I started losing my hair in my twenties. Looking back at pictures from college, you can see the tell-tale signs of receding hairline and, less obviously, a rapidly thinning area on top (accentuated by a double crown).
I did experiment early with cutting it all off. While I was travelling in Israel, aged 20, I let a friend shave my head and sent a picture back to my parents. My mother wasn’t a fan; she thought it made me look ill.
Perhaps it was that comment, perhaps it was having a job and being more professional, but it took me a long time to shave my head again. It’s only now, in my forties, that I have it almost as short, and would be happy cutting it back to zero.
I mention all this because a couple of readers asked recently what I thought about hair. They were balding and unsure whether to cut it all off. I don’t know anything about pills or plugs, but I do have opinions on how a man presents himself, and have my personal experience to relate.
My overall take would be, don’t worry about shaving your head. Everyone looks better than they think they will and it’s amazing how quickly all your friends, family and colleagues (and indeed you) get used to it.
Plus the biggest danger is definitely on the other side: appearing a little ridiculous and unconfident by hanging on desperately to the hair that’s left. Keeping the hair long and combing it forward or, much worse, growing it long on the sides and going for the Bobby Charlton combover (above, first image).
I know a fair few people in fashion that speak favourably of the Pier-Luigi Loro Piana style of haircut, where the hair is kept long and swept back, almost revelling in what’s left (above, second image). Aside from liking the style, I think the reason is that speaks of confidence - something the combing-direction options don’t.
I did not follow this advice. I worried about shaving my head, and only cut it shorter gradually over the years, always feeling self-conscious and afraid it wouldn’t suit me.
I did an article a couple of years ago that I think about often - on learning to dress my body better. It included a few different examples, including height, weight and sloping shoulders. But the image that stayed with me was the one above, showing how my hair has got shorter and my beard longer over time, and how much better I look as a result.
My hair is even shorter now. In the right-hand imageI was cutting it to grade 1, last year I shifted to 0.5. I still wince when I see my long, pale head in a photo, but I now realise that having even slightly longer hair was accentuating the effect, not hiding it.
As with a few things in the past few years, I owe some gratitude to Ethan Newton, who in his gruff-and-loving way has pushed my hair and beard in these directions. God I hate it when he’s right.
I also owe something to Stefan Avanzato, who has become my regular barber and I featured originally in 2020, in a parallel article about beards.
“We have this conversation so often,” says Stefan. “Men aren’t always keen to talk about it, but when they do there’s a real outpouring - all the worry they have, how they think it’s going to affect their image.”
“I think you’re right Simon that most people look better with a shaved head than they think they will, but I also think they shouldn’t cut it off too early,” he says.
“There are a few options with how the hair is cut - often particularly short at the sides - and with using products to plump up the hair. If you want to keep your hair it’s also important to start taking supplements earlier rather than later.”
The virtues of pills and surgical treatments are not something I’ll go into (although readers with experience, feel free to jump in) but I would say it’s invaluable having someone like Stefan (below) to talk to. He’s seen a lot of people try these things, he’s seen the results over a period of years, and he’s both more objective and personal than random coverage on TikTok.
There’s probably one parallel with clothes here, in that it takes all of us time to get used to a new look. You get a western shirt for the first time and you probably feel self-conscious about the pearly snaps, walking around just waiting for someone to say “Howdy, cowboy!”.
But five or six wears later, chances are it will feel completely normal, and when someone says “Yee-ha” as you enter a room, you’ll simply smile indulgently. Silly little frightened man.
Cutting off your hair is the same, with the bonus that I think it’s unlikely anyone will ever actually tease you about it. There’s too much respect for it, too much recognition of the bravery it took to change your face - that most prominent part, the bit everyone looks at the most - so dramatically.
So take Stefan’s advice and cover all the options first but, if cutting all your hair off is the best option, do not be afraid.
I love this article!
For now I sweep back what’s on top, like Mr. Loro Piana, but keeping the sides fairly short. I also try to keep the hair on top with a very low volume, if I don’t use some product to keep it down after a hair wash, it becomes too high, elongating the head a lot.
I haven’t had the balls to go for a full shave yet, and surgery is off the table for me.
Hi Simon
Thanks for this article. I can definitely relate as my hairline is receding at a very past pace lately, though I am not thinning yet in the crown. I realised when I was about 30 that I was starting to lose hair but that process has really accelerated in the last 5 years. I am now 42. I first tried to go for the Pigi Loro Piana look (Enzo Jannacci the Italian singer was a master of this cut and was my inspiration) as you can see in my reader profile. But I realised after a year or two that it didn’t really work because it made me look like I had less hair rather than more. So I have gradually started cutting it shorter. Still not so short as Simon but gradually going shorter as I lose more hair and I think I look better. Most importantly, I have also accepted mentally that I am losing hair and decided to embrace that fact.
All the best. Andrew
Nice to hear, thanks Andrew
Hi Simon,
One thing I am still not sure about when cutting my hair very short is that I find a lot of people who look good with very little or no hair is that they also have a beard (eg, the pictures of you and Ethan in the article or Pep Guardiola as another). I have tried to grow a beard in the past and it didn’t work as my facial hair is quite thin. I have fewer examples of men that look really good with no hair and no facial hair, so it is hard for me to find a model of what that could look like for me.
Hey Andrew,
I know what you mean. I would say, though, that I know friends without beards who do this equally well. It is easier with one, but very possible without.
Also, one summer holiday try growing a beard longer and have a play. Often a beard feels thin or patchy when it’s not that long
I went that route too until Covid came along. During lockdown I went for a grade 1 cut purely as a practical matter. At once I was revealed as a bald man! My barber had obviously being doing a great job as I was completely unaware of a number of bald spots and the weak growth on top compared to the sides. Once seen I couldn’t go back to a “cover up”. I like my hair how it is today but even four years on it feels odd to be bald…
Wow, would have never recognised you just looking at that photo of yours Simon!
Worth saying, you are much more good looking now !
That photo did sell me on monkey hats though.
Thanks for raising this, Simon and for lending us your clear-headed advice. I agree confidence and realism is key here. Picasso, Brando, Newman – you’re not in bad company.
To underscore your point on not being afraid: even my friends that don’t appear to have hairloss (yet) keep fretting about it, cleary afraid for what is to come. I don’t think that’s a viable strategy. Apart from having a good hairdresser, I prefer to focus on what I can control: building strength and muscle in the kickboxing gym (not too much, of course, or my jackets won’t fit anymore!).
Paul Newman had much of his hair even as an older man though.
