there may be a few people who would, but most sane people have more about them.

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## Fixed by 35

We'd certainly like to think that.

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## mark-1

Can we see a photo of fixed by 35?

I bet your hairloss isn't even that bad

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## NateDog

Everything I read on these forums tend to gear towards Hair Transplants

They can be great if you have minimal hair loss and the older you are obviously the better. Older guys can get away with thin comb overs.

We all worry about our looks and our youth. Getting older is a scarey thing. And the stigma that goes with balding. Shaving your head is just another way of dealing with acceptance just as using a concealor or wigs or even if you sport the hair you have and stay on the meds. Its just a way of dealing with it.

I wish I could find that happy medium. And I am envious not of guys with hair but of all the people out there that are not on these forums fuelling each other with negative thoughts and opinions

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## thejdizzle

shaving your head is a great way to mentally deal with hair loss. no more bullshit. plus i look rugged. so much better than a comb-over existence i imagine a lot of people live

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## NateDog

Honestly think if you can sport the look of a shaved head (or buzzed down) then this is not the forum for you

As much as everyone wants to think this forum is geared towards hair loss sufferers and support its more geared towards information and prevention of hair loss and fixing it via transplants and medications. What it tends to fuel is a loop of hope and loss and denial

If you look good shaved I am jealous plus get out there and get off this forum. Your life will be far more positive then the rest of us in here who fail to find acceptance. Im still too chicken sh1t to shave my head I aint fat but my head shape aint the best... My advice to anyone thinking of doing it if they can get the courage to try it then do it... stay on the meds (you wont be any balder then you would of been anyway) but you gotta be in the right mindset and ready to accept a new look. If you just go ahead and buzz it or shave and think you will be happy you probably will regret it. Its the whole acceptance thing. Sooner accepted the sooner our lives will mean something again. Easier said then done though

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## NateDog

What is the point of debating whether we think bald guys are ugly or not who gives a f***

Want hair get a hair transplant or hair system

Want to try the shaved or bald look go for it

Plenty of women love the sly look plenty do not and some do not care such is the dating game. But honestly if you are some fat schmoe then with or without hair chances are the ladies do not flock to you anyway

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## Fixed by 35

Please don't call it sly. It might be a lot of things, but sly is not one of them! I've even heard it being described as the ultimate badge of insecurity, because a more secure person wouldn't feel any need to shave his remaining hair in order to be 'accepted.'

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## NateDog

Well again who cares if one calls it sly or a badge of insecurity does it really matter... It is irrelevant

Each person is different and they do whatever they have to do to get through each day. We all share something in common and that is hair loss... So bagging someone for trying to move forward seems hypocritical (ie shaving their heads)

We should all just focus on ourselves instead of seeking advice or approval from others to make the decisions for us because alot of the answers I read on these forums are not constructive and more so based on opinions fueled by a persons own resentment about their hair loss condition

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## ThinFast

Truthfully, I'm considering shaving my head and it's not cause I'm embarassed about losing my hair.  The real reason is because I simply do not have the ability to make my hair style the way I want.  It just looks weird when you have diffuse thinning all on top of your head, there's no good way to style it.

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## nassau

Mr. Fixed by 35,

Well buddy first let me say that I do enjoy some of your post. But, you genarally just have a crap attitude. I understand going bald is not a fun experience that neither I nor anyone esle probably has enjoyed. But what I have come to conclude. Is that anyone with your bad attitude towards life or balding has not been laid in a long, long, long, long, long time. When it all comes down to it balding would not bother guys if we didn't think it would hurt our chances to getting laid. Especially for the single guys. I am 23 and started noticing my balding at 22 and 5 months. So I just shave it all down now. I was a bit sad for a day or so, but the first time I pulled a number and hooked up with a girl bald. I knew that it was going to be all good. Yes I am on propecia because I would like to keep what I have when it comes to my stuble. But when it comes down to it, we all just need a confidence boost to reasure us that its not as bad as we think. So just for the record. How long has it been fixed by 35???

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## Fixed by 35

I'm in a long term relationship and have been for three years. If you think that's the only thing worth worrying about when you lose your hair, it would be irresponsible of me to pull the veil from your eyes and trigger a depression! 

But, as a taster, I for one don't particularly look forward to spending the rest of my life looking like a bouncer. Men shorter than 6'5" might not understand that stigma.

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## NateDog

I agree with that

If you are diffuse and I am also I have the Y pattern thinning happening with the frontal tuft still there but thinning in the vertex up and also with the recession of the temples

If  you still have hair there you can get away with it if you use concealor though I am not sure you should go that route as it can become a reliance and after some time you get into a bit of denial and then it hits you like a tonne of bricks as you do not pay much attention then a couple years down the track you suddenly realise you are twice as bad without the toppik

And also if you have family history on your side to being bald and are young in your thirties I am not convinced Surgery is the best option as how would 6000 grafts look when you are bald on top and 40 years old

I often wonder if you look really bad shaved head whether alot of people are happy enough to wear a hair system... I know everyone says the cost of it is extremely more over time then Surgery but if you are not blessed with true donor characteristics that allow you to achieve your desired results then you either go naturally and just clip it short and neat as best you can or you wear hair. But obviously the latter may come with the neurotic tendancies over time that you could be found out or the upkeep is pretty high I hear though in all honestly sounds like having hair with Surgery is just as much upkeep when you are popping pills rubbing on rogaine and hair spray thickeners (even after transplants to disguise a little bit of thinning)

Everyone also talks research when and before a transplant but really its more about researching what you can achieve with worse case scenario over the rest of your life. Decisions over being cut (FUE and FUT) takes away the head shave option... If you do not get the desired results what then... How much money have you really got to invest in the life time upkeep of hair...

I myself am in a tug of war over what to do next... I know the good Doctors who do top work are constantly showing great results but I still remain scepticle and it is important to have this inside you you got to be absolutely certain you know what you are doing and a hundred million percent behind it if you go the Surgery route. Photos are great and videos are also but facing reality images can still distort reality plus I notice alot of guys who dye their hair lighter or the photos are definitely in a different light because the hair is a different shade lighter which in term gives a better impression of cover

If only we could see patients in real life but then its all individual expectations because what looks good to them might not look at all good to you... I have read many times people going into the open days from a well known LA clinic and see the norwood six cases present themselves and they just walk out because the guys pay thirty grand for a few sprigs and a power comb over

So... Lots to think over and lots of research but its also alot of counselling to do on yourself mainly so you are mentally prepared for the good and what could be the worse decision of your life

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## christinedwrds

How do you know if its time to get an HT? my husband shaved his head, and its possible this exacerbated his depression. I just want to get him to accept that his hairline is receding and that we need to get on with life. His depression is taking a toll on our marriage. i just want to find a solutoion for baldness so we can start being normal again.

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## dgman21

I'm going crazy every morning after i take a shower and see how thin my hair got. I just dont think the shaved head looks good on a caucasian.
Fixed are u lookin to get the HT? I agree with the working at home thing but this is sooo depressing. How to meet people on the outside world or how to start a business isolated......

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## Fixed by 35

Don't worry about meeting people. Society judges you on your appearance rather than the content of your character; they are inferior to you; they are worthless to you now. Their only remaining purpose is to be used for your advantage. 

You could be intelligent and charming, but even those who society believes are successful role models will judge you more by your hair than your abilities. Do you really want to spend your life mingling with these idiots as though they were your equals? 

I am more than happy seldom meeting people. The majority of the world's population is so devastatingly ignorant and stupid that my life now, without mixing with people, is far less stressful. I haven't had to leave my house for three weeks now and it's great (I love that everything from electronics to food can be delivered to your door now!) 

I have everything I need. Books to read, food to eat, wine to drink, TV to watch, gadgets to amuse, plenty of money rolling in and a nice house to live in. I earn far more than I did when I was employed, for the plain and simple fact that I now get paid based on what I do rather than on my hair line. 

Would I consider a hair transplant? No, the results always look rubbish. I'm holding out for a definite cure, I'm not squandering my wealth on temporary fixes.

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## jooder

If you look at this and other topics,anybody with a sane mind will realise 'Fixed by 35' needs help.

  He says shaving your head makes you ugly.
  He says he would never consider a hair transplant because they look rubbish.
  He says being bald means you will never get promoted in your job.
  He says that women dislike bald men.

In the meantime, he very rarely goes out, works from home and gets groceries delivered to his home to avoid social contact.
  I hope that any newcomer to this site disregards his advice and has the sense to know that every one of his statements above is false - just look at the world around you and draw your own conclusions.
  I also hope that 'fixed by 35' contacts somebody who can help him with his obvious depression.

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## geminidb8

Having worked in the Hair Replacement field for years and having friends still in the industry I will state that Baldness screws a person up.  There is no way any sane individual can say it is no big deal.  It is a multi billion dollar industry and the treatments available are only treatments.  I must state that I had customers who also had the same feelings as " Fixed by 35".  The key is to somehow go on with life. Truthfully stating- -for those who have early hair loss It will leave scars for a lifetime.  I think some people on this site are hypocrites in stating they are ok with it.  Some will lie to themselves and put on the macho- bravado.  --BS!  I have worked in the field and if you could have dealt with the depressed, angry and sometimes suicidal men that I dealt with and my friends deal with daily,  you would see that there are many, many individuals who are never the same after hair loss.  Every person is different.  I feel that transplants are a good route for many and not for all.  Meds are good if one cans sustain and maintain.  Depression is something some men will never get over because of hair loss.  I myself have had testicular cancer and baldness is 10000000000000000000000X  Worse.  Stop in some hair repacement center and spend a day there and you will see all types.  Trust me there are many "Fixed by 35's in the world but not many on this site.  The key though is to do something not just sit idly by.  I also think that society should let the rug wearers alone.  Many are not good candidates for surgery so what other options do they have?  
Shaving ones head is not for everyone.  I have seen some men who do look terrible, terrible like that.  Everyone should do what is right for themself.  But do something because just to moan and groan will get you nowhere.

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## jooder

Baldness is worse than testicular cancer??? I will never understand the logic behind that.
Of course baldness is a pain.....and in a ideal world most of us would like full heads of hair to style as we please. I also realise it can be very, very depressing for some people.
My point was that 'fixed by 35' hates the shaved head, he also thinks HT's are rubbish. He is a very negative man.

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## geminidb8

Oh yes Baldness is much much worse than testicular cancer.  With that you get an orchiectomy and prosthetic testicle and move on.  No one judges you from first meetings,  I never got depressed because I felt and still feel that the prosthetic looks so normal that nobody has ever noticed a thing.  But with baldness people judge you on your looks and of course there is the samson and delilah thing which I feel is true.  I always hated baldness even when I was 6 years old.  My father and all of his brothers were bald and I always said " Why don't you have hair?"  One day my dad returned home from work with a hairpiece ( not a good one either) and wore hair from age 57 till he died at age 82.  So it never bothered him?  Again BS!  He was a sucessful business man who made millions but stated he never accepted being bald.  He was a mean person and our family always attributed his meaness to his baldness.  He looked awful bald.  I gave him credit for wearing hair.  I agree not to moan and groan but I will always have the same feelings about baldness until I die.  Some will say that is too bad but I feel it is pure honesty.

