Actually, no one told me anything about being bald, because I didn’t have bald friends to consult with. Below are the things that came as a surprise as part of the bald life
- I am sub-consciously running my hand over my scalp all day. However, I don’t think this will last long.
- I need to shave my head every 2/3 days max. If I go longer, the shaver can’t catch the hair. I had planned to shave once a week, but had to re-think my strategy.
- It took me many days to learn how to shave correctly. The first week was full of bruises and blood and missed patches.
- The money I was saving from not buying Shampoo and Minoxidil, I am now spending on shaving gel and aftershave.
- Shaving the head feels like a novelty at first, but starts feeling like a chore after a few days.
- The balder requires weekly maintenance/lubrication.
- There’s an unspoken solidarity between hairless men on the street. A subtle head-nod is not uncommon. I have even received welcomes from bald men I knew already.
- The head feels unprotected, especially during activities like running. It feels like if I fall, the head will crack open like a watermelon.
- Sunburn on the scalp is real. So now, instead of Minoxidil dripping down my face while running, it is sunscreen.
- My parents have taken this worse than I had foreseen.
Overall, staying bald seems to require more work than maintaining hair. However, bald is better than blading, any day.