Been there done that. I am 35, started balding at around 16-17, or at least i then saw many hair dissapear. At 18 i started studying and my colleages asked me if i am balding cause my hair looked almost non existsant. It was then the time i decided to shave what was left off and embrace my new look with pride and confidence. After all i didnt have much to do except some medication that couldnt solve the problem at a level to gain my lost hair back. My head shape is very similar with yours and i for sure didnt regret my decission. Try shaving the whole thing and you wont need a barber again. A little tan, some sport helps for sure. I also had a beard for long periods but now a 7-8days beard is all i need. I also get the looking ill when shaved of some people but of you gain 3-4 muscle kilos the problem is solved and your clothes size stays.
Gosh !
A surprising article.
It’s the first seeing that photo and being rather puzzled (the monkey doesn’t help !).
Like seeing a person , making eye contact and then breaking into a smile as you recognise who it is .
On a serious note , although the subject of humour, I can’t imagine how psychologically difficult hair loss at a young age must be.
As my own hairline gently recedes I’ve opted for rimmed glasses after decades of rimless in order to break the ever extending forehead .
Next will be experimenting with a beard .
Now let’s eagerly await the comments of men who’ve had various hair treatments and consider further options !
The beard is key here. You and Ethan Newton are both lucky because you have dense and strong facial hair. This makes it infinitely easier to pull off the bald look. Another one of that lucky group is Sean Connery, who could therefore sum up the solution quite briefly: “Just cut the hair short. Nothing you can do about it.” For people who are not so lucky, advice for growing a denser beard would be very valuable.
Thanks Alexander, good point.
Interestingly, my beard is actually not that dense. It’s wiry and less dense than most beards I see. The shape and the length is fairly carefully done to hide that – eg any higher or shorter on the cheeks and it starts to look patchy
Hello Simon, long time reader, first time commenter. I have very similar issues with my beard and like you have had to take specific steps to keep it from looking patchy and sloppy, including eschewing the moustache completely (it just comes in patchy and thin no matter what I do, but my beard still gets lots of compliments even without it). Like going bald at an early age–been there, done that too–I think that facial hair can be one of those “cowboy shirt” things (to borrow your analogy) where you just have to lean into it for a little while in order to feel more natural. I started growing my beard not long before began shaving my head because without any hair I think I look like a brown egg with glasses, but the combination of both changed my look radically. Looking back on that time and reading your words here, I think one of the keys is something you’ve mentioned often elsewhere–and I’m paraphrasing–to take care with it but not in such a way as to make it seem fussy or high-maintenance.
Re beards – allow several months (2-3). If you don’t have heavy 5 o’clock shadow it might take a while. But stick with it. I grew mine during lockdown which made it easier and I appreciate the awkward growing in stage has to be toughed out
Simon’s points on shaping are also well made. You need a good barber who can help you make the most of the growth you have. I have a lot of neck hair which adds weight and heft to my beard. It looks better with that length.
Hi Simon, I was in a similar position. What hair I had grew untidily during lockdown so I then I took the leap. Went fo a number 2 at first and then a number 1 and finally a half blade. Interesting that going from 2 to a half was a very quick transition; I found the shorter the better.
I also feel it has had a transformative effect on my overall “look”. It gives whatever I wear a real lift.
I think the key is to embrace it and make the most of what you have, as indeed you have done. The final straw for me was during COVID – I was locked down with my partner (who was shielding) and couldn’t get to a barber. The leonine mane of my 20s had been thinning for years, going grey and then paler and paler and gradually shorter as I got older, and medication for heart problems killed it quite thoroughly… I started shedding like a Retriever. After a month in lockdown the remaining fur would stick up on end – I started to look a bit like Albert Einstein, with a nimbus of white fuzz sticking out at all angles – and eventually I just lost patience with it and buzzed the whole lot off with a beard trimmer.
Ironically, despite some shocked faces at the next video teams call, most people were complimentary – one lady of my acquaintance told me it made me look a decade younger! – and these days it just gets buzzed every 2-3 weeks. The beard – which went white years before the hair – has become more sculpted to kind of compensate, and I have a variety of spectacle options to ring the changes on the look… I can go from whimsical to stern and back again!
My guess is that bald men will have the ability in the near future to regrow their hair.It’s will be their choice.
I got to the end of this article thinking it had only just begun. A rather superficial discussion on this topic and i feel there’s a lot more detail and insight that could have included.
Thanks Harry, yes it’s a big topic and not one we’ve ever covered before. This was more to relate just my personal experiences and to answer those questions that had been brought up by readers
Hello Simon,
It sounds like we’ve been on similar journeys and I can honestly say if someone offered that I could magically have my hair back I would say “no thanks I like it how it is”.
On a vaguely related note I hate wearing suntan cream but I can see the benefits of wearing some uv protection on a daily basis so I wondered if anyone had come accross any nicely smelling (think Floris/Penhaligons) moisturiser with some UV protection?
Kind regards
Mark
I’d be interested to know from a reader who knows, why do some people end up with a shiny head? Is it because they’ve used a razor rather than going 0.5mm like Simon, or is it a product they’ve applied to their skin?
There is some research that suggests hair loss is actually an inflammatory process. In advanced stages, the skin actually becomes somewhat fibrotic (a bit like scar tissue) which leads to a shiny appearance.
Hi Simon,
This is worthwhile article to all those who have been through the hair loss experience.
I’m a little older than you and have broadly followed the same direction in shaving my head. Initially I bought a Wahl shaver and started with a 1.5 graduated cut. Then it went to 1. Then 0.5. And now I’m a zero tight head shave. It only take a day or two before you get that buzz look which tends to last for most of the week before I shave again. I would make a few simple points:
Using a high quality sunscreen is essential. This will enable your head to get nicely tanned look without getting burned especially during the summer. I use Skin Medica Essential Defence (SPF 47). It is lightweight, non oily, absorbable into the scalp and completely effective. It is expensive but so worth it as the cheaper sunscreen will just make your head perspire in warmer weather. The overall effect of this is that a little tan helps me avoid that “sickly” look when I shave my head. I also moisturise my scalp at night & morning time.
Getting a little muscular definition from some weight work was also a big help. Nothing too stodgy – but strong shoulders and arms helps clothes to sit better with a shaved head especially when wearing polo’s or Tees in warmer climbs.
Hats become a necessity and are a nice sartorial addition to any mans wardrobe. When your head is shaved – it’s a greater incentive to “own a look” as you’ve little other choice. I wear a linen cap during the summer and a wool cap during the winter.
