Reactions to shaved head. Advice?

I completely understand you, I also trim it down to the shortest grade because I rather look like a guy with really short hair than a guy who's heavily balding. It feels liberating.
You know what? It's about the way you feel and what makes you feel the most confident.

My sister gives me regular comments as well about about "how I looked better with long hair" (it's like I can help it) while my mother gave me some weird feedback as well, the first time I came back from getting it cut. I never received negative comments about it in my daily life or when I'm with friends or colleagues though.

At those moments some family member appear like morons. They just don't understand. Don't worry about it. Just think about the way it would look if you grew it out and the way it looks now.
Seriously ignore them, they'll get used to it.

I did that too when i shed, but has all grown back now.

Hey

Id totally recommend reading my post 'Shaved Down'. I did the same as you, fed up with hair falling out and waking up seeing all them hairs on the pillow.

I was initially so nervous I did consider bailing, but I forced myself. I gradually cut it down to a 3 all over, 2 all over and then a 1 all over.

I cut it every week. I have no issues with family, friends or anyone. My ex-gf didn't give a hoot (we broke up over stages in our life, not hair).

I'd say go for it as it is liberating, it's fashionable, it'll make you look hard too!

Family particularly older members are going to associate negative connotations to a shaved/buzzed head. Neo-natzi and convicts etc. shaved is on style now but doesn't mean older ppl understand that. My sis does the same thing ur is annoying, she acts like I'm weird for thinking I'm balding when I clearly am and have other ppl remind of it all the time. In the end you have to what you feel is right for you, you are the one living with it and now how it makes you feel. I shaved my head to a 0 for a month and I got mixed reactions , generally more positive but some negatives thrown in there..my family is not here though.

Yeah, this annoyed me too.

It's being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Those that know you who aren't used to the sight of you without hair and are ultimately unable to empathise with your position of a compromised appearance.

They don't seem to understand that a shaved head is more uniform looking than a balding head. Even if you can pull off a shaved head, if the alternative is something marred and compromised in appearance - why should it be any better?

My view - ignore what they say for now. Given you've got two choices that aren't ideal for you, you're the only person who should make the decision.

For me - the second I decide to grow my hair out, I get the odd subtle comment about how I 'used to shave my head', and/or 'are you going to buzz it off again soon'?

Just as good as being told that I'm balding to the point now where this is the only viable styling option.

In the past, back in my mid-twenties, when I did this - I was asked when I would grow my hair back etc. The fact is - is that people aren't around to live the subtle transition with you, they only notice when it's totally apparent.

My guess... You're probably at the point where in their minds you can pull off the hair-look. However dense it is for you. Then again - you'll be well aware that it isn't great or ideal looking for you.

Crappy situation which I fully empathise with.

Beware of family advice, specially from your mother

My mom also hates the buzzed look, for the same reasons you listed

But people my age love the look, specially because a buzz actually makes my hair look fuller.

Some comments some say it as a joke so i wouldnt worry to much and family and friends might think its weird cause they are used to you having hair...they will get used to it.

Shit dude, just do whatever makes you happy...

In the end, you live with yourself 24 hours of each day, every day.

I wish I had the nuts to shave my head. I'm still at a NW2ish and grew my hair out to about 2-3 inches in the front to kind of push it forward and I constantly feel like my hair looks dumb and am afraid it's going to blow in the wind and reveal my recession and thinning.

My excuse is that I have a big forehead and the cowlick will look like a bald spot if I buzz it down too short. But, in the end, I fantasize about buzzing my hair.

The funny thing is that I know with optimal hair and hairline - I look better with long on the top because it offsets my forehead. But it's not for me...

I started buzzing when I could no longer style my hair the way I wanted. This was about 12 years ago. It took a while to get used to even for myself. I will tell you what though, buzzing your hair for at least the first few months when starting treatment is a good thing. Shedding doesn't look at bad and isn't as messy with buzzed hair. Applying minox is also very easy.

I had a naturally broad forehead (due to mild brachycephaly) and recession's caused my forehead to look humongous. Also similar to you, I was at least blessed with thick to begin with, so I have plenty of time to treat and still give an illusion of thick hair.

I hate worry about how my hair looks - and if my hair was any more receded or thinner or something I would have buzzed it off already. Luckily I seem to be responding in a way that is either offsetting the shed with my hair getting better or my hair growing longer. Either way, my hair is the longest it's been in quite a while.

I have shaved and buzzed my head on and off since I was 17 and had no signs of hairloss. I have a good shaped head, big neck and wide shoulders so it suited me well and it was somewhat stylish in the 90s when I was teen and early 20s. I didn't start losing my hair until about 30 and it just started receding way back. Now Im pushing 40 and I still shave it bald, or a 0 all around, up to a 3 on top but no longer. I feel that if you are balding at all you have to keep the hair short. I would keep shaving if you like the look man. People will get used to it and if you lose more hair it wont be a dramatic difference. Shaving your head makes you look younger, especially if you hit the gym hard and muscle up.

Yes
Once they get used to it , then it will be a non issue

A friend of mine is a Norwood 6. He shaves his head and is a lady's man. He meets women at Starbucks, at the supermarket, you name it. Women look at things very differently than men do. It took about 20 years of marriage to get that reality through my thick skull. Related to my ladies-man friend. He, as a shaved Norwood 6 could have five or six interested women texting him wanting to have dinner, see a movie etc., after a busy day of meeting women. I don't ever remember any woman being afraid of him thinking he looked odd with a shaved head. He doesn't have the perfect shaped head either.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
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I am not a doctor and the content of my posts are my opinions, not medical advice.