Shaving it all Off

Once in a while, I tell readers of this blog to shave their head and test it out in case they find acceptance. Most people look better than they think when their scalp is entirely hairless. And it is surely more comfortable than a combover, especially in inclement weather.

When he was in his mid-20s, my brother-in-law shaved his head within weeks of realizing that he was starting to lose his hair. He has a decisive mindset and never looked back. On YouTube, the Baldcafe channel is very popular amongst men who are contemplating or going through with shaving their heads for the first time.

For women, the most popular recommendation (and choice) seems to be wearing a wig or hairpiece after shaving it all off. However, some women do decide to go for the completely barren look, and it requires tremendous confidence.

In any event, like myself, most regular readers of this blog will likely never shave their head. At least not till old age. We will go through decades of trying various medications and hair loss products, while hoping for the ultimate cure to finally arrive. In my case, I also do not like the idea of shaving my head every week once I begin, since I have OCD tendencies.

Bald by Stuart Heritage

Earlier today, the Guardian’s Simon Usborne published an interesting new book review. The book is called “Bald” and the UK-based author is another Guardian writer named Stuart Heritage. On Amazon, it says that the hardback version will be released on November 5, 2024. However, the e-book version can be delivered to your Kindle on April 25, 2024 when it is released.

The elongated version of the title is:

Bald: How I Slowly Learned to Not Hate Having No Hair (And You Can Too).

From the Guardian book review, it mentions that Mr. Heritage applies the Kübler-Ross model of grief to his hair loss:

1. Denial.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance.

I laughed at reading the term “Regaine years” (aka Minoxidil brand “Rogaine” in the US), when the author tried to preserve his surviving hair in a “zombified state”. Haven’t we all been there before. I wonder if the author ever tried Finasteride, Dutasteride, wearing caps or a hairpiece?

Also of interest, Mr. Heritage wrote a column in the Guardian just three days ago that was titled: “Losing my hair made me miserable. Now I’m as bald as an egg, I couldn’t be happier.” I really like his self-deprecating humor and most of his advice.

In his column, Mr. Heritage starts of by admitting that his byline photo (with scalp hair) is not the real current version of Stuart Heritage. This immediately reminded me of my own Linkedin photo, which is 9 years old.

Below is a quote that will resonate strongly with long-time readers of this blog:

“Finally, when you lose your hair, you realize that the entire internet is full of information designed to make you feel bad for being bald. Perform a Google search on the subject and you’ll be inundated by two types of content: newspaper articles that breathlessly recount all the new research that might one day eradicate baldness, even though stories like this have been published for decades, and baldness very much remains a thing; and websites for hair loss clinics, all desperately trying to attract every passing click with articles about how awful it is to go bald and how easily they can get your hair back.”

Points taken, although new hair loss treatments and potential cures are not as far fetched as they sounded in the past in my opinion. And hair transplants with reputable surgeons succeed far more often then fail. Although most people should assume that they will need at least two in their lifetime. A major expense and time commitment.

Interview with Larry David

And to top it all, Mr. Heritage just summarized his interview in the book with Larry David of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame. Larry David has talked about his baldness numerous times over the years. Moreover, a number of episodes in Seinfeld are devoted to George Costanza (Jason Alexander)’s constant fight against his baldness.