It happened several years ago. After getting a haircut, the first in quite a while, I noticed something looked different. Had she taken off too much? No. My hair was thinning.
I always had a full, thick set of hair and never considered it might thin out, at least not at such a young age. Gradually, a hairless area began to appear on the top of my head accompanied by my wife making comments like “You should get that looked at.” or “You are really losing your hair back here.” — she’s a straight shooter that wife of mine. It was happening so fast I thought to myself, “Is this it, old boy? Your last rodeo before I shave off what’s left of you? What do we have, months, weeks?” I started doing research thinking, surely, there is a fix for this thing by now. Nope. At least, not that I could find.
My hair loss has slowed down over the years and many people wouldn’t think much of it at this point, now that I am in the later half of my thirties, but when it first started it was like a wake-up call telling me I was entering another phase in life; an older phase.
I realize not every man goes through this, but most will at least have a receding hairline at some point in their life. Here are some areas to consider when thinking about this subject.
- How did you (or are you) handle it?
- Was it a big deal or not?
- Did it point out any youthful vanity you may have been holding on to?
- Are you holding on to those last few strands that should really be shaved off? i.e. Homer Simpson?
- Have you tried Rogaine or other options? If so, how did it work out?
Another good question is this: Is it OK for a man to fix his hair loss whether by Rogaine or surgery or some other option? In other words, does it make a man vain or less manly to try to address this issue which is primarily aesthetic?
Have something to add? Sound off in the comments below!
- Fireside Topic articles are interesting topics to get men talking. Find a few friends and throw a question out there and see what develops. Read more here. -