'Coping' with going bald, they shaved their head and self-esteem surged. The Internet was amazed.

Not every thinning-haired man can be like Larry David, perhaps the most bald-conscious human on the planet. "I'm very proud of myself, and I'm not proud of myself for a lot of things," he told Jimmy Kimmel with a laugh in 2017. "But I'm very proud of myself for the way I accepted my baldness. It’s the only demonstration of character I've ever displayed in my life."

For many of us, losing our hair is a difficult life change, given that so much of our identity can be wrapped up in physical appearance. "Hair is deeply ingrained into one's self-image, inextricably linked to perceptions of beauty, health, youth, and gender," wrote Yoo Jung Kim, M.D., and Yoo Eun Kim for Psychology Today. "Moreover, hairstyling is also an essential part of many cultural and religious practices. Losing hair can worsen a patient's self-esteem, body image, and sense of distance from their social community."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Balding and "Coping"

For some, the next logical step after going bald is shaving off what's left. One person shared their life-changing experience in the r/bald subreddit, posting before/after photos and, in an uplifting development, receiving a wave of positive feedback about their appearance. (It's the Internet—you never know how people are gonna react.)

"I never realized how insecure I was about my hair until I cut it off," user Zoinkiezz wrote. "I made at least one joke a day about my bald spot or my hairline, just thinking it was funny, until my wife opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn’t joking, i was coping. Between her and all the amazing transformations I saw on this sub, I finally had the courage to face the clippers, and the difference to my confidence was night and day as soon as that first chunk of hair fell off. I was literally watching bundles of insecurities being cut off of me. I really hope that I can pass off that same courage to someone else who is feeling how I felt."

Bald pics and bold reactions

It’s safe to say the comments—which range from bro-styled pep talk to casual flirting to full-on titillation—only helped. Here’s a sample:

- "You look ten years younger, and much better looking. Not everyone has the luxury of that jawline."

- "I can only imagine how hard it must be to lose part of your identity and self by losing your hair but like everyone else here said you look so much better now. You went from quiet and awkward IT guy to Johnny Sims."

- "You can now be an astronaut, doctor, construction worker, plumber, and pizza delivery guy — all in the same movie!"

- "I thought he looked pretty attractive before, but I actually gasped when I saw his bald pic. I hope he mentally adjusts quickly bc dude is a 10/10 now and deserves to feel like that, too."

- "Dude casually went from middle aged accountant to smokeshow"

- "He went from some old guy from Austin, to Stone Cold Steve Austin."

- "I’m consistently impressed by how many of the dudes on this subreddit gain 2-3 points on the 10 point scale simply by taking the plunge. Looking good, gents."

Zoinkiezz responded, "WOW I am blown away from the positivity on this. Thank you all so much. I truly don’t deserve it."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Kayla Crane, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of South Denver Therapy, said her husband went through a similar experience. "[He] would also joke about his thinning hair, but I know secretly he was carrying a lot of shame underneath!" Crane says. "I think it can feel like losing part of your identity, and that can really weigh on someone's confidence. When my husband finally shaved his head, his jokes stopped, and you can tell his confidence definitely skyrocketed! I think more men who are insecure should try it. I think you'll feel lighter, freer, and more in control. I wish my husband did it much sooner!"

Of course, some people struggle with balding more than others. But for anyone out there stressing about their next hair move, it's worth reading the wise words of Stuart Heritage, author of the 2024 book Bald: How I Slowly Learned to Not Hate Having No Hair (And You Can Too). Writing for Men's Health, Heritage came up with six things he wishes he'd known before going bald—including, notably, the existence of an unspoken "brotherhood" he'd eventually join. "Men, we’re always told, aren’t natural sharers," he wrote. "We don’t like being vulnerable. But if you put a bald man in a group of other bald men, that all goes away. I’m always surprised at how sweet and sincere men are when they discuss how they went bald. It’s an unexpectedly lovely community."