Balding: A Receding Hairline vol 2: The Movie

Alas, I am balding.

I've won the gene lottery and am starting to get a receding hairline at 25. I've decided to just live with it and try not to worry about it. Are you balding as well or have a receding hairline? What's up? How are you managing?

Let's be bald together.

I say embrace it, eventually you can just start shaving your head. My dad had really thin receding hair and he started shaving it all off and it's a way better look in my opinion.

Yeah, or just trim it really short. But I'm still a ways off from that. It's just kinda starting now. Got a tiny little bald spot and the hair is thin up top.

Mine is also a little thinner on top than it used to be and I am also only 25.

Fuck.

Mine's not receding so much as it's thinning on top. You can't really tell unless I'm under a light, and I keep it long on the top and short on the sides. I've kept it fairly unnoticeable. I'm probably the only one who notices right now, but with bald people on my dad's side and thin haired people on my mom's I'm acutely aware at how at risk I am. I'm 22. My dad's lucky; he's just about to hit 50 and he has a full head of (salt and pepper) hair. His half brother and (regular) brother are basically cueballs at this point. They are also around the 50's. The men on my mom's side are just thinned in the front. So heck if I know what's gonna happen.

Below is a block of text with me talking about trying rogaine, having eczema and mildly obsessing about hair loss since my early to mid teens.

At first i thought this was a add for some hair clinic :P. Anyway my story go's as follows i use to have amazing Adonis hair then i got cancer got chemo and now it's thining pretty fast ( hair didn't fell out during my chemo wich my doctor was impressed about ) i am turning 27 and it's only gotta get worse long live headwear i guess !

I'm 24 and my hair has been thinning on top since I was about 18-19. On top of that I have a scalp condition called folliculitis decalvans that started around the same time and causes boggy areas on my scalp with hair loss in those areas. Luckily my dermatologist has found a way to treat it, so most of the time it's not really noticeable. This has lead to me wearing baseball caps all of the time except for when I'm at work. It started as a way to keep people from seeing both the balding and the scalp issues, but has become my normal thing I do after 6 years. I should probably stop wearing them so much, but that has been my solution

Edit: I'll add that I cut my hair really short as I have my entire life. Unfortunately when I wanted to start growing my hair out I started going bald, so I couldn't.

Started thinning at around 25, and now I'm probably somewhere between Alex and Vinny 10 years later, and it's seemed to have stopped thinning.

At first I was bummed but it hasn't affected my life at all as far as I can really tell. I just buzz it at level 2 all the way around. I'm married with a kiddo, so to be honest I don't even think about it unless I'm joking around about it.

My hairline is receding which I hate. I used to always have longer hair which I can't do anymore because the hair doesn't grow evenly at the front and creates gaps. I'm 24 but I never noticed it happening and it's only within the last few years that I can see it's receded. However, it's not that bad and I think I can find a decent style for it. I'm currently trying to grow it out long but it's tough being in the awkward middle growth period. I'm not interested in using any treatments though so I guess I'll just hope the rest of my hair doesn't start to go, it seems fine right now. If it does recede too much I'm 100% going bald though.

j allard that shit, pronto. you'll feel like a badass (maybe).

Join the Army, then you'll stop caring about it and just buzz your hair for the rest of your life. Worked for me

Shave it, embrace the cueball inside us all! Im bald as a marble and shaving my head really helped me get over it all! Plus, when you do meet a lady that loves it, it is pretty cool.

@btrdeadthanred: I joined the Air Force and I still kinda always want to grow my hair out. I've never actually been scolded for how far I've pushed my luck but I think I came real close once or twice.

I'm 26 and not balding but I empathise with everyone here because I've been told my entire life that based on family history that my hair would all be gone by the time I hit my twenties and it's basically been my single greatest fear in life.
I'm starting to allow myself to believe that everyone was just wrong about that but I will forever toast all those less fortunate than I.

@pilgore: Don't shave your head, unless you fully commit to that. If you're losing your hair, it can be much harder to get it back after shaving. Depending on the situation, you can also go for many years between when you first start noticing hair loss, and when it would be just best to shave it.

Rogaine will also either regrow your hair, slow the hair loss, or do nothing. It just depends on the person, as a dermatologist once explained. It's not very expensive, so perhaps check into that as well.

