How to Look Good Bald

If you always had awesome hair, with the first signs of balding you’ll probably start feeling down.
Thinking about losing your precious hair is tough. But who says going bald is bad?

If you embrace your baldness and learn how to handle it, you can totally rock the look with confidence and be attractive.
Yes, even better than Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson. If they can do it, you certainly can wear it even better.

The secret to a sexy bald look is to keep your scalp smooth, healthy and razor bumps free.
This is why we bring you the ultimate, step-by-step guide on how to bald with grace, along with a few secret styling tricks.

Why You Should Go Bald

Shaving your head can be one of the best grooming decisions that you can ever make.
However, before you go and shave off all your hair, there is something you need to realize.

Going bald involves more than taking a razor to the head and calling it a day. At the same time, the common misconception is that pulling off and maintaining a bald look can be tiring, but it really isn’t.

While going bald may save you money because you don’t go to the barbershop as often, there are still hair products to worry about if you truly want to look good.

Now the question remains – why should you even think about going bald at all? While a majority of women may prefer men with a head full of hair or luscious locks, there are also a lot of ladies out there who prefer bald men as well.

In fact, one of the main reasons why such women fall for bald men is because they exude some sort of alpha-male trait from the word go. 

Second, you not only look like a badass when you are bald, but there is a common belief among women that you are likely to be more organized in a way women want their men to be.

To bring the point closer to home, look at pop culture and how many bald men continue to grace the covers of magazines as some of the sexiest men on the planet.

The likes of Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, Patrick Stewart, The Rock, Jason Statham and even the world’s richest man Jeff Bezos are considered the alpha-males of the male species just because they are bald.

While no one is expecting you to look like The Rock or Jason Statham, if you do decide to go bald it would really help your image and self-esteem if you could shed off a few pounds because there is absolutely nothing sexy about being bald and overweight.

The only way you can achieve that is by embarking on a healthy lifestyle like ditching fast food restaurants for the gym and trading that pizza for some greens and lean proteins.

Not only will your waistline look better, but you will feel much more confident, especially if your baldness is not natural.

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons of Being Bald

There are a number of ways someone can go bald and whether your baldness is natural or as a result of treatment like cancer treatment, at the end of the day the only way you can be okay with that is by embracing it.

After that, you can learn how to manage your baldness by improving your wardrobe, using the right shaving techniques and shedding off a few pounds. 

But before that, here are a few pros and cons of going bald that you should be aware of:

Pros

Here are a few benefits of going bald that you probably don’t know:

Life is Much Easier

It’s not all aspects of going bald that are a total drag. Contrary to popular belief being bald can make life much easier to manage.
How? If you are bald, worrying about how your hair looks or if you are keeping up with the latest style is a thing of the past.

For instance, if you see a girl that you like, you don’t have to worry about how your hair looks before you approach them.
 
In short, baldness can be the boost of confidence that you have been longing for all this time.

Saves You Money

If you decide to go bald, it means that the barbershop visits are cut, which ends up saving you money.

You also don’t have to spend money on shampoo or hair gel and not to mention there is no arranging of hair when you wake up in the morning.

Cons

The main benefit of going bald is that women perceive you as the alpha male because of the many celebrities who grace our screens and are not only bald but perceived as badasses.

However, there is a downside to going bald as well that you should be aware of before you make this life-altering decision.

Self-Esteem

There are men who are not comfortable with hair loss and they may have a temporary period where they struggle with self-esteem issues. This is especially true if the baldness could have been avoided, like in the case of cancer treatments or underlying medical conditions.

You Still Have to Spend Money

Just because your barbershop visits are less frequent, doesn’t mean that that’s the end of you spending money on your head.
Baldness comes with its own fair share of expenses if you really want to look good.

For instance, you will be spending money on quality razors every two to three weeks to keep the hair short.

You will also spend money on conditioners because bald dandruff is just as real as when you have hair and the worst thing is that it will be more noticeable when you are bald.

Again, you need to look good and maintain the right body, hence you will be spending money on gym sessions because there is nobody that looks unkempt like an overweight bald man. Your wardrobe will also need to change, so that’s something you also need to factor in.

It Gets Chilly

When you go bald, your head loses that layer of warmth that was being provided by the hair and so cold might affect you more.

During hot weather, you also don’t have your hair to protect you from sunburns, but that can be fixed with a hat, although it can be tiring, wearing a hat throughout the summer, especially if you were never a hat person.

