Shave Your Head, Get a Tan, and Get Your A** to the Gym

[mpalardy]

The buzz/shave & gym thing is the route you need to take at a certain point if you aren't going to try to save or cover it up with transplants.

Every guy should lift anyway, regardless of hair loss. Why has global testosterone fallen over the decades? Less and less manual labor jobs and more and more desk jockey jobs.

Another groundless assertion without any attempt to respond to what it is that I'm trying to convey. Now I think the advice given here is good for some men. But good for some is not universally good.

I'm 33 years old and a college instructor and writer. I first noticed hair thinning at 25. It's progressed rather slowly, and I only noticed seemed to notice it again when I was photographed for a driver's license on my 32nd birthday. Was it a little shocking? Yes, indeed. But even still, it's only Norwood 2.5-3A, roughly similar to what a lot of men my age are experiencing--not bald, per se, but rather with a larger forehead. Now, I also have had a full beard for most of my adult life, especially full now. What have I decided to do? Very little: just growing my beard a bit longer, visiting my barber a little more often, and keeping the thin flyaways on my crown in place with some stiff pomade. Why? Because I look professorial, distinguished, and, with my beard, a little bohemian. All of these work in my favour in my career--and, surprisingly, among the ladies as well. Interestingly, among the many men in my social set who are showing the balding gene, I can't count a single shaven head, but rather a good many beards on generally lean and strong men. I, for one, tend to keep lean and strong through mere calisthenics.

So I must stress that a man oughtn't to do what would make him more insecure, but must factor age, occupation, social set, and so forth into his response to hair loss--which is, for the sake of our sanity and of our wallets, best accepted as an inevitability. If we fret so much about it now, we'll be basket-cases as we age further. What we all seem to want and need is confidence, and nothing builds confidence so much as acceptance, whatever guise that might take.

[NotBelievingIt]

"Groundless assertion" I do not think that means what you think it means.

I stated what is called an opinion.

If you can get away with not keeping your hair thin while it balds away into a horseshoe and you can actually pull off a power donut, well, fine, more power to you.

The 'transition' is what matters most. Not every guy just recedes their hair line, some of us are diffuse thinners. My hair line has barely budged over the last 5 years, yet I've certainly lost a lot of density on my head. At some point that density is going to be even less and the top of my head will look ridiculous - shaved or very close buzz all around is the *only* solution at that point if you actually have any care of your appearance. Theres a guy at work who has a similar thing going on and it drives me crazy he lets his hair grow longer and the top of his head looks terrible.

What we all seem to want and need is confidence, and nothing builds confidence so much as acceptance, whatever guise that might take.

True confidence comes from within, not from outside. Social status drives confidence, but if you have little to begin with it will not matter what social status you have. Everyone wears masks to cover up true feelings, so how someone behaves 'in public' does not necessarily reflect their true feelings.

[mpalardy]

OK, I'm hearing you: diffuse loss outside of one of the standard Norwood progressions (for which there are all sorts of balding hairstyles) is a difficult thing to deal with stylewise.

By acceptance, though, I'm not really meaning anything to do with others. We should all be old enough to know that, no matter how humble or affable our manner, there will always be someone somewhere who will have a problem with us. What I mean to say is that we just ought to accept our condition as a part of ourselves, rather than going to absurd lengths to conceal it, mask it, and so forth, for in so doing we are only denying it--and denying our true nature, both to ourselves and others. In short, we come to live an inauthentic lie.

So, yes, remember that we are social beings, and so be courteous, mind social mores, and so forth. But trying to be someone you're not, for whatever reason, will only damage your psyche in the long run. And if you're ever a little insecure about the truth, just remember that we all are somewhat. Offer it up and live boldly henceforward.

[Aames]

OK, I'm hearing you: diffuse loss outside of one of the standard Norwood progressions (for which there are all sorts of balding hairstyles) is a difficult thing to deal with stylewise.