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## jooder

It sounds like your following in your fathers footsteps somewhat. I sympathise with people who struggle with baldness.....but to have it rule your life isnt worth it. Either shave your head or get a hair transplant, other than that its pointless fretting too much...
  At least your post shows that a bald man can be successfull in business and be a millionaire ( this idea is impossible for 'fixed by 35 to accept).

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## dgman21

I would appreciate someone commenting on this. I went to a doctor that said he would only do a 600 graft surgery on my frontal thinning/he won't mess with the rest of my diffuse hair. Do you think I'd be happy with 600 grafts in the front?? Or wait ??Thanks!

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## jooder

I personally wouldnt bother.... ive seen your pics and they dont look bad. Start on proven medications and hold off a while.

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## geminidb8

Every person struggles with baldness.  Some just won't admit it.  It has been hated for centuries.  Some more so than others.  I am just glad I would never have a child because of this disease.  To each his own I suppose. One must go on but the quality of life will change.  Just look at the billions of dollars spent-  That in itself should tell you how hated it truly is.  As for my father he made millions of dollars with a wig. Not showing up at work bald.  FYI.  Image is very important.  I doubt he would have done it without hair.  Something like Elton John or Burt Reynolds if you get my drift.

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## Jack21

I got double that number and the coverage was way less than I had expected and the scar WAY bigger than I could have believed. You're marring the back of your head for a little bit more coverage on top. Ever tried toppik? I can't use it anymore. I'm too thin on top. The stuff works though. Its like 10,000 grafts in one quick sprinkle and a little hairspray. It has its drawbacks. Quite a few in fact. But if the look is the most important thing (and it was to me) its really great. The thing is you have to have enough hair to support it. It wont stick to scalp. I don't know how thin you are on top. 





> I would appreciate someone commenting on this. I went to a doctor that said he would only do a 600 graft surgery on my frontal thinning/he won't mess with the rest of my diffuse hair. Do you think I'd be happy with 600 grafts in the front?? Or wait ??Thanks!

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## Jack21

My grandfather was bald by his early twenties. He was an army officer and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General before being appointed embassador to numerous countries over the span of about 10 years. I have no idea how he felt about being bald. Maybe he was miserable, but he certainly managed to achieve a great deal in his life. He sure as hell didn't sit around and feel sorry for himself like I'm doing right now. I made it to sgt. if anyone is interested. Not quite the same. 





> It sounds like your following in your fathers footsteps somewhat. I sympathise with people who struggle with baldness.....but to have it rule your life isnt worth it. Either shave your head or get a hair transplant, other than that its pointless fretting too much...
>   At least your post shows that a bald man can be successfull in business and be a millionaire ( this idea is impossible for 'fixed by 35 to accept).

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## jooder

Geminidb8 - so what your saying is..... your dad only got wealthy when he started to wear an ill fitting wig in his late 50's?
  I dont have a problem with people who shave their head, i also dont have a problem with people who choose a hair transplant or even medication. But make a choice and go through with it......posting on a forum day after day about how every option is rubbish is just a total waste of a life.
  There are people who visit this site a little depressed about hair loss and looking for options to help them - of which there are a few. By the time they have read comments by 'fixed by 35', they are more likely to feel suicidal than more positive about things. There are some people in this world who have a downer on everything.....nothing is ever good enough, always something to moan about. If it wasnt baldness it would be something else.
  I agree with others have have posted positively.......grow some balls, make a decision....and see it through. There is nothing wrong with keeping an eye out for the latest developments in hair restoration....but to have it dictate every facet of your life must be terrible.

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## dgman21

Thanks for the feedback Jooder. After I shower in the morning or when it rains thats when I freak out the most because you can see so much of my scalp. I understand what fixed is talking about how deppressing it makes me. I gotta think of the positive things in life.

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## Fixed by 35

I never said it was impossible for a bald man to be successful; my point was that they have to be far better at what they do than others in order to succeed. 

Appearance dominates the corporate world, especially now women are entering the board rooms. A pretty boy can hide behind his image to boost how he is perceived by his superiors and can also use his image to deflect criticism onto his ugly colleagues. Bald men only stand a chance when they're a hell of a lot better at what they do. That's why when you do see a successful bald man, you know he is the very best in his industry. However, average bald blokes spend their lives at the bottom of the corporate ladder. 

Check out your company and what you'll see is a disproportionately low number of bald men climbing the ranks and sitting in the board room (in theory, based on average age 50% of the men in the board room should be bald, but are they?). I did well to get onto the third rung, but I was far more qualified and experienced than my immediate 'superiors,' mostly men the same age with lots of hair and loose morals. 

I now run a faceless private company doing back office pensions administration and earn a lot more money, from home. I've employed a pretty boy to sell the company!

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## Jack21

I spent the day with a group of high school kids at an academic tournament. I used to compete in high school and now I read and moderate a few Saturdays a year or coach the group from my alma mater. This year the team from my old HS had one kid in a wheelchair and one kid with one arm. I know that this sounds like some sort of bad joke, but its not. The kid with the one arm had his long sleeve rolled up so that the amputated limb was visible. I am no expert but it didn't look like a traumatic but a congenital amputation. I didn't ask him obviously. The kid in the wheelchair was not paralyzed. I was told that he has a disease akin to ALS but I don't really know. He is also virtually bald - at 16. 

These kids compteted and I wish I could say that they won but they didn't. They were very good and made it to the semifinals. It was a long day with a quite a bit of down time between matches so I got the chance to talk to both of them. There they were not just not sitting in the house feeling sorry for themselves, but out competing in front of close to a hundred of their peers. I just thought to myself "How the **** can you just sit around feeling sorry for yourself and thinking about just throwing in the towel when you see such amazing acts of inner strength? I don't mean that b/c they are handicapped they are strong. I mean that they get out and live their lives despite of their handicaps. They know everyone stares. They know everyone is uncomfortable around them at first but they soldier on. I know that this is getting way off topic, but I thought that I had to share this. 

I will say again that I have not made peace with baldness I have not even come close to being comfortable with it. I wake up every morning and the two or three seconds I have before remembering that I have shaved my head are the only misery free seconds of my day. But if these kids can soldier on, I mean I have to stop this. We all do. We can not allow this to ruin our lives. I am talking just as much to myself as I am to anyone else. 






> I never said it was impossible for a bald man to be successful; my point was that they have to be far better at what they do than others in order to succeed. 
> 
> Appearance dominates the corporate world, especially now women are entering the board rooms. A pretty boy can hide behind his image to boost how he is perceived by his superiors and can also use his image to deflect criticism onto his ugly colleagues. Bald men only stand a chance when they're a hell of a lot better at what they do. That's why when you do see a successful bald man, you know he is the very best in his industry. However, average bald blokes spend their lives at the bottom of the corporate ladder. 
> 
> Check out your company and what you'll see is a disproportionately low number of bald men climbing the ranks and sitting in the board room (in theory, based on average age 50% of the men in the board room should be bald, but are they?). I did well to get onto the third rung, but I was far more qualified and experienced than my immediate 'superiors,' mostly men the same age with lots of hair and loose morals. 
> 
> I now run a faceless private company doing back office pensions administration and earn a lot more money, from home. I've employed a pretty boy to sell the company!

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## dgman21

Jack  exactly. We need to figure a way to get through this!!

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## geminidb8

I would say yes my fathers image made him more money.  His bald brothers are not millionaires & were in the same business as he was and made fun of my dads wig.  But of course he got the last laugh.  Elton John and Burt Reynolds and rumor has it ben affleck is wears hair.  Image is very important in the world.  I hate wigs but wore one for 14 years and looking back it was better than going in public with a disfigured head.  I am now much, much happier with my corrective surgery.  In fact the more hair I get the better I feel.  I am in my 40s and knew all along that I would feel better with hair.  I would recommend A HT if performed by the right surgeon.  Since I worked in the industry and saw people every day for 5 years I know the effects of balding.  I will never forget a kid who was 14 and had alopecia.  He was so down his parents told me all he did was sit at home all day.  We fitted him with a full cap wig which he did not like but luckily for him his hair did return after cortisone shots.  He was a completely different person with hair.  So yes hair does matter and not everyone loves this shaved head look.  Very very few IMO look OK this way.  But go ahead and tell yourselves you look great that way if it makes you feel better.  Even if it is a total lie.  Do what makes you feel ( or in your mind feel ) good.  I have seen how society has treated me with more hair also.  There definitely is a prejudice towards bald people.  Don't kid yourself and say there isn't.  I will state again this needs a cure.

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## geminidb8

I also think not everyone is a soldier.  I never wanted to be one and no person I know does.  Every person is different.  I can also tell you that many who do go out and put on the bravado act are just indeed acting.  This stuff is terrible.  I go out a lot now that I have decent hair.  But looking back if this were to happen again I would stay home again because I just did not look or feel right.  No regrets there.  It is just unethical that many doctors screwed up so many people.  I have read of 3 suicides from botched hair surgery. People will write in  and say all the positives and IF one feels ok with the way they look then and only then will this problem be ok.  No person could have told me or the millions of wig wearers to just accept things because you will be talking to a wall.  Get hair somehow or some way because if you do not like the shaved head look you will never ever get better until you do...

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## dgman21

So gemi how bald were u before your surgery,how many grsafts did u get and what surgon how long ago?

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## Jack21

Of course there is a prejudice against bald men. That's not the point. The point is being able to overcome the prejudice. 50 years ago did African American people sit and home and say "I'm black and there is no way that I will ever be treated equally so why not just kill myself"? If people with far, far worse afflictions than balding can get out there and live life like those two kids I met yesterday then we baldies have got to just deal with it. OK I'm not good looking like I used to be. I may actually be ugly, but I am not going to allow that to prevent me from living life anymore. I am going into week 2 of rocking the #1 guard. Its been miserable but I will continue to soldier on b/c I will not allow myself to wallow in self pity any longer. I went out last night to a comedy show and I have to say that all 3 of the guys made some bald jokes. I will also say that about 1/4 of all the guys there were bald/balding/shaved. I went w/o a ball cap. I had a few drinks, a few laughs and enjoyed my evening. I am still miserable with my bald head and it will probably take me close to as year or maybe even more to get used to it, but I am no longer hiding under a stupid rug. 





