So im going (gone) bald....I need opinions

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I have been slowly losing my hair since I was 19, im 34 now. It has been a slow process and only until the last 3-4 years have I really felt bald. Bald as in, I have to wear a hat in hot sun or I will burn my head.

So I have been thinking of getting some hair transplant stuff. Some of the newer procedures are pretty good, and look decent. Up until now I have never tried anything else. I always figured I would lose my hair gracefully. But I have read a few things and heard a few more on new hair treatments that got me thinking. My problem however is manyfold:

  1. Doesnt getting a hair procedure make me a shallow guy? As much as I would like to have more hair, I still feel like a prick for thinking of doing something like this.

  2. Its not cheap. While I can afford it, I feel like an ass for spending 2k on hair of all things!! I mean 2k is more than same families make in a year in some third-world countries (no cite for this but im sure somwhere, someplace this is true).

  3. My wife tells me im being silly and that I look fine just the way I am. Which, she is right, im not a bad looking baldy…but I still feel no matter what, women like mens hair. And while she may SAY it doesnt matter, some small piece inside of her wouldnt mind.

  4. Do I tell my friends/familiy im doing this, or just do it and make up something as to why I suddenly have more hair?

What do ya think? Am I making to much of this? I sound like a girl dont I? I knew it!
ack.

2

Ahem, no comment there. Anyway, IMHO Andre Agassi looks 100% better now, bald, than he did with hair. You have to own it, though, whichever look you choose. It’s the confidence thing that makes the difference.

3

Nevermind what other people say. If you feel better with hair, get some hair! There’s nothing wrong with wanting to project a particular look.

Good luck!!

4

I’m sure it’s going to cost a lot more than $2,000. If you’re feeling this strongly about it, investigate the true costs. Then sit down with your wife and tell her, “Honey, I’d like to spend $xx,xxx for a nice head of hair. It would make me feel more comfortable that you still find me attractive.” I’m willing to bet you $20 that she’d rather spend the money to update your kitchen or a nice vacation somewhere, but I could be wrong.

5

Boy, I’m glad I’ll never have to deal with this. That’s the plus side to constantly shaving you’re head. If/when I go bald, no one will notice, and I’ll save myself some work! :cool:

6

I say go with what your momma gave you. I started going bald in my late teens, and by 25 it was painfully obvious I was losing my hair. Now at 27, I just take clippers to my dome every two weeks. I look pretty good bald, and I have a smooth round head. Some people have lumpy heads or otherwise just look bad with little to no hair. BTW, I paid $40 for the clippers two years ago, and they have more than paid for themselves.

7

holy crap, I ran that scene in my head and laughed my ass off.

8

Well, coming from a girl’s POV, I see a lot of guys who just shave their whole head as soon as baldness becomes apparent. I personally think that always looks good. Not that leaving the remainder of your hair doesn’t look good; it’s just that balding guys who shave their heads always seem to look really good like that. And, a lot of girls find it sexy. Including me. :wink:

Toupees almost always look fake, and can be costly; hair transplants are a lengthy process and even more costly. I say shave it!

9

So, how YOU doin’ ? :wink:

10

I agree with AFG. Let your hair do its thing. Spend the money on something else.

(balding men are sexy… when they let themselves be bald, combovers are NOT sexy).

11

Have you considered something a little less pricey, like Rogaine or Propecia? You could buy an awful lot of that crap for $Xk.

p.s. Baldness is more than an aesthetic problem. There is a reason people have evolved with hair left on our heads. Sunburn is a real problem (tell me you’ll notice a lesion up there) and hitting your head hurts a lot more.

12

1. Doesnt getting a hair procedure make me a shallow guy? As much as I would like to have more hair, I still feel like a prick for thinking of doing something like this.

There’s wanting to look good, and then there’s shallow. Fake hair isn’t shallow; penile implants are.

2. Its not cheap. While I can afford it, I feel like an ass for spending 2k on hair of all things!! I mean 2k is more than same families make in a year in some third-world countries (no cite for this but im sure somwhere, someplace this is true).

Do this, then. Figure up how much that 2k would be worth in 30 years if you stuck it in a mutual fund. If you can look at the sum it will be worth and are fine with spending THAT amount of money on hair, do it.