Man oh man, a lot of people in here treating male pattern baldness like it's some kind of death sentence. Skip the five stages of grief and just buzz / shave the sucker, I started losing my hair at around 27 and honestly it's had no negative impact on my life whatsoever, and at least one positive impact: all the money you save on haircuts.

It only looks bad if it looks like you're trying to hide it. Don't grow it out thinking you're getting away with something, and don't wear hats with greater frequency than the average person, people know what you're doing in both instances. Just cut your losses and get on with your damn life.

The whole top of my head started thinning out around when I was around 23? I'm fortunate that I can grow a fat beard so I just buzz it all off and have a beard now. Best part? Suits me a lot better than how I looked before.

But yea I just looked at the positives, mainly I don't have to worry about my fucking hair anymore which is fantastic. Prior it was just this mass ontop of my head that I could never quite find a way to get it to sit right or look right on my head.

EDIT: I'll also say from my personal experience the more outward you are with it and just own it the less people seem to care. You also get the bonus of top banter with other bald blokes.

Started balding at 17, was pretty much completely bald by 23. I went through the stages of grief and tried to hide it at first. Really the best thing I ever did was cut it very short, and then kept cutting it short until I just started shaving my head at 23. My wife said if they ever have a cure for baldness to not do it, she thinks it would be weird. Baldness is the least of your worries dude, embrace it.

Same. Altho mine has held off till 29 to start receding proper, when I noticed it last year. But I've always cut my hair super short anyway, so it won't make that much of a difference rly except for requiring more frequent shaves, which is a tiny bit of a bother.

Mine started noticeably thinning on the top at 29. I'm now 32 and it hasn't gone fully bald in that time. After being bummed out about it for a bit, I just started shaving my hair so short that it's not noticeable. I always had weird, shitty, thin hair anyway so it's not a huge deal. Mostly just glad I never have to go get my hair cut again.

Mine started at 24. I'm hanging on to it but I'll be thinking about a complete shave once it completely goes from the front.

@kevin_cogneto: I know for some the save money sentiment doesn't mean much but my hair is thick and grows so fast I pretty much have to get it cut once a month. So I spend way more on haircuts than I would like. Grass is always greener.

If it makes people feel better I have had bad skin for like 13 years of my life and is just now clearing up to the point where I have some self confidence about it (I'm 25).

If you notice it, it's gonna happen. Getting worried about it is a total waste of time, after a while you simply won't care.

Yup, I'm going bald. I've decided to just shave my head.

I have baldness on both sides of my family. My cousin went bald at like 27, and it started years before that. To prepare, I have had a buzzcut my entire life. I like that too, but now at 29 I still have full, thick, (but short) hair and don't seem to be balding any time soon.

I'd suggest you just shave it off or at least trim it very short (<4mm), it's the only way to go.

My father and my grandfather were both bald, so I knew where it was heading early. My hairline started receding when I was 18, and I started losing my hair at 21. By 25, I was definitely bald. I've been bald now for 12 years. And if there's anything I've learned in that time, it is this: Don't kid yourself into believing that there's anything cool that can be done. Bald is who you are now. It will be how people see you, it's the first impression people will get of you. The ONLY acceptable choice open to you is the razor. Go full Bruce Willis, or if you don't have the skull for it, keep it short at all times. ANYTHING else, and you will look like a clown.

The actor Michael Chiklis has starred in two cop shows. In one, his character made the right choice. In the other he did not. Try to guess which is which.

Count your blessings. A receiding hairline is better than going bald from the top.

My hairline started receding and thinning out at the front when I was about 22. My dad and grandpa are both bald as hell, so I wasn't totally shocked, but it feels a bit unfair because that was 6 years ago and both of my brothers still have full heads of hair....

Anyway, when it started happening I grew my hair out long to try and hide it, and I wore hats everywhere. At the time I thought no one was any the wiser, but looking back on it now I'm sure no one was fooled. After a year of that I shaved it all off and man what sweet freedom that is. I went from stressing about it all of the time to just not caring.

Yeah, I'm gonna have it cut short for as long as I can and when the time comes just go for a buzz cut. Had a good chat with my hair dresser today and he said the same thing. If you start balding *before* 30 you're gonna go all the way, if after, it will only be a small spot and thinner hair up top.

The good news is that I've done buzz cuts (4-5mm) in the past and loved it (no worrying about hair) and have no problem going for that. I can't see myself ever completely *shaving* it though. My skin is super sensitive and just shaving my face is already a hassle.