> I would say yes my fathers image made him more money.  His bald brothers are not millionaires & were in the same business as he was and made fun of my dads wig.  But of course he got the last laugh.  Elton John and Burt Reynolds and rumor has it ben affleck is wears hair.  Image is very important in the world.  I hate wigs but wore one for 14 years and looking back it was better than going in public with a disfigured head.  I am now much, much happier with my corrective surgery.  In fact the more hair I get the better I feel.  I am in my 40s and knew all along that I would feel better with hair.  I would recommend A HT if performed by the right surgeon.  Since I worked in the industry and saw people every day for 5 years I know the effects of balding.  I will never forget a kid who was 14 and had alopecia.  He was so down his parents told me all he did was sit at home all day.  We fitted him with a full cap wig which he did not like but luckily for him his hair did return after cortisone shots.  He was a completely different person with hair.  So yes hair does matter and not everyone loves this shaved head look.  Very very few IMO look OK this way.  But go ahead and tell yourselves you look great that way if it makes you feel better.  Even if it is a total lie.  Do what makes you feel ( or in your mind feel ) good.  I have seen how society has treated me with more hair also.  There definitely is a prejudice towards bald people.  Don't kid yourself and say there isn't.  I will state again this needs a cure.

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## dgman21

My fear is if I do shave my head and am at one of those comedy shows that the comedian will comment about me-hair issues. I wouldn't know how to take that. It would just killl me.

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## geminidb8

I have had over 32 surgeries in all.  My first was when I was 21 by Dr. Deyarman from Beverly Hills  Ca. in 1986.  He did two sessions of 150 grafts.  Back then they did small numbers in grafting.  It was strip.  Then I went to Nu-hart and had 2 more sessions of 100 grafts.  Then I had 4 surgeries with Dr. Brandy in 1988 and 1989.  This is when I had the " Hairlift"  which destroyed my scalp with scars-  it was a bi-temporal flap.  Nu- Hart used the old punch graft method.  Then I went to Bio-Medic clinic in Chicago and had 3 Surgeries done by DR. Shelly Friedman approx 300 grafts. ( he was not a bad doctor)  then they contracted Dr. Matt Leavitt ( MHR) and he did 9 surgeries consisting of Scalp reductions -4 , Scar Revisions ( which never worked)  3 and two sessions of grafting.  Approx 300 grafts done by him.  Only Dr. Friedman's work was ok.  I should have stayed with him but it was strip and  I would have still had problems.  By then my scalp looked like a trainwreck so from 1993 to 2007 I wore a full cap wig.  I could make it look ok and felt better than with all of the scars but when I moved to a Hot climate, it was impossible to keep it on.  So from that point I decided to go to Dr. Woods in Australia because several websites stated that he did not use a medical disclosure ( something that gives Doctors too much power in court) and he did great repair work.  I would say that all in all I look 80 to 90% better and feel much better than before. I just had my last session on sept 7th and 8th so my results in some areas are still in progress.  I have had over 7500 grafts by all the doctors but some were thrown away by Dr. Brandy because of the Hairlift & Scalp reductions received by Dr. Leavitt.   I have spent well over 100 grand in total since 1986  not only in surgeries but on Hairpieces, medical (Minoxidil, propecia & Avodart) and other crap that did nothing. I tried to shave my Head back in 1985 (in the summer) and absolutely hated it.  I felt I had to live with a knife in my heart.  I could not do it.  In retrospect I should have not done any transplants back then but the doctors kept promising a great look.  It is their negligence that led to false hopes and empty promises.  I think if people can get on with their lives with a shaved head good for them but even now I could never do it.  I would be depressed 24/7.  Every person must choose the correct route for themselves.  As far as rugs well even though everyone makes fun of them I do not see the Hairpiece companies going out of business.  In fact my friend who wears one and sell them makes  close to 85 grand.  They are a pain but in some professions like actors /sales image is too important.  I knew of one person whose company told him if he did not get hair he would be out of a job.  This was years ago but still applies today.  Good luck to all but remember to respect what others choose to do even if it means you do not agree with that persons choice.  Every person is different and until a cure comes this will always be a problem.  For some much more so than others.

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## Fixed by 35

If a comedian tried to make a joke about my hairline, I would walk out on the performance. I might have a disfiguring hair condition, but it doesn't mean I have to take that crap from someone whose career has probably peaked getting cheap laughs in a provincial theatre. 

I would also make sure to publish their name on this website to make sure people suffering from hair loss are well informed and know to boycott the prat.

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## Jack21

There were three comics and every one of them made at least one bald joke. The guy sitting right in front of me was bald and so was the dude behind him (me). We have to be able to laugh at ourselves. They weren't malicious jokes - more like "we all have an idea of what losing our hair is like" (the first comic had a receding hairline). After his joke (and a few groans from the audience) he said (pointing to his head) "hey, look at me. This story is not going to end well." Everyone was made fun of. Every ethnic group, women. It was not exactly PC (I mean its the Tosh. O tour). Its comedy central guys. Nothing is taboo. Anyway, we have to be able to laugh at ourselves. You are allowing this to just kill you. I am also super miserable about the situation I'm in, but I am trying (god knows) to come to terms with it and salvage some sort of life. I have chronic pain in both shoulders from an incident in the army. It sucks, but after 6 years I've learned to live with it. I am really hoping that the same will be true of my shaved head. 





> If a comedian tried to make a joke about my hairline, I would walk out on the performance. I might have a disfiguring hair condition, but it doesn't mean I have to take that crap from someone whose career has probably peaked getting cheap laughs in a provincial theatre. 
> 
> I would also make sure to publish their name on this website to make sure people suffering from hair loss are well informed and know to boycott the prat.

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## Weedwacker

As far as being ridiculed for being a bald man, well, being a bald man, I can relate to that. Honestly, I seldom get made fun of for my baldness. I have been ragged-on a few times but mostly it was for the sake of light humor(whatever that means.) When I was 20, and about a Norwood 5, I went for a job interview for some debt consolidation job(I can't remember exactly the position)and two women blatently teased me for it;they were looking over at me and laughing. Now, when I was 20 I was 145 pounds and had a baby-face which made me look like a kid;furthemore, I had my head buzzed to less than 1/8 inch. My situation was bad because I looked very young(I have the Leonardo Dicaprio syndrome, my face doesn't age very quickly.) I was teased in high school for it;you think fat kids get made fun of.

I think part of my acceptance of being bald has to do with age. I was a train wreck because of my premature baldness up until about the age of 28;perhaps, this had to do with how young I was. You're not supposed to dome when you're 17 as I did;you're supposed to begin balding when you're 50 or 60. Now that I'm 33 I have come to accept it more. From personal experience, it usually gets better with age.

People who tease you for being bald are usually just insecure or miserable people;for instance, the kid who made fun of me the most in high school was teased because he was about 5'4" and skinny. The interesting thing is that everyone who has ever trashed me for being bald has multiple imperfections themselves;I just laugh it off. Unless you look like a male German super model or you look like Jessica Beal(spelling?), you have no right to make fun of anyone for anything physical.

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## Jack21

Dude,

I had a full head of hair at 18 and kept it shaved with a #1 for 6 years. Now I'm 33 and all I want is my hair back. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense does it? 





> As far as being ridiculed for being a bald man, well, being a bald man, I can relate to that. Honestly, I seldom get made fun of for my baldness. I have been ragged-on a few times but mostly it was for the sake of light humor(whatever that means.) When I was 20, and about a Norwood 5, I went for a job interview for some debt consolidation job(I can't remember exactly the position)and two women blatently teased me for it;they were looking over at me and laughing. Now, when I was 20 I was 145 pounds and had a baby-face which made me look like a kid;furthemore, I had my head buzzed to less than 1/8 inch. My situation was bad because I looked very young(I have the Leonardo Dicaprio syndrome, my face doesn't age very quickly.) I was teased in high school for it;you think fat kids get made fun of.
> 
> I think part of my acceptance of being bald has to do with age. I was a train wreck because of my premature baldness up until about the age of 28;perhaps, this had to do with how young I was. You're not supposed to dome when you're 17 as I did;you're supposed to begin balding when you're 50 or 60. Now that I'm 33 I have come to accept it more. From personal experience, it usually gets better with age.
> 
> People who tease you for being bald are usually just insecure or miserable people;for instance, the kid who made fun of me the most in high school was teased because he was about 5'4" and skinny. The interesting thing is that everyone who has ever trashed me for being bald has multiple imperfections themselves;I just laugh it off. Unless you look like a male German super model or you look like Jessica Beal(spelling?), you have no right to make fun of anyone for anything physical.

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## Britney

hi i wanna get those nido implants too

Nice to meet you

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## Mr. 4000

> I've noticed a lot of people on this blog and others are still encouraging people to shave their heads and get on with life. I used to find this recommendation extremely distressing when I first started losing my hair, and still do. I would like to make a few points about head shaving for the people who still don't get it: 
> 
> 1) People who recommend shaving your head name the same five or six celebrities that suit the look. I can name hundreds of people who don't suit the look. You probably can too. 
> 
> 2) Most people's heads are funny shapes. Therefore, their shaved head looks terrible. 
> 
> 3) The shaved head is the look of choice for neo-Nazis. 
> 
> 4) It involves a lot of work to maintain a shaved head, including an extra 15 minutes shaving every single day. 
> ...


 which doctor do you work for? Keep up the good work....

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## Adam7

u dont have to shave it....just get a number 2...its not a big deal

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## antmn

im sorry, im usually very empathetic, but you all arw really trying to "rationalize" to yourself why having a shaved head is soooo horrible, its completely guilty of the delusional people you speak of, trying to qualify why it looks so good.
the verdict is what will be will, be, and wont you cant control yo wont. and im sorry but let this be the worst f*%$@!? thing that happens to any of us. 
lifes alot bigger then hair my friends, and if you really go seek self employment because you dont want to see other people, then you truly have already lost.

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## redbone

I still dont understand the mentality of dwelling on hair loss. Life is not based on hair.  To me its almost pathetic like a bunch of females bitching and moaning about appearance.  I know it sucks to lose hair but deal with it and move on with your life.

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## greatg

I just had to say, especially to "fixed at 35" but many others;  you really just need to see a psychiatrist and get on medication rather than seek a cure for baldness.  I can't believe the extreme and pathological way some of you are approaching this.  I say this as a medical professional. Seek psychological help, you will get much more relief from a psychiatrist than you will from hair tonics and pills.  You can't cheat your genes.  I am not saying that it is wrong to resent baldness and seek alternatives; but coming at it from a point of hate is unhealthy and bigoted.  Not to mention the plain straight forward bigotry coming from some.

To the others that don't seem to be mentally ill.  DON'T feed their sickness.  It does no good to have it publicly posted;  let them withdraw and disappear.  In other words, don't feed the trolls.

