Been a long time coming

[Whysosly]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on this forum.
So I guess a little introduction is in order.
I'm 23 years old, I come from the Netherlands and my hair started thinning when I was around 19 years old I think.
At the beginning it wasn't so bad , but things quickly got worse, it's not just a receding hairline but I'm also balding on the top and on the back of my head.

I tried alot of things, including propecia which gave me some very nasty side effects like constant feelings of anxiety and a loss of libido.
So I decided after 5 months to quit that , after which things luckily returned back to normal (sadly also the rate of hair thinning).

Eventualy I even thought about getting hair transplants but when I went to the clinic they told me that even that probably wasn't a good idea since my donor area was not thick enough for the transplant to have alot of effect.
And to make it work I would have to go on propecia again , spent a lifetime of taking pills and using expensive shampoos , which just wasn't an option for me.

I have always spent alot of time on my appearance, which is one of the reason I go to the gym alot (at least 3 days a week), when I look good I feel good.
But I haven't had that feeling in a very long time, cus I'm always worrying about covering up my hair-loss, I can never leave the house without an umbrella in case it rains and I don't enjoy swimming anymore either which I always used to love cus I'm afraid of my hair getting wet.
It's been hard on me and I've felt realy depressed about it.

Luckily I met an amazing girl about 1,5 years ago, who has been realy supportive of me, she has already made it very clear to me, that it isn't an issue and she even encourages me to shave it of if that's what I would want.
This has boosted my confidence alot and I think I'm ready to finaly take the plunge.

Ofcourse like everyone who wants to shave their head for the first time I worry about certain things; Is my head shape ok?, I don't have alot of facial hair, will it look good?
But I'm just done with worrying about it all the time, I wake up, take a shower in the morning put on nice clothes and then I look in the mirror, see my hair and I feel like crap cus I know it doesn't look good.

I plan on doing it in about 2 weeks after I'm done with work and school, so I have plenty of time in the summer vacation for myself to get used to it.

How did you guys experience having a shaved head at first, and how is it for you now?

[mrzed]

Luckily I met an amazing girl about 1,5 years ago, who has been really supportive of me, she has already made it very clear to me, that it isn't an issue and she even encourages me to shave it of if that's what I would want.
This has boosted my confidence a lot and I think I'm ready to finally take the plunge.

Sounds like you're ready to join the sly guys.

Ofcourse like everyone who wants to shave their head for the first time I worry about certain things; Is my head shape ok?, I don't have alot of facial hair, will it look good?

Read the testimonies here on SBG. "I wish I had shave my head sooner." "Why did I wait so long." "It wasn't that big a deal." "I love being blad." etc.

I plan on doing it in about 2 weeks after I'm done with work and school, so I have plenty of time in the summer vacation for myself to get used to it.

How did you guys experience having a shaved head at first, and how is it for you now?

Post a picture when you shave bald. I'm sure it will look GREAT.

How did it go at first.  It was a fit intimidating the first day at the office. What will they think?  All fears were gone immediately.  Good response from all.  I did tell my boss that I was going to shave my head. But not others.  And now, a few months later, I frequently get a comment such as, " You really look good bald".  Do it with confidence.  Wear a big smile. Shave with confidence. It's a cool look that not every guy is willing to embrace. Sounds like you're ready for it.  Jump in with both feet and Rock the look.




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[KDusk]

Hey Whysosly, welcome to SBG!

Thank God you were smart enough to lay off the propecia and the idea of having a hair transplant. Covering the problems with such solutions only feeds your own insecurities and has a negative impact on your health.

I think a lot of people look good with shaved heads, it's always better than going for the comb over. And since you're the athletic kind of type (gym, swimming, ...), it will look even better on you.

And it's also great you have such a supportive girlfriend. It sounds like she's excited to see you taking the plunge. Maybe you can convince her into shaving your head together 

You've already faced the fact that your hair is thinning, and you've also excluded the bad solutions, so that's already 2/3 of the job done. I think you'll be just fine shaving your head.

[marty22]

welcome Whysosly!!

marty new york

[Frontier Guy]

In hindsight it's not much of a story. Despite regular comments that my gray/silver hair was so nice, I was increasingly tired of looking older than I felt. And I knew that my hair was slowly thinning. I began noticing and studying bald guys in public, and even asked a couple of them whether they had any regrets going with the shaved head look. None did.

I have a Saturday/Sunday job, and a Monday-thru-Friday job. A week of M-F vacation was coming up and I planned to shave my head that Monday morning which would give me a week to adjust. But once I was mentally committed I was so anxious to get on with it I shaved the previous Friday and unveiled my new look to my weekend co-workers on Saturday. A few were stunned, many were surprised, and all were supportive.

Essentially the same response when I returned to my weekday job.

I have a fairly outgoing personality and I've worked with most of these people (both jobs) for several years. None were really surprised by me.

My head shape isn't perfect - of which I am reminded each time I shave and discover some nuance of razor maneuvering. Still, I've not seen a single skull (mine included) that was imperfect enough to case anyone to notice.

But here's the deal. It all comes down to the guy who owns the head. I did this for me. Everyone else can have their opinions - and they're worth what I paid for them ... nothing. You're a step above that with a supportive girlfriend.

Still ... it's your head and your life. You know what's best for you. Just do it.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome aboard!

[Whysosly]

Wow , thanks everyone for the supportive comments.
Good to hear that many of you have had positive response from the people around you and do not regret shaving your head.

It's a big step for me, and It's something I have been worrying about about for the last 4 years.
I look forward to not having to worry about my hair with everything I do.
Now I just hope it will be a fresh a look that compliments my face

[Frontier Guy]

It's a big step for me, and It's something I have been worrying about about for the last 4 years.

You will feel incredible relief and freedom when you complete the first shave. Enjoy the liberation!

[IllinoisBaldy]

Welcome Whysosly.

[Mikekoz13]

Welcome to the Forum!! Dude... love is blind. If it's Love..... she won't care that you have no hair.

[mrzed]

It's a big step for me, and It's something I have been worrying about about for the last 4 years.

I have to say this ... The big step is taking the razor to your head for the first time.  Seems like a big unknown. But it's nothing to worry about.  Read the posts here on SBG. Just about every guys who talks about 4 years of worry comes back the next day and says, "Why did I wait so long. I love it." 

My testimony too.  The lead up to shaving your head has a lot of anticipation/anxiety. Once you do it.  No big deal. Why didn't I do it sooner.

Go for it.

[DaveM61]

Welcome Whysosly.  Just about all of us had some anxiety before going sly.  Read through the forum.  There's lots of good information.  Count me in the "why did I wait so long" club.  I should have gone sly long ago.  It's liberating. 

[kalbo]

Welcome to the bald brotherhood. A lot of the brothers here have similar experiences with you. Lots of insights for you to use. Best regards.