Would you rather go bald for the front or the back?

Omackeral

I've noticed among my friends (myself included) that Father Time has started to take his toll on most of us. Some chaps are receding from the front more so giving them the massive forehead look and/or pizza slices in the front corners. Others are losing it off their crown which leaves a bald spot for all to enjoy and ridicule.

Gents- which way would you rather go, if you had a choice in the matter? What are the pros and cons of each. Eg you can grow a sweet skullet if you thin out from the front!

Ladies- feel free to weigh in with an opinion too.

kfallon

Just mach3 it all off ta fúck!!!

kneemos

So the ladies have to weigh in with their opinion.A bit sexist there op.

Cantstandsya

The only answer to this is the front as then you know it's happening and can face up to it.

As a protracted go baldy myself I can't over emphasise for any of you young fellas out there the relief of just facing up to it and getting rid. It hurts for a few minutes but, in comparison to the years of staring in the mirror, it is a relief beyond comparison.

I wouldn't go the Mac 3 route but a bladeless electric razor is definitely the answer to either option.

conorhal

kfallon wrote: »

Just mach3 it all off ta fúck!!!

I can't! I just have one of those faces that makes me look less like a hard skinhead and more like chemo recipient! The only positive to shaving my head is the possibility of a free trip to Disneyland.....

danniemcq

if i do go bald hopefully its from the front as i have to many scars and lumps at the back due to a mixture of bad luck or stupidity that the hair covers. I look like a thug when its all shaved

Cantstandsya

conorhal wrote: »

I can't! I just have one of those faces that makes me look less like a hard skinhead and more like chemo recipient! The only positive to shaving my head is the possibility of a free trip to Disneyland.....

This is all in your head. If you still have a hairline then just shave it all tightly in to start with and see how that goes down.

I remember (aeons ago when this was an issue for me) the first time I went out with a shaved head, I was stunned that the opposite sex suddenly seemed more interested in me, despite all the propaganda I had read in ladies mags to the contrary.

_Redzer_

Front, definitely front. Nothing looks worse than balding from the crown, at which point you should just shave it all off

Toby Take a Bow

Front would be my preference. Don't fancy that Friar Tuck look (although I have a feeling I'm going that way).

Duck's hoop

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Front, definitely front. Nothing looks worse than balding from the crown, at which point you should just shave it all off

Quite a few things look a lot worse.

Cantstandsya

Duck's hoop wrote: »

Quite a few things look a lot worse.

Am guessing he means within the male hair style/hair loss context

Karl Stein

I've inherited the 'stubborn hair gene' from my Dad who has a full head of hair and he's in his early 70's.

_Redzer_

Duck's hoop wrote: »

Quite a few things look a lot worse.

Obviously I'm talking in relation to hair. At least with a receding hairline you can cut it short and get away with it and it'll look fine. With a bald spot you can either get a come over or just leave it. Both look so bad it's better having no hair at all.

_Redzer_

Carlos Roca wrote: »

I've inherited the 'stubborn hair gene' from my Dad who has a full head of hair and he's in his early 70's.

Can't wait until gene therapy really becomes commonplace. We can eradicate stupid, worthless baldness genes once and for all.

Cantstandsya

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Obviously I'm talking in relation to hair. At least with a receding hairline you can cut it short and get away with it and it'll look fine. With a bald spot you can either get a come over or just leave it. Both look so bad it's better having no hair at all.

Agree with this. Today I look back at photos from when I was lightly balding. I still had a luscious head of hair, retreating only lightly at the sides but it still looks ridiculous to me now.

To me, at this point in my life, you either have a full head of hair or you don't. If you don't then just get rid of it. That is the only legitimate hair style for a man without a full head of hair.

Cantstandsya

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Can't wait until gene therapy really becomes commonplace. We can eradicate stupid, worthless baldness genes once and for all.

There is a fantastic quote from Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek) in relation to this.

On the unveiling of the actors/characters for star in Star Trek the Next Generation one journalist asked wouldn't there be a cure for baldness by the 24th century. (The captain, Jean Luc Picard is properly bald).

Roddenberry's response was that by the 24th Century nobody would care either way.

I think this sums it all up for me. Baldness is such a big thing when you're young and you see it happening to you. I spent lots of time worrying about it so I certainly empathise. Really though guys, it's no big deal. Just embrace it and move on. You will be stunned at how quickly you get over it once you accept it.

irritablebaz

i'm going at the back of my crown but it does not really bother me, i have a no2 crop and like to keep it short anyway. at 49 i have had a good run hair wise so am quite happy to accept my impending ugliness to all women.

tallus

It's a bit like asking would you rather be shot or hanged...my answer is neither. I'm lucky that three of my brothers are bald, and I'm not.