Incredible.  I think I'm going to shave my head just so I can feel farther separated from the feeling of pity and disgust I have for those people that have been spouting symptoms of their mental illness.


Other topics for healthy things to obsess over- Your lack of calculus skills, or need to polish them up, safe driving, avoiding that prostate exam.

----------


## headshape

Fixed By 35,

Congratulations on being quoted in the New York Times.  You're now a "Z list" celebrity like Spencer!

----------


## Mr. 4000

> Fixed By 35,
> 
> Congratulations on being quoted in the New York Times.  You're now a "Z list" celebrity like Spencer!


 that is great! but must add to the misery of this person

----------


## Weedwacker

It seems as though some are offended by Fix's comments. He has the right to say whatever he wants, even if some of it is along the lines of affectation. Perhaps some people are so insecure about their hairloss they can't deal with any negative criticism; if that's the case, grow up.

 Hairloss is in no way a severe disease; it is a genetic error. There are serious things, for instance, cleft lip or palate, with which 500,000 children are born each year. The cause, as far as I know, is a paucity of folic acid in the diet. Many of these children have to live with these birth anomalies because of a lack of adequate health care; moreover, they are teased and can't eat properly. The children are often very poor, living in countries such as India, Bangladesh, the Philippines or Africa.

There is one gentleman on this forum who claims to have had testicular cancer, and states his hairloss affected him more than having a testicle removed. The moral of this is that people are affected by things in different ways. Some people are terrified of death, others are terrified of hairloss. In a perfect world people would not be judged by, or concerned about something as superficial as baldness.

My Mother died from ovarian cancer the same year I began losing my hair; I was 17. One of the only times I ever saw her cry was when her hair fell out; I can still remember it vividly to this day. I have heard more than one woman say that hairloss was more bothersome than cancer itself. So, I suppose people are different.

Baldness is just one of many 'insignificant' things people complain about. Some people bitch if they don't have the latest cell phone, or the best car or flat screen TV. Others bitch if they don't go to a name brand college or university, which may cost $150,000 dollars. Anyone who blows $30,000 on a car is as mentally deranged as a person who bitches about hairloss to the point of insanity. By donating $250 to Smile Train, a surgeon will perform a cleft palate surgery for a child for free. The child's life will be changed forever. When I was 24 I bought a Tag heuer watch for $1,000. I could have paid for 4 cleft lip surgeries with that money. Was I a moron? Yup. Worse, I bought $10,000 worth of hairpieces. The more you know, the less you need; and that includes hair. Keeping up with the Jones' is as rediculous as bitching about hairloss, and that is something many people(especially in the West) do.

----------


## gmonasco

Some refuse to accept what's happening to them and decide to do something about it; others grudgingly let it happen, but maintain a simmering resentment about it.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...h-2515976.html

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## moses0324

i have been waiting to comment on this thread...

i have a lot of my hair left but continue to recede in the temple area...as a result I choose to shave it close.  for me it is a much cleaner look.  If a guy is thinning in the crown area or has a receding hairline, it simply doesnt look uniform.  for me, to shave it down looks a lot better.  people concentrate on my face instead of my hairloss.  

everyone brings up the idea that no one looks good with a shaved head...i disagree completely.  it looks good especially with tanned skin, nice clothing, positive attitude, and toned body.  its all about confidence...i will post pictures of myself tonight and you guys can judge...i honestly cant picture myself with long hair.  to be continued...

----------


## Dude

Weedwacker, Redbone, greatg, You guys say accept it (balding) or go see a psychiatrist. If your so accepting of your balding...why do you still visit this forum?  
Also, I don't think Kelly Slater would be shaving his head if he wasn't bothered by balding. Same goes for all those shaved head guys. They ARE really bothered by it. That's why they shave it off. For some...it looks pretty good. But it really depends on your head shape and face. I personally look like a POW with my head shaved. Just not a good look on me.

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## moses0324

here judge me...^^^i visit this site to provide info to those who are looking to have HT's...sometimes being fully informed persuades someone to look at hairloss differently.. let me know what you guys think...ill be shaving it regardless...so i dont care what you guys think.  just trying to prove a point for those who are scared to shave.

----------


## dgman21

moses how old are u? 20's?

----------


## moses0324

24 years old...

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## dgman21

Well I'm 32 and I'm scared to either do what you did(which doesn't look bad), go for the transplant(I have high expectations and am afraid of the scar), or wait for some time..

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## moses0324

shaving it off is pretty liberating...i dont have to worry about how my hair looks and it is pretty maintenance free..never have to hit the barber or worry about a bad hair day.  i say you should try it and if you dont like it, let it grow back out.  i should mention that you should probably get some color on the head though...go tanning, etc. it looks a lot better tan.

i vouched to not go the HT route due to scars and further hairloss...it just doesnt make sense for me...ill be chasing hairloss for the next 20 yrs while blowing tens of thousands of dollars in the process...

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## Jcm800

Think you're quite lucky Moses as it quite suits you, think id look like Michael Stipe from REM if i go that route tho, not fkn good lol

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## moses0324

Jcm800, I think we are our own worst critics...You might look great!!!!

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## Jcm800

> Jcm800, I think we are our own worst critics...You might look great!!!!


 True, I'm not pug ugly I've been told, and have toyed with having a clipper grade four to start off with just to get used to the impending look, you've got a positive outlook, its refreshing.

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## jooder

Well done moses - you look great.
  Its good to see this thread has become much more realistic with more people acknowledging that shaved heads can and often do look good.
  Also a very well done to fixed by 35. You have said many times that your baldness cost you a promotion in your job. Well your baldness and subsequent participation in this forum has enabled you to feature in the New York Times - you finally made it man  :Smile:

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## moses0324

> True, I'm not pug ugly I've been told, and have toyed with having a clipper grade four to start off with just to get used to the impending look, you've got a positive outlook, its refreshing.


 thanks jcm800...try cutting your hair progressively shorter...see how it looks!!!

this thread is filled with so much negativity...everyone is pissing and moaning about hairloss...either do something about it or accept it.  i have chosen to accept it for now...its all about your outlook on life.  if you are miserable people will perceive you as miserable..and ultimately avoid you.  its all about confidence!!

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## moses0324

> Well done moses - you look great.
>   Its good to see this thread has become much more realistic with more people acknowledging that shaved heads can and often do look good.
>   Also a very well done to fixed by 35. You have said many times that your baldness cost you a promotion in your job. Well your baldness and subsequent participation in this forum has enabled you to feature in the New York Times - you finally made it man


 thanks jooder...like you said, people always think shaving down to a zero looks bad.  not true.  granted there will always be the ney sayers but you cant please everyone.  thats something everyone should learn in life.

----------


## Weedwacker

'Dude', if you had read my post carefully, as well as many of my other posts throughout the last months, you would realize that I have no problem with someone being depressed about his hairloss. In fact, in my post I said there was a guy here who said that hairloss was worse than his having testicular cancer. I also said that my Mother was significantly bothered by her hairloss despite having a very deadly form of cancer. I almost died from an auto-immune illness in 2007-08. I weighed 99 pounds(I am about 5'10")and had my large intestine removed. When I came out of surgery, and the anesthesia had worn off, I was in pain that I could not describe to you in words. It felt as though my torso had been cut in half; it was unbearable. Interestingly, that whole ordeal was not as difficult as losing my hair at 17. Despite the blood transfusions and parenteral(IV) nutrition, there was no guarantee I would survive the operation. Fortunately, I had a top-flight surgeon who saved my ass.

The reason I am on this forum is because I AM bothered by my baldness. I accept it; however, I don't like it and I never will. The point I was making is that, in the grand scheme of things, hairloss is much better to have than other things, such as a glioblastoma brain tumor. Hairloss is not deadly, at least not physically so. Hairloss is a category 1 nuisance. The age at which I lost my hair was the primary factor of its ability to affect me.

Just because something is not life threatening doesn't mean it can't affect your life in a negative way. I think there is a difference between a nuisance and a terror. Hairloss is a nuisance in that it can affect your love life, as well as daily interactions. I will provide an example: I live in the Northeast part of the U.S., and right now we have about 1 1/2 feet of snow on the ground. Furthermore, it is about 20 degrees fahrenheit, and if I go outside with my bald head, I freeze my balls off. Actually, I have gotten the beginning stages of a cold because I went out wothout my hat. I take a drug that weakens my immune system, and the last thing I need is to contract pneumonia because of my damn bald head. We just went through a period of weather during which the temperature was 10 degrees during the day and -10 degrees at night. This is a nuisance because we are supposed to have hair to insulate our heads; hence, the genetic error.

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## moses0324

> 'Dude', if you had read my post carefully, as well as many of my other posts throughout the last months, you would realize that I have no problem with someone being depressed about his hairloss. In fact, in my post I said there was a guy here who said that hairloss was worse than his having testicular cancer. I also said that my Mother was significantly bothered by her hairloss despite having a very deadly form of cancer. I almost died from an auto-immune illness in 2007-08. I weighed 99 pounds(I am about 5'10")and had my large intestine removed. When I came out of surgery, and the anesthesia had worn off, I was in pain that I could not describe to you in words. It felt as though my torso had been cut in half; it was unbearable. Interestingly, that whole ordeal was not as difficult as losing my hair at 17. Despite the blood transfusions and parenteral(IV) nutrition, there was no guarantee I would survive the operation. Fortunately, I had a top-flight surgeon who saved my ass.
> 
> The reason I am on this forum is because I AM bothered by my baldness. I accept it; however, I don't like it and I never will. The point I was making is that, in the grand scheme of things, hairloss is much better to have than other things, such as a glioblastoma brain tumor. Hairloss is not deadly, at least not physically so. Hairloss is a category 1 nuisance. The age at which I lost my hair was the primary factor of its ability to affect me.
> 
> Just because something is not life threatening doesn't mean it can't affect your life in a negative way. I think there is a difference between a nuisance and a terror. Hairloss is a nuisance in that it can affect your love life, as well as daily interactions. I will provide an example: I live in the Northeast part of the U.S., and right now we have about 1 1/2 feet of snow on the ground. Furthermore, it is about 20 degrees fahrenheit, and if I go outside with my bald head, I freeze my balls off. Actually, I have gotten the beginning stages of a cold because I went out wothout my hat. I take a drug that weakens my immune system, and the last thing I need is to contract pneumonia because of my damn bald head. We just went through a period of weather during which the temperature was 10 degrees during the day and -10 degrees at night. This is a nuisance because we are supposed to have hair to insulate our heads; hence, the genetic error.


 your points are well taken...agreed while hairloss is not life threatening, it all comes down to your outlook on life.  only "you" can change how "you" feel.  to be honest no one else cares...plenty of women like bald men, plenty good looking men with full heads of hair friends hang out with bald men...to profile balding guys as a second class citizen is laughable.  everyone has there stories or perceptions but its all made up in your head.  i.e. i went to the bar a few weeks ago and i kid you not...all the guys that were picking up girls had shaved heads and a ton of confidence.  i bet not one girl cared that they had no hair.    

remember life is what you make of it...to be sad and depressed is silly.  life is too short.  dont let it pass you by.  when you grow to be 40 you are gonna look back and say...wow, why did i waste my best younger years doing nothing.  more specifically worrying about something that is out of your control...lifes a rollercoaster.  have fun with it.

