A Guide To Balding Men's Hairstyles
Posted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
by Campbell Forsyth
It’s unbelievable how difficult it is to find any decent information on the internet about balding men’s hairstyles.
You’ll know this yourself if you’ve ever tried to do a search on Google for ‘balding men’s hairstyles’, ‘hairstyles for balding men’, ‘balding hairstyles’ or any other amount of variations on the theme.
So… faced with this injustice I’ve put together my own guide to balding men’s hairstyles…
It’s a fact that 95% of all balding or bald men suffer from male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness usually starts with a receding hairline at the front and is frequently accompanied with thinning at the top.
Over time, this thinning turns into a full fledged bald spot, and the bald spot grows to cover the head, apart from the sides and around the back.
Regardless of this, as long as there is a single hair left on my head I’ll still demand a stylish coiffure. So, what balding hairstyle options are available?
The worst balding men’s hairstyle is the comb over. This is the classic look beloved of men of a certain age whereby the hair is grown longer on one side of the head and ‘combed over’ the bald area to the other side.
This strategy only spells disaster even in the slightest of breezes and is to be avoided at all costs.
But assuming you already know this, what are the other do’s and don'ts to balding men’s hairstyles?
The first common mistake is combing the hair straight back. This may cover bald spots, but it only exposes the forehead and draws attention to the receding hairline.
The second is growing your hair longer at the back to make up for what's lacking on top. This unbalances the head and draws even more attention to the scalp and the baldness.
Younger men with thinning hair might be tempted to use gel… but this isn’t recommended. Gel clumps your hair together and reveals the scalp.
Likewise, growing your hair long in an attempt to cover up actually causes hair to separate and show more scalp.
So, what are the do’s?
Get more natural looking fluff to your hair by using mousses and conditioners.
Grow your remaining hair by a few inches, get it layered and brush it forward to break up the receding hairline.
If your hairline isn’t receding too badly, but the top of your head is thinning, you can get away with keeping the front long and combing your hair straight back to cover the bald spot.
Eventually however, your bald spot will expand.
The ultimate balding men’s hairstyle when faced with a shiny bald dome, is to go the whole hog and shave it off or at least a very close trim.
You’ll probably be amazed at people’s reactions and the compliments you’ll get – the shaved look is a totally acceptable balding hairstyle these days.
Start with electric clippers like you find in the barbers. After you've clipped the heavy stuff, lather up with shaving gel. This gives you a closer, smoother shave than shaving cream.
Then using a razor, start at the top and shave down with the grain taking care at the back - it’s recommended to watch what you’re doing with a small mirror.
Shaving your head only takes a few minutes and you don't need to do it every day (two to three times a week is fine).
Taking care of your new shaved head is much like taking care of your face. Wash regularly with moisturizing soap, rather than a harsh deodorant soap that can dry out the skin on your head. Also use a good quality moisturizer after every wash – cheaper moisturizers will just clog up your pores.
For the summer, find a moisturizer with a sun protection factor of at least 15 to avoid sunburn on your head. And you'll need a warm hat in winter to maintain your body heat.
If shaving doesn't tickle your fancy then you can always opt for a hairpiece as a last resort - though I wouldn't recommend it :-)
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More commentsI'm a woman and I find balding men more attractive when they shave their head close vs growing it long and combing it back. That ages a man more than shaving it close does. Take Bruce Willis for example. He looked older when he tried to "work with" his thinning hair. It actually looked sexier when he started to shave it close.
I am so stressed about my hair, its thinning up real bad on top and around the top behind of my head, and the worst part is im only 20 years old, it shouldnt be happenin but I think the cause of it is the Gel that I have been using frequently for the past 4 years. I wanna do a close trim but im afraid of how hideous i will look after that. I need major help
youve got trouble? i'm fifteen and baldening, normal male patern baldness, I cant buy drugs or have anything to stop it, im not old enough, so by the time most guys will be loosing their virginity (im thinking 16-17) Ill be looking middle aged. thats when youve got problems, my dad had it the same, he didnt care, i do though sadly im vainHey Elliot,
Try not to worry too much mate, I know this is easier said than done. But my good friend at school had the same worries you have from 15, and I started losing much of my hair from the age of 19.
It sucks, and there is very little us guys can do about it.
I guess it equates to girls who just cannot lose weight, they have big problems dealing with that. However, as you get older you realise girls care less about your appearance, more about the guy you are. So be confident as much as possible, try not to seem anxious about your hair to people, and you will get girls ;)
My friend shaved his hair real short from when he was about 18, maybe you should do the same? I realise some people like you Mum ad Dad for example might not like the idea at first but in time people get used to it.
Good luck Elliot!I feel your pain mate.... I started thinning when I was very young.. in year 5 to be more accurate. Which would have made me 10 years old... very upsetting when a teacher asks you if your going bald at the age of 10 in front of a class... lol... but yeah as soon as a could I hit the drugs and I got a bit of regrowth.. not alot... its still very thing but when i grow it short like number three then layered on top it looks good... Another thing I have to recommend is try not to let it stress u or play with ur hair... i used to play with it heaps and run my hands through it and i think that made it worse... when i was younger people would talk to me and all of a fisudden id notice thier eyes looking at my thin hair... just be confident with ur self and people wont notice it.. theyll just notice this strong confident person.. im 23 now... have the most gorgeous girl out... im so lucky.. she loves me for me.. not for my hair... we have been together for coming up to 2 years now... and i have just recently told her i have been on meds for my hair... she is very supportive... its great..
Yeah some pictures would have been helpfull. But i think i am going to shave it tight. Bit nervious about this though.
Shaving it all nice and smooth is the only way to go. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Love the feel of a slick bald head as well as the look
well having a shaved hair does not suit everyone, if i shaved my head i would end up looking like an alien, because of the shape of my head. and besides, to me looks matter, spepcially when you are single
I am 35 and very much balding and soon will shave it all off; however, hot teenage girls have shown great interest in me (without any attempt on my part of course) and that surprised me at first, then people told me why young girls find me hot...they told me and I will tell you men right here...here goes...-Confidence...I have loads of it...-I have a handsome face...-I have a very nice body and butt...-I am intelligent and funny...-I am unique...-I am a great listener-I am easy-going...See a trend? Mostly it has to do with my personality...most girls care about a man's personality, and even though I am thought of as attractive by girls, my confidence has always been there, even when I was young and not so attractive to girls...and ironically, when I had long flowing hair is when girls weren't turned on by me...lol...very true, men...Accept your baldness and move on with it...work on your attitude and perhaps your body and I GUARANTEE you'll get hot young girls...GUARANTEE...and MOST IMPORTANT...I cannot overstress this, men...YOU NEED CONFIDENCE...peace...
thank you, very informative
im 21 and have had male pattern baldness since i was 16, i have to admitt, hair int that important, work on your physique and style and you can still look great with a big old slap head
Cambell where are the hairstyle photos for balding men??? If you haven't got any on this webpage it is a waste time.
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