_Redzer_

Cantstandsya wrote: »

There is a fantastic quote from Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek) in relation to this.

On the unveiling of the actors/characters for star in Star Trek the Next Generation one journalist asked wouldn't there be a cure for baldness by the 24th century. (The captain, Jean Luc Picard is properly bald).

Roddenberry's response was that by the 24th Century nobody would care either way.

I think this sums it all up for me. Baldness is such a big thing when you're young and you see it happening to you. I spent lots of time worrying about it so I certainly empathise. Really though guys, it's no big deal. Just embrace it and move on. You will be stunned at how quickly you get over it once you accept it.

I agree, but it's not the point. It's kind of an engineering problem that can be solved and there's massive monetary gain in it.

Take it this way, if you're balding,and or bald, you've no say in the matter and often are forced to shave out of necessity of it looking like the best solution. If you've good genes in that department, and retain your hair, you have a choice to do whatever you want. That's what's best.

It's a worthless genetic defect, purely in the aesthetic sense of course, so there's no reason to stand in its way if it can be eradicated.

Cantstandsya

_Redzer_ wrote: »

I agree, but it's not the point. It's kind of an engineering problem that can be solved and there's massive monetary gain in it.

Take it this way, if you're balding,and or bald, you've no say in the matter and often are forced to shave out of necessity of it looking like the best solution. If you've good genes in that department, and retain your hair, you have a choice to do whatever you want. That's what's best.

It's a worthless genetic defect, purely in the aesthetic sense of course, so there's no reason to stand in its way if it can be eradicated.

Of course aesthetically, in the modern age of what is considered attractive, it is useless. I have no idea what evolutionary mechanisms were involved in leading some of us to be bald. I doubt it is as simple as aesthetics though.

I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to pharmacy etc in relation to non-serious issues such as baldness. I would imagine if there ever is a "cure" it will be diluted to such an extent that you must take it once a month for at least 50 euro a pop.

I have quizzed myself on how much I would spend to have a full head of hair again. I think my limit is about 1,000. I would pay 1,000 for a full head of hair, any more than that (over a lifetime) and they can get stuffed.

I think of what I can buy for that money, a swish new gaming PC or a nice holiday to the other side of the planet or some outgrow of follicles on my scalp... It's an easy decision for me.

Ask me 10 years ago and my answer would be completely different of course, hence my words of wisdom for the newly balding.

Karl Stein

Cantstandsya wrote: »

Really though guys, it's no big deal.

Well obviously it is for some guys or we wouldn't have tens of millions chasing a 'cure' and being spent of surgery.

Cantstandsya

Carlos Roca wrote: »

Well obviously it is for some guys or we wouldn't have tens of millions chasing a 'cure' and being spent of surgery.

Like I have said, it was for me too. I know me saying it is no big deal won't make you think that yourself (for a long time I thought it was a big deal).

I would be quite certain though that the majority of the guys worrying about it today will come to accept it and move on.

It is a purely aesthetic issue and unless you are completely attached to pop cultural definitions of attractiveness then you will realise it's not worth your worrying.

Most women are not beholden to what a teenage girl's magazine tells them a guy should be.

Again, I am not trying to trivialise your concerns as I was there myself. I simply state that it is more than possible to get over it and not give a toss.

_Redzer_

Cantstandsya wrote: »

Of course aesthetically, in the modern age of what is considered attractive, it is useless. I have no idea what evolutionary mechanisms were involved in leading some of us to be bald. I doubt it is as simple as aesthetics though.

I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to pharmacy etc in relation to non-serious issues such as baldness. I would imagine if there ever is a "cure" it will be diluted to such an extent that you must take it once a month for at least 50 euro a pop.

I have quizzed myself on how much I would spend to have a full head of hair again. I think my limit is about 1,000. I would pay 1,000 for a full head of hair, any more than that (over a lifetime) and they can get stuffed.

I think of what I can buy for that money, a swish new gaming PC or a nice holiday to the other side of the planet or some outgrow of follicles on my scalp... It's an easy decision for me.

Ask me 10 years ago and my answer would be completely different of course, hence my words of wisdom for the newly balding.

They have been negative evolutionary factors due to changing sociological environments where the development of civilization and order changed or physical stress to phychological stress, like we have in our modern society. So instead of physical stress of hunting, being hunted, we have new stresses like more complexly hierarchy of larger societies, and monetary and social strains. These new found stresses affected our physiology and genes.

Primates in very large packs are subjected to balding as they age too, it's entirely stress related on their part too and it arises in the very same way in very complex and social environments that can be very mentally taxing.

And if you're takling genes, there's no pharmacology involved. You insert/inhibit your gene and that's it. You're never to go bald again. No pill required.

