8 Benefits of Shaving Your Head Bald (Plus the Cons) – 2022
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Going bald is not a decision that men make lightly. In fact, for most bald men, going bald was their only option.
There’s no shortage of men who’ve gone bald and look even better than they did when they had a head full of hair. But also, some men went bald and didn’t look as sexy. Needless to say, there’s an ongoing debate on whether to go bald or not.
In this piece, we’ll look at some of the benefits of shaving your head. We’ll also throw in a couple of drawbacks to paint a clear picture of what to expect. This way, you’ll make an informed decision.
Pros and Cons of Head Shaving
There are several reasons why men opt to shave their heads. Some of these reasons include hair loss or simply achieving a badass look like The Rock or Jason Statham. But before you run a head shaver across your scalp, you should know that no shaving style is as dramatic as going bald.
Though it might hide your graying or balding head and make you look a couple of years younger, it can also make you look more like a thug (though this also depends on the types of clothes you choose).
As we share the pros and cons of shaving your head, remember that it’s a personal choice.
Benefits of Shaving Head
As we’ve pointed out, there are a couple of benefits of shaving head though they don’t apply to all men. Some men end up looking a little more handsome or rugged with a clean-shaven scalp. For others, it may infuse more confidence, and for others still, it may make them a little more insecure.
It’s just like growing out a beard – it works for some, and for others, it doesn’t. Weigh the benefits for you and be the judge on whether it’s a right fit for you or not.
1. Hides Receding Hairlines or Male Pattern Baldness
The biggest fear for most men is losing hair. Hair loss serves as a constant reminder that youth is fast fading. Though some older men (those above 40 years) are expected to have some degree of baldness, it’s more worrying when a man in his 20s and 30s starts experiencing balding.
With recent technological advances in the medical field, there are some creative ways to stop or hide baldness. You can even get products to help regrow your hair (you’ve surely come across reviews of such products). Unfortunately, these products are either insanely expensive, don’t work as they should, or look ridiculous.
Instead of spending your time obsessing over your baldness and wasting time trying to turn back the clock, it’s easier to own it and rock a bald look. This alternative is not only easier but cheaper. Heck, it’ll hide the thinning hair so well and give you an even more masculine look in one go.
2. It Gives You a Younger Look
This is in line with hiding the onset of male pattern baldness. However, it’s a benefit for older men than younger men with early onset of hair loss. Many men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s instantly look a decade younger with a bald head. This is probably because men and women associate baldness with virility and toughness. If you don’t believe this, try it and get back to use with the number of times you receive the ‘you look younger’ comment.
3. No More Bad Hair Days or Bad Haircuts
There’s nothing that sucks more than having good hair and having your local barber do a bad job on it. Or you get so busy that you don’t have time to style it in the morning. Having a bald head is sometimes better than having a bad hair day.
Unless you have the money to spend on a professional salon stylist, you know what we are talking about. So imagine this, having to go through life without worrying about your next style or having to pay for a haircut yet still be stylish.
This is why many men prefer going bald. It’s faster and lifts a styling burden off your shoulders.
4. No More Washing and Styling
Grooming your hair, shampooing, combing, and drying it has probably been a part of your routine for the longest time – just like washing your clothes and shaving your face are. It’s just one of those things that have to be done whether you are into it or not.
However, if you opt to shave your head, you can simplify the process. It’s way easier to deal with a bald head. All you need to do is wash, dry and moisturize. While you’ll only free up a couple of minutes from this, it’s time you’d otherwise not have.
5. It Might Boost Your Career
This might come as a surprise but think about it for a minute. How many executives and bosses have you come across throughout your career? Either during official work meetings or at casual events? How many of them are bald? If you do a quick count, you’ll be shocked that a large number of these bosses and executives are bald.
Even more shocking, some studies show that bald men come off as more masculine, dominant, and better suited for a leadership position. Now, we aren’t saying that going bald will fast-track your promotion timelines, but according to science, going bald presents you as a good candidate for higher positions.
6. There Are Many Powerful and Cool Bald People
There are many big, powerful, and cool bald men in society. And the beauty of it all is that they can be found in all industries, including entertainment, business, sports, and spirituality. Just like with bald CEOs and executives, there’s no shortage of famous and cool men in the bald community.
So if your head shape allows for it, don’t be afraid to flaunt it – do it with confidence too.
7. You’ll Save a Lot of Money
Today, men are spending a lot more on hair than they did decades ago. There are now a lot of products to use, including cutting, styling, and cutting products.
