In Western culture, baldness isn’t exactly something that men flaunt. As a matter of fact, it’s something that men vehemently combat – not physically – but with their wallets. The hair loss treatment industry is worth billions of dollars, and it has benefited immensely from the societal stigma of bald men. But is all of that changing? If you’re balding, should you embrace it, or go a step further and shave your head?
As men across the globe shop for Rogaine, discuss hair implants, and look for any excuse to wear a baseball hat, a new breed of pro-bald men is rising up from a pile of Donald Trump’s awkward, lifeless toupées and embracing their clean and smooth heads. And, to the surprise of many, they’re doing it pretty darn well.
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Why You Should Shave Your Head
People Will Think You’re Powerful
A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, one of the top business schools in the nation, revealed that bald men are perceived by others as manlier, more dominant and powerful, and as better leaders than men with manes. The study, which was conducted by lecturer Albert Mannes, was broken down into three tests. The first experiment gathered almost 60 participants and asked them to rank the photos of similarly-aged men, both bald and not, on how powerful, influential, and authoritative they looked. Overwhelmingly, the bald guys ranked higher in all categories.
People Will Think You’re Stronger
In the second arm of the study, the participants were shown eight digitally-altered photos of four men – for each man, there were two photos: one photo of the man without hair and another with hair. In the end, the bald men were ranked as more dominant, 13% stronger, and, interestingly, an inch taller than their hairy-headed counterparts.
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People Will Think You’re a Leader
In the third and final segment of the study, 344 participants were given written and verbal descriptions of men; some guys were described as having thick hair and others as having shaved heads. However, these varying physical descriptions didn’t create any discrepancies in results – the consensus agreed once again that the bald men were more masculine, stronger, more dominant, and had higher potential for leadership.
The study also found a correlation between men with thinning hair and those who had just shaved it all off, with Mannes stating, “The shaved look is more attractive than the visibly balding look. So men suffering natural hair loss may enhance both their dominance and attractiveness by shaving.” For balding men who have been contemplating what to do with their hair (or lack thereof), perhaps shaving it all off is the best bet.
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When the overarching theme presented by the study is considered, it seems that bald men may have the upper hand in business. Power, dominance, strength, and leadership potential are all characteristics of successful individuals not just in corporate America, but in all aspects of society. Among the numerous men who have embraced baldness are Amazon head-honcho Jeff Bezos, Michael Jordan, General Motors CEO Daniel Akerson, Andre Agassi, venture capitalist & Netscape founder Marc Andreesen, rapper Pitbull, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. These men may not have perfectly coiffed hair, but they’ve got influence, money, and the perceptional qualities necessary to thrive in modern America.
How to Shave Your Head
If you wish to follow the paths of these visionaries and celebrities, you may want to grab a pair of clippers and shave your head. Todd Greene, CEO of HeadBlade, has the following advice for these men:
“Head shaving is a very personal experience and the procedure, and results, can vary greatly. There is no “4 out of 5 dentist” analogy. It pretty much is “to each his own” or “whatever works for you, keep doing it.” Asking others who shave will give you great insight into the different methods, but ultimately, after much testing, you will have to find your own head shave routine.”
For those men who want to go the shaved head route, here are 3 basic steps to keep in mind:
1. Prepare. Trim your hair down to stubble with a hair clipper – you want as little hair as possible to make for an easier shave. Then, exfoliate to get rid of any nagging hairs that may get in your way. Next, it’s important to acquire a high-quality razor – this will make for a more convenient experience. Once shaving cream, lubricant, or gel is applied, it’s time to get down to business…
2. Shave. Accomplishing a clean and painless shave takes patience, but preparing properly and taking your time can ensure a stress-free process with great results. Shaving with the grain of your hair (the direction in which your hair grows) causes less tension and irritation. Also, try shaving during or after you have taken a shower to make the experience go smoothly; warm water opens the pores and allows for a gentler shave.
