Male Pattern Baldness etc.

Hey guys,

So I'm 28 & I guess I first noticed my hairline receding when I was about 20. It's been progressing since then but thankfully not too fast... I've yet to get a bald patch on the top of my head but since my hair is very fine, you can see my scalp a bit in certain lighting. However, my hairline has quite noticeably gone back at the front.

Currently, I just keep my hair reasonably short with a short fringe, which I brush to the side. I've pretty much used that hairstyle since it started getting noticeable. My friends at Uni always said I could pull it off but these days, now it's worse, I tend to think it's not a particularly attractive look. The problem is I can't pull off a shaved head / extremely short hair either since my head isn't really a good shape for that. It seems I'm stuck with things the way they are.

I've never considered using rogaine or whatever you call it, from what I can tell... it probably wouldn't have any major effect. I mentioned it to my doctor once & he just said sometimes it's best just to just embrace it. I largely agree.

It's something that has bothered me on and off. In some ways I accept the change but in others it has really had an impact on my self-esteem. I think I'm a reasonable looking guy but I don't really suit hair loss as such; I've got a large forehead & the receding hairline just makes that more obvious. I guess being relatively young for MPB, I see it as a barrier to getting a girlfriend. I figure older women probably wouldn't mind as much, but for girls around my age it's a big turn off.

I do know to some extent, it's about my perceptions. Although perhaps many women will be turned off, I know if I'm confident that I will be able to find someone who doesn't mind. It does somewhat narrow the playing field though.

I don't really have many opportunities to get a girlfriend at the moment, since I graduated Uni I've been suffering on & off from psychosis & have been unemployed. I did try online dating last year but it never really got anywhere. I was always best at getting girlfriends who I met through my social circle but nowadays, I don't have a social life. I am hopeful though that when I get a job it might open up some opportunities.

I'm not entirely sure what the point of the post is, but I just thought I'd share & see what people thought... perhaps some people have similar issues.

My experience was that women around 30 actually like a shaved/bald head and found it sexy. Of course that was 12 years ago so I can't really speak to today.

Well... I'm an old man. So it really doesn't matter for me. But, over the years, I did develop the typical bald crown. I HATE IT! But there's nothing I can do about it. So I just make it a point to avoid seeing it in the mirror. I thought about shaving my head, but my wife nixed that idea. (I probably wouldn't have done it anyway.) One barber I saw, years ago, suggested that I massage my scalp to increase blood flow. I still do this. I don't think it does any good. But it feels good & it makes me think I'm doing something to help control my condition.