But with going bald, you don’t need to make a large investment since you only need a good shaving razor, head shaving cream, and shaving oil.
Well, you’ll need to purchase some conditioner and shampoo as well to keep your head clean and well moisturized, but this will not eat a lot into your savings.
Even with all these purchases, shaving your head is still a cheaper option than treating male pattern baldness.
8. Women Will Find You More Attractive
We’ve pointed out that bald heads are often associated with masculinity and virility. It’s therefore not a wonder that many modern women find the likes of Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, and The Rock insanely attractive.
Does science support these claims, or is it perceived?
Well, research in Social Psychological and Personality Science explores this in a bit more detail. They take time to measure how women think of men with bald heads in comparison to those with heads full of hair.
According to research, bald men are perceived to be more dominant and agreeable. They are also perceived to be 13% stronger and 6% more confident. Women are bound to see these qualities in bald men. So why not take the opportunity and stand out from the crowd?
The Drawbacks to Going Bald
So far, we’ve seen the benefits of shaving your head. However, it has a couple of drawbacks as well.
Hats and Caps Are Necessary
If you love wearing a cowboy hat, a baseball cap, or any type of headgear that suits your style, then this will not be a problem. However, if you don’t have a selection of caps and hats, you might need to start getting some. Essentially, hair protects your scalp from the cold and the sun. During winter, your hair plays the role of a hat and insulates your head, keeping you warm. And in the summer, the hair prevents you from getting a sunburn.
However, after shaving your head, you’ll realize that the winter cold is even colder. So you’ll have to cover up your shaved head with a stocking cap or a beanie. Also, during the summer, you’ll need to cover up with a bucket hat, a baseball cap, or a bandana to keep your scalp from getting crispy. If not, you’ll have to learn the new meaning of pain.
Shaving Takes Time and Practice
Even if you wield the best razor to shave your head, you’ll still need to practice how to shave your head to achieve the best close and smooth shave. Without practice, you’ll suffer a lot of nicks and cuts, and irritation.
Now, we know we said that shaving your head will shave off some time in your routine as well. That’s true. But it’s also true that you’ll have to dedicate some time every week to shave. For most men, it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes (but this depends on how skilled you are). If you are still getting the hang of things, it’ll take you long until you are confident and comfortable with your skill.
Unless you are super strict with showing any stubble, we don’t recommend shaving your head more than every two days. Doing this will only increase the chances of skin irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor burns – all of which are worse than having stubble.
Of course, if your decision of shaving your head is to hide your thinning hair, you might be inclined to shave every day as stubble is quite revealing. But even then, you must acquire a high-quality razor to prevent you from getting skin irritations.
Alternatively, you can opt to use electric shavers to prevent this problem.
Higher Chances of Breaking the Scalp Skin
Your hair protects your scalp from the harsh sun and insulates it from the cold weather. Besides this, it also acts as a cushioning for when you bump your head. Though you don’t have any feeling in your hair, the brain uses tiny sensations in the scalp and hair to warn you when you are about to bump your head.
It might sound far-fetched, but most men agree that they bumped their heads more when they have a shaved head than when they had hair. But it’s not only the reduced sensitivity and increased bumping that you have to worry about. You also should care about the extra damage when you hit your head. Without the extra cushioning, you’ll find that many of the bumps will cause a lot more damage.
Your Head Looks Lumpy
This is by far one of the biggest fears of most men that think about going bald. It’s also one of the biggest complaints of those who have recently gone bald. These men are self-conscious about having lumpy heads.
Honestly, no one has a perfectly rounded head. So the bumps and lumps are normal and not as noticeable as you think. Don’t believe it? Well, do another test. When you have a shaved head, record the number of times people comment that your head looks unshapely or lumpy. It rarely ever happens. And even when it does, it is in jest. So while you might think your head is abnormally shaped, everyone else sees it as normal, and they don’t see the problem.
Shave Your Head or Not – What Route Do You Take?
When all is said and done, many men see the benefits of shaving your head. The drawbacks are not as significant – and we tend to agree. Of course, if you are concerned about the receding hairline and thinning hair, you can use various products to stop balding.
But as we see it, it gets to a point using these products doesn’t make sense. No one expects an old man to have a head full of hair. The beauty of an old man is having thinner and grey hair. No one judges them for balding. But even they tend to look better when they shave it all. So why not embrace it sooner and shave your head clean?