Via CJ Sorg
Baldness is one of the greatest male taboos: something to be hidden under beanies, brushed off pillows in the morning and suffered alone in the bathroom mirror.
This is incredibly unhealthy, considering hair loss will affect a quarter of all guys before they turn 30, two thirds by 60 and a whopping three quarters by the age of 80. Hair Loss can lead to years of unnecessary fear and insecurity, especially for those that suffer it at an early age.
I've learnt a lot as one of the unfortunate losers of the male pattern baldness roulette. My message is to embrace it as soon as possible, for these reasons:
1. Nobody cares
One of the biggest fears when going bald is what other people will think. I used to ask myself questions like "Will people make fun of me?" "Will I be attractive?" "Will people think I look weird?" etc etc.
The truth is that no one cares - at least no where near as much as you do. I remember the first day I came into the office after shaving my head. Yes, I got a few looks and a few comments, but overall the experience was extremely underwhelming.
As I eventually saw all my friends and family for the first time after making the change, it was the same deal. A couple of people made mildly teasing comments, but most either ignored it, or were extremely complimentary.
As soon as I took the leap and faced my fate, my insecurities melted away. Not only does being more confident discourage teasing, but it also make you no care about what people think anyway.
Flaunting it. Via Pedro Ribeiro Simões
2. You'll earn a load of respect
People, especially guys, and especially guys who are losing their own hair, will respect the hell out of you for embracing your baldness.
Let's face it, most people in modern western society have at some point felt bad about the way they look. So people are obviously impressed when they see someone that's so clearly stuck their middle finger up to that nagging voice that sometimes tells us we're no good.
I've personally seen subtle shifts in my relationships, especially with "alpha males", since shaving my head. People generally seem to have more time for me. Basically, people automatically think you're "hard". In that regard, it's the polar opposite of the comb over, which inherently conveys a sense of hiding who you really are - which is definitely not "hard".
3. You will be more attractive
What I've noticed since shaving my head - and I could be totally wrong, as it's just my own perspective - is that it's really polarised my attractiveness. Whereas before I felt more like an amorphous blob that sort of blended in and got by on by having a passable personality, now I'm a lot more striking, which can push things either way.
I've noticed some girls that seemed fairly interested in me before have now lost interest. However, I've also noticed a lot more interest from others that showed none before. What I definitely don't feel any more is "just meh". This is great for me, because I'm not interested in anyone that cares so much about looks that they'd write me off just because of my hair, anyway.
I think the key here is the shift the change has made in my personality. I've gone from constantly worrying about how my hair looked and whether anyone could tell I was balding, to just not caring. In my opinion, self-assumption and self-assurance are two of the most attractive qualities in a person - so fully accept your slaphead!
Nice one, this guy. Via Tony Alter
4. Trying to prevent it is a waste of money (and potentially dangerous)
I'm ashamed to admit that, short of actual surgery, I tried all sorts of things to reverse my hair loss. From microfibres that dripped down my face whenever I broke a sweat, to bogus herbal remedies and dangerous hormone treatments. I was a sucker for it all. And I regret it all very much.
Not only are all these treatments very expensive, they're also all completely temporary and, in my case at least, mentally and physically damaging.
I'm going to be careful here, due to legal issues, but suffice it to say that during a certain course of hair loss treatment designed to block the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness, I became incredibly anxious and depressed, experienced wild mood swings, very high blood pressure and even the odd (mildly) suicidal thought.
Be warned that the people dishing out these drugs are NOT doctors. They are private companies and, as such, only have their own profits in mind. Once you've signed their waivers, your health is a complete non-factor. Please do thorough research before taking any hair loss medication.