Opinions on alternatives to balding

SuprSi

I'm not far off losing most of the hair from the front half of my head. I keep it as short as possible, without resorting to a blade, so it doesn't look that bad, but I still don't want to go bald!!

I've tried everything possible to regrow my hair, from laser to topical solutions, but none worked, so I've been looking at the alternatives. I wouldn't even consider implants as it's far too expensive, the results don't seem that great, and it involves surgery. My only other option (that I know of anyway) is to go for this Strand by Strand thing from Advanced Hair Studio. I had a chat with them about a week ago and it's very interesting, particularly the results that can be obtained.

It's basically a glorified wig - real hair, any length, colour, style, etc, matched to your existing/remaining hair, stuck to your head through a transparent almost skin-like membrane that is practically impossible to detect, even from close range. It's expensive, but very impressive. I could basically go from a rather unfetching head of skin to a full head of hair in 3 hours.

Anyway, my question regarding this whole thing is to do with people's opinions of this sort of procedure, or the results obtained, particularly womens opinions. For instance, lets say you were on a night out and bumped into a fella that you were attracted to, got on great with, and had a laugh, but you then found out that the hair he has on his head isn't his own, but is stuck there. It looks and feels real, but it's not real. How would you react?

I view this sort of procedure in the same light as facelifts or women getting their boobs done - something that makes a person unhappy and that can be 'fixed' easily enough. If the roles were reversed and I met a girl who had had the procedure done (it has been done!) it wouldn't bother me, but that's only my opinion.

If I do decide that I'm better off not spending the large amounts of money required and go for the bald look, I'll do it in as dignified a manner as possible, though I won't ever be happy about it, unless the world experiences an outbreak of cooties or ticks

Cheers,

Si.

WhiteWashMan

why do you think that being bald is a bad thing?

holly_johnson

Hi there,

I've never heard of this procedure before.. it sounds interesting. Definitely an alternative to the implants which look extremely painful and very expensive.

I personally would not have a problem with someone who had this done. I think as you said it's just the same as any other procedure that people have done all the time. If you don't like something about yourself there is no reason for you not to change it, as long as you are sure it is what you want.

Good luck!

Beruthiel

WhiteWashMan wrote:

why do you think that being bald is a bad thing?

agreed
how many blokes these days shave their heads even though they have hair?
why spend your money on something like that?
jean luc picard always looked sexy to me

SuprSi

It's not that I think it's a bad thing, I would just prefer if it wasn't happening at all! I used to have great hair, which makes it all the more difficult, and I know I'd look way better with hair, which in itself would give me more confidence - that has to be a good thing.

On the other hand there's the continuing cost of this procedure, matched with extra maintenance, etc.

As I said if I do go the natural route and lose my hair, it's not the end of the world, but because I now seem to have a choice, I've got to consider it.

galactus

Shave it all...and think "virile" not "bald".

WhiteWashMan

why would having 'great hair' give you confidence?

well, as opposed to crap hair, but you get my drift. its not a loreal a here!

but my point is, what is it about not having hair that makes a difference to you, and why do you feel that it would effect your confidence?

and how exactly would you tell a girl that your hair was actually some stuck on tufts? i mean, id see that as an issue of low self esteem, that you need to pretend to be someone you arent (thats how i would see it, im not saying tis true), and i wouldnt really want to go out with you.

kasintahan

Beruthiel wrote:

agreed
how many blokes these days shave their heads even though they have hair?
why spend your money on something like that?
jean luc picard always looked sexy to me

I shave my head (wet razor) - it suit me, but some guys heads just look silly with no hair.

I'd like the option of having all my hair back just so I'd have more choice (like different clothes) but it doesn't bother me.

galactus

WhiteWashMan wrote:

why would having 'great hair' give you confidence?

Great hair does give some people extra confidence - David Hasselhoff for example.

SuprSi

Ok, maybe great hair wasn't the best description, but what I meant was that I really liked my hair a few years ago. And I definitely had more luck with women, which in itself is a big confidence boost. Since I've started losing my hair I've definitely been less promiscuous, and it's not for lack of effort!!