What Are Your Options

Options for Balding Men

If you have really made up your mind that baldness is what you want moving forward, there are a few options that are available for you, head shaving and hair therapy.

They both have their advantages and disadvantages and the one you choose will depend on your personal preferences.

Head Shaving

If you have the right head shape, then head shaving will work for you. This is where you shave all the hair on your head and use sunscreen to prevent sunburns.

In order to look good with a clean-shaven head, it is important that you invest in high-quality razors so as to prevent razor bumps whenever you shave.

You also need to take measures into looking good and feeling confident in your own skin like upping your wardrobe game and losing a bit of weight.

Hair Therapy

There are men who have head shapes that don’t look good when they are completely bald.
If you are the kind that has a lumpy or egg-shaped head, the last thing you want is to go fully bald.

Instead, it might be in your best interest to try hair therapy. This is the process of stimulating hair growth and there are a number of options that are available. One of them, and probably the most common, is having hair implants to grow back the hair.

When starting out, it will be awkward as the new hair starts to grow and it would be better if you invested in some hats or plan the procedure when you are not working.

Things to Consider

While some men look good bald, it doesn’t mean that everyone can do it. There are so many factors that determine whether you will go bald or not.

At least if it’s within your control and you are not losing hair because of an underlying medical condition or treatment, you are undergoing.

Here are a few factors that should decide whether you go full bald or not:

Head Shape and Size

When you have hair on your head the chances are that you rarely pay attention to the shape of your head.
A shaved head will show off your head shape, which is why this is an important factor to consider before you go bald.

There are so many things that you can control, like working with weights and going to the gym but not the shape and size of your head. Generally, extreme head sizes and shapes tend to look weird without hair.

This is because hair balances the appearance of your head. It can either reduce the length of a long, oval or egg-shaped head, and likewise it can lengthen a rectangular or squat head.

When you take away that balancing element, however, what you are left with is asymmetry and there are numerous studies that point to the fact that symmetry is very important when it comes to heads and faces.

This symmetry not only matters in terms of the face but the head and rest of the body as well.

If you have a very big or very small head, the chances are that you will not look good when you are bald unless you put in the effort to look good. The only way to get around the asymmetry issue if you really want to go bald is to have some facial hair.

Clean-Shaven vs Stubble

If you want to go bald, the next question to ask yourself is whether you will look good clean-shaven or with stubble.

 A stubble is where you leave a little bit of hair when you shave so as to hide and minimize any issues you may have with your head shape, but this comes with its own fair share of challenges.

A clean-shaven head is a little classic and tends to make grooming and maintenance much easier.
However, if you have a weirdly shaped head, it will show, and at the end of the day you won’t look as good as you would have hoped.

Leaving a little stubble is always a good option for a majority of men since the contrast between the skin and the little hair left on the head can frame the face.

It also does a very good job of masking dents and other imperfections in the scalp because light will not be able to bounce off the skin.

A stubble will also come in handy in protecting your scalp against sunburns and can mask other issues like dandruff.

If you are, however, looking to shave because you are already balding naturally, a stubble does very little to hide the progression of your baldness.

If you have a severe form of pattern baldness, those patchy thin sections surrounded by a stubble will be more noticeable and once you have crossed that line, you are better off with a clean-shaven head.

If you decided to keep a stubble, ensure that you clip the hair every week or more often if your hair grows too quickly.
A stubble that is too long looks frizzy and not to mention unkempt.

A clean shave, on the other hand, helps emphasize the shape of your head instead of framing it and requires a little more maintenance in the form of clipping it and overall, it is less compromising than a stubble.

However, at the end of the day, a clean-shaven head is way more powerful than having a stubble.
If you are willing to put in the work, a clean-shaven head makes you look more confident, masculine and capable.

Shiny vs Natural

Things to Consider Before Going Bald - Shiny vs Natural

The other factor to consider is whether to leave your bald head natural or to add some shine.
If you don’t want a shiny head, it is recommended that you use wax that is designed for bald heads.

There are a few benefits of waxing your head. For one, the wax helps in moisturizing the scalp so that it looks good and healthy.
There are waxes that also have SPF protection if you are the kind of man who doesn’t like sunscreen.

However, the shine that wax provides draws attention towards the scalp, which is not a good look for those with large or slightly pointed heads. Wax, in this case, emphasizes the size as well as the shape of your head more than when you are just clean-shaven.

