Hold Baldness in 5 Steps

Michael Jordan made it cool for black men and Bruce Willis paved the way for white guys. When it comes to style, hair is not only the main thing on your head, but also the main thing on your mind, especially when your hair begins to disappear. If you're losing your hair, where do you turn for good advice? Unfortunately, most of the information out there is from companies trying to sell you quick-fix solutions. Find out when it's your time to take it all off and how to embrace your baldness with these five steps.

1- Assess the fallout damage

Be a detective, like Kojak, and know what hair loss clues to look for and what they mean.

Have other people started to mention that you're losing your hair?

Are you shocked by how thin your hair looks in recent photos?

When you get out of the shower and look in the mirror, can you see more skin than hair on your head?

Do you notice that the top of your head gets sunburned along with your nose?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you're losing your hair.

2- Accept that your hair has to go

If you begin losing your hair in your 20s or 30s, it can be devastating. As with a terminal illness, you'll move through five stages.

Denial: "That must be some other dude in the mirror. He doesn't look like me. I'm younger."
Anger: "Why is this happening to me, a nice guy? That jerk-off Jake in accounting still has a full mane."
Bargaining: "Please God, just let me keep my hair. I promise never to cheat on my girlfriend again."
Depression: "Life as I know it has ended. Game over, man. I'll never get laid again."
Acceptance: "Could be worse. I still have two arms and two legs, and that most important appendage."
Realize that in life, hair is a privilege, not a right.

3- Don't cover up balding hair

If you're contemplating artificial means of hiding, enhancing or covering your baldness, you may want to think twice about it. You'll pay in more ways than one. Hair plugs, where hair is harvested from the side and back of your head and transplanted to the top, are expensive, painful and can permanently scar. Toupees and hairpieces aren't cheap either, and they're high maintenance. Plus, do you really want a girl running her hands through your "hair," only to discover it isn't your hair? Talk about a libido killer.

4- Shave your head

Be like Michael Jordan: It's time to play ball, so just do it. Prepare yourself for the looks of amazement you'll get from your girlfriend, family and friends. But you'll be surprised by how many people genuinely compliment your new 'do. Start with electric shears like the barber uses. Once you've sheared the heavy stuff, it's time to close the deal. Lather up with shaving gel, which offers a closer, smoother shave than shaving cream. Use whichever razor brand you regularly buy for the best shaving results. Start at the top and shave down with the grain.

Watch what you're doing in the back with a small hand mirror. Shaving your dome only takes a few minutes and you don't need to do it every day (two to three times a week is sufficient). Keep in mind that growing a goatee or a beard can make you look like you're compensating for your head. You'll just appear insecure with your new look.

5- Maintain proper upkeep

From here on in, treat your head like your face. Just think of all the money you'll save on haircuts and shampoo. Wash regularly with moisturizing soap (with aloe), instead of a harsh deodorant soap that can dry out the skin on your head. You'll want to buy a quality color-free and fragrance-free moisturizer to apply after every wash. Make sure it's noncomedogenic, which means it won't clog pores. For the summer, find a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15 to avoid sunburn on your head. Don't forget you'll need a warm hat in cold weather to maintain your body heat.

Man enough to own your baldness?

In the beginning, you'll feel naked. It'll take some time to get used to that new guy looking at you in the mirror. Your buddies will toss some "cue ball" jokes your way at first. However, this will only last a few days -- until you get a little color on your head.

Sporting a shaved head can actually make you look younger. It's a hip style these days. Many men in their 20s, blessed with full heads of hair, shave just for the look. And it can help you in business. A clean-cut head helps present a sharp, orderly and professional image. That's why it works so well in the military. Conversely, if you're the creative type, a bald head lends you immediate artistic, hipster credibility. Additionally, you'll get a little more respect on the street. Look at what it did for Vin Diesel. Toughness comes to mind.