Balding

Hello all,

Just sharing a downpoint, this is more to myself than anything.

Decided to shave my head again after spending an hour+ checking it in the mirror, my hair was thinning around the crown to the point where if I parted my hair a certain way I had a small bald spot (in truth it was perfectly fine normally).

I have spoken to a handful of men that have gone bald, they say it doesn't bother them and I believe them but for me it becomes a percieved flaw that I obsessed over. Nothing really helped, not reading up on it, knowing it looked OK normally, reassuring comments that "it doesn't matter" and "women don't care", that I should just shave it and go to the gym (i.e. become Vin Diesel, how is that not a dated reference?).

I was embarrassed that it bothered me so much, to the point I would spiral into a dark mood. I felt that I should be silent, that the negative feelings weren't valid, I should just get over it and that I should be glad I'm in reasonably good health.

I have gone through some difficult life experiences that I never felt this bad about or ashamed of, that I was OK to feel depressed about certain things but not others. I've reached the point again where I am reminded that no-one's opinion matters more than my own, feeling depressed isn't a competition, it doesn't require reasons, comparisons or confirmation. I could give my life story and some people may appreciate why I feel depressed but that doesn't matter to me, I felt bad over this and it bothered me.

Only down sides are that I had to shave the beard (I don't like having a shaved head and facial hair) and I'll have to put up with a barrage of questions from the people around me for a few weeks, I've done this before and it's not the end of the world, I've been laughed at once and it didn't traumatize me.

Just sharing because I hold on to a lot of negative emotions and this act alleviates some of the baggage for a time. It will probably bother me again in the future but for now the worst is done.

Early 30s male.