This thread has been most helpful!

I can remember being 18 or so when a friend (who was sitting on a tier above my head in a nightclub) shouted loudly that he could tell I'd lose my hair some day. As soon as I turned 30 it started to happen and now I'm around the Caravella level.

Buzz it. Embrace it.

Go against the grain and just go full cul-de-sac. Become the bald hero that we deserve.

I struggled with balding in my early-to-mid 20's and shaving it was the best decision I made. I've had more positive comments about my 'nice head shape' than I ever did about my hair. Embrace the shave.

I had the hairline of 2008 Vinny when I was 12. I'm now 27. I've never been able to have decent looking hair (which is an issue when dating). I feel you and it sucks.

Started losing mine when I was 16, 27 now, I prefer to keep it short so give it a buzz cut every week or so, never fully shaved it off as it feels like it would be too much work to maintain that.

I do miss having hair sometimes, I spent so long absent mindedly playing with it while writing etc, but can't do much about that so just embrace it.

I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I've been going bald for the last few years, I'm 26, but unfortunately I don't quite have the head shape to go full on bald. I probably have to go bald in a not too far future and when that time comes I might just evolve into a hat guy. I hate being the hat guy.

Choosing to go bald is better if you have a nice head shape. I don't have a Patrick Stewart head.

I should clarify that it's a receding hairline I have but it's also thinning at the front. I feel like my hair has been pretty thin for the last 10 years or so and It's just a complete no go for me to grow it out.

My hair started to thin out a bit when I was 22, and stopped so I could grow it a bit and it would look fine (this is how every dude on my mom's side of the family's hair is), but after some super stressful stuff happened in my family it's started completely going. I've always had really short hair so I've just accepted that it's gonna be shaved or buzzed to like a quarter inch for the rest of my life. Buzzed super short looks fine on me even with my thinning hair.

Weirdly though my hairline hasn't receded. On my dad's side of the family everyone goes bald front to back and on my mom's it's just slightly thinning until your 50s then it starts to go. I seem to have a mix of the two.

Ha, I am 28 and when I was 18 I was visibly receding, went around mostly with a "Widows" peak, I had long hair and then I had a fire Engine Red Mohawk (yes this was 2007), I shaved it off for a job interveiw and boom.......my front was NEVER as thick. I have receded to almost the Patrick Stewart level as I have hair still in the middle of my scalp however its extremely thinned over the last year. Since I was 18 I have often shaved even taking razors down to the skin. Recently I let it grow out for winter and yes, I was full blown crowned, its not a bad look...its not a good look. Yet I did it, its now summer and the baldness is in.

If anything people comment/compliment a bald head more often tbh. I have had long hair, I have had middle hair its there...yet people compliment going "hey the bald look is good for you...looks clean." as well as "oh whoah thats a major difference."

Granted I was the crazy bastard ever since I was a kid to be the one with long hair for three years then shave it all off and let it grow, repeat till 18.

There was a time in high school around 13 I had shoulder length long hair, people started to realy comment "why the long hair? Get a haircut." on this day I got 6 people I said to each "ok." next day all OFF RIGHT DOWN TO THE SKIN. (Which only made people now go, "Whoa....can I touch your head?") and had people shout "JESUS DIDN'T MEAN ALL OF IT!!!"

For a while people will touch your head....people will look at it in marvel....and people will ask to touch it, I also advise hats.....EVEN IN THE WINTER. Why? COS THAT SUN DOESN'T CARE WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS! Sunburn is sunlight UV rays to the skin, I have had sun burn even in winter.

I wear hats not as a cover up of my "shame" (granted its just feels better than rain or wind on my bald scalp) its mainly against the sun....and the odd cold drip of water that will make you shiver.

Also hats are cool! Wear a hat!

I went bald at the ripe old age of 17. Not fully, mind you. Just a bit. By 23 it was incredibly noticeable. I decided that hair was hair and it ultimately didn't matter. Since it first start I've just shaved my head. It get's annoying and sometimes I forget, to be honest. My wife actually likes it when I do. She claims I look more distinguished. I think I just look like an old man. In some way, I'm super excited for my 30's. I feel like I can finally not give a damn about whether or not my hair is receding. The whole consideration is absolutely absurd, of course. Although it is interesting to see how age norms have shaped my thinking on this subject.

