Don't Be Afraid - I went bald at 19

[Craig Reed]

I really just wanted to start this post because I have been on a recent journey lately that brought me back to my hairloss days. Let me start out by saying that I am only 26 years old, but have been shaving my head CLEAN for about 5 years now, started out progressively like many, clippers with lowest attachment, to no attachment, to finally taking the plunge. I have always been a very fit, athletic guy, but over the last 3 or 4 years I have put on some weight, after graduating college, finding a "real job" I have dealt with the fast life and eating on the go and so forth. This isn't a weight loss forum, so I will leave it at that.

It has reminded me of the struggle I had when I began losing my hair at a very young age. Slowly but surely my hairline was receding, and I was voted in my senior class in high school as the "most likely to go bald first." Great. Real encouraging. It was then that I really began to notice it myself. I always thought, "there is no way I can be going bald, I'm only 19." Denial. Denial. Denial.

I struggled with the thought of shaving my head, I resorted to, like many of you, wearing a baseball hat. The classic 'cover my balding' move. That went on for about a year or so, and I finally found some clippers, and just went for it. My parents were against it, thought I should just grow my hair out, even though I know it would only look worse, and I would only look older. Boy what a sense of relief. You know before I did that, I always though, I will never find a girlfriend if I am bald. No girls like bald guys, etc. It couldn't of been more wrong. Girls loved it. There are plenty of women in the world, and if you aren't happy with yourself first, there is no reason anyone else is going to love you. Some won't like it, some think it is bad, but the others, they love it.

My point of this is just to go for it. I wish I wouldn't have procrastinated on the subject for so long, and just started shaving at first sight of balding. It is a rewarding experience, one that you will not know until you actually shave it off. Take a look at my blog for shaving tips, health and wellness trips, and my road to being a Headblade "User of the Month" at www.alitjourney.wordpress.com.

Happy Shaving! And remember, A real man combs his hair with a razor!

[warhawk]

hey craig:  that is an excellent post.  welcome 2 the sly fraternity.  glad that ya joined us.  post up in the INTRODUCTION section of the forum so that we can give ya a proper welcome.

WARHAWK

[The Scottish Ambassador]

Happy Shaving! And remember, A real man combs his hair with a razor!

What a brilliant post and excellent comeback for anyone getting a hard time for being SLY 

[skinhead002]

I was 23 and had a full head of hair(wore high and tight flat tops and  clippered shaves) and wsas on active duty in the army when I lathered up and went slick.  I only wish I had done it much earlier.

[Mikekoz13]

 There are plenty of women in the world, and if you aren't happy with yourself first, there is no reason anyone else is going to love you. Some won't like it, some think it is bad, but the others, they love it.

Dude .... this is one of the best first posts I've ever seen on the Forum. And the above statement that I snipped from your post is not only a key to being happy being bald BUT one of the main things to being happy in life. Be happy with yourself first.

Welcome to the Forum my friend...... I hope to see you posting more in the future.

[Gambrinus]

Welcome Craig.  Really like the Blog.  Great to have another veteran around to talk the newbies down off the Propecia ledge.    And FWIW there is a health and fitness section on the forum.  You might get a two for one. 

[Papa Don]

Your right Craig.  You do look happy with that fantastic dome.  Your girl is not bad either.  Lucky you, a great lady and a shiny chrome dome.    BYW-Welcome to the forum.  Hope to hear from you on a regular basis.

[Tyler]

Great post Craig!  Thanks for joining SBG!

[Craig Reed]

Thanks for the welcome guys! It's great to have a place to communicate with other fellow bald guys! That was my biggest struggle fresh out of high school. How am I going to find someone to love me? It turns out, I needed to love myself, the way I looked, and everything else would just fall into place!

As far as my blog, it is just something for me to help journal my path through life, and hopefully help inspire some people who are on the fence about shaving to go for it! You will never know until you try - everyone has to go through their own process with their own comfort level, but it is JUST hair! Life is too short (from a young 26 year old perspective) to let that be one of your stresses. Bills, relationships, and life are stress enough for most of us!