My quandry is that I think a bald head looks much better with a beard, but if I grow a beard now it will be all white and I don’t want to immediately look ten years older. Partly that’s to do with how I’m perceived at work. I don’t want to be passed over for promotion because they think I’m on my way out.
For now I’m sticking with keeping it short and letting it continue to thin out as it will. I’ll grow a beard when I’m retired.
Jack I’m in a similar position. My beard turned grey much faster than my hair, so I look years years older if I don’t shave. I think waiting until retirement is a reasonable decision. I’ve seen the effects of beard dye on a friend and it is not pretty.
A similar experience here in that at a certain point having longer hair began to look a little desperate. I had an advantage in that at 192cm most people don’t see the top of my head to often, but a thinning crown became too much to bear and I shaved the lot off. Fairly drastic, and it did get some wide eyed looks at first, but very quickly it settled into just being my haircut.
One thing that has stood out for me which Simon didn’t touch on is the convenience. Drying hair after shower/swimming is quicker, no “product” is required to maintain a style, it’s easier to apply sunscreen to bald patches in the summer, no “hat hair” to worry about and a haircut can be done at home with clippers as required. Not sure I’d go back to longer hair even if I could!
Hi Simon,
I think you covered this subject extremely well. In my opinion, it’s far better to walk through personal experiences, rather than try to offer personal or objective advice. For some hair loss can be quite a negative experience and relating your personal journey demonstrates a nice empathy. For myself I’ve gone from thick curly (which I hated!) to thinner slightly receding wavy grey. Following more the Pier-Luigi Loro Piana approach, although I have to say with rather less panache!
I really would never have recognised you from your 20s picture. As for the two side by side pictures- well the positive improvement is obvious – interesting how so often we look better as we age. Also good to have a friends like Ethan and Stefan who tell it like it is. I too have a good relationship with my barber who is very honest about what suits me and when the time comes for a buzz cut he is sure to let me know!
All the best
I have the opposite problem. I’m in my late 70s with no discernible hair loss, possibly just a slight recession noticeable only when I pull my fringe back. My hair’s thick and uncontrollable, so I can’t wear it short or with a fade., It looks wrong on a man of my age. I’d shave my head like a shot, but my wife is totally against it.
I suspect if you knew the angst that hair loss can cause for many men, you’d probably not complain about having too much hair.
It is the luck of the draw. I am seventy-eight and I have a full head of hair, they say it is a salt and pepper colour.
It is also the luck of the draw how well or not you look with a shaven head. I know many who look like the most evil of gangsters and totally ugly and some who look like film stars.
I think you are very lucky. You have got the look, and indeed look good. I would suggest the beard be a bit thinner.
Thanks, Simon. A far from trivial topic. Here in the US, with a dispiriting election looming, we’re seeing a face-off between the two worst presidential hairstyles ever. I’m 75 years old and I remember when a younger Joe Biden fooled with a series of comb overs and eventually resorted to plugs. Those strands are long and grey now and the view from astern is hardly flattering. And Donald Trump’s lacquered bouffant takes the comb over to preposterous heights. Dwight Eisenhower was our last bald president, and in my opinion, one of the very best to hold the office. The connection could not be clearer
Well put. Totally agree.
In the 1990s, I frequented a barber shop that Ike had supposedly used while he spent time in NY between his time as Supreme Allied Commander and before becoming President. I always thought it was amusing that they featured a photo of him in one of their chairs taken I guess in the early 1950s, since even then he clearly required only the simplest level of barber’s skill. He did carry the bald top/short fringe well.
Hi Simon,
I am 83 years old and lost my hair in my early twenties. I wear it now with a zero cut or sometimes indulge in a straight razor shave – face and head. (One of life’s great pleasures.) I suggest one has three options: head, mustache, and beard, all can be altered differently. My mustache for some reason is mostly black, hair and beard white. So the mustache can be a focus, long or trimmed, with or without a beard. Altering these three elements is free entertainment from week to week. Over the years I have embraced hats: fedoras, caps, baseball hats, Panamas in the summer, even a beret. As one ages, one gets lots less self-conscious.
I would caution, however, all bald younger men to get a yearly skin screening as time passes. The dangers of pre-cancer increases dramatically, yet can easily be lessened with proper care. Don’t run the risk of serious harm later in life.
As always wonderful, useful insights.
Jack Williams
Similar story to mine – it started when I was about 19 and by the time I was 22-23 or so I was convincingly bald on top. I started using clippers very early on.
Lately though, I’ve preferred something akin to the “Pier-Luigi”, and I had thought it suited my personality better (which I do think is true), but I have felt hugely more confident in my style in the last couple of years and now that I think of it, it’s probably linked to that as well. So thanks for that, I’d never thought of it that way.
Hi Simon. Thanks for the insights. Interesting that neither you nor any readers mentioned a wig as an alternative.
My hair started thinning on top in my late twenties. While the top was still reasonably full I found a “ceasar cut” worked well. As it continued thinning a simple very short on the sides and slightly longer on top style worked well.
It’s very thin on top now, while the sides remain quite full. Anything less than a very close cut and it looks unbalanced, like George Costanza.
I should add that I would shave it but the last time I tried that I wasn’t pleased with the shape of my skull.
The guy behind you in the monkey photo has great hair. Do you know what you would ask for at the barbers to achieve something like that (providing you have that type of hair)?
No idea I’m afraid Nicholas – not my area of expertise!
No worries.
You’ve been to amritsar simon, i’m sure you could pull off a turban
Interesting, this. I also notice very few readers declaring having gone down the surgical an chemical route.
I’ve done both. 30 years old and have been losing my hair since 20. At 25 with a very receded and ageing hairline, I started occasionally shaving it and then letting it grow back every now and then out of pure indecision. Luckily, I actually looked good bald but repeatedly being told that I looked like a hollywood hardman got to me. Not because it felt insulting, it obviously wasn’t! But I am so far from anything and anyone that could be described as a hardman that I felt that whilst bald, I looked unlike myself. I’d see myself in the reflection of shop windows, or parked cars and it would take more than a second to registered it as myself looking back. It was genuinely jarring. My self image and my actual image had completely split from each other. I also found clothes far harder to style too. Found that certain outfits that with some hair brushed back or forward might have looked rakish and louche or charmingly preppy, just aged me a lot. I looked 40 at 27.
Started on a path of minoxidil, finasteride and hair transplants and now have a fairly convincing head of hair. Not the head of hair of my dreams, but it’s serviceable and for the first time in about 10 years, I actually look my age rather than a decade older! Stopped grappling with either ‘coming to terms with baldness’ or finding inventive ways of disguising my hairline. I have hair and feel much like myself.