By acceptance, though, I'm not really meaning anything to do with others. We should all be old enough to know that, no matter how humble or affable our manner, there will always be someone somewhere who will have a problem with us. What I mean to say is that we just ought to accept our condition as a part of ourselves, rather than going to absurd lengths to conceal it, mask it, and so forth, for in so doing we are only denying it--and denying our true nature, both to ourselves and others. In short, we come to live an inauthentic lie.

So, yes, remember that we are social beings, and so be courteous, mind social mores, and so forth. But trying to be someone you're not, for whatever reason, will only damage your psyche in the long run. And if you're ever a little insecure about the truth, just remember that we all are somewhat. Offer it up and live boldly henceforward.

Your logic is so backwards it is not even funny. Do you think you're being noble or honorable by walking around being a laughingstock? Wearing a horseshoe pattern is NOT aesthetic or desirable by any stretch of the imagination. You can pretend you're being dignified all you want but the fact remains that you would look infinitely better and more attractive if you had the foresight to correct your loss or you shaved. But go ahead, look up some lame politician with a horseshoe as your defense. Pathetic.

[Aames]

OK, I'm hearing you: Autism outside of one of the standard mental illnesses (for which there are all sorts of meds) is a difficult thing to deal with healthwise.

By acceptance, though, I'm not really meaning anything to do with others. We should all be old enough to know that, no matter how humble or affable our manner, there will always be someone somewhere who will have a problem with us. What I mean to say is that we just ought to accept our condition as a part of ourselves, rather than going to absurd lengths to conceal it, mask it, and so forth, for in so doing we are only denying it--and denying our true nature, both to ourselves and others. In short, we come to live an inauthentic lie.

So, yes, remember that we are social beings, and so be courteous, mind social mores, and so forth. But trying to be someone you're not, for whatever reason, will only damage your psyche in the long run. And if you're ever a little insecure about the truth, just remember that we all are somewhat. Offer it up and live boldly henceforward.

Enjoy life.

Cannot wait for response.

[mpalardy]

Your logic is so backwards it is not even funny. Do you think you're being noble or honorable by walking around being a laughingstock? Wearing a horseshoe pattern is NOT aesthetic or desirable by any stretch of the imagination. You can pretend you're being dignified all you want but the fact remains that you would look infinitely better and more attractive if you had the foresight to correct your loss or you shaved. But go ahead, look up some lame politician with a horseshoe as your defense. Pathetic.

Aames, the only people who might laugh about it are the self-loathing balding men populating forums like this. I've never had a negative comment about my hairstyle, only compliments. The only people who really hate the balding look are, apparently, balding men themselves. So go ahead, dump your life savings on painful or risky treatments; I'll be saving my money. Shave your head every morning and look like something out of science fiction, rationalizing to yourself that you look like some forgettable B-movie actor; I'll be doing what I've always done. Moreover, I'd be willing to take a bet that I (and the thousands upon thousands of balding men who don't commiserate on online forums, but rather own their look and let it go naturally) would be a lot happier and more confident than you.

I just looked at your "Dutasteride Log," by the way. You're not balding, Aames. Maybe the most modest of temple recession, and that's it. You just seem horrified and willing to go to great lengths to make sure that you don't bald. Your revulsion is quite abnormal, you know. Might I suggest talking to a psychotherapist?

[BigThinker]

It's one pill a day, for which more than 95% of people have no side-effects. It also happens to cost me less than €100 a year.

Haha. No kidding. If you can't afford finasteride, then hair is the least of your problems.

I can't believe that we even have to defend finasteride. I'm having the hardest time comprehending how people can invest their time and energy into defaming it.

[clandestine]

Haha. No kidding. If you can't afford finasteride, then hair is the least of your problems.

I can't believe that we even have to defend finasteride. I'm having the hardest time comprehending how people can invest their time and energy into defaming it.

It's mostly the sides.

Most men are fine with it. A subset, like myself, experience sides. This is unfortunate, but a reality. If it works for someone, great.

The struggle remains for those who it doesn't work for. Those of us with lesser options. This is we strive, still, for a cure.