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3. Post-Shave. Depending on your skin type, aftershave or moisturizer may be necessary to prevent dryness or razor burn. Ideally, you should use a moisturizer that nourishes your skin and doesn’t clog your pores. Also, avoid using an alcohol-based aftershave – these will only cause further irritation. According to BeeBald CEO Dennis Fisher, a post-shave balm can put the necessary finishing touches on a freshly shaved head:
“Using a post-shaving ointment will calm, soothe and immediately improve the physical appearance of nicks, bruises, blemishes and other irritations caused by shaving. Look for a natural product that will provide fast relief to irritated skin and help to restore healthy balance to the entire head and face.”
By contributing a bit of your time and approaching the process with patience, you can reap the benefits of a shaved head.
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Featured photo by oxcnpxo
29 comments
Its a personal thing surely.I myself shave my head and my bits come to that.
I think blokes who don’t are most probably supporting a beard and big fat bastard to boot…
You guys are all suckers. Why are the options for bald men either medicine or shaving? What the hell is wrong with growing the hair you’ve got? You’re all pathetic. I am balding and have long hair and it looks awesome. Men have done this throughout the ages, it’s only recently that people seem to think shaving their head is the only acceptable haircut as soon as they start to recede. Shaving your head is not embracing your baldness. Making what you’ve got to work with look good is the answer. And I look dope.
I’ve been shaving my head for at least 15 years, and I can say I’ve never been made to feel self-conscious about it. I feel like the shaved head has a more blue-collar sense to it; I’ve never known a white-collar business type that took a blade to his scalp. I now work with young offenders and therefore deal with all kinds of police, prison guards/officials, and probation officers, and I’ve never had trouble getting respect from any of them (this is for the commenters that claimed a criminal stigma attached to intentional baldness), despite my shaved head and long, bushy goatee. I think it’s more about how you carry and present yourself than how much hair you have.
That said, about 3 years ago I put away the razor and just took it down to stubble with the clippers, and I’m much happier with just a little hair on my head than I was when I took the blade to it.
Wow, how times have changed. Back when I was a teen in the 90’s, long hair styles were dying out and short hair was in. Young Bald men or teens looked like Skinheads, or if you were fat, you were Curly from the 3 Stooges. Now everyone is into the bald look.
Interesting however, I’ve noticed more and more teens, growing out their hair. I can all ready see the Mullet making a comeback.
At the end of the day, it’s not what others think about you, it’s about how you feel about yourself. Love who you are! Create your own world.
I have felt for awhile that going bald gracefully is better than throwing your wallet at the numerous rip off merchants who can promise you the world with their artificial methods of putting hair back on your head. Maybe men need more examples of famous men who stay bald rather than pay for multi-thousand pound hair transplants which most people can’t afford.
Going bald may well be a good thing, empowering and so on, but it depends on your situation and environment whether it will be a success or not. In some areas a bald head – not a naturally bald head – is considered a sign that someone is not honest, that they are criminal or have criminal tendencies or belong to an extremist group.
Do you live inside a prison or what? i travelled a lot and never heard of places as you say. Contrary to that, i enjoyed many positive comments and smiling faces about my completely bald head, half by nature, half by shaving. i love it and i think it’s very sexy. btw my profile name goes by the french word for bald head
bouleazero – perhaps you haven’t travelled to the UK? Although close shaved heads are common now, there is still a lingering association with the ‘skinheads’ – a youth movement that dates back to the early 70s and has often been linked with far-right politics and violence. When I first shaved my head around that time I was struck by how people showed trepidation on seeing me – some would cross the road to avoid me. An upside was that I no longer suffered the name calling that my previous flowing locks had elicited.
…maybe some people fit in some hairstyles, and others fit in somethings else…
I am 16 years old with a NW2-2.5 hairline (Sucks don’t it?) and i went from having long blonde hair for years to a close shave (around a 1 or 2) and boy was it different… surprisingly, apart from the odd comments on my hairline (since at my age 99% of people have FULL heads of hair) most people, especially girls like it much better this way. So i guess its a win, but sometimes i can’t help but feel self conscious…
If I could say just one word to all those men who perhaps feel inferior about losing their hair; please don’t. I know very few women who actually care about the quantity of hair on your head. We’re really looking more about the cut and care of your hair. My husband has always had thinning hair and I honestly never gave it a second thought.
