How young is too young?

[idonthavehair]

I am asking this because I began losing my hair at 17, now being a 19 year old I have considered the prospect of shaving my head completely; however, I believe I may be too young to adequately pull off this look. I know this is a site for people who completely promote head shaving, but i have seen 23 year old's describe themselves as being "young sly bald guys", and me, being 4 years younger than them,  I am afraid that the negative reactions may overshadow the positive ones, especially since I am a religious hat wearer and many of my peers are probably unaware of the fact that I even have mpb. So, given my situation who would recommend a complete head shave or continuing wearing a hat all the time, or would anyone recommend a buzz cut to a few centimeters rather than directly to the skin?

[buddha]

I am a religious hat wearer

When you say this are you referring to the practice of wearing a hat in connection with a particular religion? Or do you mean the generic "I wear a hat religiously".

If it is the former I can't, in good conscience, offer guidance because of my lack of familiarity with most religions. If the latter is the case I would say go ahead and scrape the dome. It's a haircut, nothing more, and it reverses as soon as the hair starts to grow back. See how you like the feeling of no hair. Just don't overcomplicate it.

[Frontier Guy]

We have had quite a lot of teens join here who have shaved their heads for various reasons and I don't recall any of them regretting the decision. In each case it was either they simply desired to have the shaved look or there were reasons (such as mpb) which made it too difficult to ignore.

If it interests you, then I suggest you do it. As buddha said ... it is only a change of hairstyle. If you don't like it you can let it grow back which it will quickly enough in its own way.

If your intent is because of MPB, it's great that you are recognizing it now rather than being in denial. And if MPB then you know it will only continue and you'll be making this decision at some point.

The advantage of going Sly now is that it removes a huge burden from you. You won't have to worry about how much hair it gone or remaining, how it is combed to achieve most concealment, what happens if it's windy and your hat blows off. And what about non-hat activities like swimming?

I strongly recommend the 30-day challenge: Shave it regularly (daily if possible) for 30 days. This gives you and others time to adjust to the look and after 30 days you can decide whether to keep it or change to a different style (either your old style or a buzz). The 30 days also gives you scalp time to adjust (toughen) a bit, you'll develop the coordination to shave your head (not difficult but it is different) and you will cause shaving to become a natural part of your daily routine. After a couple of weeks the time required will be much less than the first few times.

I think the freedom you will feel will allow a huge surge in self-confidence to emerge. Because it is a big change there will be a few who express disapproval. You need to remember that you are doing this for you - not for everyone else.

And ... continue posting here ... this is a community of great guys (not all are head shavers) who will offer suggestions, information, encouragement, and some things just for laughs.

Good luck with your decision.

[bennett11]

i would buzz it close and then closer.  Others will get used to it short and suddenly it is gone.  I buzzed mine very short at your age many years ago.

[mrzed]

If you have hair, you are old enough to rock the bald look.

Be unique in your age range. Be bald.

[benlen]

I am asking this because I began losing my hair at 17, now being a 19 year old I have considered the prospect of shaving my head completely; however, I believe I may be too young to adequately pull off this look. I know this is a site for people who completely promote head shaving, but i have seen 23 year old's describe themselves as being "young sly bald guys", and me, being 4 years younger than them,  I am afraid that the negative reactions may overshadow the positive ones, especially since I am a religious hat wearer and many of my peers are probably unaware of the fact that I even have mpb. So, given my situation who would recommend a complete head shave or continuing wearing a hat all the time, or would anyone recommend a buzz cut to a few centimeters rather than directly to the skin?

As one of those 23 year olds you reference, I would recommend first trying a buzzed look, and see what you think. Though we may personally not see shaving our heads bald as a radical step, others in your life will. And while ultimately it is YOUR decision and YOUR body to make that choice, it is good to factor others opinions, to a certain healthy degree.

So yeah, try buzzing it, see how you feel, and depending on the extent of your hair loss, consider taking the step of shaving your head completely in the future.

[TheSlyBear]

A buzz looks good on anyone over the age of 4. Give it a try.

Later, you can try a complete shave if you feel it would suit you.

[Switchy]

A buzz looks good on anyone over the age of 4. Give it a try.

Later, you can try a complete shave if you feel it would suit you.

As had been by many members !  How true this is. Little kids now days like it short, some have older brothers that are jocks, their dads shave their heads, and it is a sign of being cool !     And they want it , thank god not so much smoking and that long greasy stuff back in the day ! 

So TSB, said it all .

[Lynchy]

Welcome .... I was doing the #0 buzz when I was your age. Honestly you should give it a try. If you don't like the look.... It will grow back.

Good luck

[baldsurfer]

If your home town is anything like mine, a pretty big percentage of guys your age have short buzz cuts. So try a buzz. If you feel comfortable, try a shorter buzz. If some buzz length makes you feel OK about your hair loss, stop and maintain that length. If a really short buzz still leaves you feeling self-conscious about your hair loss, try a shave at the start of a long weekend or a school break, and if you don't like it, you can be back to that common buzz cut look by the time you head back to school.

Haircuts are never permanent, so don't be afraid to take a chance...

[YoungSlyBaldGuy]

I am asking this because I began losing my hair at 17, now being a 19 year old I have considered the prospect of shaving my head completely; however, I believe I may be too young to adequately pull off this look. I know this is a site for people who completely promote head shaving, but i have seen 23 year old's describe themselves as being "young sly bald guys", and me, being 4 years younger than them,  I am afraid that the negative reactions may overshadow the positive ones, especially since I am a religious hat wearer and many of my peers are probably unaware of the fact that I even have mpb. So, given my situation who would recommend a complete head shave or continuing wearing a hat all the time, or would anyone recommend a buzz cut to a few centimeters rather than directly to the skin?

As one of those 23 year olds you reference, I would recommend first trying a buzzed look, and see what you think. Though we may personally not see shaving our heads bald as a radical step, others in your life will. And while ultimately it is YOUR decision and YOUR body to make that choice, it is good to factor others opinions, to a certain healthy degree.

So yeah, try buzzing it, see how you feel, and depending on the extent of your hair loss, consider taking the step of shaving your head completely in the future.

Agreed. I'm 22. I started by buzzing, and then getting closer and closer and then, poof, no hair.

[Bald Hobbit]

I'm 19, and while I'm not balding, I've shaved my head for the last 1.7 months, and I've had nothing but positive comments and consequences. You'll like it. It'll feel like a clean slate. All my bad habits and temptations were gone for a good amount of time. Just be sure to fill in that slate with something good.

Sorry. Rambling.

[Sean25]

What's up dude.  I'm 24 years old, but I shaved my head for the first time when I was 20.  I was losing my hair and letting the negative comments and my own dark thoughts get the best of me.  Shaving it was one of the best decisions of my life and I have embraced it completely.  Now I could care less about any comments and have no regrets.  It's all on you.  If you don't mind the look you have now then keep it but if you're having doubts then shave it and I can almost 100% guarantee that you'll love it.  Make sure you keep it for at least 30 days.  If you end up hating it, which you won't, you can just grow it back.  It's all personal opinion but as you can see from all of the other posts, it's the best choice.  Send me a message if you have any questions, I'll help you out.

[Andrei]

Welcome to the forum!

As long as you can choose what hairstyle you want then yes, you have the "legal" age to shave your hair.
There are other teens that start shaving their head from highschool.
So, if that is what you want then go ahead, buzz it all really short and shave it. Then you'll no longer like your hat because it conceals your new look.

[Sir Harry]

Too young? No such animal, if you want it, just do it....Oh, and welcome!