Hair loss is a problem that affects a lot of people.

There are some solutions for it. I think the most common and proven to work is minoxidil, a medication used for hair growth and hair loss prevention. The caveat is you have to use it forever, or you'll start losing hair again. You could do a hair transplant, but again, if you don't fight hair loss with meds, you'll eventyally lose every follicle except the implanted ones. Also, this procedure could leave noticeable scars, so if you decide to stop treatment and shave your head, it'll look worse than if you did nothing at all.

When I noticed that my hairline was receding, I tried using minoxidil for a little while, but I had some kind of reaction. I wouldn't call it an allergy, but it was irritating. I decided it wasn't worth worrying about. I thought, "It's fine for now. When it starts looking bad, I'll just shave my head." That was eight years ago.

I wanted to think that I don't care, but still, after every other haircut, I'd look in the mirror and think, "Maybe it's time?" I started watching Youtube videos on the topic. There's this channel called "Baldcafe". It's kind of an emotional support channel for men experiencing hair loss. People talk about their struggles and how they've affected their lifes and mental health. How they've tried to hide it with specific haircuts, hats, hair replacement systems or wigs. Some people were literally in tears. Some were spending thousands of dollars on hair transplants. Then they shave their head and realise that they look fine, much better than when they were trying to hide their bald spots, and they don't have to worry about this issue anymore. For some, it literally changed their lives. Personally, I never worried that much, but still, I found that channel helpful and inspiring.

After looking at my photos this summer, I decided, "It's time." So I just took a trimmer and shaved my head. Good riddance, hair! It was kinda wierd for a few minutes, I guess. And I didn't feel instant relief or anything like in the videos I saw. I called my niece to come over and check to see if I missed a spot. When she saw me, she was so surprised that she burst out laughing. Then she said that I looked okay but that it'll take some time to get used to it.

I was worried for like a week or two about how I looked and how people would react. I even started looking at other men on the street more and wondering Are they losing hair? Are there a lot of men with clean-shaved heads? But I actually received a lot of compliments (the most I had in my entire life), a few people were surprised, my friends joked about it a little, and nobody said anything negative. But in the end, I realised that nobody really cared how I look. It's such a non-issue — it just doesn't matter, really. The only people who care are the people who are insecure about themselves.

I guess my message is: you don't really have to shave your head if you experience hair loss — you just have to accept yourself and how you look. Nobody cares how you look as much as you do. For some, though, it's just easier to accept with a shaved head.