Be free!

Another great quote : "Go bald and maybe your girl will too!"

[erutan]

The part where you said, "and how am I going to find someone to love me."  Wow that hits home.  I remember when I first had to use clippers to buzz my head a few years back and thought that this was such a drastic change.   But I got many compliments on it.  My confidence grew sky high with all the interest other girls were giving me.  I was just myself and it happened naturally.

I now regret having put on a hair system for past two months, because now I have people saying how good i looked with hair and such.  I now have to 're-love myself'  and just be me.  Had I not put that rug on my head my confidence would have been fine.  But, live and learn, right?  I know that in time people will forget the 'me' with hair and re-accept the 'me' without.

cheers!

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

I now regret having put on a hair system for past two months, because now I have people saying how good i looked with hair and such. 

You're just in recovery from the insidious marketing and manipulation utilized by the rug vendors--they feed on your insecurities and even thrive on making you feel you need a rug to face the world.  I bet they laid it on thick to get you to pay outrageous amounts to patronize their business.  They can't make any money if you accept yourself and do what is sane, safe and simple--go sly.  Now they've lost another account--and an account was all you really were to them, they'd have said and done practically anything to keep you tied to their business.  You've done the right thing. 

[Jack21]

I am in exactly the same position. As terrible as wearing the rug was those girls it fooled showed a lot of interest. Now I think to myself "What girl will ever find me attractive again?" I have to rebuild a sense of self from the bottom up. I was married in my twenties and I remember how often my ex used to say cruel things about bald guys. She even once said "I could never date a bald guy". I was thinning then but not bald but still I thought "How can you say that when you can clearly see that I am on the path to baldness?" Anyway, she was a b**ch and I'm glad that she's no longer in my life as superficial as she was.

The part where you said, "and how am I going to find someone to love me."  Wow that hits home.  I remember when I first had to use clippers to buzz my head a few years back and thought that this was such a drastic change.   But I got many compliments on it.  My confidence grew sky high with all the interest other girls were giving me.  I was just myself and it happened naturally.

I now regret having put on a hair system for past two months, because now I have people saying how good i looked with hair and such.  I now have to 're-love myself'  and just be me.  Had I not put that rug on my head my confidence would have been fine.  But, live and learn, right?  I know that in time people will forget the 'me' with hair and re-accept the 'me' without.

cheers!

[Nick]

Thanks for that Craig.  That is B.S. they would even have that category in High School.  Messed up.  But, you've persevered bro. 

And Erutan and Jack21, it's only a matter of time before you both realize that women love sly.  They love it.  It's like a secret weapon we all possess. 

[Craig Reed]

Thanks for that Craig.  That is B.S. they would even have that category in High School.  Messed up.  But, you've persevered bro. 

And Erutan and Jack21, it's only a matter of time before you both realize that women love sly.  They love it.  It's like a secret weapon we all possess. 

That is the truth! Some girls will hate it, that is how it goes. But you will find that most girls really don't care, keep it tanned, get in shape, and just have self confidence. It is amazing how little having hair really means. Personality, personality, personality!

[Craig Reed]

Jack,

Just be yourself and don't worry about what other people say or do. I always thought EVERYONE was looking at my bald head when I walked on the streets, or ate lunch at a cafe or whereever I was. The fact of the matter is no one is looking at you, and you are just paranoid because of your new look.

People will get used to it. My parents thought I was crazy for shaving my hair off. "Please don't hunny" my mom would say. She was embarassed at the thought she would have a bald son who wasn't even 20! I just did it. Buzzed it, then one day started shaving clean. I would shave it clean and let it grow back to the buzzed length, then shave it again. Now I shave once and sometimes twice a day! (shave in the shower every morning, and if I am going out at night, nothing better then freshly shaved head!)

If you have any questions at all about how I handled anything, please don't hesitate to shoot me a DM or add me on facebook facebook.com/craigthomasreed.