BALD

Started balding at around 19/20, escalated quickly at 21/22. Decent receding hairline now. At what age or point of balding do I say f*** it and do a Hank Paulson esque (obviously he is a lot more bald but yanno what I mean) extremely short buzz to take advantage of all the perceptions that come along with being bald/looking older?

Also has anyone noticed change in how people act towards u once u went bald or embraced your thinning hair and buzzed it all off?

41 Comments
 

I am in your position. My answer is NO. Take finasteride, topical minoxidil, and get a hair transplant with $$$ you’re making. It’s less than half of a first year banking bonus fora high-end FUE transplant that will never lead to any noticeable scarring.

 
Funniest

Idk. Maybe you could consider asking people on a random forum for advice on when to shave your head, because you can't make simple decisions for yourself, soft too. I'll take the Elon Musk approach to having sick hair.

 

The seriousness of GVH (Graft vs Host) cannot be understated. Still, easily worth the risk.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/arresteddevelopment/images/a/a3/3x0…</a" alt="Tobias Funke GVH" title="Tobias Funke GVH" />

 

1000%. That’s why I mentioned FUE instead of FUT. The latter will mess your shit up bad.

 

Definitely not an expert in this, but I would think there many solutions nowadays for such hair loss. They may cost a bit, but I'd say it's worth it if relatively permanent. Also this is a field that seems to be experiencing pretty often advancement so wouldn't be surprised to see some more major breakthroughs in coming years, I would definitely at least hold out if you can.

 

Does it look like I need bald guy cream? I can barley get a comb through it. My barber charges me double. I love my hair.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

I didn't even know it actually existed. I thought it was made up.

Never discuss with idiots, first they drag you at their level, then they beat you with experience.
 

Depends how you bald, if its a clean receding bald (meaning you dont have thin hair up front), I'd say grow beard.

I don't have the science, but I think theres some ratio of hair that everyone needs to have on their head to be considered good looking.

Thing is, you dont go bald over night, so day to day you dont realize much change, but someone looking at you for the first time will notice. So make sure whatever you do keep it looking G.

 
Most Helpful

anyone who's advocating for plugs, pills, etc., you're delaying the inevitable and an idiot. I put hair plugs, hair loss pills, etc., in the same category as I put johnny drama getting calf implants. it means you're not comfortable in your own skin. you want your head to look good? do what nature's trying to do, get rid of it, or else you'll look like shit (everyone can tell, trust me). and yes, this is even if you have a slightly mishapen head. not everyone's a perfect milk dud, so just own it.

shave it off and own it. did no guard after college, buzzing it daily, then went full bald 5-10 years ago, never looked back. while I'm happily married, still get plenty of attention from ladies (maybe rocking baldness exudes confidence?) of all ages, so I think it's the total package more than just the hair.

only warning is on sun exposure, the skin at the top of your head is pretty sensitive in my opinion, so don't be shy with hats, screen, etc.

 

Honestly I think you normally have good feedback on this forum, but this is bad advice. I'm far from balding at 27, but I will 100% take fin when it starts to go. It just maintains what hair you have so no, nobody will be able to tell you're faking it. I agree its important to be comfortable in your skin, but most people make fun of bald people. Also, being bald at 21 is not the same as being bald in your 30's. This kid will be ridiculed and mocked by any woman he approaches at a bar.

 
"Bert_Breakfast" Honestly I think you normally have good feedback on this forum, but this is bad advice. I'm far from balding at 27, but I will 100% take fin when it starts to go. It just maintains what hair you have so no, nobody will be able to tell you're faking it. I agree its important to be comfortable in your skin, but most people make fun of bald people. Also, being bald at 21 is not the same as being bald in your 30's. This kid will be ridiculed and mocked by any woman he approaches at a bar.

There's coach at my gym that does boxing classes. He's bald, late 20s and probably has been for years (I saw pics). He grew a beard, stayed fit, his classes have the highest % of hot chicks.