I think agressive men look and act agressively, with hair or not.
If you want to worry about something, worry about that back hair; that’s a different story! Sorry!
Maybe people will think some positive things about shaved heads. However, by taking off the insulation (hair) from over the brain, shaved head persons just will degrade their own thinking abilities.
For a person touting the cognitive benefits of ‘insulation’, your grammar and sentence structure are lacking. I recommend the use of clippers (with a ‘1’ guard if preferred) as a remedy.
By that logic, wearing a beanie makes you a genius? How much insulation is the perfect amount? Crew cut? Mullet? Full on 80s metal band style hair? What about a fro?
“Some” people think that men who deliberately shave their heads are already going bald at a young age and trying to disguise the fact. Bald young men used to look bizarre until it became a common fad. Young bald guys look tough and aggressive, two things I do no want in my family or friends or people with whom I deal in my life. Baldness is STILL ugly.
That is a pathetic comment ! And as a bloke who shaves his head and has for a while i find it pretty offensive that you think all men with a shaved head are Thug looking and aggressive.
What a horrible comment to make. What is wrong with you? Several men in my family shave their heads and they are business men who are not hostile, nor do they look hostile. They get up every more and put on a business suit; they are gentlemen in education and deportment.
get up every “morning”
I highly take offense to that comment and its people like you who make guys like me ashamed of their baldness. Just by reading that comment I can already tell what kind of person you are, and to me…..THATS UGLY! Not baldness. You need to give your head a shake
Why can’t we agree that being bald is unattractive? It matters to women. They like men with hair. Otherwise they only like you for your money or what you can do for them. Bald men have miserable social lives. I’m bald and even I don’t like being around baldies. It look strange, ridiculous and gives perception of disease and recessive genetics.
Anyone can justify being bald as “cool”, “tough”, “sexy”, but in reality it’s none of those. People make up false impressions to feel good about themselves. Losing hair is like losing a limb. Science MUST find a cure for baldness and put an end to men looking like walking penises.
There is somehow a sense of hostility and aggression around a bald person
Sorry to be controversial over the short hair issue, but all the worst things that have happened in this world have in the main been carried out by men with short hair. From Adolf Hitler, to Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot not forgetting Mr Nixon and his responsibility for the Vietnam debacle. Perhaps we could also include the Vatican Inquisition and some of the horrendous things they got up to…………think I’ll ponder over how many men with long hair have been responsible for similar atrocities ?
Vikings had long hair, so did the Mongols and the Huns.
The Dalai Lama and every Buddhist monk is bald.
Your arguements are invalid.
This article seems to exclude the words “Some men”, as in :-
“In Western culture, baldness isn’t exactly something that men flaunt. As a matter of fact, it’s something that “Some men” vehemently combat – not physically – but with their wallets”
This article assumes and implies that ALL men who are going bald have comb-overs or wigs and spend a fortune trying to keep their locks..
I for example have shaved my head for the past 15 years, why try to hide it..
Why should your success be based on what other people would think? All the three paragraphs start with “People would think” I totally disagree with this article ! You can be bald and be stupid.You can be hairy and stupid as well.
Nobody would think you are smart based on your looks alone. Rather its by your words and actions.
I have shaved my head for many years and am pretty fortunate that it suits me, But many many men shave there heads when they start losing hair. And if you have a decent shaped head and are not to thin then i think it really suits a man to have a shaved head.
I wish I can post my full shave, I even have a shine with it. This has always made me look too cool. I have always envy Michael Jordan head…
A full shave is not the best option, a close clipper trim is the best option (almost like a stubble). I embraced and i must admit it brought back the confidence which had taken a severe dent when losing my hair.
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