Regarding telling a girl about it, I'm not sure how I'd do it. You could make a joke about it and explain that way or something - dunno, not something I've really thought about yet.

So I guess my confidence comes from being able to meet and score with women that I'm attracted to, or being attractable to the opposite sex - I'm single so I'd guess it's the same for a lot of people, and from past experience I have a better chance when not bald!

Canis Lupus

I'm slowly but surely receding myself (thanks dad). Personally I don't have "the head" to shave it close but once it starts to get ridiculous I'm gonna do it and sod the consequences. Personally I figure it's just one of those things ya gotta live with.

tk123

see equaition :

You : No hair = unattractive = no confidence
Girls : no confidence = unattractive

Personally I wouldn't have a prob if a guy was a bit thin on top..

delly

Beruthiel wrote:

agreed
how many blokes these days shave their heads even though they have hair?
why spend your money on something like that?
jean luc picard always looked sexy to me

It may have more to do the fact that he was the captain of NCC-1701-D me thinks

I personnally don't have a balding problem, but i do keep my hair cut to a size 2 blade. If it wasn't for work, i'd proabably shave the whole lot off. Can't advise about the whole scoring thing in relation to short hair, as i'm happily married.

petes

Im 24 and almost completely bald..not even abit around the sides so I shave it..just live with it..cant even give out to my dad for it(full head of hair). I used to have a loads of hair but it doesnt bother me and as for

"I'd like the option of having all my hair back just so I'd have more choice (like different clothes) but it doesn't bother me."

I dont see what having hair or not having hair determines what you can wear!

MojoMaker

SuprSi wrote:

So I guess my confidence comes from being able to meet and score with women that I'm attracted to, or being attractable to the opposite sex - I'm single so I'd guess it's the same for a lot of people, and from past experience I have a better chance when not bald!

Absolute codswallop. The problem is that you perceive your impending baldness as a problem when in fact it isn't at all. The longer you let it affect you in this way the longer you will go without 'scoring' - as folks have said above, it matters little what's on your head (or not as the case may be) if your personality reflects this perception of yours.

Beruthiel

delly wrote:

It may have more to do the fact that he was the captain of NCC-1701-D me thinks

nerd


You : No hair = unattractive = no confidence
Girls : no confidence = unattractive

that's it in a nutshell!

WhiteWashMan

SuprSi wrote:

And I definitely had more luck with women, which in itself is a big confidence boost. Since I've started losing my hair I've definitely been less promiscuous, and it's not for lack of effort!!

so you feel that losing your hair means you score less women? kinda like samson eh?

you feel that you are less confident with less hair?

or maybe your not scoring because of lack of confidence, and you are just projecting that onto a receeding hair line?

SuprSi wrote:

Regarding telling a girl about it, I'm not sure how I'd do it. You could make a joke about it and explain that way or something - dunno, not something I've really thought about yet.

well maybe you should, and relalise that doing something like that may be a mistake, if youare not already in a relationship?
seriously, i have no idea how i would tell a chick that i was covering up a bald spot becuase i had a hang up about it.

SuprSi wrote:

So I guess my confidence comes from being able to meet and score with women that I'm attracted to,

hey, join the club.

SuprSi wrote:

or being attractable to the opposite sex - I'm single so I'd guess it's the same for a lot of people, and from past experience I have a better chance when not bald!

or did you have different circumstances, such as being in college, hanging around with different people, having a different lifestyle.

i dont see how you can say that being bald is unattractive by the way. ruthie hit a jackpot with picard. i have yet to met any woman that doesnt think he is sexy. hell, id do him myself! its all about attitude and confidence and grooming and self esteem. you can have hair down to your arse, but if you still think youre a waste of space with ni chance, you wont score.
hell, im not oil painting, im thinning on top, ive got hang ups and problem like everyone else, but damn it to hell, i have confidence, and a fabulous partner who loves me. which just makes life better as far as im concerned.

i dont think it matters what you look like, you will always find something about yourself that you dont like, be it your hair (or lack thereof) or your stomach, or your nose, or your chest size or whatever.

people always seem to be after this golden bullet to solve their problems.
if i had hair, i would score,
if i had bigger tits if get a great fella,
if i wasnt for this crooked nose, id be a better footballer!

you dont just fix things and automatically cure your life.

sticking a wig on your head will then make you self conscious when you go out.
hey, maybe people can see where it connects.
what if i score this chick, and my hair falls off during sex?
will she still like me if she knows i lied about my hair?
does my bum look big in this?
what if
what if
what if


what if you just tried going out and being yourself, put on some new clothes that look good, headed out where lots of your friends are, and lots of their friends are, and there are people you can talk to, and people you can be introduced to.
i bet youd score. hell, even i could score!

i just wish people would stop beating themselves up over issues that really arent important because they cant see past them.


what was the point i was making again?

