birth scar on head

[NYHiker85]

Long story short I've been lurking for a while And am considering going sly. I am concerned because I have a large circumferencal birth scar around my head. I was born 9 weeks early and was on the birth canal for 3 days. My head is scared as a result. I've had a comb over my entire life, which for the past 29 years was fine because my hair was so thick very few people could tell. Now ive started to have a receeding hair line and the "comb over" is far more noticeable. The scar is lumpy in spots and I feel like the scar in the front is flattened compared to the rest of my head. Is anyone else in\had a similar situation on the boards?

[Frontier Guy]

First of all, Welcome.

As is proven here time and time again, we are our own worst critics.

When your post opened I immediately looked at the photo before reading the text. Know what? I didn't notice anything at all unusual.

After reading your post I studied the photo more closely. Know what? I didn't notice anything at all unusual.

You should have no concerns about going sly. You're going to look great and you will feel such an incredible sense of relief at not worrying about combovers and thinning hair. Just be sure to give it the full 30 Day Challenge as a break-in period so you don't make any hasty decisions.

Again, welcome. Stay active and let the SBG community know when you need other perspectives.

[Cave Dweller]

Welcome to the board, NYHiker.

Whether it be an odd bump, roll, injury, birth mark, surgical scar, etc. we probably all have something about our respective scalps we would like to change. They are just part of who we are. You are in good company here, sir.

Personally, I would not expend a great deal of time or energy worrying about it as most people will take no more notice of it than they might your foot size or eye color. If the scar truly is causing you anxiety, however, have you tried consulting a plastic surgeon about it?

[TheSlyBear]

Whether it be an odd bump, roll, injury, birth mark, surgical scar, etc. we probably all have something about our respective scalps we would like to change. They are just part of who we are. You are in good company here, sir.

Well said. I have a large purple birthmark covering my right cheek. People just get used to it and it's just not a problem or issue. We work with what we have been given and make the best of it. In my opinion, going sly and wearing the scar openly will look better than trying to obviously hide it with a comb-over, which never looks good on anyone.

[Semi-Sly]

I have a straight scar about 2 inches behind my where my "hairline" was.  When I wore a Flattop it was really noticeable.  When I shave my head no one seems to notice it.  Not even me.

My entire skull is misshapen from birth/childhood accident.  Some of it has been repaired to look a "little" better.  Most of it cannot be helped.  My eyes are not even with one another and my nose points "East"!  You know what?  Most people don't even notice it.  i'll bet you didn't even notice it from my photo until I said something about it; did you?  I seem to be the only one who notices it other than doctors when I go for a check-up.

Once you shave your head people's eyes will naturally focus on your eyes.  They cannot help it, this is a natural reaction (ever notice how on TV the camera always cuts off the top of men's heads?  This is so that the viewer focuses on their eyes just as the interviewer does).
I seriously doubt that anyone will notice any imperfections on your dome.

[NYHiker85]

Thanks for the support guys. I will be going sly Tuesday night of next week because I will be getting two very large moles removed from the back of my head Wednesday morning. The pictures don't really show it well but parts of my scars are raised and slightly red in places and depressed and shiny in others. I'm going to talk to my surgeon about maybe getting them lasered or dermabraised when Im there on Wednesday.

I'm just curious if the scars will tan with the rest of my head. I know they burn like hell if I don't put sunscreen on the now. Idk I'm just kind of apprehensive about the whole ordeal. I've always hated how I have to fix my hair on a windy day because it uncovers the scar but besides that I've always liked my hair. I'm only just started to receed and thin in the back but it has been enough so my scars are easily seen if my hair isn't just right. Figured I'd just go sly instead of trying to fight it with rogain, propecia or extensions

[TheSlyBear]

I think that's a wise decision.

What you will find is that people, when they first meet you (or the first time they see you sly), may notice the scar. But after that, just as with my facial birthmark, they just stop seeing it. It just becomes part of you.

No more hiding. Think of how liberating that will feel.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome, NY Hiker!
Looking at your photos, I can't see any scars. In fact it looks like your hairline is receding only when you pull your hair back. (Maybe it's just my bad vision) Anyway, kudos to you for being proactive with your situation. I had cysts on the back of my head that my dermatologist surgically removed and the stitches left scars but a few hydrocortisone injections later my scars are barely noticeable. Check with your surgeon and/or dermatologist, they may be able to help. Good luck!

[NYHiker85]

yeah it's not overly noticeable yet to anyone but myself. I used to have a thick strip of hair before the scar across my forehead but that is now mostly gone. I am beginning to thin at the top of the scar and my barber noticed i was beginning to thin in the back and sides of my scar.

the main thing i noticed is before i started to lose my hair, the scar would be covered by the hair from the top and held in place by the hair above my forehead. Now that forehead hair is gone the  hair on the top flies all over the place and the scar  is more noticeable.

I've had friends for years that didn't even realize i had the scars.

I hinted to my mother that i may be shaving my head and she was not a fan...at all. not the reaction i was expecting but i'm sure she will come around.

[TheSlyBear]

That's a reaction you should have been expecting -- mothers almost always react that way.

My advice: don't ask permission, don't make announcements; just do it. It's your head, not anyone else's.

[Cave Dweller]

I hinted to my mother that i may be shaving my head and she was not a fan...at all. not the reaction i was expecting but i'm sure she will come around.

Yep. Moms for some reason have the hardest time with their "babies" shaving their heads. I went sly when I was fifty, and the nicest thing my mom managed to say when she saw it was that I probably would want to grow back the horseshoe I had been sporting for almost twenty-five years. Wasn't going to happen. She eventually accepted it (not that it mattered) after she got accustomed to seeing me this way.

[nuts]

Do you comment on her hairstyle?

Do what you want to do.  I had a small patch on the centre of my skull caused when I had a wart removed at age 12.  I alwyas thought it would be noticeable if I shaved my head.  After a couple of weeks the esxposed patch miraculously merged with the rest of my scalp.

[slymyke]

That's a reaction you should have been expecting -- mothers almost always react that way.

My advice: don't ask permission, don't make announcements; just do it. It's your head, not anyone else's.

+1

[SlyMike]

I've had similar issues with

That's a reaction you should have been expecting -- mothers almost always react that way.

My advice: don't ask permission, don't make announcements; just do it. It's your head, not anyone else's.

I would agree, just do it, it's your head not hers.

[Hairloss BaldWin]

Hey NYHiker85, welcome! I really can't see any scar and believe me, I've tried!! Much like Frontier Guy, I don't think you should obsess about it too much. Also, you have the perfect look/ head shape for a sly bald baller so go for it!