I’ve also found that I have that much more fun with getting dressed with a decent head of hair topping it off. Preppy outfits, I might just mess my hair up a bit, to offset the oxford poking out from within the brushed shetland. Might brush it back and allow a vest to poke out from my shirt if I’m going out for the evening. No longer get told I look like a hardman, no longer feel like an tenured classics professor when I wear tweed.
It’s obviously a very personal thing though. I never once looked at a photo of you @Simon and thought you looked like any of those things. It suits you resoundingly well. I’m sure some would have said the same to me, but self image is a nebulous thing to untangle. Some people shave it and never look back, others grapple with it for many years!
Great article, Simon! I started noticeably losing my hair some 30 years ago and kept cutting it shorter and shorter until sometime around 2000 my barber suggested using a #1 trimmer blade to crop it very short. Then, about 2 years ago I finally started shaving my head. I’ve been happy each step of the way. One of the great virtues of shaving my head is that I can do it myself.
I’ve known a number of men who have undertaken surgical procedures to stave off the inevitable and the result always looked wrong. It’s better, I think, to accept what you have. Would I like luxurious, grey locks like Franco Mazzetti? Sure. But I don’t, so there’s no point worrying about it. We have to be comfortable in our own skin.
An excellent article, but also, I didn’t come here to get called out like this.
Thanks for the article. Hair loss afflicts many men and can have profoundly negative emotional effects and impact self esteem. Sad that our society is still OK with mocking something that is beyond someone’s control.
I’ve faced an opposite problem:
I started going grey extremely early (first grey hair around 13), and was having significant grey streaks around 18. This had some advantages (noone will card you at the pub when you’re greyer than many 40 year olds), but around 20 it wasn’t doing me any favours – so I started shaving my head then, and kept my hair extremely short until the pandemic came around.
At that point, I got tired of spending time every couple of days cutting it, and let it grow out. And since this was at the same time as I got into wearing tailoring, it turned out I suddenly looked pretty good with grey hair! At 40+, being completely grey and wearing good tailoring doesn’t make you look “old”, it makes you look like you’re part of the board of directors.
Similar here. I’ve had grey hair since my early 20s. Could be easy to feel sorry for myself, but my friends who actually lost their hair, I feel really bad for them. I know I wouldn’t have the face to pull off a shaved head, but many guys do.
One thing I’ve noticed in the last few years in that my hair has thinned. I think there are meds that can help address some of this though.
I think the most important thing is not to get too overweight. You can pretty much look good in anything, or any hairstyle, if you’re slim.
I find that one benefit of baldness is that the money saved on hair care can be used to justify any manner of clothing purchases
Haha!
So so true! Same with my very low alcohol consumption!
Fascinating. I agree that a bald head works better with a beard. But recent research suggests that a beard is a clear sign that you’re ready to settle down (https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/the-facial-hair-thatll-tell-you-if-a-man-is-ready-to-settle-down-7hfnmst8c). While I’ve had a wife for fifteen years – and have three kids (and, for the avoidance of doubt, have had no affairs, nor have any intention of ever having any) – I find that the ring is more than enough sign that I’ve settled down. I still enjoy that moment when I catch somebody’s eye and for twenty seconds – before I’ve remembered the ring and brought it into view – there’s a moment when I could still be younger and available. (Vain, probably – but why else do I read this blog? Or exercise – and I note that others mention it, below – and didn’t you do at least a little bit between those side-by-side pictures? Incidentally, how did your wife take your regime – as a sign that you love her and want to be better looking for her – or as a sign that you were gay or looking elsewhere – I’ve met men with spouses who’ve taken it all three ways!)
I’ve experimented with a beard. My hair is thick and wiry. It looks good after a few days. Terrible after a couple of weeks when it’s curled and leaves patches – and then decent after a month or so when I look like the Celtic fighters of my ancestors – but desperately in need of trimming / shaping – and at that point I cut it off.
I also wonder how beards play out in offices. I can’t think of many senior executives I’ve met who’ve had one. I had experience with Roger Jenkins ). He shaved off to the bone and earned hundreds of millions and dated Elle Macpherson among others without one. Was greatly amused that he grew a beard for his court appearances.
I should say that some of this is forward-looking for me. My hair is thinning. I no longer have the thick, curly locks that I had when I was younger (and shaved down below the curls because thick, curly locks were not the thing). I have hair that is going silver, lines that are receding, the top is noticeably thin (but I’m tall and nobody other than my wife and I see it) – but my genes suggest it’s a matter of time – and not much time – before I’ll have to make my mind up. I’d assumed that – like my uncle and grandfather – I’d shave down to the quick quickly. But your image of Pier-Luigi Loro Piana suggests there may be an alternative. He reminded me of Michael Heseltine who, when I met him, many years ago, looked fabulous. Maybe I should go long for a bit before I go short!
Simon, it’s interesting that now with your clean buzz cut, in my humble opinion, you look better than ever! Of course this is helped by your height, being slim but generally you just exude a clean and neat aura, weather that’s wearing well worn and loved work wear or the finest bespoke. In truth, you are most certainly an inspiration of mine.
It’s interesting you reference Mr. B. Charlton… he’s actually a not too distant relative of mine on my mothers side. I also started losing my hair in my twenties, now in my thirties, I still have a good bit but it’s heading one way. It’s funny, my mother always told me I looked better with a buzzed head and actually kept it that way as I grew up. It’s only now I’ve grown older, I’ve embraced it. I now use balding clippers on my head and a clean shave and that’ll be my style until the grave. There’s reassurance in that!
Did you row for Trinity?
Yes, though only in the second boat and Trinity is a tiny college. I think I represented it at nine different sports!
I’ve always been in awe of my Dad’s no-denial power doughnut. It’s definitely a move.
Simon,
Since your specialty is menswear, you should have included a photo of Salva Ambrosi! He looks great with his full head of hair.
With the ease/low cost and high quality of hair transplants in Turkey, the choice between leaning into baldness or having hair is now pretty simple. It’s truly a no brainer.
Hi Jerrell. Given this involves taking medication for the rest of your life and potential side effects, plus likely multiple surgeries as more hair falls out and you have to fill in the new gaps (until you run out of donor sites), I’d suggest it may not be sensible at all, let and certainly not a no brainer.
hi Chris, I agree with you that it isn’t a no brainer. I have considered transplants in the past and after doing some research quickly discarded the idea.
