The gym and shaved heads

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[Jack21]

I've been a gym rat since HS. I've never really paid much attention to the people around me but lately, since I shaved my head, I've been noticing that shaved domes seem ubiquitous. Do sly guys work out more often than their hairy headed counterparts or is it just that because of my job in which I'm surrounded by only kids all day that I'm totally out of touch? I'd love to work in another sector in which I'm surrounded by adults and come face to face with other shaved headed guys on a daily basis. I think I went off topic, but anyway. Anyone else on here a gym rat?  Any thoughts on a relationship between a shaved head and hitting the gym?

[Troy]

Yep, I'm a gym rat, too.  I've noticed that of all the places I go, the gym is where I see the greatest concentration of shaved heads and I occasionally see guys shaving their heads in the gym locker room mirror.  As for the gym - shaved head relationship, it could be an overall image thing where if a guy is working out as a way to look and/or feel good, that feeling might extend to acknowledging the best way to deal with any hair loss issues is to man up and shave it all off.  And if one tends to sweat doing cardio like I do, it's great to be able to rub my head with a towel and not worry about messing anything up.  The benefits of a shaved head go on and on. 

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Certainly would seem that a substantial number of the guys at my gym are sly.  Usually in the morning--I get there when it opens at 5a, and of the say 15-25 guys there, at least 5 or 6 are sly or very tightly buzzed.  I have my own "theory" which is that guys who go to gyms are conscious not only of the health benefits but also about their appearance generally.  And, hence, once mpb starts, it detracts from the overall appearance so ultimately off it comes.  Case in point one of the guys where I go had some mpb going on and went shorter and shorter and a while back he took it to the bone.  I asked him about it and he said one of the things that pushed him over the line was seeing photographs where they caught the back of his head--that convinced him although he said his older brother continues with the mpb look.  The other thing I've notice here on the Forum is that a lot of guys who finally accept the genetics, use the opportunity to get to the gym and get rid of some extra weight and tone up.  
This is set against an ever increasing number of sly guys generally.  My office building has the local headquarters of a national bank and several law firms, etc., and in the food court there are usually at least 3 to 4 sly guys anytime I eat there.  On the streets, between tourists and other workers, lots of us.  If you go to airports, for whatever reason, there seem to be lots of sly guys as road warriors.  I can't tell you the last time I was the only sly guy on a flight--always at least one or two others.  Sly is just part of the accepted culture now in most areas of the States at least.  

[Jack21]

I hadn't stopped to consider how many guys comb and spray to try and cover baldness as well as toupee wearers or guys with other stuff in their hair. Getting sweaty wreaks havoc on all of these. I continued to go to the gym for the couple of years that I had a rug glued to my head but tried to keep the profuse sweating to a minimum and then would go home and spend and hour or more "fixing" the piece. When I had concealer junk in my hair it was less of an issue b/c the stuff doesn't really drip much provided you have 8 tons of hair spray in it. Its disgusting when I think that I would go a week or two of workouts w/o washing my scalp. I have to say (and I think this is the 19th time I've said it) that shaving my head has been the best thing in the world for exercise.

[Razor X]

I have a few theories on why there seems to be a high number of shaved heads in gyms:

1.  As others have already pointed out, people who are taking time to work out might be a little more appearance-conscious than the general population

2.  Guys who are developing MPB might have a little more incentive to stay in shape.  It's one thing to be a bit overweight or to even be bald, but the two together are generally not considered to be a positive thing

3.  Some of the body-builder types might like to look a little tougher

4.  Steroid use can cause hair loss.  Hopefully this only applies to a small minority.

[Silverback]

I used to work out in a gym for specifically law enforcement types and it was novel to see someone walk in with hair on their head...LOL.

[Jack21]

Good points. I hope the last one is confined to a small minority.

I have a few theories on why there seems to be a high number of shaved heads in gyms:

1.  As others have already pointed out, people who are taking time to work out might be a little more appearance-conscious than the general population

2.  Guys who are developing MPB might have a little more incentive to stay in shape.  It's one thing to be a bit overweight or to even be bald, but the two together are generally not considered to be a positive thing

3.  Some of the body-builder types might like to look a little tougher

4.  Steroid use can cause hair loss.  Hopefully this only applies to a small minority.

[Pshrynk]

I believe there is also a causal link between high testosterone and MPB -- working out = higher testosterone.

or perhaps higher testosterone individuals are more prone to work out as well?

YMMV

[D.A.L.U.I.]

I believe there is also a causal link between high testosterone and MPB -- working out = higher testosterone.

or perhaps higher testosterone individuals are more prone to work out as well?

YMMV

I've heard this, but I doubt that there's any real proof that the "elevation" of testosterone from exercise has that much of an effect or the girls who are "gym rats" would demonstrate the same issue at a younger age since that's what causes female androgenic alopecia too.  From what I've seen it just gives them a great body for the most part.

[Jack21]

After today's trip to the gym I think I realized what it was: Virtually every guy at the gym with mpb has a shaved or buzzed head. I saw only 1 guy sporting a horseshoe. Still there are a hell of a lot of guys with shaved or buzzed heads at the gym. Also noticed a lot of guys who appear to have full heads of hair but shave it. Maybe its all part of the image of the athlete. I think we can thank MMA for that...and of course MJ.

[syrian sly]

same way in my gym. most of the bigger guys have shaved heads or buzz.

i know some people that take the certain steroids that cause hairloss, but every single one of
them uses finestride or dutesteride to combat it. they are sometimes sold together

[Arnie]

I don't really notice...then again I'm not really looking...there was this woman on the treadmill the other day...

[marty22]

Most of the trainers in my gym are bald except mine, who has dreadlocks.

[Jack21]

A woman sighting is pretty rare at my gym.

I don't really notice...then again I'm not really looking...there was this woman on the treadmill the other day...

[baldsurfer]

I thought maybe my gym was the only gym overflowing with sly guys. In the "real world", you may see 1 out of 20 guys is sly. In my gym in the morning, it's seriously at least 1 out of 3!

Same observations as most of you: almost every guy under 50 with MPB is either sly or really tightly buzzed. And there are plenty of BBC guys too - especially among the really big dudes. Quite a few seem to have shaved every hair on their bodies, except their eyebrows!

I think there's a chicken-egg thing between sly and working out. Guys who feel good about their bodies are more likely to have the confidence to shave their heads. And guys who have the nads to go sly care enough about their appearance that their more likely to be a motivated work out guy.

But sly and fit is a great "club" to be a part of!