20 and soon to be bald

[nickytate]

So i stumbled onto this site a few months ago and figured hell, might as well register and introduce myself. My names Nick and im 20 years old with male pattern baldness. As far as my story goes well i guess it is in most ways similar to everyone elses. I started losing my hair at around 18. Went to the doctor and was told it was most likely through genetics and rogaine wouldn't do much for me.It has definitely messed with my confidence as I am sure it has to most people. I'm still trying to go a full day without checking my hair or feeling a bit sorry for myself. So here I am joining the site as a form of support for my impending doom.

I have noticed most if not every member that has posted has a shaved head. I honestly haven't quite excepted my disposition and still remain with a head of thinning hair under a fox racing hat. I have watched the video on the 30 day rule- not quite ready for that.

The problem I see with shaving my head is i have an oddly shaped head. I know this because about 4 years ago me and few of my buddies had gotten together and shaved our head for support for a friend that had gotten throat cancer and lost his hair through treatment.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome, Nick! If you're not ready for sly, it's okay...not all of our members shave their head bald, but it's nice to have variety in the ranks.....Have you considered a short buzz cut as to where your thinning hair isn't as obvious? At least that's an option for now....As far as your head shape....well we've heard that story more times than we can count....Post a pic if/when you can, I bet your head not as bad as you're making it sound....Good luck!

[bennett11]

at your age I kept my hair in a very short buzz by desire even though I had no hair loss. Happy to have the confidence of being different

[mrzed]

Nick, welcome.  Thanks for stepping up to the plate and joining the discussion. The guys here are great and supportive.  They have been around the block a few times regarding hair.

You are right, the profile pictures show a bunch of guys who scrape their heads daily or nearly daily.  I think it serves to show just how good a bald head can look.  Most of the guys have some natural balding, but a few of us just like the bald look, like me, and we shave our heads anyway. 

Either way, stick around. The guys will coach you through the transition.  As the other fellows have mentioned, taking to a short buzz is a good start.  That's what I did.  Go as short as you are comfortable with and gradually shorten the buzz until you are ready to go sly. 

I much prefer to see a balding guy shave it sly, than to see the struggle with MPB.  It just looks like he took command and moved forward.

I look forward to hearing more from you.

[stasiu]

Hey Nick !  Welcome to SBG !  You have stumbled upon the BEST place for support, so just feel free to jump in and express yourself anytime.  The great advice here helps you chose the best bald path possible.  Keep posting and good luck !

[nickytate]

Thank you for the input. I haven't considered buzzing my head as an alternative for now but I might just have to do that here in a month or two. Thank for the suggestion. Ill post a few pictures including the side view which is why i think i have an odly shaped head. The thinning in the pictures isnt showing much but in person it is more noticable

[OzSly]

G'Day Nick mate  

Welcome to the Fortress Of The Follicly Challenged.

No rush Nick mate, when your ready, try the buzz cut and see how u like it.

Most people say they have funny shaped domes but to be honest, 99% wouldn't even notice.

[Hingatao]

Welcome to the club, Nick. It's nice to hear you're heading toward embracing the inevitable. I looked at your pics. There's nothing odd at all about the shape of your head. If you're feeling nervous about it, go for the close buzz and work your way into full on sly. Good luck!

[Sir Harry]

Hey, Nick, the beard is a nice touch and will enhance your look when you go sly (ok, maybe I am biased towards bald and bearded, but just wanted to mention when you go sly, maybe grow out the beard a little more.)

[bennett11]

I suspect we all have oddly shaped heads, part of our individuality.

[leighmundo40]

Hey there Nick.

Not all of us are SLY on here, some, like me, buzz down to a short length. I feel more comfortable with some hair. Go with what you feel most comfortable with.

In your pictures it looks like you have fine hair, and looks ok. You could try cutting shorter to see what you think?

[Chadwick]

I started losing my hair in a big way in my early 20s, and just weeks ago decided to finally go completely bald. 

Here are some absolute lessons I can share with you:

1) Stressing out about your hair for years is not at all productive. 
2) Confidence is important.  For me, even with the hairloss, I still had a lot of confidence to compensate, but if it's attacking your confidence, don't let it drag you down.
3) As others mentioned, everyone has an "odd" shape to their head, but only you'll likely notice. 
4) Life is short!

That said, your hairloss doesn't look bad, at all.  Do you know where you are on the Norwood scale, or where you think you'll end up?  I knew I was destined for a "horseshoe", so I decided to finally just take control of it.

Good luck... the guys here are great and will be a great help.

[Focus]

First, welcome here. It's a great place if you want information on baldness or head shaving.
Second, the shape of your head seems to me very usual. I do not see any abnormality.

[Cave Dweller]

Seriously, I cannot see anything unusual about the shape of your head.  You may have perceived it to be an odd shape because of the lack of tanning where the hair had been.  It took my scalp a while to even out, and until it did, the whiter areas seemed to bulge out from the darker skin.

As has been said before, the big thing is to quit stressing about the hair.  I started losing mine in high school, and had the peninsula on top before I was twenty-two so I can relate to how you are feeling.  You have to be able to be confident in yourself with or without hair.  Frankly, your hair loss matters much more to you than it ever will factor into how anyone else sees you.

The guys on this forum are a great support.

[mrzed]

Nick, the beard will be a good complement to the bald head.  Head shape looks normal. 

We're all hear to support you, whether you buzz your head or shave it completely bald.  And in the meantime, just look around at the other guys who are SLY. When you start looking, you'll find there are a lot of them.