How to be a bald (or balding) Andy?

[omdorastrix]

Since Hair seems to be a repeating theme...

I'm Bald (as in male pattern baldness) - which, for me, makes my presentation decidedly male.  I can shave, i can do makeup, but I can't get rid of the captains cut on my pate.

So I have 3 options, 1) surgery 2) wigs 3) ignore it.

I've been stuck over how to shift my presentation more towards a feminine.  I think I've got part of it with clothing, messing with cuts and styles and going with a good dose of colour, I'm slowly working on my wardrobe

But my biggest hang-up so far is my face and hair, so I'm thinking, wigs.  Why?  Because I can change the style and colour any time that I want, just buy a new one.  I usually keep my real hair fairly short anyways so thats a plus.

I'm not planning on holding a big "I'm a non-binary gender, please respect me..."  thing for everyone I know just so I can experience the joys of hair, but then again...

For the few male, balding, middle-aged Andro's (or MtF's who have the same problem)  how easy it is to deal with people quizzing you because you're suddenly carrying a full head of hair?  Or for people who have been used to seeing you present in one way, then see you suddenly another.

I'm worried mostly about co-workers,friends, and family, the ones closest to me.

Any other tips or tricks to pass on for presentation.

I think my ultimate goal is to arrive at an andro, slightly boy look, with the option at any time to go femme for the day if I wanted.

[Jamie D]

Hair grafts are not out of the question.  MPB usually does not affect the lower parts of the scalp.

[Cindy]

Hate it when I reply and the server eats it.

I wore wigs when I was pre transitioning but going out for social events, shopping dinner parties etc. No one made any rude comments. Then I was sort of transitioning, I just hadn't plucked up the courage to go FT. People knew me in both male disguise and as a me, even though 'me' was the hidden one. No one reacted badly to my dramatic changes in look.  My wigs were in no way like my male hair growth. So the change was sudden and dramatic.

My hair at that time was short and I had MPB with a small central bald spot. I kept my hair short, because it was wispy grey, thin and yuk and I wore wigs anyway.

When I transitioned I grew my hair out. Someone suggested I use a particular shampoo, conditioner and treatment  (Redken Intraforce), I was very very sceptical, extremely so. But there are few people more desperate than a woman with thin hair going FT.

I also consulted a state of the art hairdressing salon, who now do my hair.

I was stunned and my stylist and colour technician were stunned by my hair growth on the treatment. They had not suggested it, and they had no reason to BS me about it. But my central bald spot has gone, and my 'widow peaks are a lot smaller. My hair style now hides them anyway.

My reason for this comment was that my hairstyle even without a wig has changed totally. OK I'm now FT and my total look is so dramatically different from what I used to look like that I'm not readily recognisable. But no one makes a particular comment about hair, body changes or anything.

The one comment I do get, is that my skin is so smooth and soft looking. The fact that I was a short-grey hair balding geezer doesn't seem to rate a mention.

[foosnark]

This may not be helpful, but I just don't worry too much about appearing to be androgynous.  I just rock the baldness.  My hairline was seriously receding by age 19.  At some point I cut it all short.  Then I dyed it orange briefly before just shaving it all off and not looking back.

I also have a beard that I'm growing out to wizard length, so there's that.  Counter to probably everything, the beard makes me look and feel *less* masculine.  Go figure.

[Brightest After Dawn]

I feel you. I'm 23 and it's very thin on top, though not quite "balding" per se, and I don't have a receding hairline. It's good in a sense because the hair is thinner and there's this wispiness and femininity about it that I like, but eventually (maybe already?) it'll pass the point of no return, and the bald spot will just look awkward and/or too masculine.

I'd opt for wigs myself (and I'm planning to go that route when I have to and have the resources), and spend money to make sure they look nice, but that's because hair is a very important part of my look. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable gender-wise should take priority if you can afford it, especially if it really bothers you otherwise.

The only other obvious route is rogaine/propecia, but how healthy is it to be taking drugs if you don't have to? Perhaps I'm wrong...it's been tempting, but my feeling would be to stay away from them if you have a choice.

[Kendall]

If the baldness is not something that you like here some suggestions.

Wear a hat that covers the balding area constantly. Over time those around me tend to forget that I am bald underneath. I showed someone a few months ago, and they didn't realize had such a large bald area.

At work, I wear a hat, and almost no one has seen me not wearing a hat. Some wear a headband, sunhat, headscarf, or bandana (kerchief)

I grew out my hair, though the bald area remains.

In profile pictures that I post here I am wearing a wig, though I once posted a pic without. I use scalp protection and wig adhesive when I am wearing the wig for a long period of time. Wigs can look artificial, just to warn you.

Maybe you can buy a short wig first (men's) and test the grounds with it first, maybe using a hat or head covering to sort of hide the top that would obviously reveal.

There are wiglets, hairpieces, and toupees, if you can match them to your hair in color and texture. Matching can be more problematic if you have more gray hair on the sides.

There are also weaves.

I don't have much experience with medicine, except minoxidil (rogaine) and natural herb saw palmetto which both seem to have limited results at growing back thin frizzy hair.

hope it helps

kendall

[Adreni]

Look at the end of the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer and watch the "Kara" short by Quantic Dream on Youtube. As long as you can sculpt the rest of your form, waxing up there to get rid of the balding pattern should suffice.

I openly advocate this idea on an aesthetic social level. Aesthetically speaking, I'm a cyberpunk freak and love the androgynous/feminine bald look. Socially speaking, normalizing this image could help cancer patients who experience dysphoria or embarrassment over baldness... or anyone else who has this, but at this point I guess I'm just theorycrafting.

[JoanneB]

MPB started stricking me down when I was 14. By my early 20's there was already a bald spot in the back as well as a very pronounced Widow's Peak in the front. These days in male mode it's the full Friar Tuck look with just the fringe between the ears.

Needless to say I need to go the wig route and have been since my late teens. The big tricks are to pick colors and styles that complement your face and flesh tone. Cheaping it out is not a good long term option if you care about the "Oh she's wearing a wig" looks or thoughts of others.

[blue]

I think a buzzed or shaved head is very andro, does get a lot of attention. I wear hats on days when the attention is a bit much to deal with. It reads femme paired with big earrings and makeup, etc.

[Lo]

I feel that a bald head is more like a blank canvas than anything. I've seen some fabulous femme-presenting men with bald heads; you should look up His Black Dress, which is a fashion blog run by a crossdressing man. He's got excellent style and rocks the shiny head.

[androgynoid]

A closely buzzed or shaved head is much more andro than a traditional cut that's longer on top. I think it makes the face/head look less squared-off and more round. It really plays up facial features, though. If you have an overly strong jaw or brow ridge, that will definitely show. I have a friend with both of those features (to a very noticeable level), and a #1 buzz is not the best look for him. However, neither is a traditional men's cut; he currently rocks a chin-length layered style, and it looks very andro on him.

I think a buzzed or shaved head is very andro, does get a lot of attention. I wear hats on days when the attention is a bit much to deal with. It reads femme paired with big earrings and makeup, etc.

A closely buzzed head with dangly earrings is one of my favorite looks. Now I want to do this. My head's already 1/4" on the sides, I'd just need to shave the top off.

Don't tempt me...

I feel that a bald head is more like a blank canvas than anything. I've seen some fabulous femme-presenting men with bald heads; you should look up His Black Dress, which is a fashion blog run by a crossdressing man. He's got excellent style and rocks the shiny head.

I love His Black Dress; his style is fantastic and he rocks the shaved look.