Balding affects the self esteem and confidence of many, many men, if they were offered an opportunity to change that I'm sure all would. That's reason enough to justify gene therapy.

Cantstandsya

_Redzer_ wrote: »

They have been negative evolutionary factors due to changing sociological environments where the development of civilization and order changed or physical stress to phychological stress, like we have in our modern society. So instead of physical stress of hunting, being hunted, we have new stresses like more complexly hierarchy of larger societies, and monetary and social strains. These new found stresses affected our physiology and genes.

Primates in very large packs are subjected to balding as they age too, it's entirely stress related on their part too and it arises in the very same way in very complex and social environments that can be very mentally taxing.

And if you're takling genes, there's no pharmacology involved. You insert/inhibit your gene and that's it. You're never to go bald again. No pill required.

Balding affects the self esteem and confidence of many, many men, if they were offered an opportunity to change that I'm sure all would. That's reason enough to justify gene therapy.

I don't disagree with you at all and if someone offered me a once off cure for a reasonable price I would take it.

I simply don't find the reality of being bald remotely proportional to the worry that most men seem to attribute to its prospect.

Like I said, I would pay 1,000 to have my full head of hair again. Obviously I would rather have hair than not but I think modern culture makes men feel far worse about it than necessary.

26 and had to shave it all down to a 2 last week because of the bald spot.. I'm lucky that my head looks fine with very short or no hair.

keano_afc

I didnt have a choice, I'm 34 and losing it at a rate of knots from the crown. Keep it fairly short so its not a big deal.

_Redzer_

Cantstandsya wrote: »

I don't disagree with you at all and if someone offered me a once off cure for a reasonable price I would take it.

I simply don't find the reality of being bald remotely proportional to the worry that most men seem to attribute to its prospect.

Like I said, I would pay 1,000 to have my full head of hair again. Obviously I would rather have hair than not but I think modern culture makes men feel far worse about it than necessary.

Well this way it'll slowly be eradicated from the population before they're even born, they'll never have to choose.

You won't be able to change the genome of human long after fertilization, unless you use genetically modified viruses specifically in that area to modify hair cells -but that's extremely complex and I'm not to informed on the mechanics of that.

It's good that you don't get weighed down by it because there's very little you can do to fix the problem in a practical way, so it's best to make peace with it as best you can, but you can't tell somebody not to worry about either. Everyone is different and attributes their worry in different ways. I don't think they're wrong in not being happy, I can understand it and why it might always bother some men no matter how much they try to make peace with it.

Alfonzito

You start a new religion that wears a little skullcap!

Shaved heads that make you look like an Eastenders character or a mad murderer are not cool!

alf

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm unfortunately balding at the back and on top and a bit at the front but my hair line hasn't receded at the front, it's just gone light all over. I keep it cut very tight all over now. I couldn't care less what other thinks about it. I'm sure most people couldn't care less either about some strangers hairline. When mine gets too thin I'm going Grant Mitchell on it.

Wibbs

kneemos wrote: »

So the ladies have to weigh in with their opinion.A bit sexist there op.

*palm insert face*

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Primates in very large packs are subjected to balding as they age too, it's entirely stress related on their part too and it arises in the very same way in very complex and social environments that can be very mentally taxing.

I read an article a while back where research seemed to show a strong environmental correlation with crown thinning, but not with frontal thinning. The latter was it seems entirely genetic/age related, but the crown was more a symptom of some environmental underlying cause with a genetic component that made men more prone to it. One theory was down to stress as you say. Maybe higher cortisone levels, higher blood sugar, even how stress may clench the scalp muscles starving the follicles of nutrients? IIRC regaine type stuff increases bloodflow. Also only works on the crown which might be indicative of the environmental stress theory?

Another culprit that was suggested was low vitamin D levels which many people in the west suffer from as more and more we actively avoid sunlight*. The latter might explain why European populations seem much more prone to baldness compared to Asian and African populations. Europeans went paler to absorb more vitamin D and maybe that particular change also meant that baldness was more prevalent as a side effect? Maybe that was the unfortunate genetic trade off? Asians also went paler, but quite different genes are at work. I only learned this week of an interesting aside on this front. Although Asians have generally pale skin and much paler than Africans they suffer from skin cancer at the same rate as Africans, whereas Europeans suffer it in far larger numbers.

On a baldness cure? I can see that coming soon enough. Likely area would be follicle cloning. So using the guys own hair to grow new hairs, rather than harvesting hair and moving it around on his head like in transplants. Finding some gene therapy that could be injected into the balding site to trigger the existing dormant follicles to wake up might be an even easier solution. No surgery for a start.






*It surprised me how much exposure is required for the right daily dose. Something like your exposed torso for half an hour in direct sunlight and you can't have a shower for a few hours afterwards as the D would be washed away.