This article was reviewed by Knox Beasley, MD.
Should I Shave My Head? One Man’s Experience And An Expert’s Advice
If you’ve been asking yourself, “Should I shave my head?” — you’re not alone. Mike Anderson was just 23 when he first noticed his receding hairline and the question started to cross his mind too.
He knew male pattern baldness ran in his family, so it wasn’t exactly a shock to see hair thinning. “I wasn’t surprised, but I was surprised,” he says with a laugh, recalling old wedding photos of his grandfather, who was already bald by his early twenties. Still, experiencing hair loss firsthand caught him off guard.
If you no longer have a full head of hair and think you might want to shave your head, you’re in the right place. Male pattern baldness is a common culprit behind bald spots and thinning hair. Thinking about shaving it all off? Let’s talk about your options.
When Is It Time to Shave Your Head?
There isn’t a right or wrong time to shave your head for the first time. The decision to break out the clippers for a buzzcut largely depends on your personal preferences and how you plan to manage thinning hair.
In Mike’s case, when he began losing his hair in his 20s, he didn’t do anything about it. It was the mid-’80s, and there weren’t many treatments available for male pattern baldness (Rogaine® only gained approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in August 1988). Another factor was the cost of hair loss options when they first became available.
“I was a college student,” he explains. “I didn’t have any money, so if it cost more than a little bit, I wasn’t going to do it.”
According to a 1988 New York Times article, Rogaine retailed for about $100 per month when it first came out (about the equivalent of $265 in 2024).
What’s Changed About Hair Loss Treatments?
Fortunately, the monthly cost of Rogaine has fallen drastically (you can now get generic minoxidil for $15 a month).
And other hair loss treatments now exist, like prescription finasteride.
Board-certified dermatologist Knox Beasley, MD, suggests giving these products time to work before head shaving. “I recommend giving any new hair loss medication 6 months to work.”
What If Treatments Aren’t Working?
Dr. Knox says that the earlier you start the treatment, the better results you should expect.
Research shows treatments like minoxidil take about 2-4 months to start working. But you probably won’t see the full effects of your hair growth until about 4-6 months.
You also might see some negative side effects when you start with treatments. “During the first 1-2 months, you may see some new shedding when starting a new hair loss medication. This is common and part of the process,” says Dr. Knox.
This is because certain treatments, like minoxidil, shorten the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle, which causes excess shedding.
But if your treatments aren’t working, you might want to consider swapping treatments or combining treatments like finasteride and minoxidil, which research says work better together.
In other cases, you may have follicles resistant to treatment and unable to activate new hair growth. This is when you may have reached a “point of no return” and may want to consider a new look: an old-school combover, short hair or a haircut, or a shaved head.
The “Point of No Return”
According to Dr. Knox, the point of no return happens when follicles can’t grow new hairs.
In male pattern baldness specifically, the follicles shrink so that hair either grows very finely, or in some cases, the hair follicles become dormant, and hair stops growing altogether.
Because hair grows in cycles, there’s sometimes hope of “waking up” dormant follicles and reigniting the growth (anagen) phase under the right conditions and with the right treatments.
If you’re curious whether you can regrow your hair, your doctor is the best person to turn to.
“While eventually there may come a time where the hair follicles are unable to regrow, there are many topical, oral, and procedural options to help treat hair loss before getting to the point of no return,” Dr. Knox shares.
Mike’s Journey: Is Shaving Your Head Worth It?
Mike initially chose a short hairstyle to make thinning less noticeable. Ultimately, it took him years to fully embrace a shaved head.
“To be honest with you, various sports stars, like Michael Jordan, helped me get comfortable with losing my hair,” he says. “I was like, ‘Wow, he’s bald, and everybody loves him, so this can’t be too bad.’”
In his early 30s, Mike finally decided to shave his head. By then, he’d come to terms with his hair loss and felt less bothered by it. “I was married to my beautiful wife, so my confidence was already really high!”
He’s never looked back, but a shaved head requires commitment. Mike shaves every day — yes, every day.
About 15 years ago, he became curious about what his hair would look like if he let it grow back.
“My kids laughed at me, and my neighbors laughed at me — my coworkers even! They pulled me aside, saying, ‘Dude, seriously, you need to just cut it.’ People were really not having it. It looked like I was wearing a hat,” he says. “My kids still bring it up. That’s when I made sure to shave every day.”
Mike’s Advice To Men With Thinning Hair
While Mike has fully embraced his baldness over the past 30 years, it wasn’t always easy. “When I first started losing my hair, it wasn’t cool,” he says. “I was young, and I was dating. It bothered me, that’s for sure.”
But Mike has a clear message to men who are considering embracing their baldness and shaving their heads.
“You’ve just got to get past it. You’ve got to let it go. I don’t think I would’ve ever done anything for it, like getting a hair replacement or taking something,” he says. “I wouldn’t have gone that route. Instead, I embraced it and focused on other things to feel good, like working out.”
What to Know Before You Shave
If you’re like Mike and you plan to bite the bullet and shave your head, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- Make sure you wear sunscreen on your scalp. This is especially important if you decide to use a hair loss treatment like minoxidil or finasteride. They can make your skin more sensitive and susceptible to sunburn.
- If you’re shaving your own head, make sure to use the proper tools. Using shaving cream and a head shaver or trimmer helps reduce the risk of ingrown hairs and razor burn.
- After shaving, be sure to take proper care of your skin. Use a moisturizer or aftershave to help prevent dryness and irritation on your scalp.
Not Ready Yet? Treatment Options to Consider
If you’re still unsure about shaving your head, a hair loss treatment might be worth considering.
Final Thoughts: Should I Shave My Head?
If you’re not ready to embrace hair loss, you have more options available than ever. The medications finasteride and minoxidil are the most effective treatments to help slow or reverse hair loss.
But remember, there’s no wrong answer about how you should style your hair. Do what works best for you. You might be ready to grab a razor and shave it all off. Or you might try hair loss treatments to kickstart regrowth and slow thinning.
- Related: How to Fix a Receding Hairline: 11 Effective Treatments Backed by Science
- Related: How Much Does Rogaine® (Minoxidil) Cost?
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This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
