Sly Bald Guys' Blog

I was over at BeBetterGuys.com today and found an article that Brian Joyner, the bald co-founder of Be Better Guys, wrote up. I really liked the article because he makes a lot of points that I also try to make when I talk to guys dealing with hair loss. Here are some of the highlights.

Brian writes:

For most of us, it's pretty late in the game when a guy realizes that his hair is leaving for other locales (like his back or ears). This is when the comb-overs, Hair Club for Men, and toupees come into play for some guys. Those were never options for me. But, being an African-American man coming up in the age of Michael Jordan meant I had an option other than watching the bald spot on the crown of my head expand and taking on a George Jefferson look, and that was to shave it off.

Here are the points that I wish everyone could realize.

Men with thinning hair have the inevitable moment when you've crossed that threshhold - you can’t hide it any longer and have to make a choice as to what to do. Cursing your genes won’t help. Male pattern baldness is a genetic predisposition that can be inherited from either parent, so what are you gonna do, diss your mom? Most treatments don't cure alopecia, a hair loss disease that strikes men and women for no known reason. So, you have a few choices:

- First, accept that it's happening. Comfort yourself with this: baldness, in test studies, is frequently associated with higher, not lower, levels of testosterone. So you have that going for you.
- Second, if you haven't totally lost your hair, a product like Rogaine or Propecia can help you hold on to what you have. It won't grow hair where it's already gone, but it can enlarge the follicles on your head, helping you delay hair's send-off.
- Third, once you recognize it’s going, going, gone, we recommend you cut your hair shorter so that the thinning becomes less noticeable. How you get it styled will, in part, depend on how you are balding. Talk to a barber/stylist about your concerns and let the professionals help you figure out what works for your face and thinning hair.

Now, I'm pretty sure my readers will know that I advocate point two, as it's really just delaying the inevitable and a waste of money.

Brian finishes his article off with:

The future says more guys will look like me in the coming years, walking tall and sporting a beautiful bald head. The days of feeling ashamed of your thinning hair are gone, and covering up your genetic predisposition with toupees or combovers now gets you laughed at. I know women who prefer a shaved head. I know many guys who actively shave their heads, even though they aren't bald. It makes a strong statement. In fact, when I see you out on the street, I'll give the nod of approval from this bald brother to another.

We'll give a nod right back at you Brian!

To read Brian's entire article, head over to Be Better Guys.