Assuming 12% interest, $2,000 now would turn into nearly $60,000 when you’re 64. You could take the fam on a nice vacation, grandkids and all. Oh, the memories! You could do Hawaii and embarass them all by wearing Bermuda shorts and brown socks.

My wife tells me im being silly and that I look fine just the way I am. Which, she is right, im not a bad looking baldy…but I still feel no matter what, women like mens hair. And while she may SAY it doesnt matter, some small piece inside of her wouldnt mind.

Your wife knows her own mind. Some women probably care about the hair thing, but when we say we don’t, chances are we aren’t lying (we save that for the “size doesn’t matter” talk :wink: ).

Bald is HOT, to me, anyway. I never notice men’s hair, ever, not unless it’s an unusual color or something.

Do I tell my friends/familiy im doing this, or just do it and make up something as to why I suddenly have more hair?

How dumb would they have to be to believe whatever excuse you make up? :wink:

Just tell 'em beforehand, if you go through with it. No big deal.

13

If so, you can count me in as a shallow guy. I’m planning on fighting my baldness too. Not bad yet, though.

I think $2000 is a very conservative estimate. I think they run around $5k and up, depending.

Can’t help you with that one.

Judging from the “after” pictures, I don’t think it’s something you will be able to hide. They harvest the hair from the back and the sides of your head, temporarily leaving it looking like someone scalped you.

I’m with you, buddy.

14

First, I don’t think you’re being shallow, and you’re entitled to spend your money any way you want. However, IMO hair loss is never the problem; lack of confidence is the problem. If your wife says you look fine as you are, why not trust her judgement? She’s probably the only one other than you who cares how you look.

I’ve been slowly going bald since my late 20’s, and for the past several years I’ve been getting it cut shorter and shorter. The people at the, um, Vidal Sasson academy where I get haircuts have consistently said that the best way to go with thinning hair is to keep it short and cropped. Since they know a bit about style, and since I work with computers all day, I’m deferring to their expertise.

[hijack]
I know people with big splotches on their face and arms because of allergies to this or that medicine, and I don’t give it a second thought. If that happened to me, I think I’d feel really self-conscious, but as an onlooker, I don’t think it’s a big deal. (So … maybe it isn’t.)
[/hijack]

15

A guy I worked with had the implants/transplants. He told everyone he’d be wearing a hat in the office until it came in. He said it looked pretty nasty and was saving us the horror show. They’ll know that you look different…trust me. No one cares anymore. Physical enhancement is so commonplace anymore, just tell 'em.

16

Well, what you spend your money on is certainly up to you (and your wife, of course). I have also been losing my hair steadily since I was a teenager. To me, the expense of replacing my hair just isn’t worth it. I’d rather just go with a hat or sunscreen when I’m out in the sun, and spend the money elsewhere.

17

A baldie here. Don’t bother with “hair treatments” they almost always look daft - After all Elton John has much more money than you and he looks like he’s got a dead stoat on his head.

Propecia and regaine (IIRC) help prevent hair loss, not get it to grow back.

Cut your hair short and get on with life.

18

Okay, so I talked it over last night and have decided to just screw it and give up the fight gracefully. I keep my hair short now, but this spring im just going to shave it. I figure if I dont like it, hair grows back…well some of it does. And if it really bothers me I could do something about it later. But I figure I should give the shaved look a try.

As always the SDMB comes thru with the good advice! thanks!

19

People who shave, or who like people who shave, what length do you keep it at?

Completely off hides any baldness, but looks a bit odd. A week’s worth of growth looks good and feels great but doesn’t hide baldness. More is basically back to where I started, as I never had long hair.

20

Dob, we are in the same boat, right down to age. I’m really bald in the “hair only on back and sides” stage that will be with me for the rest of my life. I’ve also thought about the whole restoration thing. But I decided that if there was an absolutely foolproof method of getting it back, I would not. If I got it back I’d be letting everyone know that I’m wussing out. I wish that there was a way to get it back so that I can not do it and say, “Screw you, vanity!”

I don’t shave it, because that’s as much of a hassle as combing and brushing. Once a month, the barber breaks out the clippers and a #4 guard and clips it SHORT.