by Patrick Sills

Created on: April 11, 2008   Last Updated: March 27, 2009

Several years ago, long hair on men was cool. Understandably, many must have dreaded the thought of joining the ranks of those afflicted with male pattern baldness, especially if older family members started showing more scalp as each year passed. There was indeed a time when any option other than going bald was favorable, whether it meant getting a hairpiece, a weave job, or a costly and often painful transplant.

As we enter adulthood, we begin to encounter many males who are slowly but surely losing their top hair. In some families, practically every male will be bald. It becomes tough to fight genetic predisposition. Such a trait can begin to show itself before one even reaches the legal drinking age. In other cases, hair loss may not occur until well into middle age or beyond.

Fortunately, we have arrived at a point in time where natural appearances have become the accepted norm. Put simply, if you're bald, you're bald. A hairless scalp defines who certain men are. Attempts to conceal this perfectly natural look with toupees or a "comb-over" will now often bring laughter. A few years back, a popular TV show called, "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" featured a bald man who had been wearing a hairpiece for several years. The gist of the program was as follows: Five gay men; each of whom specialized in a particular area of style and fashion, were assigned to help a heterosexual male overcome stylistic shortcomings. In this episode, the bald man was talked into losing the toupee and going natural. The improvement was monumental. At last, he looked like he should.

This is not to say that there are still some hideous examples of people out there who will combat baldness with a fervor. The dreaded "comb-over" is but one example. In extreme instances, some individuals will not simply grow the hair they have remaining on one side and flip it over; as is customary, but they will rather flip it forward! Donald Trump takes this a step further by wrapping his hair around his entire head! Carefully watch "The Apprentice" sometime, and look at the studio lights shining on his scalp. His bald pate can clearly be seen where his hair has separated. And have you ever noticed that his Beatle-like bangs end on the same side as his part? This is a dead giveaway to a wrap job.

Another comical method used is to perm the hair that is left, which is then followed by pushing it toward the middle of the scalp. In the absence of generous amounts of gel or hairspray, what results instead is the hair popping back into its normal location. Hence, what you end up with is a guy who looks like a cross between Bozo the Clown and Larry of the Three Stooges!

A good look for bald men is to buzz the hair on the sides extremely short; to a stubble. Many of African-American descent look good with completely shaved heads. If the entire scalp is close-cropped or clean-shaven, it eliminates the contrasting appearance of those who still wear the hair they have at a medium or longer length. Finally, save for shaving or using a clipper, bald men have virtually no worries about hair maintenance. A windy day? No problem.

A natural look is the best look of all. And, thank goodness; it seems as though this sentiment has caught on.

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