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## Dude

Thanks Weedwacker, 

You are right. Your post just made me realize that I myself haven't looked at this in that light. I guess things could be a lot worse. I am stoked to be healthy, to have an great wife and healthy child. I have a great job and a nice home. I still have the same friends and so on. However, my balding skull still effects me. Maybe not as much now.  :-)
Again, me with a shaved head is not a good look. Although, I must say it looks good on moses0324.

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## moses0324

> Thanks Weedwacker, 
> 
> You are right. Your post just made me realize that I myself haven't looked at this in that light. I guess things could be a lot worse. I am stoked to be healthy, to have an great wife and healthy child. I have a great job and a nice home. I still have the same friends and so on. However, my balding skull still effects me. Maybe not as much now.  :-)
> Again, me with a shaved head is not a good look. Although, I must say it looks good on moses0324.


 Wait you have a wife, kids, and house!?!?! Dude you are blessed with many gifts in life that many people would kill for!!!  Why are you so worried about hairloss?!? It's so trivial..look I'm not trying to convince you of anything.  All I'm trying to do is give you the big picture.  Have you talked to you wife about it?  What does she think?  All I'm saying is live life. Don't get caught up in the small stuff.

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## andyroberto

It's good to hear some guys working it out, finding their own space with the issue; I vote for positivity but keep the right to always be pissed off that my hairs gone, and will always, daily, want it back - the second something comes around that is proof positive it works like magic, I do it. Until then, I keep it short (which is as good as it is without delusions) and use the goofball ideas and crap opinions of those who are not like the rest of us to poke fun at the whole mess - that's why I write funny stories about it - laugh or cry, or be satisfied with a reasonably decent fix - I've seen them, really not bad - just not for me.
 :Wink:

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## Weedwacker

Irrespective of each individual's situation, baldness will not kill you physically. Unfortunately, it can kill you psychologically. People are affected by it in different ways. I see no shame in being depressed over it, because it can significantly alter your appearance. Your emotions, more than anything, need time to adjust to the 'new' you. It took me a good decade of being bald before I adjusted to the 'new' me. For others, the adjustment comes quicker, or doesn't come at all. 

I believe it is important to not take life too seriously because there are many things that are out of our control. Exercising is a great way to 'escape' and focus on something other than hairloss. Another thing you can do is take up a musical instrument or some other hobby. Even video games(which I don't play)can distract you. If all else fails, seeing a physician or a therapist about your depression may be a good idea.

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## Jcm800

> thanks jcm800...try cutting your hair progressively shorter...see how it looks!!!
> 
> this thread is filled with so much negativity...everyone is pissing and moaning about hairloss...either do something about it or accept it.  i have chosen to accept it for now...its all about your outlook on life.  if you are miserable people will perceive you as miserable..and ultimately avoid you.  its all about confidence!!


 Cheers, yeah it's crossing my mind lately, i tend to have it messy at the mo, a grade four will be a shock at first, but hell i might actually look alright with it - and walking around on a windy day will not pose a problem for me like it does now - hate the wind exposing my 'problem' area's.

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## moses0324

> Irrespective of each individual's situation, baldness will not kill you physically. Unfortunately, it can kill you psychologically. People are affected by it in different ways. I see no shame in being depressed over it, because it can significantly alter your appearance. Your emotions, more than anything, need time to adjust to the 'new' you. It took me a good decade of being bald before I adjusted to the 'new' me. For others, the adjustment comes quicker, or doesn't come at all. 
> 
> I believe it is important to not take life too seriously because there are many things that are out of our control. Exercising is a great way to 'escape' and focus on something other than hairloss. Another thing you can do is take up a musical instrument or some other hobby. Even video games(which I don't play)can distract you. If all else fails, seeing a physician or a therapist about your depression may be a good idea.


 the quicker one can get over it, the quicker they can get on with life...

agreed: hobbies and activities are a great way to get through it.  talking about it helps too, especially with those you love.  hairloss shouldnt get to a therapist level but if it does, then by all means...hairloss is not the end of the world!!!!  be outgoing, go do things, travel, pickup a hobby, see a show, hang out with friends, stay positive!!!

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## Synchro

> The only thing that reduces the misery of my hair loss is refusing to pass it on. I hate the gene with a passion and I take a huge amount of satisfaction that I'm going to kill the bastard.


 Me too. I refuse to father children on those grounds. I can't risk having a son go through the absolute torture that I have endured for the last 15 years.

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## dgman21

Moses,
To me it gets beyond a therapist level and destroys my self esteem..All these hobbies and fun places to go sound great but hairloss destroys it for some of us and doesn't let us do those things. We only have our mind on one thing. HAIR!!!!!

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## mattj

> Me too. I refuse to father children on those grounds. I can't risk having a son go through the absolute torture that I have endured for the last 15 years.


 Hairloss can take a terrible psychological toll on a person, clearly, but I think you're taking an unreasonable attitude here. If you want children then you shouldn't deny yourself that on the basis of your own experience with hairloss. From what I read in another thread, a major factor of your hairloss problem has been with a poor transplant. Your child (assuming you end up with a boy) would have his father's wisdom to learn from and wouldn't repeat that mistake, and in all probability there are two decades between now and his having to face that sort of decision, by which time better treatments will surely be available.

I don't want to speak out of turn, but in the other thread you mentioned having a great wife. This is the sort of issue that can cause good men to lose good wives. Hairloss is simply _not serious enough_, the odds of your child experiencing it _not certain enough_, and the future for treatments _too darn promising_ for fear of being genetically responsible for potential hairloss anguish in your offspring to be a rational barrier to starting a family.

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## moses0324

> Moses,
> To me it gets beyond a therapist level and destroys my self esteem..All these hobbies and fun places to go sound great but hairloss destroys it for some of us and doesn't let us do those things. We only have our mind on one thing. HAIR!!!!!


 hahaha you guys make it seem as though you lost a vital organ or limb...its just hair.  some parts of me want to feel bad for you while other parts make me want to just laugh...you guys are so riduclous.  again life is what you make of it....if you want to be depressed, miserable, and down...then thats your perogative.  dont bring anyone else down with you.  and my guess is you will have a hard time finding a person who will care or sympathize. the truth is, most of you are being very unreasonable.  and many other people will feel the same way, which in turn will make you feel even worse.  its a domino effect.  but hey, i cant live your life for you.  good luck!!!

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## moses0324

> Moses,
> To me it gets beyond a therapist level and destroys my self esteem..All these hobbies and fun places to go sound great but hairloss destroys it for some of us and doesn't let us do those things. We only have our mind on one thing. HAIR!!!!!


 hahaha you guys make it seem as though you lost a vital organ or limb...its just hair.  some parts of me want to feel bad for you while other parts make me want to just laugh...you guys are so riduclous.  again life is what you make of it....if you want to be depressed, miserable, and down...then thats your perogative.  dont bring anyone else down with you.  and my guess is you will have a hard time finding a person who will care or sympathize. the truth is, most of you are being very unreasonable.  and many other people will feel the same way, which in turn will make you feel even worse because you will be alone!!!  its a domino effect.  but hey, i cant live your life for you.  good luck!!!

----------


## kanyon

I'm thinking of shaving my head in June the day after my girlfriend moves overseas for a while.

It would be a shock for me and my friends as I wear my hair long and shaggy and do my best to cover up the thin parts and receded hairline.

I'm pretty sure I'll look terrible with a shaved head but I want to give it a go before I get an HT or anything radical. So I'm wondering, has anyone shaved their head, hated it and then worn a wig til the hair grew back?

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## jimmy1978

When I registered on this forum and posted my first thread I honestly thought that OK I am starting to thin but who cares, I'll shave my head when the thinning turns to baldness, But I have to be honest I don't think I can lose my hair. It's actually a traumatic experience My hair is important to me and I am thinking of trying to beat it but not sure where to start, I might see the doc see what he can do but I refuse to shave my head, Like the op posted at the beginning, Most people don't suit shaved heads and I am one of them, You need a certain stocky build to pull it off and I am fairly thin. Lets tackle this bastard head on  :Big Grin:

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## Dude

Hey Moses0324,

 :Confused: Not sure why you even visit or post on this forum. You seem to have it all figured out. "it's just hair". you say. If that's the way you feel and your soooo accepting of your balding...why do you still visit these hair loss forums. I would think if I accepted my balding, I would never visit this site or any other hair loss site. I accepted it...what do I care. My guess is that you haven't really accepted it and are in need of some moral support. I guess that's the only reason I can justify why you would still take time out of your day to post on here. 
People are affected by balding in so many ways. Some can and do just accept it. For others...it's not that easy.

----------


## Sogeking

> Hey Moses0324,
> 
> Not sure why you even visit or post on this forum. You seem to have it all figured out. "it's just hair". you say. If that's the way you feel and your soooo accepting of your balding...why do you still visit these hair loss forums. I would think if I accepted my balding, I would never visit this site or any other hair loss site. I accepted it...what do I care. My guess is that you haven't really accepted it and are in need of some moral support. I guess that's the only reason I can justify why you would still take time out of your day to post on here. 
> People are affected by balding in so many ways. Some can and do just accept it. For others...it's not that easy.


 You are too harsh. Some people tend to be pragmatic. If you are going bald world won't stop. Your friends won't start hating you, and you certainly are not impaired except maybe in physical looks (depends on other factors). So some men accept it, and live their life not worrying about it. That doesn't mean they don't want their hair back. I'm losing my hair, so should I start crying and cursing the luck, genes, fates, world, universe, deity(s) in whom some believe? That won't ammount to anything and it certainly won't help me in my everyday obligations. Life goes on. 

For me the best course of action is to work hard, save money and wait for a really good treatment or possibly a cure. 

But hey you can do whatever you want.

----------


## DAVE52

> Hey Moses0324,
> 
> Not sure why you even visit or post on this forum. 
> 
> People are affected by balding in so many ways. Some can and do just accept it. For others...it's not that easy.


 Maybe he had issues with hairloss at first then learned to adapt / accept / come to terms with it 

Now, maybe he wants to help other people goign through the same things he did

Nothign wrong with that

----------


## gmonasco

And "OMG, I'm losing my hair and can't stand it; what can I do?" isn't the only reaction to hair loss.  Some people don't view hair loss as a life-threatening crisis but may still  hope to be able to do something about it someday.