Going natural is way better for men who have pale skin and who want a more understated appearance.
Natural skin, however, requires more care and it’s important that you invest in sunscreen and a good moisturizer.

When you are buying moisturizers, go for a beard oil that has jojoba oil since it’s close to what the skin produces.
If you can’t get a good moisturizer, you can use plain jojoba oil or olive oil.

Sunscreen is very important for clean-shaven men. A scalp burn is not only unpleasant and painful, but the redness that results from that and the skin peeling is not an attractive look. For sunscreen, SPF 15 works for some men, but you would rather go with SPF 30.

One way you can save money is to get a moisturizer that contains SPF. You should, however, have sunscreen on hand if you will be spending the entire day in the sun.

How Fit You Are

It’s virtually impossible to look good when you are bald and overweight. If you have decided to go bald, the least you can do is get in shape to go with the look.

While you don’t have to look like Jason Statham, shedding off a few pounds will give you that boost of confidence that you need to pull off the bald look. If you can get some muscles while at it the better you will look.

Besides hitting the gym and running a few miles every day, it is important that you watch what you eat.
After all, you can’t shed off weight and build muscles if your diet is whack.

Smooth and Unblemished Scalp

The last thing you should aim for if you decide to go bald is a smooth and unblemished scalp.
Ingrown hairs and razor bumps never looked good on anyone; hence you shouldn’t have them.

The best way to make this happen is to invest in high-quality razors. Shaving cream makes the process much smoother also by preventing shaving bumps. The other way you can ensure that you get a smooth scalp is to use sunscreen whenever you spend some time in the sun.

The redness and skin peeling that results from sunburns are blemishes that you should not have.

Tools for Shaving Your Head

We have talked about how important it is to invest in high-quality razors when you decide to go bald.
They help prevent ingrown hairs and razor burns.

Cartridge Razors

Cartridge razors are easiest to use and are the most common. If you have been shaving for years, the chances are that you have been using a cartridge razor.

When you are using this kind of razor, it is important that you take a shower first so as to relax the hair follicles or shave when in the shower.
It is also recommended that you use a shaving brush to create lather.

Using circular motions, warm up your lather in a dispenser first and then apply it to the hair in the same circular motion to lift up the hair so as to make shaving easier.

Safety Razors

Safety razors are not that different from cartridge ones and the only difference is that sensitive skin requires a special razor and that’s where safety razors come in. Compared to cartridge razors, a good quality safety razor doesn’t irritate the skin because it only has one blade.

Fewer blades mean that there will be less contact with the scalp, which in turn helps minimize irritation.

Straight Razors

Straight razors continue to grow in popularity due to the fact that they are easy to maneuver with. hence shaving the back of your head becomes much easier. The only problem is that you need to have the skills to use such razors and may not be ideal for beginners.

A straight razor made of high-quality material, however, is way better than the other types if you know how to use one.
If you don’t have experience, though you are better off sticking to a cartridge or a safety razor.

10 Tips on How to Look Good Bald

Tips on How to Look Good Bald

Now that you have decided to go bald, how do you pull off the look and look good every day?

Here are a few tips on how you can look stunning with a bald head even when everyone else around you has a full head of hair:

Get Some Tan

Your skin color has a significant impact on how you will look should you go bald.
While it’s true that darker skin looks better than white skin, it goes beyond just dark vs light skin.

The main point of concern is whether your skin looks healthy at all. Darker skin tends to look healthier because the pigmentation tends to hide blemishes than light skin. It is also important to consider whether the skin tone is even or not.

If you have had hair all your life, when you shave tan lines will be visible on your scalp.
The lines will go away with time, but it would be better off if you could just buy some tanning lotion or visit a tanning salon.

If you decide to get some tan, avoid going overboard. For instance, if you are pale naturally, don’t go too dark because it’s not healthy and you won’t look good.

Lose a Few Pounds

There is nothing that is a total turn off than a bald, overweight man. If you want that power bald look, then you better get off the couch and hit the gym. While you don’t have to look like a wrestler, a healthy waistline will make you look much better.

In the process, you could also try getting some muscles because that’s what women are attracted to in bald men.

Grow a Beard

If you are going bald naturally, one thing that you need to realize is that the same testosterone that is responsible for the loss of hair on your head will also help you grow a beard.

You have a lot of testosterone that enhances the production of DHT, which is responsible for killing the hair follicles on your head.
That same hormone flows throughout your body and is what will help your beard thrive.

