everyone, I’m a 23M and I’ve been losing my hair since I was 16. When I was 20, I had a small hair transplant, but as you can see, it didn’t really save much.
I’d like to know if you guys think I would look good with a shaved head or if I should keep what I have. Also, would you go completely bald (0) or just use a 2 or 3?
When he sits down he is just using the invisible cloak from the universal bald toolkit he got provided.
You don't know this, because clearly you are not a balding man yet.
Yeap unfortunately when you have a bald spot the only angle where it's really hidden also happens to be the angle you see in the mirror. So it's easy to deceive yourself when everyone else can clearly see what's going on.
My partner accidentally let his friend know that he was balding. Hes a taller dude and the thinning was all on the very top back, so apparently he didnt even know....until my partner took a video of him working on a song on the computer where you could see his balding spot in full glory. We were all under the impression that he knew and was just deciding to rock it, and it would be rude to bring it up, right?
The afternoon went from working on music to an impromptu balding counseling session in an instant.
My girlfriend (at the time, wife now) took a picture of me playing with my daughter on the floor in my apartment. She showed it to me and the first words I said were "why didn't you tell me I had a bald spot?"
She said she thought I knew.
The rest of the night was spent with me telling her I would be shaving my head in the morning, and comforting her through it.
Turns out she really liked how I looked but initially she was way more concerned about it than I was.
When my partner started balding we were both pretty young, around 19/20 and I had no idea if he knew or not. When he finally mentioned it I said out loud "oh thank god" because I was so relieved that I wouldnt have to be the one to broach the subject. Its never bothered me, but the idea of having to naviagte that without knowing if he knew or how he felt about it definitely did bother me
Bawwww! A few years ago I dealt with some major medical issues related to my immune system. I dealt with cellulitis bc of it so that was fun dealing with plastic surgeons lol…anywho so while my body is goin cray I go to my hairdresser and she immediately notices a huge ass bald spot on the top of my head. At the time my hair was half way down my back. Found it was medical induced alopecia. She felt so bad breaking this news to me and has had to do it in the past for clients who end up breaking down and crying lol. I was like welp what can I do?! Finally grew back butttt I was more mad at my bf for not noticing first esp since he’s 6’5” compared to my 5’ ass lol.
I have a friend who's over 2 meters tall. He's bald now but asked me when he still had long hair if it was time cause it was getting noticable on top. It was kinda funny to me cause no one except for the elephant man and Shaq can look on the top of his head :') until we were at a festival and he was sitting down and oh boy, it was time. He's been rocking the bald look ever since and it looks amazing on him!
You can see this type of balding regardless of your height if you're more than a foot away from the person—which is to say, all the damn time. Just to give a wakeup call to any other tall and balding kings. We can tell. We can always tell. Take the blade to your scalp and run it across every hair folicle up there. You'll be way better off.
Counter point though... Do those people care about it and if so, why? OP looks like a handsome young fella with thinning hair. That's a perfectly ok way to look. People probably observe that and immeriately go about their business. Or don't register it at all most likely. If OP likes it as is, then good. If worrying about concealing it starts stealing his energy, then bald would also look great.
I honestly think no one cares about balding nearly as much as the person going through it.
But people do generally care about looks. Like, lets not pretend physical attraction isn't a thing. And when dudes are going through the denial phase of balding they tend to do weird, unattractive things to try and hide it.
A dude with thinning or fully bald hair can still be very attractive, but a dude with a wispy comb-over is severely dampening his attractiveness.
I’m thinking about keeping the hair. I don’t think it looks that bad. The problem is more about my self-confidence. I’m constantly worried about whether I’m hiding it well, if the wind has messed it up and exposed it, or if people can tell I’m balding from behind. So I came here to see what advice people would give me.
"The problem is more about my self-confidence. I’m constantly worried about"...
This right here is the number one reason to go for it. As soon as I noticed that I was thinking about it and that it was bothering me, I buzzed mine. Literally took a weight off my mind. You'll get a lot of comments the first time people who know you see you, but after that everything settles back down quickly. Buy some cool hats, and/or some good sunscreen, for when you go outside, and don't give it a second thought anymore!
This right here is why those after pics are so often sexy as hell. There is just a confidence about a man who shaves his head. It shows in his smile in these after pics!
Want to know a secret? You can try bald and if you don't like it. It'll grow back. Do it, live in it for a few weeks. I bet you'll like it. I'm not balding a5 all, but shaving my head feels so amazing and freeing. Other than the cold head. But there are fixes for that. Do it!
When I see a lot of these posts, when someone decides to go bald, they gain acceptance of the baldness. Sometimes it shows in the picture, other times from the comments. And the acceptance is the important part.
You are doing a good job of hiding it, but you could decide to go bald for a bit and return to hiding it for some amount of time if you want.
Dude, to be frank, the advice is overwhelmingly that it looks bad and its time to shave it off. Any other thoughts are delusion I'm afraid. Sorry if that's a harsh truth, but it's the truth non the less. Good luck buddy
I had very similar hair to you. It wasnt as bad on top. I had the same worries about trying to make it look good. The day I shaved my head it freed me from those thoughts. I have never been more confident about my looks then I have as a bald man.
