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4 Lies You've Been Told About Living With Male-Pattern Baldness

With a Few Helpful Hints

By BrettNotGregPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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I accepted the fate of my hair (what was left of it, anyway) about two years ago, after spending a lot of time in denial about going bald. Ever since, I've spent a great deal of time researching facts about why it happened and how to keep up and deal with my interesting new look. I have grown to love it, and couldn't imagine life any other way. I've learned many things while maintaining a bald head, namely that many of the things I've heard about it are in fact false.

Let's get to it.

Here are a few things I've discovered were blatant lies about bald life:

"It'll be easier to maintain!" they said.

100% FALSE. It's just as difficult, if not more so, to keep up with the chrome dome. This is especially true if you want to keep absolutely no hair. It can be tricky to get into the routine of shaving at least every other day. Trying to achieve a perfectly smooth noggin can result in cuts and irritation, especially the first few times around. It's important to find the right products and techniques that work for you, as everyone is different. There is also the sensitivity factor. The sun and your freshly exposed scalp will not be friends. It's a good idea to invest in a good amount of headwear. If you weren't a hat person before, now would be an excellent time to make that transition.

"Wearing a hat made it so much worse..."

Not even a half-truth. I was told this so much when I was in my denial stage of balding that I actually began to believe it. Of course, eventually I ended up checking the facts after realizing that my problem was definitely genetic. I recently read an article by GQ's Liza Corsillo, stating that hats were, in fact "the worst problem." Following that, I read an article by Huffington Post's James Cave completely debunking this theory as a yet another myth. The latter of the two articles seemed to have science on its side, allowing me to feel confident in the fact that it wasn't hats, nor was it shampoo, stress, frequent ejaculation, or any of the other wacky things that people have stated cause the phenomenon. In the end, male-pattern baldness is an unpredictable genetic occurrence in which your follicles are sensitive to testosterone, that's all.

"Have you tried castor oil?"

From Castor Oil to essential oils to Bosley hair treatment, I literally feel like I've tried every remedy out there. I'm not saying they don't work for anyone, but they don't for me or anyone else that I've met personally. It might be easier to just let it go. Embrace that male-pattern beauty in disguise! You'll either learn to love it, or deal with it. Either way, you'll eventually get used to it.

"But think of the money you'll save on product..."

My restroom would disagree with you. First off, it's not a good idea to stop using shampoo and conditioner. The scalp can still get very dirty without hair. I would even argue that this happens more often. You might even have to up your shampoo game a bit. Not to mention the amount of shaving lotion/cream, and miscellaneous products you breeze through. Remember, the top of your head is now there for all to see in all its glory, so while you very well may not be tearing through mousse or hair gel any more, those have now been replaced with sunscreen and coconut oil. Below are a few things I swear by, maybe you'll find they work for you as well. Remember, bald can be beautiful!

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About the Creator

BrettNotGreg

Thirty-something creative with a wide spectrum of interests.

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