The main reason is that in my opinion hair transplants end up look worse in the long run than having no hair. I couldn’t find examples of people who had hair transplants that looked good or natural 10 or 15 years later (e.g., Silvio Berlusconi, who certainly could have afforded the best surgeon on the market). They can look good at first but I personally wasn’t interested in a solution that would look worse in my opinion in the long run than having no hair.
The second is that it isn’t a problem that causes me so much mental or psychological anguish that I wanted to resort to plastic surgery to resolve it. It is who I am and I decided to accept that.
You look great, as always, Simon — with a full head of hair or a bald head.
Some men look great bald—Yul Brynner, Barry Diller, Telly Savalas, Jason Statham, Michael Jordan. You wear it extremely well, too, Simon. I respect anyone who embraces it with gusto!
It’s incredibly brave of you to write a piece like this, Simon. Men aren’t great at this kind of disclosure and clearly there is a profound psychological dynamic to the subject of hair loss, whether early in life or otherwise.
Until the age of about 19 I had shoulder-length hair that I’d been growing through most of my school years. However, I decided to shave it all off on a whim – grade 0 all over – and kept it like that until I got my first proper job at 24. The difference in the way people perceived me was astonishing – if you were white and had a shaved head in the 1990s people thought you were either a skinhead or a football hooligan. I got served much quicker in pubs! Nowadays people are far more open minded about people with shaved heads – and we have some incredibly stylish bald men around us – Pep Guardiola, Stanley Tucci to name just two.
The reason I am sharing this is because not only was it a liberating experience for me to shave off my hair, but it also made me realise two things: first, that the reactions people had to these two extremes of hairstyle said more about them then it did about me, and that stopped me caring what anybody thought about how I looked. Second, it got me accustomed to having no hair from a young age and therefore I had no fear about losing it in later life – if it starts to thin dramatically the clippers will simply come out again. Looking back, I gained some agency over the psychology of hair loss, so if you get the chance to whip it all off when you still have it then give it a go!
Somehow baldness and balding acquired a social stigma it doesn’t warrant – almost everyone can look amazing with and without hair. If you have a decent head of hair you may have the benefit of more choice; if you have none whatsoever you can still do lots of things with your facial hair if you so wish and, as others have pointed it out, no hair makes wearing hats from baseball caps to panamas a breeze. There are many men with lots of hair who would love to try a shaved head look but just aren’t brave enough. I think we inherited a sense of shame about baldness from an older generation that is utterly outmoded – probably due to a Brylcreem campaign or something else equally anodyne.
Permanent Style readers are undoubtedly perceived by the people around them as on a different level in terms of style, onlookers admire the guts required to pull off a pocket square or wear a checked sport jacket when everyone else in in a t-shirt. I promise there is no way anyone is thinking that a shaved head is not stylish, uncool, less manly – whatever. It’s just part of your overall look and, as Simon shows week-in, week-out, when you choose good clothes, combine them well and take care of your appearance you can look and feel amazing regardless of whether you have a veritable mane of hair or a shiny bald pate.
Hello Paul. This is well put. Personal criticism ( I have experienced it ) does, as you point out, say so much about that person than it does about you.
Out of interest Simon, how frequently do you visit the barber in order to maintain the short haircut?
And just wondering if you or other readers have experienced any skin issues under your beards’. The longer the beard the more problematic for me despite keeping it clean and using beard oil.
I cut my own hair most of the time – it’s pretty easy. I also trim my beard. I then go to Stefan once a month perhaps for a tidy up.
No skin issues underneath, no
An interesting topic for sure. The “shaved head with beard” look is both effective and cliched. It also takes some commitment both in growing out the facial hair (and hoping it eventually looks good) and doing away with what’s on top.
From my own experience, I’ve shaved my head before just for kicks/low maintenance but in recent years it’s evident that I’m getting very thin on top (with an unavoidable ‘monk spot’ at the crown). What holds me back from going to the always-shaved look is it looks ok from head-on (though getting thinner), and in comparing various images of myself I prefer those with more hair – particularly as I have broad shoulders and a relatively small skull. But then I see an unflattering bald spot photo and I reconsider…
It sounds to me Mike like you’d fall into that category of getting used to it when you do it. I doubt you’ll look back
Thanks! It’s certainly a matter of when and not if.
Great article. I’ve followed almost the same chronology with regard to baldness but I’ve dispensed with visiting the barber literally decades ago. Why do you still go to the barber – to manage your beard (which I don’t have)?
Yes
Hello Simon,
I have just scrolled down the comments and haven’t seen anyone mention the possibility of hair transplant.
Myself beeing luckily spared of hair loss, I have a few colleagues in their forties who have that problem. They had a transplantation of their own hair, and it looks fantastic, really impressive.
Best, Sasha
It has been mentioned once or twice above
Male pattern baldness is unstoppable and once you reach a certain point it’s sensible to embrace it and some, like Simon, embrace it well.
My point is for the population who retain but don’t look after their hair. This to me is a sacrilege.
The texture of your hair changes as you age and it’s incredibly important to keep it well cut and nourished.
The trichologist, Philip Kingsley , has done a great job looking after Mick Jagger’s hair over the years and the results are self evident..
Of course you don’t have to employ a trichologist to get results . Just get a great haircut and use the best products. It’s also worth knowing that those without male pattern baldness will probably experience a level of thinning as they age. They’ll move from having a forest to a wood.
In these cases their are some great shampoos available that thicken the hair shaft.
I think looking after your hair is no different from looking after your physical self in general. I can’t see too much impact from so-called “nourishment” – that sounds so much like skin creams which have demonstrable effect but – in general – cannot halt the march of time’s plan as they are so often advertised. And regarding shampoo that thickens the hair shaft – I’d like to see the clinical data on that one.
With respect, I think it’s likely to be quite the stretch to say that MJ having access to this trichologist chap is why his hair looks so good at his age. Some are born with good thick hair and some are not (applying to both women and men). In my circle of 8 whatsapp schoolfriends (from our teens and beyond, all now mid-60s), there is only one with a fulsome impressive barnet (all white-ish grey, looking very distinguished to use the hackneyed phrase).
The rest of us are either thin on top (yet not needing a comb-over) or bald.
Same conclusion though – if you’ve thin hair and/or you are going bald, don’t try to hide it. It doesn’t work.
Such a great topic and clearly one not touched upon so openly very often.
I put off shaving my head when I was beginning to recede because my Mum always said I looked like a thug. Age has given me the legitimacy that it’s no longer optional and the relaxation in the work place around facial hair has definitely made it all look more balanced.
My first thought was that the main image was of a young Prince William with a protection officer in the background! Coincidentally HRH has also embraced his own hair loss!