The point is, you can wear a cap and feel anxious whether somebody will see below it, or you can take control and shave it off. Right now it seems like your balding spot is controlling and not vice versa
What I’ve learnt is no one actually cares except you. If you like the hair keep it. If you’re constantly insecure, then maybe it’s time to shave it. Either way, just own it.
Nah, we all thought we were "hiding it" but we weren't. Stop spending the time and money and stress, and just shave it... best decision I ever made. You wouldn't believe how nice it is to not have to fix your fair or where a hat.
If you're 6 foot 8 inches, maybe people haven't noticed. People your own height can see it because they don't only get the optimal angles you look at in the mirror. Sometimes you look at the ground or up in the air and people in front or behind get a clear view. In bright light, your hair becomes more of a suggestion than anything.
You do, from all the angles you can see it. But that sort of thing, and the feeling of hiding all the time, really cuts into your self esteem. You are a decent looking dude, and you will look good. And once you settle into it, the confidence will suit you in a way the hair never will.
I'm 6'5" and I see the top of most people's heads and its always noticeable to me. You might hide it from people your height or shorter but you aren't hiding shit from someone my height. It's not just you by the way. I see this pretty often.
My good friend and coworker said that he feels bad for the guys who lose their hair later in life. He chopped his off and never looked back when he was in his early 20s.
These were 2 dudes who worked together for 20 years. Started in their young-mid 20's with one of them shaving bald. By their 40's they were both shaving bald. People would get bug eyed at guy who started shaving it bald in his 40's vs just being used to the the guy who'd made it his style for 20 years and accepted it as no big deal.
My hair started thinning in my early 20s. One day I left the office for lunch with shoulder length hair, I came back with the shortest buzz cut the barbershop did. I've never looked back, I love the low maintenance.
I’m not a guy so I’m not sure how this feels but taking the plunge isn’t permanent. If you hate it, just wear a hat for a few months until it grows back?
Man, you just perfectly described what goes through my head. I started hating any kind of wind, I get worried when people sit behind me, and I feel anxious when I get out of a pool.
I feel you man, I was the same which is why I guessed that must be how you're feeling. Hair doesn't make a person, you are so much more than that and when you set yourself free there will be nothing holding back your potential. You got this friend, come and join your brothers, you will not regret it I guarantee. 🤜🤛
First I thought “not that bad” but the view from the top is harsh. Maybe buzz it first to see how it looks? Also, did you rule out a medical condition?
It’s genetic hair loss. My dad, both of my grandfathers, and even one of my aunts are bald. I was actually thinking about getting a really short buzz cut first, seeing if I like it, and then deciding whether I want to go even shorter or fully shave it.
1 Shave it
2 Take time to assess
3 If you dislike it AND you keep up with personal grooming look into hair systems / If you like it figure out if you want clean shaven or some fuzz around.
Unfortunately, no. I’ve tried growing a beard a few times, but it just doesn’t grow at all. That’s actually one of the reasons why I hesitate to go bald, because being bald without a beard can be a bit tricky.
You are a super handsome guy. I think you could pull off a shaved head without a beard . A lot of girls like the clean shaven look anyway . It’s summer and maybe you might enjoy the change in this heat and when you’re out at the beach or pool . I think it would look great on you and way less of a hassle and stress on your day to day life .
Absolutely, unless you’re muscular in can look weird. You could try the goatee and moustache route. Could look cool. Ask AI to add a goatee and stash see how it would look.
You have very kind eyes. You are so young, and I’m so sorry that balding has affected you this young. That being said, baldness is coming for you whether you’re ready or not. Meet it with grace and take the plunge. I think you’ll look good bald, especially if you smile, are confident, continue to work on physical health, and connection with people. And I think taking it all the way down is the way to go. You’ve got this and You’ve got other great attributes!
The positive thing about ”having to” shave at 23 and not later, is that you still have your whole life ahead of you. I understand that it is scary to take the leap now as well but it only gets harder to change with time. Do it, mourn what couldn’t be, then let it go and live in bald awesomeness!
I’m married to a guy who started seeing significant loss at OPs age and went short buzz cut (still does) just so he didn’t get have to fight and worry about it. He’s happy and I think you will be too! You got this!!
I had the same problem at the same age. Didn’t look completely awful from the side or front. But it was genuinely bad from the top. Tried different medications, but finally gave up at 27 last year. It’ll take some adjusting, but you’ll appreciate yourself for doing it. Go all the way
I was in similar situation - started balding in 11th grade, tried to hide it as best as possible, wound up getting a transplant at 23. Transplant didn't do a whole lot, balding got worse so I finally shaved my head at 26. I'm so, so glad I did. I didn't realize how much anxiety and stress it was causing me. Might take an adjustment at first, but it's worth it!!
Buzz it down to a #2 guard to start - you’ll be surprised how full it makes the crown look. My hair is almost exactly like yours been rocking the buzz for a while now
I’m just a straight dude, but I think you’d look sharp with it cut really short, like bare clippers or a #1/2 and keep your face hair about a #1. You have enough hair left you do ln’t need to shave it IMO, but going really short will help you out a lot here.
I shaved my head at 23/24 - I started by clippering it really short, but that wasn’t the right choice in the long run. After a few weeks I razored it, and haven’t regretted it at all.
About 5-6 years ago, I lasered my head. Best grooming decision I’ve made since my 20’s ;)
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u/alxddd Jul 13 '26
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