I became mildly depressed about it. It didn't seem fair. It's not that I was some kind of world-class handsome male model type. It's just that whatever attractiveness I do have seemed to me to be inexorably tied to my hair. I couldn't think of a single man with a receding hairline or the "horseshoe" who I though was rendered more attractive for having it.

I began to weigh all options I had available to me to remedy this situation. Maybe it wasn't male pattern baldness, but some treatable disorder that a doctor could help me with. I started doing research to see what was out there to deal with it. The first step was to firmly establish that I did in fact have male pattern baldness.

The doctor told me there was no doubt: it was definitely MPB. The pattern of loss and the appearance indicated that that's what I was "suffering" from. The doctor discussed the options that were available to me to cope with the situation. He asked if I might need counseling because it seemed to produce so much anxiety in me. I said I didn't. Doing that would only add to my unease about my situation.

So if I wanted hair, the options available to me were to use one of the hair restoring medications, get a hairpiece or toupee, a transplant, or, god forbid a combover.

I didn't want to start using the medications because they are a lifetime commitment. Once you stop, all the hair you may have gained falls out, and hair loss resumes. And they are expensive.

Hairpieces were out as well. I'm sure that there are some custom made jobs that are undetectable, but they are very pricey and I don't know how long they'd last. Also, if you're going to maintain the illusion, you have to wear them anytime someone else sees you. It's more of a bother than I'm willing to deal with.

I can't see doing surgery. Even though the techniques used now are much improved and promise better results, hair transplants seem such an extreme step to take.

And there's no need to even discuss the combover option. That solution has always seemed to be the most desperate of attempts to give the illusion of hair. Everyone knows what it is and what's under it so who are you really fooling.

So after weighing all of my options, only two possible solutions prese

The doctor told me there was no doubt: it was definitely MPB. The pattern of loss and the appearance indicated that that's what I was "suffering" from. The doctor discussed the options that were available to me to cope with the situation. He asked if I might need counseling because it seemed to produce so much anxiety in me. I said I didn't. Doing that would only add to my unease about my situation.

So if I wanted hair, the options available to me were to use one of the hair restoring medications, get a hairpiece or toupee, a transplant, or, god forbid a combover.

I didn't want to start using the medications because they are a lifetime commitment. Once you stop, all the hair you may have gained falls out, and hair loss resumes. And they are expensive.

Hairpieces were out as well. I'm sure that there are some custom made jobs that are undetectable, but they are very pricey and I don't know how long they'd last. Also, if you're going to maintain the illusion, you have to wear them anytime someone else sees you. It's more of a bother than I'm willing to deal with.

I can't see doing surgery. Even though the techniques used now are much improved and promise better results, hair transplants seem such an extreme step to take.

And there's no need to even discuss the combover option. That solution has always seemed to be the most desperate of attempts to give the illusion of hair. Everyone knows what it is and what's under it so who are you really fooling.

So after weighing all of my options, only two possible solutions prese

So if I wanted hair, the options available to me were to use one of the hair restoring medications, get a hairpiece or toupee, a transplant, or, god forbid a combover.

I didn't want to start using the medications because they are a lifetime commitment. Once you stop, all the hair you may have gained falls out, and hair loss resumes. And they are expensive.

Hairpieces were out as well. I'm sure that there are some custom made jobs that are undetectable, but they are very pricey and I don't know how long they'd last. Also, if you're going to maintain the illusion, you have to wear them anytime someone else sees you. It's more of a bother than I'm willing to deal with.

I can't see doing surgery. Even though the techniques used now are much improved and promise better results, hair transplants seem such an extreme step to take.

And there's no need to even discuss the combover option. That solution has always seemed to be the most desperate of attempts to give the illusion of hair. Everyone knows what it is and what's under it so who are you really fooling.

So after weighing all of my options, only two possible solutions prese

I can't see doing surgery. Even though the techniques used now are much improved and promise better results, hair transplants seem such an extreme step to take.

And there's no need to even discuss the combover option. That solution has always seemed to be the most desperate of attempts to give the illusion of hair. Everyone knows what it is and what's under it so who are you really fooling.

So after weighing all of my options, only two possible solutions presented themselves: live with my hair the way it was, or shave it all off and go completely bald.

I chose the latter and it solved all of my problems. I no longer experience any anxiety over the loss of my hair. I'm completely happy with the way I look. Frankly, I think it's an improvement over my hirsute days. And upkeep is simple. I just shave whenever I need to and apply a lotion plus sunscreen. I don't know if I'd go back to having hair even if a sure cure for baldness was invented. Thank you Michael Jordan and Telly Savalas and Bruce Willis and all the other famous men who have made the chrome dome a sexy way to wear your hair.