I enjoyed this piece.
To each their own, and I say that in earnest, but my personal opinion is that there is something masculine, genuine, and endearing about a man who will make the most of his own god-given resoures, whether that be hair (or lack of), his teeth, or otherwise.
Hello Simon,
very interesting article even though not particularly relevant for me at the moment as I am not challenged by losing my hair.
I cannot help but notice that a big part of your (very positive I must say) transformation also comes from losing the glasses (and of course the more prominent beard).
I wear glasses myself and think my appearance transports a similar nerdy vibe as you did before (if I may say so). Was it your intention to look more masculine, let’s say, when you made the changes? Do you still sometimes wear glasses? For any specific stylistic reasons?
A little off topic maybe, sorry.
Thank you!
Hey,
Have a look at the article I link to in the piece about dressing my body better. I talk a little about glasses there. But no, I wasn’t trying to look more masculine, I just thought I looked better. Interestingly, my wife slightly prefers me with them
I also think you look better without glasses, and I also think I look better without glasses. I have the problem though that I cannot work all day wearing contacts. After a few hours they get very uncomfortable. I have tried several brands of contacts and I can’t find one that works better than the one I use now, so contacts have become strictly for the weekend, sport and workdays when I don’t need to work at the computer.
Ah yes, thank you. I remembered you addressed this issue somewhere, but I was looking for it in an extra post.
So my wife says the same thing about me, but I think I look better without them. And I think it’s because one tends to look more masculine without them, for the lack of a better word. So much we’re after in men’s clothing is still to emphasize a certain stereotypical masculinity. (Although I don’t think of glasses as particularly feminine or unmanly.)
So looking „more masculine“ might just equal „better“?
Maybe I am off here on the glasses, but the beard certainly looks good for that exact reason (as does the shaved head).
Great post. It brings up other tangential discussions also. As someone who has been self-shearing for 10+ years and razor shaving my head for the past 2, I have found that other style aspects become more important.
Without hair to “shape” the face or add colour (I’m fair skinned with a head shape similar to Simon), shirt collars and eyewear shapes are my only wants to frame my face, thus taking on a far greater responsibility.
Acceptance and the eventual shaved head result in a great freedom although when travelling, you have to choose between hauling your gear or going scruffy.
In my mid to late thirties I knew my hair was receeding and I had been kicking the ‘buzz cut’ can down the road for some years. The final straw came when a collegue showed me a drone photo in which the shiny top of my head could clearly be seen from 30 feet in the air. This combined with the difficulties of actually getting a hair cut during Covid meant I finally plucked up the courage to go for a grade 1 buzz cut. I don’t regret it for one minute. The only downside is I’ve never had so many haircuts ! Two weeks maximum before it needs cutting again.
There’s only one thing for it. Get to the gym, jump on the steroids, get jacked and shave your head. You can’t tell me Jason Statham doesn’t have a great look.
Being in better shape certainly helps with this as with many things. I’m not sure we all have to get jacked though. As I said on that original article, I think looking after yourself is more important, but that naturally includes being slimmer and having some more upper body muscle through exercise
Please don`t forget about training your lower body. Squats, deadlifts etc. (lifting heavy in general) have invaluable benefits for staying in good shape as you get older. Helps with posture and protects from back pain. Aside from that it helps with looking good in (swimming) shorts.
True. Though I think something like yoga is better for you on those things apart from muscle growth
I don’t know much about yoga. From all I heard about it, I am convinced it is great. Still I am even more convinced that men (and women to some extent) are built to lift heavy things and it is therefore the natural way to practice that you entire life, if you can. And as far as I know the benefits of strength training (not focused on hypertrophy necessarily) are not debated in science. I would be hesitant to believe that yoga is a 1:1 substitute for that. I would think that yoga is the ideal complement to strength training though.
Yes, it certainly is, as is pilates. Weight training can be very lateral and focus just on the bigger muscles.
The so-called basic exercises of classic bodybuilding are not focused on bigger muscles, no. You get a full body workout from them.
But of course you could do only isolation exercises, but this would be frowned upon by most people who are really into the classic stuff.
There’s also non invasive medical treatment options – PRP, minoxidyl and microneedling.
Minoxidyl requires you to apply it topically daily and they say you’ll lose everything it helped to regrow really fast if you stop using it. So it’s not really a sustainable options.
PRP and microneedling on the other hand requires you to do these procedures on a lot less frequent basis. PRP once every 5-6 month, and microneedling once every 1 to 4 weeks. Combination of both will yield the best result at an affordable money and time cost. But it requires one to act fast and turn to these procedures while you still have hair – it will not help to regrow already lost hair
Simon, great article. For the last ten years, my hair has been generally thinning and my hair line receding, during which time I had been using a Minoxidil solution with little benefit. About 2 years ago my hair began thinning at an accelerated pace so that the pink of my scalp began to show. A dermatologist specializing in treating hair loss prescribed a combination of Minoxidil and Finasteride tablets, as well as a hair serum applied 3x a week. Within a month my hair began to feel and look thicker with some of the hairline beginning to return. Now a year and a half later, my hair has regained much of its thickness, and I no longer see skin or scalp, the hairline has dropped quite a bit, and it has really filled out. The texture has grown a bit coarser, but otherwise I’ve had no side effects (unless you consider having to trim eyebrows every 3 days a side effect!), and the dermatologist says it will continue to fill out over the next few years. It has been an amazingly effective and inexpensive solution for me, especially as I would never be interested in trying more aggressive solutionss. I believe a hairless head is a handsome head, but I also realize that my experience may be of interest to others who are beginning to experience loss but want to hang on to what they’ve got. Hope this is helpful.
It is, thank you David
My hair started to noticeably recede in my early 30s so I started taking Finasteride. Within several months it had returned to full thickness and has remained so to this day (I’m now 56). It is now also available as a generic and so is quite affordable (I’m paying 67p for 1mg tablet, the daily dosage). I seem to have had a particularly positive response, but many others have reported good results. A rare instance of finding a simple, effective and affordable solution to a serious problem. Wish it happened more often.
I still remember the day I took to a buzz cut, it was long overdue, and as you say far longer than I keep it now. Don’t think I’ve received so many compliments in a week ever. Almost everyone in the office, friends and family.
sadly I’m not gifted with the ability to grow facial hair worth mentioning, barely a stubble, but I make due with that I’ve got.
PS. I’ve never heard anyone mention Pigi LP’s hair, the late great Sergio on the other hand, had less hair but still looked great.
If I was able to have that kind of hair style, I’m sure I would.