A bald look is workable.

Never discuss with idiots, first they drag you at their level, then they beat you with experience.
 

I would say embrace the bald. I started losing my hair in late 20s. I tried Propecia (lower strenth dosage of finesteride) and it made my libido drop and caused ED. That's not a trade I was willing to make. Some folks are suggesting finesteride. I can't comment on how it will go for you, but sure, go try medicinal alternatives. However to NOT get plugs or surgery. Sooner or later the baldness will catch up, and a bunch of plugs will just look ridiculous once the bald takes over. The whole patching and cutting of your head will be something you regret once nature takes its course. Joe Rogan tried that, and he laughs at his earlier attempts and compares it to transplanting refugees from an area of abundance (his back of head) to an area of scarcity.

*IF you can keep your hair with some pill, and there's minimal side effects - go do that. But if there's side effects, then you need to just sack up and put the big boy pants on, and own that shit. Nature may have made your hair thin/fall, but you can ACTIVELY CHOOSE to rock the Mr. Clean look. And as mentioned above, that look works fine now socially and will not affect your life at all.

 

If you’re gonna be bald, don’t be bald and lazy. Hit up the gym more and get chiseled. Your defined jaw and chin line will affirm the good features of your face and head. Chicks don’t mind bald dudes if they are jacked. The appeal can still be there, but work for it.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

How good you look bald, depends on your facial and cranial features, along with skin complexion and facial hair.

Not everyone looks good (or even decent) bald, saying otherwise is just denial.

I recently met this one friend from HS, who unfortunately started balding back then - full horseshoe by his mid 20's. I saw him at a x-mas party, with a full head of hair; Almost didn't recognize him. Turns out he got one of those modern hair-pieces, and I seriously could not spot the difference from normal hair - it looked amazing. Made him look 10 years younger.

 

Lol @ people talking about taking finasteride or dutasteride to save falling hair. It's a drug for trannys not men enjoy losing ur manhood.

Array
 

Shaving it off in the early 20s might be a little extreme. I would try the hair restoration methods and if it does not work, then shaving it off makes sense. While genetics play an important role in when one loses hair, I think there are other more natural things you can do to slow down the hair loss. Some of the hair care products out there are harsh and while I have no science to back it up, the chemicals in these products might do damage to one's hair.

 

Omnis sit et ex itaque. Necessitatibus qui veniam sed voluptatem et nobis non. Voluptate ad vel aperiam nulla. Recusandae ea quam deleniti sint.

Sunt dignissimos rerum magni. Perferendis voluptatibus suscipit eaque alias sapiente quia. Cum et dolores dolorum quo consequatur eaque. Quo velit molestiae quia dicta expedita eum et. Quo eligendi dolores nihil impedit aut. Nihil incidunt rerum rerum ut sed et sunt.

Vel labore alias quia numquam qui. Dignissimos laudantium explicabo explicabo sint sapiente. Id velit voluptas deserunt repudiandae natus vero possimus. Provident aut et minus et vel vitae. Quas est quis qui voluptatibus architecto repudiandae. Illo adipisci in ratione autem saepe. Sunt ullam est sint sed.

Quaerat vel officiis dolorem ad. Et esse et officiis consequatur eum. Eaque cumque autem aut aut dolorem rerum sit. Temporibus dolores nam eaque voluptatibus.

 

Aspernatur sed enim delectus et id rem excepturi. Necessitatibus perspiciatis nobis impedit fugiat. Consectetur ducimus iure ut qui voluptas dolor. Quod sed illo architecto deserunt sunt iusto corrupti.

Aut sunt vel voluptates. Quos distinctio iste doloremque ducimus soluta aut. Dolore ad illo ut autem. Nisi consequatur illum alias est. Error aut sit porro rerum vitae ut. Commodi a nihil dolores maiores illo natus nesciunt placeat.

"It's okay, I'll see you on the other side"

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”