In Nature, migration is a natural part of life. Like birds in the north, hair sometimes migrates south. Men ask “why” when it starts happen. Dihydrotestosterone or DHT (a stronger form of testosterone – like chronic instead of hash) that’s why. It disrupts the follicles standard pattern of growth. There are a lot of different reasons this happens from eating non-nutritious food to an autoimmune disease. Whatever the reason, it happens.
For me it started when I was in my late teens. I shaved my head one summer and it never came back in fully. Now my regimen is easy. I shave my head with no guard using a Wahl electric hair trimmer every other week. Having no hair on top can cause some issue: baby face, intimidating appearance, the crystal bald effect. A lot of men are self conscious about it because the public sphere paints the perfect man as a wavy haired, stubble chinned man. All I have to say to those that are uneasy with their baldness is, “stop whining.” It’s over. Don’t try to grow out what you can and it look terrible. Don’t comb over. Shave and grow.
Many men that have male pattern baldness have the ability to grow a down right brilliant beard. When a man has a shaved or closely trimmed head a beard adds an appealing point of interest to their overall look. If you are one of these men, here are some things to think about.
How close should I shave?
It’s a preference, but here are some guidelines.
For lighter haired individuals you can just shave with a beard and hair trimmer every few weeks without huge issue of razor burn.
If you have dark hair keep in mind that the longer the hair the more noticeable your hairline will be. This means that you will need to shave your head more often. You may even opt to shave your head all the way with a proper razor or a specialized headblade. You will get razor burn when you first begin shaving to the skin. To try an alleviate razor burn test different razors (i.e. 4 balde, 5 blade). Shave with warm to hot water to better open your pores. Make sure you are using shaving oil (you can use beard oil for this in a pinch), shaving cream, and lotion; always lotion after a shave. Make sure it is a thin lotion so you still allow your scalp to breathe.
How often should I shave?
If you are using a trimmer then every week or two depending on how close you want and the rate at which you are okay with it growing out. If you are using a razor then every other or every third day to keep a similar look. When you go from 0-60 people notice more than going from 30-60 that is why the frequency is different.
How do I blend my bald and my beard?
This is the real question. You will find what style of beard works best for your cranium but you may need some help with making the transition from your beard to your short/zero hair. Some people take an easy approach, they just shave a rigid line that distinctly disconnects the top of the head and bottom. If you do this make sure you terminate your sideburns evenly. It is so easy to shave just a little more on one side than the other and you start to chase the balance. If you start getting to far away stop! It will grow back but don’t make things worse and end up beardless.
I enjoy the fade. The way I begin the fade is by creating a hard termination just above the ear. I then use my small scissors and a comb. Using the comb I push it sideways into my sideburns and pull it out at an angle. Touching my head at the top and almost to the full length of my hair towards my chin. Then I snip the hair shorter at the top of my hear and longer towards the bottom of my ear. It’s a nice clean look that eases the eye into the look.
Some folks simply do a mustache or goatee. These can work for some but make sure that the top of your head and the cheeks are similar in length around the mustache/goatee.
There will always be periods of change but make sure you find what looks best with your face and general style and don’t wander too far at one time. Stand Tall and Grow Long.
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