SuprSi

Well some interesting opinions here but please don't get me wrong - it's not killing me, going bald, I was merely trying to find out what people thought of getting something like this done. My social circumstances haven't really changed much over the last few years though, so I don't put that down as a reason for me not meeting as many interesting women.

But despite what has been said, I can't imagine anybody going bald, being single now, not in a long term or potentially long term relationship, and not being bothered about it. It is a big deal, no matter which way I look at it, and there's no way I'm the only one that thinks it sucks. And I also have a hard time believing that the majority of women don't at least dislike baldness.

But whatever, at least I've got some good info from this thread. I knew I started it for a reason!

pickarooney

Come on, not everyone is Jean-Luc Picard or Seán Connery. The fact is that a lot of blokes look a lot less attractive with no hair.
I know for a fact that I would be less attracted to a lot of pretty girls if they were slapheads, so it stands to reason the reverse is also true.

Beruthiel

SuprSi wrote:

also have a hard time believing that the majority of women don't at least dislike baldness

well
last time I looked, I was a woman and I think that comment is total balderdash!

combs

The first thing you want to make sure of is that your hair-loss is really genetic i.e. unavoidable. Be especially suspicious if it falls out very rapidly over a short period and then stops.

Have you considered taking medication to stop the hair-loss?

philtaylor

Yeah is there not some powerful drug on the marke that starts m or something like that is suppose to stop balding and maintain current hair . What about minoxidil does that work or is that prescription.

And is there an old wife tale or something that if you wash or shower every day your more likley to go bald because of the stress on your hair and other stuff like . Aswell as causes theres always so cracked idea of how to get your hair back isn;t there

mwnger

Come on, not everyone is Jean-Luc Picard or Seán Connery. The fact is that a lot of blokes look a lot less attractive with no hair.

And I definitely had more luck with women, which in itself is a big confidence boost.

Well, from what he's said, it seems that women have always found him attractive, so I can't believe he'd become totally repulsive to them after he's lost all (or some) of his hair.

Think of all the celebrities through the years who have had the p*ss taken outta them for going bald - Elton John, Bruce Forsyth, The Edge, William Shatner. Not because they went bald you see, but because they tried to conceal their baldness, with wigs, hair transplants and what-not (or in The Edge's case, wearing a hat for every minute of the last 15 years).
I honestly think you'd have less success with women if you tried to cover it up than if you just let it happen - as someone mentioned, you may appear desperate and lacking self-esteem. Or just plain ridiculous if this 'miracle' treatment doesn't turn out too well.

Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson - some of the sexiest men in Hollywood history, and all three of them slapheads!

BTW, well on the way to chrome-dome status meself, but I'm not gonna pre-empt it by shaving it all off. Going for the Nicholson-in-One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest-look. Man he was cool in that film!

combs

That's a better approach. Men who shave it all off are seen to be taking it badly. It just draws attention to the baldness. Some men look alright like that but it's better to leave the hair you have at a length that suits.

The drug is called Propacea in the US, and might be called something different here. Other drugs that do the same thing might go under different names.

That noise about washing it every day is all wrong.

pickarooney

mwnger wrote:

Think of all the celebrities through the years who have had the p*ss taken outta them for going bald - Elton John, Bruce Forsyth, The Edge, William Shatner. Not because they went bald you see, but because they tried to conceal their baldness, with wigs, hair transplants and what-not (or in The Edge's case, wearing a hat for every minute of the last 15 years).

