Almost ready to go sly, but worried about my head shape...

[anonymousnomore]

Hi, I'm new to the board, and let me say it has been a major means of support reading all the various posts and seeing how others have gone through the same things I have. I am almost 36 and started losing my hair around 30. Extremely depressing time for me. There isn't much left up top and it's time for me an my hair to part ways. However, as I've seen from other posts, I'm a little concerned because my head isn't rounded or as level on top as other good looking sly guys and they all seem to have great head shapes. Mine kind of slopes up towards the back before rounding off. It looks a little off to me. I also have more of a narrow face, so I'm not sure I could pull it off. I know you can't tell much without me posting a pic, but since I haven't shaved yet, I'm not sure it would do any good. I guess what I'm asking is how important is head shape to pulling off the bald look, or am I destined to just look funny? Everything I read on the internet says you have to have a round head to look good bald. Thanks for any comments.

[nuts]

Everyone worries about head shape but really it is not an issue as either no one notices or it turns out that your concerns are groundless.  Many have found that some facial hair eg goatee or even full beard helps define your face and skull so if you do go ahead and shave then I suggest you experiment.

Good luck and welcome to SBG - the source of great information and support.

[TheSlyBear]

Everything I read on the internet says you have to have a round head to look good bald.

You can read that the Earth is flat on the Internet.

30-day challenge. it's the only way to be sure.

[anonymousnomore]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I'm ready, but may wait til the summer so I can get some sun on my dome. This truly is a great community. I recently became pretty depressed when I realized its about time to shave, but was afraid I couldn't even look good that way because of my head shape. Ready some of the posts here and finally joining really helped me cope. Overall it was a tough time. Felt like I was wasting my days worrying about something that probably isn't that big of a deal to anyone but me. Still working up the courage, but I think June will be my 30 day challenge month. Hopefully

[Mike E. P.]

If you read around a little more, you'll probably find that a lot of us have worried about head shape. I think if you look at me straight on, my head looks pretty round, but to me, in profile or from the back, it looks misshapen. I've got lots of bumps, dents, etc. however, I do know no one is examining my head the way I might! And no one really has a perfect head.

I've been where you are with the depression over losing my hair; I was afraid to shave my head. But I'll tell, once I did it, I was so glad I did. All my anxiety over losing my hair went away and I learned to like myself bald. I think you can, too.

Keep hanging around the forum. It is a great source of support. You may decide not to wait until June!

[anonymousnomore]

Thanks brother, I can't tell you how reassuring it is to hear comments like that. Again, this is a great place for guys struggling like myself to find a little peace about balding. It's a terrible thing, but not the end of life. Thanks again!

[nuts]

.... and when you do shave (and it will probably be earlier than June now you have the itch) you will undoubtedly say 'why didn't I do this sooner'.

[Frontier Guy]

Welcome, and to emphasize what nuts wrote above ... once you have finally convinced yourself to shave, don't be surprised when you don't wait as long as you expected.

Why wait to be free of the depression thinning hair is causing you? An argument could be made for shaving now which will allow your scalp to toughen and gradually color versus being freshly exposed to more intense sunlight.

I can pretty much guarantee you will be among the "Why did I wait so long?" chorus regardless of when you go sly.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome! If you do the deed, don't be surprised if you like it and you will discover that your headshape is fine. Good luck!

[reddog]

There is no perfect head, I can find lots of things wrong, but the overall shape is what you see. I waited until June of last year to shave my head, and that was too late, I would try it early spring before you start to tan. I go and tan once a week in the winter, and the noggins is still nice and tan.

[Cave Dweller]

Picking up on what Frontier Guy and RedDog said, one reason I chose to shave everything in January was because I knew my face would be at its palest during the winter, so the contrast between it and the scalp would be less. It worked for me.

[Ming the Merciless]

Since you have looked at the various posts here and seen many pictures of the shaved...  Exactly how many of them do you think "look the wrong head shape"?  I'd wager you probably are saying (to yourself), "Oh, I can't really remember one."  Many have worried; none seem to think their worries were justified, post-shaving.  At least no one who has been here for a while.

Of course, those numberless men who do have really weird, bizarre, mutant head shapes have probably retreated to a dark room, pulled the curtains and never leave the house anymore.  Do you believe that?  As I've said somewhere before, long ago, it takes a lot to be a wrong head shape--more or less having been run over by a truck and poorly healed (not that I'm against running some people over with trucks).  Aside from that, anyhead'ldo.

Agree: shave now, not June, so your winter paleness will mellow along with the face as you get more sun in the advancing season. 

[DOC_OSMC]

Bro, everything you mentioned, I went through, as did many of us on this board.  You'll be fine.

I'm a vain son of a bitch and I too worried about the shape of my head, how others would look at it, if I would lose my game with the ladies, etc.  My hair was getting thinner and thinner and no amount of special hair growing shampoo was gonna change what was happening. 

I did do it in steps though.  When I finally decided that there was no turning back, and at the suggestion of one of the girls I'm dating, I buzzed my hair and wore it like that for the past year (I've only been shaving since mid-November). 

The buzz allowed me to accomplish a few things.
1)  Helped me step up my game.  The ladies actually liked the buzz look on me
2)  Allowed me to get some sun on my dome so that it would blend better with my skin tone
3)  Allowed me to see the shape of my head a little better.

Even with the buzz, I gotta tell you, I still was unsure if I would look good bald.  When it finally came time, and I knew I had to shave my head, I just went for it and as the saying goes, "let the cards fall where they may."  Turned out, I was worried for nothing.  I have kindofa small bump at the top of my head but no one seems to notice it.  We tend to be our own worst critic, but once you do the deed, you'll find yourself saying, as many of us did, "Why didn't I do this sooner?"

Happy Shaving!

We only have one life.  Live life, don't let life live you!

Peace!

[DOC_OSMC]

Many have found that some facial hair eg goatee or even full beard helps define your face and skull so if you do go ahead and shave then I suggest you experiment.

Agree with nuts, experiment with facial hair, if you don't have any already.  For me personally I found that with both the buzz cut and now the shaved head, the beard works for me as a matter of balancing my look.  I've always had facial hair, never liked the way I looked clean shaven.  So for me the bald and bearded look works.

[anonymousnomore]

I agree with everything you guys have said. Thanks so much. I do agree that facial hair looks better when bald (no offense to anyone who doesn't have any, just my opinion). I currently have a pretty full beard, which I definitely want to keep. I'm not a tall guy, only about 5'9", but I do work out regularly and am fairly muscular, which I hope will help me focus on the whole look, and not just the head. I'm starting to feel relieved about the head shape thing. I also have an "island" of hair at the front which is hanging on a little tougher than the crown did. I would love to just zero guard first, but I'm afraid that island patch will show up too much. I'm thinking I may have to go all the way and shave to make it less noticeable.