# Question to the bald. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903 "2014-01-15T20:28:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/1 "2014-01-15T20:28:41Z")
Do you use shampoo? Is there a line that divides the soap and shampoo areas? Also, why do some bald people have really shiny heads, while other are more opaque? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/2 "2014-01-15T20:38:47Z")
I have classic male pattern baldness. I wash my face with soap and keep going up until I hat the back of my neck. Not a problem since I keep the hair trimmed very short. Sometimes my head is shiny. Other times, dull. Depends on how clean I am at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/3 "2014-01-15T21:33:40Z")
Do you do… the [thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJxhFSY9yE4)? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/4 "2014-01-15T21:52:42Z")
**Moderator Action** This is more of an informal poll of user experiences than a factual question, so let’s move it over to IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/5 "2014-01-15T21:54:33Z")
And to answer the question, I do not use shampoo. Just soap. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/6 "2014-01-15T22:27:21Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > why do some bald people have really shiny heads, while other are more opaque? [Shine-o-ball-o?](http://vimeo.com/5250579) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/7 "2014-01-15T23:43:44Z")
I’ve actually seen something called “Bald Guy” or something similar in the men’s hair product aisle of my local CVS. Though significantly pattern-bald myself I didn’t bother to look at the package since whatever soap I’m using works fine where I have skin and whatever shampoo works fine for the hair that I’ve still got. As for the question of luster, [here’s a relevant thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344876). Spectre Speaker For The Bald ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/8 "2014-01-15T23:46:58Z")
I’m not bald, but when I was in Basic Training for the Army and had my head shaved very short I didn’t bother with shampoo; didn’t see the point of dragging a bottle around. I just used soap. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/9 "2014-01-16T00:09:59Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > Also, why do some bald people have really shiny heads, while other are more **opaque**? I’ve never encountered anyone whose head I could see through! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/10 "2014-01-16T00:13:27Z")
So I guess it’s glossy vs. matte (publishing terms). Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Marlonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Marlonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlonius)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/11 "2014-01-16T01:04:57Z")
Soap only. I have male pattern baldness and keep the rest of my hair about 1/16" long. Getting shiny as time goes on and a very thin spot becomes a truly bald spot. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/12 "2014-01-16T01:07:53Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > Also, why do some bald people have really shiny heads, while other are more opaque? I’d guess it’d be because the shiny heads are naturally bald and have no hair roots at all, while the “opaque” heads are those of men who shave an otherwise full head of hair. ETA: When I shaved my head bald, I’d just use my bar of Dial all over my entire head and face. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/13 "2014-01-16T01:31:39Z")
Even when I cut my hair VERY short I still use shampoo but for a while I just used body wash everywhere. I figured it was cheaper then shampoo and saved time. Since my hair is/was like a 1/16th on an inch long it’s not like I could really hurt it. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/14 "2014-01-16T01:45:40Z")
My hairline has been in a steady retreat since my early 20s. Since then, I’ve aided my genetics along by shaving 2-4 times a week. Since I go over my scalp with shaving gel or lotion then a blade, I generally don’t soap it up. When I’m washing my head and not shaving, soap or body wash is the norm. After shave lotion can impact the matte or shiny finish. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-to-the-bald/678903/15 "2014-01-16T07:04:04Z")
I use shampoo on my hair and bald area on the top of my head, and soap on everything below my hair.