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## Dude

> ...you guys are so riduclous.  again life is what you make of it....if you want to be depressed, miserable, and down...then thats your perogative.  dont bring anyone else down with you. and my guess is you will have a hard time finding a person who will care or sympathize. the truth is, most of you are being very unreasonable.


 I have seen posts from him giving helpful info but this? 
I don't see how this kind response helps anyone. But hey...who am I to judge.

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## DAVE52

I understand but sometime the truth hurts
It's hairloss ......there isn't much you can do about it 
If you are going to lose your hair then it's goign to happen ......eventually .
Take all the herbs, potions, lotions , propecia we want ......eventually the hair will fall out .
If someone decides to go the HT rout be prepared and have realistic expectations .
I did and although mine doesn't look terrible it isn't as dense as I would like it and now I have a bald crown that I am self concious about and that I get ribbed about at work  :Mad:  .
I have no desire to go back and get another HT so I try and accept what I have . It's very difficult . Because now I feel liek I did 9 yrs ago ...all stressed out everyday ......... :Frown: 
I often wish I would have had the courgae to buzz it alomng time ago life would be so much simpler and happier

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## moses0324

Wow, I try to come on here and provide some wisdom, advice, and I get bashed...I'm simply astonished and embarrassed for some of the members that this forum creates.  It's honestly sad and disappointing that you put down the people trying to help the most.  

To the member questioning my presence here.  I log on occasionally to help inform people about hairloss, drugs, shaving, HT's, etc.  While hairloss does bother me to some extent it isn't a "life" stopper.  I have learned to grow up and accept it.  It's life. 

Again I'm astonished by the immaturity on this forum.  Ultimatley it's up to you individually to get beyond it. If you don't, oh well.  No one is gonna cry for you. Honestly no one cares but you.  If you can't see that then you have a lot of thinking to do.  While some figure it out sooner than others.  Few will ever find it.  I feel sorry for them.  Goodnight.  I'll try to refrain from responding in the future. Thanks

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## Fixed by 35

> Wow, I try to come on here and provide some wisdom, advice, and I get bashed...I'm simply astonished and embarrassed for some of the members that this forum creates. It's honestly sad and disappointing that you put down the people trying to help the most.


 I think perhaps people have been a little harsh on you. It's clear you're (mostly) only trying to help, however I will say I don't agree with you on much at all. 

You say you come on here to provide wisdom and advice. Okay, but repeating unsubstantiated cliches that appear all over the web is not wisdom. It's hearsay and the experiences of the people on this forum invariably don't match what people like you say. People are all too willing to say baldness is okay because they want to look tolerant. They're all David Brent's really; they want to say the right thing but in reality hold bigoted opinions about a lot of things (I'm sure a lot of us do, I still firmly believe that the French are disgusting for not washing their hands after going to the toilet). 

I think the worst cliche is that baldness isn't that bad. If that were the case, how do you answer this theoretical problem: 

How can hair loss be no big deal when surveys suggest it has a negative impact on over 80% of men's confidence and is a catalyst of an identity crisis in millions. And think deeply about this: isn't the guy who combs his hair over and the guy who desperately pumps iron at the gym to 'compensate' just reacting differently to the same mental illness? How many balding people do you know whose personalities didn't change, for good or ill, when they started losing their hair?  

And what about this applied question:  

If baldness doesn't matter, why do talentless lumps like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt get better roles than Patrick Stewart ever did? 

The reality is that: 

Baldness will affect your career. In some cases, this will be through outright 'ageist' discrimination. More often though, it will be through either a lack of confidence or an identity crisis which leads to a career change. My performance at work suffered for years because of baldness because of both a lack of confidence and an identity crisis. There was a fair amount of discrimination against the 'unpretty' too! 

Baldness will affect your relationships. I haven't seen friends from school or university for 8 years because I can't bear the thought of them seeing me bald. I want them to remember me how I was before the identity crisis (e.g. a lot less grumpy, overconfident). 

Baldness is not attractive. Some women like baldness, but some women like fat blokes too. The general consensus is that it's ugly, but it's not polite to say so. 

Okay, that's the downside and, I think, the reality. Contrary to the opinion of the meat head fraternity, this is largely unavoidable. You can't just magic your confidence back by realising your worst fears with a razor. That said, there are coping mechanisms. But you'll only ever discover yours once you accept baldness for what it is (a load of crap and a genetic defect), rather than polite society's cliched view that it's 'okay.'

----------


## Mane Man

Hmm... These threads are entertaining and somewhat disturbing.  I really hope some people can man up and just try to be happy or at least find some peace.  I shaved my hair down to a 1a on the clippers around Christmas 2009, and I am really happy with my decision. A few weeks ago while at the gym (desperately pumping iron as Fixed puts it) a good looking guy about my age with a little bit of receding around his crown area stopped me and asked when I shaved my head. I told him and he said he was thinking about buzzing his so he would stop obsessing about his hairline. Then he said to me- "you pull it off- I have a similar hairline, so you give me hope that I'll be okay without hair."

Compared to some people here, my confidence is huge. Still, having a person give me such an honest complement was really nice to hear.

----------


## Mane Man

One last thing- For those on here that say they won't have kids because they don't want to pass down a baldness gene, I say good. Not because you might, by chance (and I'm pretty sure it doesn't get handed down by the father anyway), pass down baldness.  But because you might pass down your low self image and piss poor attitudes. I'm not trying to be a jerk- just want some of you to take a long look in the mirror and look at the man and not just the damn hairline.

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## Fixed by 35

Just out of idle curiousity, when did you start going to the gym? A lot of people I know who lost their hair started going to the gym around the same time. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but often it's a bit of a personality change.

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## moses0324

> I think perhaps people have been a little harsh on you. It's clear you're (mostly) only trying to help, however I will say I don't agree with you on much at all. 
> 
> You say you come on here to provide wisdom and advice. Okay, but repeating unsubstantiated cliches that appear all over the web is not wisdom. It's hearsay and the experiences of the people on this forum invariably don't match what people like you say. People are all too willing to say baldness is okay because they want to look tolerant. They're all David Brent's really; they want to say the right thing but in reality hold bigoted opinions about a lot of things (I'm sure a lot of us do, I still firmly believe that the French are disgusting for not washing their hands after going to the toilet). 
> 
> I think the worst cliche is that baldness isn't that bad. If that were the case, how do you answer this theoretical problem: 
> 
> How can hair loss be no big deal when surveys suggest it has a negative impact on over 80% of men's confidence and is a catalyst of an identity crisis in millions. And think deeply about this: isn't the guy who combs his hair over and the guy who desperately pumps iron at the gym to 'compensate' just reacting differently to the same mental illness? How many balding people do you know whose personalities didn't change, for good or ill, when they started losing their hair?  
> 
> And what about this applied question:  
> ...


 if this is your honest opinion of MPB...then i suggest you go live under a rock and let life pass you by.  what do you have to live for?

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## moses0324

> One last thing- For those on here that say they won't have kids because they don't want to pass down a baldness gene, I say good. Not because you might, by chance (and I'm pretty sure it doesn't get handed down by the father anyway), pass down baldness.  But because you might pass down your low self image and piss poor attitudes. I'm not trying to be a jerk- just want some of you to take a long look in the mirror and look at the man and not just the damn hairline.


 i am with you...some of the self pity on here is disturbing (therapy material).  i cant help but feel sad for some of the members.  i am probably one of the most critical of my self image.  honestly there is nothing i can do about it.  why piss and moan. its genetics and nature...my exit stragey: take meds, shave down to a zero, tan, work out, work on my personality, be out going, enjoy my hobbies/interests, and live life.  if someone doesnt want to be part of my life because im losing hair or i shave my head then thats on them.

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## mlao

[QUOTE=Mane Man;24800](and I'm pretty sure it doesn't get handed down by the father anyway)[/QUOTE

MM I'm not being critical of your post i just want to help inform. FYI The gene for hair loss is a complexed gene and it can come from either your mother or fathers side. This is from Dr. Rassmann's website:

Genes
Common baldness cannot occur without the presence of specific inherited genes. These genes can be passed on by either parent. A gene is a single bit of chemically encoded hereditary instruction that is located on a chromosome and actually represents a tiny segment of DNA. Chromosomes occur in pairs (humans have 23 pairs), and every individual gets one set of chromosomes from each parent. The genetics of androgenetic alopecia is complicated and hair loss is now felt to involve more than one gene. When several genes govern a trait, it is called polygenic.
Genes that are located on the X or Y-chromosomes are call sex-linked. Genes on the other 22 pairs of chromosomes are called autosomal. It is felt that the genes governing common baldness are autosomal. This means that the baldness trait can be inherited from the mother's side of the family or the father's side. The commonly held notion that baldness comes only from the mother's side of the family is incorrect, although for reasons not fully understood, the predisposition inherited from an affected mother is of slightly greater importance than that inherited from an affected father.

The term, "dominant" means that only one gene of a pair is needed for the trait to show up in the individual. A "recessive" gene means that both genes need to be present in order for the trait to be expressed. The genes involved in androgenetic alopecia are felt to be dominant.

Just because a person has the genes for baldness, doesn't mean the trait will manifest itself. The ability of a gene to affect one's characteristics, i.e. be visible in a particular individual, is called "expresivity". Gene expression is related to a number of factors, the major ones being hormones and age, although stress and other factors can play a role. To put it simply, a man whose father and uncles are severely bald may have minimal hair loss himself, either because the baldness genes have not been passed on or because the expression of the baldness gene that he did inherit is limited.

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## Mane Man

I started going to the gym in college. From my experience, it is one of the best things you can do to increase your self confidence. I didn't realize I was losing my hair at all until I was about 26, when I buzzed it down for work. I haven't been consistent going to the gym since 26, but I usually feel better about myself when I do go.  I'm not doing it to achieve some sort of acceptable bald look. I would be working out regardless of my hair. If anything, I work out because getting old doesn't have to suck and I want to be active and healthy as long as possible.  I personally would rather have a healthy toned body and no hair than be a slob with great hair. Of course I would rather have both, but who wouldn't?

----------


## moses0324

> I started going to the gym in college. From my experience, it is one of the best things you can do to increase your self confidence. I didn't realize I was losing my hair at all until I was about 26, when I buzzed it down for work. I haven't been consistent going to the gym since 26, but I usually feel better about myself when I do go.  I'm not doing it to achieve some sort of acceptable bald look. I would be working out regardless of my hair. If anything, I work out because getting old doesn't have to suck and I want to be active and healthy as long as possible.  I personally would rather have a healthy toned body and no hair than be a slob with great hair. Of course I would rather have both, but who wouldn't?


 x2.  agreed.  our outlooks on MPB are similar.