Framing the face is the main reason why you should consider growing a beard when you decide to go bald and it doesn’t matter what kind of a beard you grow. What matters is that it suits you and your style.

How to Look Good Bald - Grow a Beard

Wear Sunglasses

As mentioned, you cannot overlook framing your face when you have fully shaved your head.
Wearing sunglasses is one way to go about that since it gives you style.

Sunglasses end up doing the framing work that your hair used to do and draws attention to the best features of your face and away from the imperfections.

 Whatever sunglasses you choose is a matter of personal preferences and it all depends on what you want them to say about you.

Keep Your Head and Face Kempt

One of the main issues that bald men have is the hairline that makes them look way older, especially when they haven’t shaved for a few days. If you have decided to go all bald, make sure that you shave regularly.

You will have to spend on shaving razors, but it’s a small price to pay for that power bald look that you are targeting.

Additionally, ensure that your face is also well kept by making sure that the beard is well-trimmed to give you face the framing that your hair used to.

Moisturize Your Head and Face

If you do decide to go bald, ensure that your head is always moisturized. Just like a bald, overweight man is not sexy, a head full of dandruff is a turn-off. When you are shaving, you are dragging razors across the skin in every stroke, which creates a lot of stress on the skin.

To counteract the razor effects and to help repair the skin’s moisture barrier, it is important that you moisturize the skin.
And while at it, don’t forget to moisturize the face as well, especially if you have a beard.

Use SPF Protection Daily

When you shave your head, you expose your skin to sunburns because there is no hair to cover it.
In such a case, it is important that you take the necessary precautions to ensure that that doesn’t happen.

There is nothing attractive about red and peeling skin due to sunburn. One of the ways you can do that is by using SPF daily inform of a moisturizer or sunscreen. If you want to save money, you could get a moisturizer that has SPF.

However, when you are going out and are sure that you will be spending a lot of hours in the sun, it is recommended that you bring with you a sunscreen.

Build Some Muscle

While women don’t want guys who look like bodybuilders, they certainly prefer some muscles on the guy they are interested in.
If you are going for that Vin Diesel bald power look, you need to get yourself some muscles.

Being bald already makes you look powerful and dominant and adding some muscles will enhance the look further.

How to Look Good Bald - Build Some Muscle

Learn to Dress Well and Use Accessories

The moment you lose your hair is the moment that you lose the freedom to dress without any plan.
Long gone are the days you could pull off a rumpled, out of bed look.

If you have ever noticed, bald men don’t look good if they are not well dressed. Dressing well, in this case means not wearing those loose and flimsy outfits anymore. You can’t wear a hoodie or sweatshirt even if you are going to the gym also.

You need a way to compensate for the loss of hair and dressing the part is the price you have to pay.

Without your hair framing your face you are likely to look naked to a lot of people in a weird way and there are a number of ways to dress the part. The idea when you are bald is to reduce the amount of visible skin above the neck.

In such a case, focus on V-neck t-shirts, collared shirts as well as turtlenecks. You could also wear collared jackets like a pea coat since these tend to frame the head from below.

In terms of accessories, you could do hats, shades, plain glasses as well as caps to help with the framing.

Have Confidence

Lastly, the key to pulling off the bald look, whether it came naturally or as a result of an underlying medical issue or treatment, is to embrace it. It will boost your confidence and you can finally start looking at ways you can enhance the look.

There are so many bald men out there and believe it or not, there are women who are into bald buys as long as they know how to dress and handle their baldness.

How to Shave

Step 1 – Take a shower first

The first step to a clean shave is showering. Warm water helps relax the hair follicles so that it becomes easier to shave.
This prevents razor burns and ingrown hairs in the end and to mention, you are able to achieve a clean cut.

Step 2 – Gather your equipment

The next step is to decide on what you are going to use to shave your hair. The easiest is combining a razor and an electric clipper.
The clipper helps reduce the length of the hair so that it becomes easier to use a razor.

This is the best option if you are looking at leaving a stubble. It is also the easiest way to shave since your skin doesn’t get irritated.
When you are beginning, you can leave a stubble just to see how you would look without hair.

Even if you want to go fully bald, you will still need a clipper. When the hair length is manageable, you can then shave it off.
For that, you will need to try different types of safety razor blades, cartridge razors or straight razors.

Step 3 – Shaving

Once you have everything you need, you can start shaving. Try as much as possible to go with the grain even when shaving the back of the head to minimize nicks, cuts as well as aftershave irritation.