Shave it off. You'll discover there's actually a ton of women who are really into bald guys. They react in the same way I react to girls in glasses.

So, I guess I'm not really sure how to identify potentially balding or a receding hairline. I have a pretty full head of thick curly hair that I usually keep long. However, in the last 2 years, I've noticed the top and the right side of my hair have started to thin out (22 now). I would talk to people close to me about it and they always laughed at how crazy I was to even suggest that my curly mane looked like it was even remotely going bald.

There was a group on reddit that would do their best to identify baldness or a receding hairline by pictures that you would upload and again... they basically laughed me off and said I didn't even have a mature hairline, let alone a receding one. I suppose I don't have any of the symptoms that occasionally crop up, like the tiny hairs along the hairline. But the thinning is what makes me worried the most because there is some scalp that you can see in the right light.

It does seem that every summer it does this and in the winter it looks thicker. Which makes me think it's just natural shedding. With the supposed reddit experts saying don't even worry about it and seeing it not get worse, I feel safe, but it's always at the back of my mind that one day I'm going to lose it and that I just have to join the shaved head club.

28 here, I also won out on the gene lottery and have male-pattern baldness on BOTH sides of my family. The way I see it, I'll just play it how a cousin of mine did: when I know the end is near, just shave it all off and get it over with.

Inspiring words from an inspiring man:

Good find, found another "bald video" from Curb your Enthusiasm.

Ach balden!

My hair started receding when I was 18, starting off with the "widow's peak" look, and for the last 7+ years it has slowly but surely been thinning out on top. Solution? Don't try to cover it up. If you can grow a beard, do it. Buzz your head (or shave if you want it completely gone) and just roll with it. If you actively try to cover up your bald spots, thinning hair or receding hairline, it's going to look infinitely worse.

I've reached the point even I could grow my hair out as I could in my teenage years, I more then likely wouldn't want to. Having a shaved head is just too convenient. I never have a bad hair day, save a lot of money on styling products etc.

I started going bald when I was like, 22? Which was horrible, especially when nobody bloody told me, I only found out a few years later. Now I'm 26, the bald spot is larger and my hair is thinning up on top of/the front of my head too. I think it looks bad and feels bad, but also, whatever. You're never gonna see your own head besides in mirrors or photographs. I just keep it short(buzzing or shaving as I've got the effort to do) as damage control and it's fine. Anything is better than having longer hair and a big bald spot on top of it.

^ I agree with this. Even if it is just thinning - thinning enough for you to notice - means you need to start getting a very short-cut. Depending on if you are balding on top or if the hairline in receding, you might be able to have some other variant of the buzz-cut, High-Tight, Harvard cut. However, no matter how or where, shorter will look better.

At around age 44 I had to admit that my hair, on top was thinning, and it was noticeable. So, I just started doing my own buzz-cuts with my beard-clippers that have the hair attachments. Everyone, says it looks so much better, which is indication enough that MOST people though I was long overdue for shaving it - yikes! I go to the gym or swimming, it actually makes things easier to have short hair.

I started to shave my head to sort the baldness, you think all is ok afterwards, you continue shaving your head but then grey hairs appear, nevermind and just shave it as before but then those grey hairs start appearing in other places, on your face or down below and your back to square one again.

Late to the game here but I'm definitely on team shave it. I've been shaving my head for the last 7 years (37 years old now). Its pretty easy to do it yourself. I highly recommend this guy https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014SG66UO. When shaving I start the process leaning over the bathtub so that most of mess is concentrated there. Once the bulk of the work is done I use the bathroom mirror and a hand mirror to do all of the touch-up work standing up with a few towels underneath me. There's very little mess to clean up!

Finasteride is affordable now, and works. Just take it. Generic is liek 30 bucks for a 3 month supply, and it for sure stops hair loss and will potentially allow some to grow back. Just go to your dermatologist and get a prescription. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

I went super early after high school. 19-20 it was noticeable, 22-23 a lot gone. I'm 31 now. I left the sides/back shaved short for awhile, but on finally getting courage and being pushed for the past few years I completely shave my head. I'm lucky in that I think the shape of my head without hair is good and I like/grow good facial hair.

I embrace it now and wish more men that were obviously almost all the way bald and keeping some semblance of it left would just shave it all the way. No need for ponytails with 0 other hair or crazy comb overs.

It was a really tough time for me for awhile though and I feel like that in between time is the worst.