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## Weedwacker

I think people have to come to grips with the fact that guys have different opinions regarding their hairloss - and no one's opinion is necessarily correct. There are many factors involved here, some of which may differ from person to person.

Some guys who lose their hair aren't as affected by it because they wear the bald look better than others, whose looks have been ravaged by it. Conversely, some guys look like freaks bald. There is a large segment of the shaven-head group who like to look 'tough' and intimidate others, so balding isn't a deal-breaker for them. These guys think that by shaving their heads, they are all of a sudden a world light-heavyweight boxing champion. I actually feel sorry for them.

Some guys excessively flip out over their hairloss when, realistically, things must be put into perspective. There are many people around the world (many of whom are children) who are a lot worse off than a bald man. Imagine being a child in some third world shithole, and in the process of starving to death. There are many people in the world who are suffering as we speak.

Fortunately, men are not judged on their looks the way that women are. Women aren't allowed to just say, "**** it, I'm shaving it all off." Men are allowed to get away with pretty much anything, such as growing out beards or shaving their heads - both are pretty drastic. I will say that many men don't care about their appearance, so no matter what happens to them, they will not be bothered by it. I think to a certain extent, the degree to which one is concerned about his looks will affect how much he is bothered by his hairloss.

Again, as I have stated a million times, hairloss is not the end of the world. Why do some people take life so seriously? Men need to stop blaming themselves for going bald - as if it's their fault. I used to almost feel guilty about it, until I realized that made about as much sense as feeling guilty that the sun's not out today. I have always exercised hard to make sure I am well-conditioned. During the course of my life, I have seen inumerable fat slob men with perfect heads of hair and who have perfect health. Having gone through an illness (which wasn't my fault) I have come to realize that life is sometimes not fair. What did some lazy fat guy do to deserve a full head of hair? It's not like he respects his health or cares about his appearance anyway! Well, that's the sort of joke of a world in which I live - and I am not going to lose any sleep over it.

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## Fixed by 35

Crawling under a rock is still better than growing a  'goatee' (AKA an insecurity badge).

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## moses0324

> Crawling under a rock is still better than growing a  'goatee' (AKA an insecurity badge).


 You seem to have it all figured out... Go back to your rock.  No one wants your negativity...please go away.

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## DAVE52

> Crawling under a rock is still better than growing a  'goatee' (AKA an insecurity badge).


 Geez And I thought my insecurity about my hairloss was bad .

IMO you should seek some form of counselling .or medication 

You see to blame everythign that has or hasn't happend to you on your hairloss

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## Fixed by 35

I come from a country where the 'goatee' went out of fashion very quickly around 2000-2001. The 'David Brent' character was its final and deserved nail in the coffin. Anyone who wears one now would be as well advised to wear a t-shirt with the word 'twat' emblazoned across it. I have noticed it has not suffered the same fate in North America yet, in much the same way as the mullet stubbornly clings on to the Bible Belt! 

I don't blame hair loss for everything, but I know it's had a huge and negative impact on my life and the lives of millions of others. Whether through a loss of confidence, poor first impressions or simply being considered older (being treated as middle aged when you're 21 can have a hugely negative effect at work, as you're judged by higher standards because people expect you to be mature and used to an office environment from day 1, whereas your peers get an easier ride) it has been a real burden. 

The thing that winds me up more than anything now though is society's attitude that bald men should bic themselves everyday. Whilst I agree the combover is an absolute no no, I don't see the point in head shaving either. For example, today I saw two Norwood VI/VIIs standing near one another; one trimmed, the other shaved. I just don't get this idea that one is meant to be better than the other because I cannot see a discernable difference. They both looked the same age (although one was dressed considerably younger) and they both had the peaky, ill look that the very bald have. 

The only difference would be that the shaver would have been up twenty minutes earlier preening himself for no apparent gain! He might as well shaved his legs for the improvement in his image it gave him!

----------


## moses0324

> I come from a country where the 'goatee' went out of fashion very quickly around 2000-2001. The 'David Brent' character was its final and deserved nail in the coffin. Anyone who wears one now would be as well advised to wear a t-shirt with the word 'twat' emblazoned across it. I have noticed it has not suffered the same fate in North America yet, in much the same way as the mullet stubbornly clings on to the Bible Belt! 
> 
> I don't blame hair loss for everything, but I know it's had a huge and negative impact on my life and the lives of millions of others. Whether through a loss of confidence, poor first impressions or simply being considered older (being treated as middle aged when you're 21 can have a hugely negative effect at work, as you're judged by higher standards because people expect you to be mature and used to an office environment from day 1, whereas your peers get an easier ride) it has been a real burden. 
> 
> The thing that winds me up more than anything now though is society's attitude that bald men should bic themselves everyday. Whilst I agree the combover is an absolute no no, I don't see the point in head shaving either. For example, today I saw two Norwood VI/VIIs standing near one another; one trimmed, the other shaved. I just don't get this idea that one is meant to be better than the other because I cannot see a discernable difference. They both looked the same age (although one was dressed considerably younger) and they both had the peaky, ill look that the very bald have. 
> 
> The only difference would be that the shaver would have been up twenty minutes earlier preening himself for no apparent gain! He might as well shaved his legs for the improvement in his image it gave him!


 why are you making a big deal about what others do?  you should really be concerned about your own well being.  i highly doubt anyone judges you, the way you judge others.  the way you have responded in some of the posts above, you really should seek help.  if you are not happy with yourself, how are you supposed to make others happy.  if you are miserable, no one will want to be around you.  plain and simple.

i suggest you take a hard look in the mirror and concentrate on other things in life.  i know easier said than done but in your situation, you are wasting valuable youth worrying about something you have no control over.  i guarentee when you are older, you will look back and kick yourself for not living life.

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## moses0324

also to address your head shaving comments...i think the general concensus is that if you keep your hair buzzed/shaven it provides the most youthful appearance.  it makes all of your hair even and makes the missing hair less noticable.  you dont necessarily need to shave down to a zero to have this effect.  the rule is,: keep your hair short and neat.  it becomes less obvious you are balding.

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## Fixed by 35

If you genuinely believe what you are saying, then no wonder it's called the combover of the nineties! 

_It becomes less obvious you are balding...._ 

Seriously? That's like saying if you chop your arm off, no one will notice you bite your fingernails. There's nothing more starkly obvious than a shaved head to say 'yep, I'm balding,' especially now the style is going out of fashion amongst those who aren't cursed. 

And I don't see how it makes the appearance more youthful either. Maybe that's 8 years of reassessing how young people who are balding really are, but I can normally tell a 35 year old who does shave from a 25 year old who doesn't. If anything, I find the completely shaved look makes men look older.

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## DAVE52

lol.......you seriously don't think it's better, when you are thinnign , to have a closely cut hair cut. ?

I mean , geeez , you're losing you're hair , why grow it long to cover the bald spot .

Man up to it, cut it short, keep it neat , and move on with life.

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## moses0324

> If you genuinely believe what you are saying, then no wonder it's called the combover of the nineties! 
> 
> _It becomes less obvious you are balding...._ 
> 
> Seriously? That's like saying if you chop your arm off, no one will notice you bite your fingernails. There's nothing more starkly obvious than a shaved head to say 'yep, I'm balding,' especially now the style is going out of fashion amongst those who aren't cursed. 
> 
> And I don't see how it makes the appearance more youthful either. Maybe that's 8 years of reassessing how young people who are balding really are, but I can normally tell a 35 year old who does shave from a 25 year old who doesn't. If anything, I find the completely shaved look makes men look older.


 You are the first person I have ever heard say that cutting your hair short doesn't make a person look more youthful especially when you are thinning.  I get constant comments saying why don't you grow your hair out.  You have a full head of hair.  Little do they know that I don't.  As someone mentioned in another thread, appearance is all about symmetry.  If you have whisps of hair scattered across your head it looks terrible.  Keep it short and it looks a lot less obvious.  Like I mentioned, shaving down to skin is not necessary.  A 1 or 2 clipper looks just as good.  For your arm being cut off example.  A ton of men cut there hair or shave.  I don't see many cutting off there arm.

I actually get depressed just talking on a forum to you. I can't even imagine dealing with you in person.  It must be miserable.

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## Fixed by 35

To clarify, shaved head = grade 0. Certainly keep it short, but I personally think short looks younger than shaved. Shaved looks geriatric/ill. Although I guess some big, ugly blokes who try to look 'hard' by shaving their heads and growing 'goatees' pull off an immature look without hair, which is quite an achivement.

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## Cyberdyne

I agree with Fixed by 35
I dont understand people shaving down to '0'
What are they trying to do? Convince people that they are not actually bald but choose to look like a cueball? Do they honestly believe that people with full heads of hair also shave down '0' so maybe they can fit in with the others? 
LOL. I tell you something, the people that shave down to '0' are as in as much denial as the bloke sitting next to you with the whispy combover.
Fixed by 35 i love reading your posts mate, somebody who speaks the truth.

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## Fixed by 35

Most bald men seem to go for a number 2. That's as far as I'll ever go, I don't want nothing but a big pink head because it just looks plain awful.

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## Weedwacker

> Most bald men seem to go for a number 2. That's as far as I'll ever go, I don't want nothing but a big pink head because it just looks plain awful.


 You mean you don't want nothing but hair.

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## Jcm800

Seems to me that a big pink head is going to come to most of us sooner or later, better try and get used to the idea?

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## Fixed by 35

I was actually talking about the back and sides. Sure, if the treatments don't work we'll end up pink on top, but for god sake what is this obsession in some men to wet shave all over? They just look plain awful.

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## hdude46

> why are you making a big deal about what others do?  you should really be concerned about your own well being.  i highly doubt anyone judges you, the way you judge others.  the way you have responded in some of the posts above, you really should seek help.  if you are not happy with yourself, how are you supposed to make others happy.  if you are miserable, no one will want to be around you.  plain and simple.
> 
> i suggest you take a hard look in the mirror and concentrate on other things in life.  i know easier said than done but in your situation, you are wasting valuable youth worrying about something you have no control over.  i guarentee when you are older, you will look back and kick yourself for not living life.


 perfectly said...

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## Fixed by 35

Looks like hippy rubbish to me. The world is perhaps a little more Machiavellian than he realises.

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## ThinFast

> I agree with Fixed by 35
> I dont understand people shaving down to '0'
> What are they trying to do? Convince people that they are not actually bald but choose to look like a cueball? Do they honestly believe that people with full heads of hair also shave down '0' so maybe they can fit in with the others? 
> LOL. I tell you something, the people that shave down to '0' are as in as much denial as the bloke sitting next to you with the whispy combover.
> Fixed by 35 i love reading your posts mate, somebody who speaks the truth.


