18 year old who's thinking about taking baby steps toward the sly look

[Semi-Sly]

Hey Slowly;

I agree with everything the other guys have said.  You have a great face and once the hair is gone, people will zero in on your eyes - that is just how it works.

You have plenty of hair for now and can afford to "experiment" with it.  Summer is a great time to a good men's barbershop for a p[rofessional crew cut or buzz cut.  This will allow you to experiment with shorter hair and get used to your "huge" (LOL) forehead.  )And you will love the low maintainence!)

Test fly this look for at least 30 days and after that - just enjoy being 18!  Your a good looking guy and you have a girlfriend - don't waste one minute of all of that worrying about something as insignificant as a bunch of dead keratin that obscures the top of your head!

[Bilko1]

I agree with Chgobuzzbald....... You should buzz your hair with either a #2 or #1 guard clipper & then you will get an idea of your head shape & I'm pretty sure that it will be quite normal & a good shape for becoming a cool baldy.

I also see a lot of young guys who either have short crew-cuts or are shaved bald by choice.

Just go for it, buddy.

[SlowlyShedding]

Thank you guys so much for the support! Honestly, for now I've decided to at least keep my hair for a couple years longer. I might as well enjoy the little time I have left with it before I finally need to cast it all to the wind. But honestly, you guys have made it a lot easier to make that step when the time finally does come. I promise that when I do finally join the sly team that I'll upload my pictures immediately to show you guys. I'll still be on here though - I really like the community here!

[Classfood]

Even though you are only 18 years old and balding, I don't think you should take baby steps and wait two more years to shave your head.  It is better to be bald than to have people watch you go bald.  I'm 18 and balding rapidly in front and the top.  I shaved my head.  It felt great.  I have a lot of confidence.  I look like many other guys with my shaved heads.  You should shave your head now, instead of looking in every mirror to hide your thinning hair.  It's also no fun watching falling hair in the shower.

[SlowlyShedding]

@classfood:
I definitely know that pain of frontal recession and while I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing it as well I am thankful to know I'm at least not alone - 18 is friggin' YOUNG to begin losing it like we have. Do you think women still notice you all the same? I'm a pretty confident guy, but just like everyone else I've always had hair and the idea of not having it really does freak me out. On some levels I REALLY want to just buzz this chit off now so I won't have to worry about it in the future (especially cause there are days - like you said: where I check every passing window and such) but on another I'm terrified of looking like some mongoloid child.

Here's another picture for you guys to gauge. I pulled my hair back for the photo in order to make it easier to assess. I feel like my forehead is absolutely massive and that I might have a bulbous head (not really sure how to conclude that or not, however). The red on my face is from playing outside all day.
http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/Bolt15/media/Bading_zpsb9659105.jpg.html

[Classfood]

Your forehead is not massive.  It looks normal to me.  A lot of women like guys with bald heads.  My girl friend loves it.  It looks cool!  It's no fun seeing falling hair in the shower.  Are you still shedding in the shower?

[SlowlyShedding]

Maybe it's just me then cause to me  this thing looks like a gigantic solar panel! Really? Honestly, the closer I get to college the more self conscious I get about women not liking me because I no longer have hair! Haha, bald heads do feel pretty cool - my dad is proof of that. Off and on. Some days I get like one strand and some it seems like twenty. It's always hit or miss... today was a small shed and I'd like to think it'll continue that way.

[philp]

First, your forehead is perfectly normal.

Second, the idea that you should enjoy these last years with hair sort of implies that it's harder to enjoy life without hair. You may find that the exact opposite is true. My own personal story: I started losing hair at 19, tried to treat it, had sexual side effects with propecia and saw palmetto, stopped trying to treat and then just tried to hide it, and I did that until pretty much everyone could see that I was balding anyway. If I could go back in time, I would have buzzed it off much sooner.

I think Classfood makes a good point. Being preemptive prevents that denial/hiding from it stage during which I was anxious and self-conscious all the time. Skip that stage and own up to it early on, because trust me, once you go down that road of trying to hide your hair loss, it can be difficult to get back on the right track.

All the best,
Phil