What To Do If You're Going Bald

Balding hits about half of all men before they reach age 30. What's your strategy? - by Kiera Aaron

PREVENT IT

One way to reduce your risk: destroy dandruff. Your body's effort to fight flake-causing yeast may also speed hair loss, says Dr Luis Garza, an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University. Let dandruff shampoos wage that battle. For best results, the key is to rotate three different shampoos; the variety will ensure that the yeast doesn't develop resistance. Look for these brands and active ingredients: Dove Men+Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (pyrithione zinc), Selsun Blue Dandruff Shampoo (selenium sulfide), and Denorex Therapeutic Protection (coal tar).

FIGHT IT

Start with Rogaine, not Propecia. Rogaine is a topical treatment that has few side effects, while Propecia alters testosterone production and has been linked, in rare cases, to depression, ED, and reduced libido.

The trick to using Rogaine is diligence. Apply it carefully to your scalp twice a day.

EMBRACE IT

A buzzed haircut can lessen the visual impact of balding. Or you can shave your dome, like HeadBlade razor inventor Todd Greene did. Here's his take:

"I felt self-conscious when I started losing my hair in the '90s. This was back when baldness still carried a lot of negative stereotypes. I went for it anyway, and people started thinking I was more athletic - they thought I worked out more. There's something powerful about a shaved head; there's nothing 'pretty boy' about it. And women started to pay more attention - some even had a fetish for it.

"I don't care for the term 'bald.' it's passive. Balding is something that happens to you. Shaving is something you take into your own hands. You're no longer a victim of circumstance."