And in Elton John's case, having a beard for... well, whatever length his marraige lasted.

saharzie

Propecia is available here and its basically the only drug that works on most men. IMO getting a hair transplant combined with propecia would be the way to go.
No amount of arguments can dissuade someone who wants to have more hair. There are realtively cheap ways to fix your problem. The idea that its all about what women think is not true. Its about what the person suffering the hair loss thinks. Some people dont care. Some people do. If you do, get it fixed, and do it early.
Getting a glorified wig is not the way to go I think. If you want to combat hair loss, do it properly.

BrianD3

This idea that women don't care about baldness in guys is bullsh1t. On several occasions I have overheard groups of women commenting and laughing about a guy's baldness/impending baldness. Comments like "OMG! Look at his bald patch! He'll be bald by the time he's 30!"

Then there's the commonly heard description "short, fat, middle aged and balding". Is this supposed to be a compliment?

Of course, not all women have a problem with baldness in guys, but plenty do. And comparing normal bald blokes with famous actors like Connery and Picard is silly. These guys aren't sexy because they're bald, they're sexy because they are famous and charismatic which means that their baldness ceases to become a major factor.

I myself have a slowly receding hairline, have been about a norwood 2.5-3 for the past couple of years. If it gets much worse. I'll be shaving the whole lot off.
Norwood scale for baldness

SuprSi

Hehe B, I'll hold you in the minority then! From my experience, and my friends experience, it does matter to women. It's all purely physical of course, and if people don't care about that then great, but most people these days do care about how people look, myself included. Obviously it'd be nice if all people didn't put so much importance into how the people they're attracted to look but most do.

Also, all the actors and famous people that have been mentioned are old! Do you think Brando and Connery would have been as famous as they are now if they were bald at 30? Imagine a bald Bond haha! Tom Cruise certainly didn't look good with a bald head in Minority Report, and Colin Farrell didn't look anywhere near as good as with his hair in Daredevil. Perhaps when they're older they could get away with it, but while you're young it doesn't really work. Billy Zane is the only actor I can think of that's bald now, but have you seen him in a movie since he lost his hair, apart from a small part in Zoolander? I'm not saying it's stricly down to that, but he was fairly famous.

I'd love to believe that being bald wouldn't affect my confidence, my chances of meeting women, etc, etc, but it will. It's easy to say get on with it but all it takes is one snide comment or something similar to dispell any beliefs that I'm getting away with it.

Oh and it's definitely heriditery - I had it checked out and it's DHT causing the baldness. It's been happening over a period of time, though admittedly I haven't tried Prophecia and I may be a bit late at this stage.

BrianD3

It's all purely physical of course, and if people don't care about that then great, but most people these days do care about how people look, myself included. Obviously it'd be nice if all people didn't put so much importance into how the people they're attracted to look but most do.

Well said. It's about time that people woke up from their little dreamworld where they think that women don't care about how a guy looks and that all they care about his sense of humour, honesty and intelligence. Absolute rubbish, women are just as shallow as men these days.

BrianD3

MojoMaker

Man, you two should go out together some night. Laurel & Hardy wouldn't have a patch on you.

If you have any remote hint of a point there Brian you must surely be referring to young girls whose lives re not populated by balding men...yet. Perhaps the only reference point they usually have is older members of their family and judge all balding men (i.e. must be old and weird) accordingly. However these kind of attitudes are usually well behind most women by 25.

One of the fundamental bases for attraction between the sexes is individuality and marked sexual differences between the two. Think about it, in vanilla hetero terms, if a woman looks like a man (non existant breasts, no hips, short haired, prominent jaw etc) it is simply not attractive to a male. Likewise an effeminate guy will have trouble appealing sexually to a female. One of the core differences between the sexes, apart from obviously plumbing, is the male tendency to lose hair from adolescence onwards. This 'feature' is a defining characteristic of the male sex (there are small exceptions I realise) and as such, on a subconscious level, registers quite highly with women - whether they realise it or not. Why do you think men are subconsciously more attracted to women with medium to large breasts and rounded hips?

A bald or short haired man, if rejected, is more likely to be unconsciously rejected because of another feature altogether of the male in question. An unattractive bald man is an unattractive man first and foremost. His baldness hasn't made him unattractive. A good looking bloke with hair is first and foremost a good looking bloke, hair or no hair.