 I will just add something here.  When I was in highschool, I would routinely bic my full head of hair during the summers.  This is going back 15 years, before Vin Diesel went bald.  I was not the only guy to do it either and none of us were neo nazis.  I personally do not discern a difference between a "2" and "0".  Either way, people can tell that you're balding.  To me, it's all personal preference and nothing more than that.  Yeah, I'm sure some guys shave their heads in an effort to minimize the look of being bald, but who cares really?  If I lose my hair to the point where I can't cover it up, I'll take it down to a 2, then most likely shave it.  Hair grows fast and if I liked it more at a 2, then I'll let it get there and keep it there, no big deal really.

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## Fixed by 35

To be honest, I think it might be better just to not care Larry David style. Why waste time shaving your head to go from something crap to something crap anyway? 

Whenever I see a bald man who shaves his head I don't think 'confidence,' I think 'you vain bastard. You've wasted about 15 minutes this morning in your desperate attempt to conform. You deluded bastard, you believe people think shaving looks any better than not bothering.' 

Nothing screams insecurity more than a shaved head anyway, especially on older men. They're all just desperately trying to fight the starkly obvious fact that they've become unattractive.

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## ThinFast

Fixed, what then is the point in doing anything for looks?  Why shampoo or condition your hair when you have it?  Why bother getting a hair cut?  **** shaving your face or trimming nose hair.  Got bad skin?  Don't treat it, just let it stay oily.  Long fingernails?  Keep them, Howard Hughes did.  As much as you think it's vain to shave your head, I believe it's more fake and vain to pretend like you suddenly don't care about your appearance at all.  Just my .02 though.

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## DAVE52

> Nothing screams insecurity more than a shaved head anyway, especially on older men. They're all just desperately trying to fight the starkly obvious fact that they've become unattractive.


 No. They've accepted reality .
As part of the male aging process , men lose their hair .
You can either accept it and deal with it ( which I admit I have diffiuclty doing ) or some people choose HT' s, some choose to take meds the rest of their life , some choose to leave their hair  " as is " and look ridiculous and others cut it short ...some shave it 
Just because a guy decides to shave his head doesn't make him unattractive.

You coem accross as a very bitter individual who seems to blame everything that doesn't go your way on your hairloss .

You should seek medical help . And I mean that sincerely. 

People come on here for support not to feel more discouraged after reading your posts

I had a gentleman from work come in last Friday 
He's 62 yrs old, 3 yrs from retiring with a  full head of dark hair .

I'm sure he rather be bald than have to come in last week in tears and tell everyone he was diagnosed with cancer .

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## Fixed by 35

I started going bald at 21. So at 63, he's had a quality of life three times as long as I will have had. Whoever I was died years ago.

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## Weedwacker

There is something to quality of life, even though some will say that hair loss is worse than a terminal illness - which is naive. Anyone who has never sat in a doctor's office and heard the words (you have 6 months to live) has obviously never felt what it is like. Having said that, premature hair loss is a glimpse of old age, even when one is at a young age.

----------


## zero_confidence_balder

> No. They've accepted reality .
> As part of the male aging process , men lose their hair .
> You can either accept it and deal with it ( which I admit I have diffiuclty doing ) or some people choose HT' s, some choose to take meds the rest of their life , some choose to leave their hair  " as is " and look ridiculous and others cut it short ...some shave it 
> Just because a guy decides to shave his head doesn't make him unattractive.
> 
> You coem accross as a very bitter individual who seems to blame everything that doesn't go your way on your hairloss .
> 
> You should seek medical help . And I mean that sincerely. 
> 
> ...


 not sure if this is "ironic", but men that start balding early on in their lives have an increased chance of developing prostate cancer. as if balding wasn't bad enough...

Although Propecia (finasteride) is somewhat of a protective factor

Bottom line: make sure you routinely get a DRE and serum PSA test from your doc.

----------


## Sogeking

> not sure if this is "ironic", but men that start balding early on in their lives have an increased chance of developing prostate cancer. as if balding wasn't bad enough...
> 
> Although Propecia (finasteride) is somewhat of a protective factor
> 
> Bottom line: make sure you routinely get a DRE and serum PSA test from your doc.


 I think that is the thing that I fear the most. I may start routine checks in the future...

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## Fixed by 35

> There is something to quality of life, even though some will say that hair loss is worse than a terminal illness - which is naive. Anyone who has never sat in a doctor's office and heard the words (you have 6 months to live) has obviously never felt what it is like. Having said that, premature hair loss is a glimpse of old age, even when one is at a young age.


 It is, more than anything else, a pointless comparative. Sure, there are different bad things that happen in the world, but would you try any of these comfort lines: 

To a woman who has been mugged:

"Hey, stop feeling so sorry for yourself, I dealt with a woman who was raped yesterday." 

Or to someone with bad asthma: 

"Man up, it's not cystic fibrosis." 

To someone who lost a leg in a car accident: 

"Quit your whining, the other guy died." 

In fact, baldness is almost exclusive in that it is a very bad thing that will negatively shape every aspect of your life, but you're not allowed to be miserable about it. Women get more sympathy if they just grow a couple of black hairs on their chin for christs sake.  

You get faced with a choice: do nothing, and become a bald loser, or do something, and be a vain loser. It's a bad thing to happen to anyone, and should be treated as such. It is not something you can shave away.

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## Weedwacker

Those are poor examples to compare to hair loss because they involve injury or severe illness. Hair loss is not an illness. It's a condition that is cosmetically defective, and erroneous biologically. Baldness won't kill you - but you must develop a VERY thick skin in order to deal with it, and go on living. You get to a certain age at which you either accept the fact that you are powerless to change it - and move on, or you remain a miserable bastard for the rest of your life. It requires strength to become 'numb' and just move on. It involves maturity.

It is true that women get sympathy for minor things like being 'traumatized' by being overweight. Would you feel better if people had sympathy for you? I sure as hell wouldn't. Sympathy won't bring your hair back. Why do you want sympathy?

Baldness ought to be treated as a bad thing; I realize that. If someone has any other disfigurement, they usually get sympathy. Even fat people get sympathy, even though their problem is solely their fault. Baldness is laughed at - but I think this also has to do with the fact that it is politically correct to hammer men for anything.

Balding as a teenager is a nightmare. I don't have much sympathy for men who began thinning in their late 20s, 30s or 40s. I cannot commiserate with, or relate to them because I would have been extremely grateful to have had a normal teenagehood. My mid to late teens didn't exist, and neither did my early to mid-twenties. Of course, in my mid-twenties I was also bedridden half of the time and sick; however, that's another chapter. I will always be traumatized by my premature teen hair loss, and I will never get over what I lost: going to school, girlfriends, socializing and just being a teenager.

Fixed, you are actually lucky in a way. I lost my hair younger than you and had to leave high school because of it. You at least got to finish your high school and college years before you were noticeably ****ed with hair loss. You had time to go to school and develop work skills. Furthermore, you seem to have a solid career and appear to be doing fine. I never had that chance. I was ****ed over earlier and more than you were: a Norwood 2-3 at 17; a Norwood 3 at 18 with severe vertex thinning(NW 5); a full Norwood 5 at 20; a Norwood 6 at 21, and guess what: DESTRUCTION.

----------


## Weedwacker

One more thing: there is always something to be grateful for. I am very grateful that I am a Norwood 6 and not a Norwood 7. I have good density on my sides in a strong 6 pattern. I would HATE to be a Norwood 7; it is much worse looking than a 6. All of the bald celebrities who look 'good' are 6s - but none of them are 7s. A Norwood 7 is almost to the point of Alopecia Totalis, and that is very difficult. As a 6, at least I have a stubble frame.

Fixed, you have a lot more hair than I had at your age. You can be grateful that you can have a transplant sometime in the future if you wish. We premature 6s never had that option. Try to look on the bright side.

----------


## Weedwacker

I just heard of a woman refer to shaved/buzzed headed men as Mr. Potato Heads. HAHAHA! Now that is funny.

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## kanyon

What little hair I have left I keep long and shaggy. Basically doing a combined combover/combdown.

I've always had longish shaggy hair - people call me Austin Powers. So it's a big deal if I was to shave my head.

I think i'd look horrible with a shaved head but I'm curious to try it. Trouble is there is no hiding my balding and receded hairline if I do it. Essentially there's no going back until it grows back.

Has anyone shaved their head, saw that it looked terrible and then regretted it? Would you wear a wig of some sort until it grows back?

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## DepressedByHairLoss

To the people who are bald/shaved: Is it true that you need to smear sunscreen on your head when you go out on a sunny day?  When I was contemplating shaving my head, this was one of the things that held me back.

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## Havok

you don't have to but you should to avoid getting skin cancer.

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## Sogeking

> To the people who are bald/shaved: Is it true that you need to smear sunscreen on your head when you go out on a sunny day?  When I was contemplating shaving my head, this was one of the things that held me back.


 Actually hair or no hair when sun outside is strong you should wear a hat.
And with shaved head a sunscreen comes nice yes...
However I don't get the distaste for shaved heads. When you are NW 4 or 5 it looks much better when you shave your head then try to hide it, or let the hair on your sides grow. The contrast is too much.

But yes, I can't wait for a good treatment to come. What amazes me the most is the fact that we can wake up comatose patients with electrode shock, by jolting them inside their own brains. Or we are even contemplating growing artificial hearts, yet we can't grow or regenerate some hair.
Unbelievable...

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## Bakez

Listen ******s, if you shave your head, get a bit of a tan and have a good body, then there is no way you are a 'bald loser'.

You can look good bald, you just have to put some effort in. While you might still look OK with a full head of hair and a chubby face after 'letting yourself go', when you are bald that won't work. That is the only difference in terms of being 'good looking', you just have to make sure you look after yourself.

I bet my life that there are tons of guys out there who went bald, so decided to look after themselves, get an athletic body where you can see it in the face (yes, you can tell if someone has a good body by looking at their face), go on a sunbed every 2 weeks, stay clean and well shaved, and are now twice as good looking as they were previously.

If you can't be good looking bald, then you weren't good looking to start with.

But really that is not even the issue, I don't care what I look like, I worry about losing my identity.

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## Havok

why the hell do people generalize? just because someone looks good with shaved head and nice body that doesn't mean it's universal to all men. of course someone who is fit and clean cut is going to look better than some slob no matter what bald or not. you can look GREAT with hair and below average without hair. you can have awesome face but oddly shaped head. i guess we should only consider ppl with great face AND head good looking right. 

here's your boy Ne-Yo with AWESOME body and shaved head. he's considered very good looking whenever he wears a hat that frames his face just like hair does to a man's face.

he's a real looker ain't he, chief.

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## Bellabella11

I still dont understand the mentality of dwelling on hair loss. Life is not based on hair. To me its almost pathetic like a bunch of females bitching and moaning about appearance. I know it sucks to lose hair but deal with it and move on with your life.

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