A couple of the posts below have touched on medication for hair loss.
I wanted to offer a perspective on this. I saw a consultant dermatologist about medication to prevent hair loss. He pointed out that a common side effect of finasteride (a common drug) is erection disfunction, and a rarer side effect was breast cancer. The NHS website rates the risk of the former as 1/100 and the latter as 1/1000, but he made it clear he would want to check me every 3-6 months if he was to prescribe this drug to check for lumps in my chest.
At this point, it no longer seemed like a sensible option for a cosmetic issue, for me at least. The odds weren’t high, but especially as a parent taking on extra risk didn’t feel appropriate for me
I hope these solutions work wonderfully for anyone who chooses to take them, but there are risks with any medication. This isn’t like popping a vitamin tablet
Many people choose to smoke, drink and to eat excessively which also carry risks too, and we all have to make our own decisions on the balance of risk and what is appropriate
My point is not to be judgmental or tell anyone what to do. I just hope anyone who sees this thinks carefully before going down the medication route.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/side-effects-of-finasteride/
By the way, great article Simon – covered with sensitivity and humour. I shaved my head at the same age and my mum had the same reaction, so that must be a natural English mum reaction!
Ha! Nice to hear, and thanks for the information Chris
What a well timed article! Very interesting to hear your thoughts ‘from the other side’.
Over the last 2 years I’ve been coming to terms with the fact I won’t have wonderful coverage for the rest of my days.
I’m thinning on top, I occasionally get comments from people it surprises (I’m taller than most of my friends, so for some people seeing the top of my head is noteworthy) but I try to not let them both me anymore.
I was dabbling in growing my hair out when I first started to notice, and I became (and perhaps I still am) worried that people thought I was trying to hide something.
I’m now keeping a maintained Steve McQueen style haircut, and will do until I can put a 10p piece on my head and touch nothing but skin. Then I’ll go your way Simon and take it down all over.
This is my personal approach, but that’s because it’s where I feel the safest. If someone else wants to do everything they can keep their hair then I won’t judge them.
How many times have you said in these articles that you will appear your best when you feel confident and comfortable? A lot I’d guess, and in my opinion it applies to hair/balding as well.
I started losing my hair in my teens and by my early 20’s I was well on my way to the familiar horseshoe hairline. I never felt good doing any comb-overs or other complex hairstyles. I did make a run at a fancy “hair system”. Basically an attached toupee. Within a week I realized it was not for me and off it came.
When you are in your 20’s it’s hard to see everyone has something about themselves they need to just embrace and manage. For the past 20 years I have been shaving my head.
Like you Simon I have embraced a beard. Sometimes I have a goatee but during the winter I’ll often have a 4-5” beard. I do find the longer beard does age me more. I don’t color my facial hair and as the years roll by it’s more and more white.
I went I. The same journey- had receding hair when I got married at 30 but started a rapid decline through my 30s.
i started clippering it off about 10 years ago and now do so weekly without a guard so it is almost as close as a wet shave.
i like it and would probably do similar even if I had a hairline.
A bonus is that you have a good excuse to wear and invest in a decent hat collection.
Stuart (age 58).
Simple. Stern. Stylish. All the virtues. My favorite thing I’ve read on A Permanent Style. The last sentence in particular.
This sounds oh so familiar. I started to thin noticeably in my mid-20s, and I thought to myself it was fine I will grow it a bit and then we can do something with it longer. Nope, it doesn’t help, so it then became short sides, slightly longer on top for many years till after my wedding. I didn’t want to do the whole pills, transplant thing, where I live in the Falklands makes the travel to such appointments difficult too.
I grew out the beard first – much dismay to the wife-to-be, with the promise I would shave before the wedding (never did, and still have it). She didn’t want me to shave my head when I had decided it was time, but she was worried I wouldn’t look like me. I think she was bothered about the wedding photos. The next time I was in the UK, I went straight to a barber and said Buzz it off. I was nervous but, I hated the gaps and the fact in certain light I looked worse anyway. At the age of 31, the hair wasn’t hiding anything anymore. The Barber even tried to sell me options and transplants but I was done with the balding Tintin look I had going on.
It was the best decision I made, my confidence went through the roof, and I felt smarter in my clothes. It wasn’t this thing hanging over me anymore that stopped me from being in photos in case the light hit me wrong. I had not realised the mental strain it had on me till after I had shaven it. If you are feeling like it is controlling parts of your life I can only say from my experience no matter how you look, with it gone there is nothing left to hide and that is feeling is so freeing.
I really cannot believe you fell for the old “monkey on the head” trick! …………I’ve yet to hear of a person who hasn’t lost at least something in that circumstance. Oh well what’s done is done!
Silly little frightened man.
Simon,
This statement is the most apt and telling in your story. Confidence is sexy and you have that in spades.
Presentation is everything. How one presents oneself gives others clues in how to read us, and how we wish to be seen. Emphasize the positive. Clothing well cut, hair to follow suit. I admire that you don’t shy away from discussing physical issues. We all have them. Sloping shoulders, I didn’t really notice that as a drawback because you wear the clothes, they don’t wear you. You always look comfortable in your clothes and you reflect it in the images you post.
Thank-you for the journey into the male image. It’s oftentimes a foreign territory.
Best,
Christopher
Made me think of this advice from a proud bald man:
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/specials/20000319fas-david1.html
Nice. Thanks Lawrence
Simon I took your advice and have been to see Stefan (only infrequently when visiting London for work). What a lovely humble guy and his new premises is great. I have a hair related question that perhaps you can address in a full post, as it relates to clothing. I’ve gone from dark brown hair to at least 50% gray over the past decade and discovered that many clothes and colours that used to suit suddenly no longer do. It completely changes your complexion. I’m still in my 40s so not quite ready to shuffle off to the fashion retirement home. Any advice on making the transition to gray? What colors and casual styles to ditch or embrace while still looking fresh?
Hey Paul,
I’ve gone more grey, but with less hair this is perhaps less of an issue for me. One thing I would say is try to keep some contrast in the cloths – eg a white shirt under a grey sweater, rather than a grey sweater on its own. That kind of thing helps when there is less contrast around the face
I recently picked up a bedbug on a flight from Paris to London and it ended up infesting my entire flat. Had to put a number of bespoke suits in the dryer for 40min (steaming wasn’t sufficient to kill the eggs) and the majority of them were shrunk and ruined. They then sprayed the interior of my closet (filled with Drakes knits, Rubato, Savile Row tailoring etc…) with heavy pesticides. I’ve lost much of my wardrobe because one pregnant bug crawled into my suitcase. Took months to get rid of the bugs and the bites were nothing short of horrific. I still have nightmares about it.