However, one thing's for sure, a scowl of annoyance, fear, or plain old ineptitude on the face of a man, good looking or ugly, hirsute or bald, will turn away a female almost instantly.

LegacyUser

I tried everything when i started going bald at 19. Propecia, Regaine, shampoos etc etc. I even had a hair transplant about 7 years ago at 21 which was the worst mistake of my life. It was a completely botched job and is now so visible to everyone as I decided to shave my head to a 1 blade. I would not recommend you have any treatment done speaking from experience.

Everyone that knows me has said a shaved head suits me and that i look much better now. Not only that but women do find it sexy.

Women love confidence and confidence comes from within. Why not start working out in the gym and bulking up....it'll be a lot cheaper and you're confidence will grow...again I'm speaking from experience. this is exactly what i did once I shave my head and I've now no problems attracting women.

I am actually pleading with you not to have this treatment done. In years to come you will actually realise people like you for you and not whether you have a head of hair or not. This surgery is not life threatening...use the money to go out and enjoy life or give some of it to the Tsunami relief fund. You're only on this planet for a short period of time...make the most of it

Again please put some serious thought into this.

pickarooney

Go with the combover - in bizarro world here ^^^ where apparently women don't care about hair it's probably sexy.

Fast_Mover

i know my bro who 24 is very conscience about his hair. he has short hair but it thining on front and he will be bald, just a matter of time i suppose...its just for him he young and his friends all hav hair...

BrianD3

MojoMaker wrote:

One of the fundamental bases for attraction between the sexes is individuality and marked sexual differences between the two. Think about it, in vanilla hetero terms, if a woman looks like a man (non existant breasts, no hips, short haired, prominent jaw etc) it is simply not attractive to a male. Likewise an effeminate guy will have trouble appealing sexually to a female. One of the core differences between the sexes, apart from obviously plumbing, is the male tendency to lose hair from adolescence onwards. This 'feature' is a defining characteristic of the male sex (there are small exceptions I realise) and as such, on a subconscious level, registers quite highly with women - whether they realise it or not. Why do you think men are subconsciously more attracted to women with medium to large breasts and rounded hips?

The problem here is you've failed to differentiate between an adult male hairline and actual male pattern baldness. The adult hairline is like a Norwood 1-2 hairline and is a sign that the male has matured from an adolescent to an adult male. This does *not* mean that the guy is going bald or will go bald. It is this adult hairline that is one of the features that distinguishes young, healthy males from young, healthy females.

Of course there are loads of bald guys in their 40s and older that have no problems attracting women. However's it's not because of their "manly" baldness, it's in spite of it. Reason women go for these guys is they are often successful, powerful, have good jobs, high status, are well off, good providers etc. If you take a 45 year old male with a NW2 hairline vs the exact same guy with a NW5 females will be generally more attracted to the NW2 guy because he will appear more youthful, studly etc.

However there are other aspects of a man's physical appearance that are more important than baldness when it comes to attracting women. Height for example.

BrianD3

MojoMaker

Funnily enough you've had issues with your height on here before, despite being what, 5'11, you consider yourself small? Are you sure you're not projecting insecurities about your general physical appearance onto others? Fair question.

Honestly, I can sympathise, but really, how is this an important issue in anyone's lives? Self confidence comes from a variety of sources, and baldness could only be an esteem factor in people with low self esteem to begin with. Not saying this is you mind, please don't get me wrong, but the more a man worries about it, the more anyone he comes into contact will also "worry about it". It is scientifically proven that women are unconsciously attracted to the marked differences between the sexes. However, as you say, a short fat bald guy isn't helping his case a whole lot, but it ain't the baldness that's the dominant factor.

Seriously, it's just not that big a deal. If it is then perhaps there are other areas of one's life that need examination first, like why something like this can get to you in the first place. I guarantee you'll look back and laugh at something like this in a few years.

BrianD3

you've had issues with your height on here before, despite being what, 5'11

Nope, 5 foot 9 (and a half)

Are you sure you're not projecting insecurities about your general physical appearance onto others?