 When you are done shaving, apply some soothing lotion, oil or cream. This helps reduce dryness and irritation.

How to Maintain

If you have decided to shave off everything on your head, how do you manage the baldness?

Here are a few ways to go about that:

Shaving

If you want a clean shave, then you need to get yourself a good pair of quality clippers and razors.
Clippers trim the hair to a manageable length so that it’s easier to shave off with a razor.

Take a shower before you shave to relax your hair follicles to make it easier to shave. When you are shaving, shave with the grain.
This may be easier said than done, especially at the back of your head, which is why you need to take your time until you can master it.

Shaving with the grain helps prevent razor burns and ingrown hairs, which are very comfortable.
You can also use ingrown hair cream or an exfoliating wash.

It is also recommended that you use shaving cream for a closer shave free of irritation. Shaving cream also acts as a moisturizer.

Sunscreen

With a bald head you lose protection against sunburn that your hair used to offer. As such, you need to turn to other things like sunscreen to get through the day. A sunburned head with a peeling skin that is falling off is the last thing you need when you go bald.

Moisturizer

Your skin depends on a moisture barrier so as to keep grime, dust and bacteria out of the skin.
It also provides a little protection against the sun and prevents windburn.

The moisturizer also works with the shampoo to prevent dandruff and rashes that can be really noticeable with a clean-shaven head.
If you have a moisturizer for your face, the same should work for your scalp as well.

When you are buying a moisturizer, avoid those that have acids and only go for natural ingredients.
Jojoba oil is one of the ingredients that you should ensure is in the moisturizer that you will buy.

Shampoo

If you are bald, avoid using body soap on the scalp. Instead, buy shampoo that is meant for the head.
You can go with an anti-dandruff or moisture-rich blend shampoo.

 If you have a beard, you can use the same shampoo that you use on your beard for the top of the head.

Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs are a nuisance, whether on top of the head or face. To prevent ingrown hairs, it is recommended that when shaving you shave with the grain. You could also use an exfoliating wash or an ingrown hair cream to manage them.

Quick Fashion Tips

Ensure That All the Clothes You Wear Fit You Well

Loose clothes are okay, but baggy ones are a no. Ensure that the seams at the end of the shoulders hit right where your shoulders end.

If You Prefer Button-Up Shirts, Try High Collars With a Few Vuttons Open

The goal here is to minimize the amount of exposed skin above the neck.

If You Are Into a More Casual Look, Try Loose-Fitting Clothes Plus Layers

The extra layers are supposed to add a sophisticated edge to the look to make it seem more international.
Think of Jason Momoa if you have no idea how to pull off this look.

Consider Sunglasses

Glasses usually do the framing work that your hair used to do, drawing attention to the best parts of your face and away from the imperfect ones.

FAQ

FAQ About Men’s Balding

How do you keep your head bald?

The first way is to embrace it. You can then start using shampoos, moisturizers, sunscreen to prevent sunburns and, above all, shaving regularly to maintain the look.

How do you know if you will go bald?

It’s not easy to know if you will go bald since hair loss symptoms don’t manifest until you have lost half the hair.
However, baldness is genetic, so if your dad or grandfather is bald the chances are that you will also go bald at some point.

Do bald people use shampoo?

Yes, bald people use shampoo to moisturize the hair so as to prevent dandruff, which is more noticeable when you are bald.

What does a shaved head say about a man?

Most men who have a shaved head are considered confident, alpha-males, badasses and, most of all, organized.

Will I go bald if my dad is?

If your dad is bald, there is a high chance that you will also go bald since baldness is genetic.
Some people who have these genes start balding in their mid-20s or late 30s.

At what age do men go bald?

On average, it takes about 15 to 25 years for men to go totally bald. The process can begin at any age and about a third of men will bald or have a balding pattern by 60.

Can bald people get dandruff?

Yes, bald dandruff is quite common in bald people, especially if you don’t use shampoo or a moisturizer.
In fact, dandruff is more prominent and noticeable in bald men than those who have hair.

Why are bald heads shiny?

Sebum is an oil-like substance that is produced by the sebaceous glands. The glands don’t stop producing sebum even when hair follicles have stopped working and the result is a shiny head.

Why do some guys go bald early?

Baldness is related to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone and it is responsible for the replacement of old hairs by shorter and thinner hairs in a predictable pattern, which marks the beginning of baldness and is what is responsible for some guys going bald earlier than others.

About the author: Vinnie - Barber

Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.

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