You should consider doing an article on bedbug prevention Simon. According to the pest control company I hired, they are increasingly all over airports, Ubers and trains and the Permanent Style reader is often travelling. Don’t wait and end up in the situation I did! Wrap your suitcases in thick plastic and dry everything (suits too) on high heat after travelling.
Personally having started to lose it on my crown in my early thirties, and every male friend making a newsworthy discovery that–Richard youre going bald! As if only they had discovered it. The real truth i found, is that its like grass–the more often you cut it the better it grows. You can see it on males and females, if they let it grow without cutting, it gets thinner and thinner (looks bad) and appears theyre in denial. Or need glasses. I found i love having a bald head it gives freedom, and a great collection of hats for all seasons and occasions. Also the australian sun loves an uncovered scalp for planting melanomas. Which hat today?
I have very good luck in that I have kept most of my hair well into middle age, and probably a lot of men would trade places with me. That said, I am lazy about getting regular haircuts and it is just a fact that 99% of the time a man will look better with very short hair, particularly as it is, by definition, neat and speaks of overall good grooming. Shaved, buzzed, or very short is good. It takes a lot more to pull off longer styles, including the receding hairline / swept back look. I think because it seems less utilitarian and more careful considered. Of course, one also risks disarray with longer hair, from wind, etc.
I got my first gray hair when I was 23. I pulled it out. And I kept pulling them out until I was almost 30. At 32, my mother told me I had a small bald patch on the back of my head. I knew where this was going. I didn’t do anything; no comb-overs, no dye job. Nothing. I embraced the salt-and-pepper. And the balding. I kept graying and balding for 40 years.
About two years ago, I just didn’t like the way I looked; almost completely gray, what hair I had left was thinning.. Something had to be done. I had two choices: a buzz cut (Jason Statham), or go all the way (Patrick Stewart). For the buzz cut to work, it helps if you look like Jason Statham. I don’t. So the choice was made for me…ENGAGE.
I’m still getting used to it. It looks better than graying/balding, but I wonder are people looking at me (they aren’t). Only 7 percent of men in the States shave their heads. My doctor (who shaves his head) says I look about ten years younger. I don’t know. But there’s no going back.
I do like Earl Grey.
Thank you for the wonderful article. Like many men, I, too, have experienced this.
Thinning hair in your 20s can be pretty emotional and can take a toll on one’s confidence. I only thought about my thinning hair for many years and what people thought. It was all-encompassing, and it took me away from being me.
When I hit 30, I was ready to cut it all off. I had never buzzed or shaved my head before, so I made an appointment at a barber one week later and told myself, let me sit with this for a week. I have an appointment and can always cancel. The day came, and I was so excited to do it. I remember washing my hair for the last time and strangely thinking how thankful I was for this moment. Later that day I cut it all of and haven’t looked back since.
It can take a bit to get used to, but as Simon beautifully stated, people, including yourself, get used to it. I love the way it feels, and I have so much confidence in myself because of it. It’s also an excellent look for well-dressed men, as it becomes a conscious choice to rock a balled head and can be very distinguished. I also know plenty of balding men who look great without the completely shaved look. It’s all personal and what brings you confidence.
The most important thing is feeling like yourself, no matter what that entails. It’s a personal journey; when you find it for yourself, it usually radiates to everyone around you.
If you’re afraid of letting go, that’s okay! Lean into it and truly feel what you’re feeling. If, like me, your hair is all you thought/currently think about, you might be pretty amazed at how good you feel when it’s all gone.
This is a difficult topic. I have let my wife make decisions for me, since it’s too difficult to make any decisions myself. If she’s happier with how I look, so am I. As I try to cut my hair shorter, my wife says she prefers my hair before the haircuts. I’ve considered growing a beard to make up for having less on top, but again my wife says no to the beard. So I do my best with making the most of less. To make matters worse, I haven’t been able to find a barber I like in years.
This article is excellent in that it brings out the fact that for most men hair loss is traumatic. How to do deal with it appropriately is the key. Facing reality on several issues is the adult and smart thing to do. First: medication must be taken permanently because upon stopping any growth will be gone within a year. Two: people will notice if you have some type of toupee, regardless of price. You’re not fooling anyone. Three: the short haircut is best. Four: if you’re bald or balding being out of shape and overweight does not help you. So, get in and stay in excellent shape because it will improve your appearance. Five: depending on your level of baldness, hair transplant surgery works providing your hair is dense enough in the back for grafts. Friends who’ve had it done have been very pleased, but said it was painful, expensive, and took years to complete. Finally, if a woman tells you that she doesn’t care if a man has a nice head of hair or not she’s lying!
If I may, you are tall Simon. I am not. This makes a massive difference to how you carry a shaven head.
Do you think? I can see how other things make a difference, eg beard, weight, glasses, but I’m not sure height is as important as those. Look at someone like Gauthier Borsarello. He is not tall
Thanks Simon, it’s really useful to see these things being written about. A weird thing about hair loss is that other people know about it before you do! At least they dp if you lose it on top first rather than receding. I didn’t realise until I went into a John Lewis changing room one day and there were those mirrors that let you see yourself from behind…
Any thoughts on Prince William’s current approach, i.e. short, neat but substantive hair on the sides but shaved on top? It seems a bit more conservative than your style and I wonder if it would suit me better as I’ve got quite a small head. At the moment I’m not far off developing an “island” at the front, so one of these days I’m going to have to take steps…
I think he should go shorter myself… Smacks a little of fear and makes him look older than he is.
Yes I know, I remember seeing mine in a mirror like that too!
Nothing more liberating than shaving it all off and embracing it.
Trying to keep it short(ish) / style it just didn’t work for me.
looks better and I don’t even think about it now, whereas before I spent a lot of time worrying about how it looked.
a few comments here on about looking older if you shave your head, but I think the opposite, hanging on does a much better job of making you look older!
My experience was a little different to most men. My uncles started losing their hair in their late teens so I’d come to accept very early on that the Norwood reaper had likely marked me. I first noticed my hair thinning in my early twenties and immediately made the decision to buzz it to 0mm. My hair was already thin and curly so it wasn’t terribly hard to say goodbye to it. I’ve been wearing it as a 0 by shaving it every couple of days for nearly a decade later. My advice is to just do it; the agony of holding on is much worse than the temporary fear of letting go. Also wear a beard/stubble to provide some visual balance, especially if you have more of a baby-face.
cheers