I don't think so. I have been slagged about aspects of my appearance such as height and weight and have heard women slagging other guys about theri bald heads and beer bellies. It's not my imagination so I wouldn't say I'm projecting.

Honestly, I can sympathise, but really, how is this an important issue in anyone's lives? Self confidence comes from a variety of sources, and baldness could only be an esteem factor in people with low self esteem to begin with. Not saying this is you mind, please don't get me wrong, but the more a man worries about it, the more anyone he comes into contact will also "worry about it". It is scientifically proven that women are unconsciously attracted to the marked differences between the sexes. However, as you say, a short fat bald guy isn't helping his case a whole lot, but it ain't the baldness that's the dominant factor

Perhaps I exaggerated the significance of baldness in the original post, however I do feel it is a factor in attractiveness. A guys's hair is a pretty obvious part of his physical appearance. Other aspects of physical appearance that would influence attractiveness include face, height, weight, muscularity, teeth etc. There's no doubt in my mind that women do notice a guys appearance and judge him on it, therefore any insecurities a guy might have about his appearance are not necessarily "just in his head".

BrianD3

LegacyUser

Hey supersi,

Stay away from Advanced hair studios man, they're just salespeople not dermatologists.Went for a consultation with them before to have some jug eared twat tell me that it'd cost me a grand and a half to sit under a laser for half an hour a week and use their rebottled minox for 3 months.

Check out the forums at www.hairlosstalk.com

I got great information there,there is some hope for you.

good luck!

Besprechen

im receding too, got a wart popped up on my nose overnight, my girlfriend left me last month and you think youve got problems! but theres people a lot worse off than me too so like me just try and think of that when it gets you down.

MojoMaker

Maybe you need to get some new friends Brian

Seriously, how can anyone dish out even friendly ribbing to someone 5'9?

A beer belly is genuinely unattractive fair enough. Apart from anything else it gives the impression, corrrectly or incorrectly, of laziness and a lack of athletic ability - which registers with women, and to be honest with us men too. How many times have you subconsciously judged someone based on their looks? Often enough I'd imagine, we all do it. Can't say I've heard a female slagging a guy off about this balding head though, well not since college days. I still believe that it genuinely ceases to be any kind of an issue for a woman over about 25. Up until about that age (and I'll be lynched for saying this) the current generation of Irish women are pretty immature.

athena 2000

SuprSi wrote:

Well some interesting opinions here but please don't get me wrong - it's not killing me, going bald, I was merely trying to find out what people thought of getting something like this done.

I truly think you'd be better off saving your money and going bald gracefully, including shaving your head. Why be self-conscious about a hair weave all the time and what others might think?

SuprSi wrote:

It is a big deal, no matter which way I look at it, and there's no way I'm the only one that thinks it sucks. And I also have a hard time believing that the majority of women don't at least dislike baldness.

Yes, it is a big deal to you, and that's understandable. But here's my BUT...
Self-confidence isn't about your hair or your looks. One of the plainest men I've ever met was completely attractive because who he was shined out in his personality and how great he treated others around him.

And speaking as an individual woman, I don't dislike baldness. One of my boyfriends was almost bald, shaved his head, had confidence, and an interesting personality too. And....wait for it.....I asked him out first. So don't believe that losing your hair is going to put off women if you've got more to offer than your follicles!

In the meantime, here's the latest DHT killer.

Sleepy

Just shave it or get a really tight blade, it's the only dignified way to go bald.

SuprSi

Yeah this weekend has had me spending more time thinking about the whole thing. The initial cost, plus the monthly maintenance, plus having to get the whole thing redone in a few years adds up, and in reality I can't afford it.

I already use the blade below a 1 on a hair trimmer now, so Mach 3 is next, though I'll have to think about that one quite a bit before going ahead as it'll look well strange I'd say haha!

pickarooney

Paint part of your head black? (assuming you have.. oops, had black hair)

Esel

Someone try this and tell me if it works (a picture would be nice).

1. Shave your head.

2. Get a good tattoist to put a load of dots, like hair stubs, all over the bald area.

3. Shave regularly.

neuro-praxis

I don't find guys who are losing their hair unattractive at all.

Don't get a wig or whatever. Man, I would find that unattractive.