People staring/acting differently...is it just me?

[mdstar25]

I'm 35 and NW 5 thick on the sides but loss is mostly in the front top. I shaved down to a 3..then 2 and a 1 a few days ago b/c even with a 2 now it looks like i have an island of hair in the front.

After I shaved down to a 1 thought it looked clean and not that bad. I mean it's not great..I'd rather have my hair back but given the situation this is the best option i have.

Anyway, i noticed when I'm walking down the street that other guys (not women) staring at me and my co-workers have been acting differently. Now i'm starting to think maybe I look like an alien. Idk..

Am I being overly self conscious or has anyone felt this way/experienced this as well?

Thanks

[Notcoolanymore]

I'm 35 and NW 5 thick on the sides but loss is mostly in the front top. I shaved down to a 3..then 2 and a 1 a few days ago b/c even with a 2 now it looks like i have an island of hair in the front.

After I shaved down to a 1 thought it looked clean and not that bad. I mean it's not great..I'd rather have my hair back but given the situation this is the best option i have.

Anyway, i noticed when I'm walking down the street that other guys (not women) staring at me and my co-workers have been acting differently. Now i'm starting to think maybe I look like an alien. Idk..

Am I being overly self conscious or has anyone felt this way/experienced this as well?

Thanks

Can't speak of the strangers on the street, but maybe your coworkers are just adjusting to your new look. If you think you don't look bad, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Karlton]

After I shaved down to a 1 thought it looked clean and not that bad. I mean it's not great..I'd rather have my hair back but given the situation this is the best option i have.

I had a hard time when I buzzed my head down to #1. My wife has no problem with it, but I ended up growing it back for the time being. I have a pretty big head, and sometimes I would catch my reflection and feel like I had the whole "alien" look going. There's no doubt it is hard to adjust to seeing yourself shaved. There will be good days and bad days, just like when you had hair.

I do believe there is a certain point where it looks better than the " hair island" or grown out "horseshoe." Some guys aren't big on buzzing or shaving, but you are doing the right thing by experimenting with your look. At least we live in a time when head shaving/buzzing has become far more common. I have friends that don't exactly look like models with shaved heads, but we understand that it is not about looking perfect. It's about looking well groomed and finding consistency.

I personally feel like an above average body, a slight tan, and some facial hair go a long way, but either way I think a good buzz cut is a good choice for someone in your situation. I don't understand why anyone would stare. Some people are just narrow minded and they obviously don't have very many friends if they are shocked by a shaved head.

[hellouser]

I'm 35 and NW 5 thick on the sides but loss is mostly in the front top. I shaved down to a 3..then 2 and a 1 a few days ago b/c even with a 2 now it looks like i have an island of hair in the front.

After I shaved down to a 1 thought it looked clean and not that bad. I mean it's not great..I'd rather have my hair back but given the situation this is the best option i have.

Anyway, i noticed when I'm walking down the street that other guys (not women) staring at me and my co-workers have been acting differently. Now i'm starting to think maybe I look like an alien. Idk..

Am I being overly self conscious or has anyone felt this way/experienced this as well?

Thanks

Shaving your head is basically hyper-masculinity. They're staring because they see you as, basically, an alpha male.

[beetee]

Hellhouser is a good person to listen to on this. There are times when my hair isn't looking good and people, mostly men (just like you point out), seem to be staring at me. There is a thing, and I think it's a somewhat recent thing, where men will deliberately stare at you to both try to make you feel bad and to make themselves feel better. It's a way of trying to put you down. It doesn't make any sense at all as whatever your social standing is, their social standing is not changed simply by the fact that you exist. And, most importantly, there are many, many, many men who are bald or who have thinning hair who are charismatic, cool, and have as much claim to being "attractive" as anyone else. The only people who don't see it that way are people who have bought into this juvenile rule that any type of hair loss makes someone somehow inherently "less than," which makes about as much sense as saying everyone who has curly hair is ugly.

[mdstar25]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Much appreciated.