Embracing Balding: A Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Acceptance
Balding is one of the most common things most men go through and yet it's always a tough pill to swallow. When you realize that the hair you once had is leaving you, you realize how much you actually identified with it. This loss of hair can lead to massive self esteem issues in guys, well at least it did for me. I was in college when I started losing my hair (2011) and I saw all my peers with long locks of hair, looking like Fabio and Ranveer Singh! I would then start comparing myself to these guys and think thoughts where I was lesser than, think I'm unattractive, and just have a whole lot of negative internal dialogue. I would wear hats, beanies, any head gear really to cover it up because I believed I looked better with it on than without it, but alas you can only keep your hat on for so long! However, a massive mindset shift was brewing and it unexpectedly came with the rise of Game of Thrones!
In Game of Thrones, a character named Tyrion Lannister was giving advice to Jon Snow and he mentioned the following quote (I'm paraphrasing): "Never forget what you are, wear it like armor and it can never be used against you." This quote greatly resonated with me to the point that I started taking off the hats, beanies, etc... and realized I needed to just let the receding hairline show. It was scary at first but it had to be done. Slowly but surely, I started getting comfortable with my balding the more I exposed myself in uncomfortable situations. The next step was working with the remaining hair I had and while I was relatively cool with it, it wasn't until 2021 that I had TRULY accepted my receding hairline.
The final step was letting go of my negative beliefs around my balding. The primary belief was, since I didn't have much hair, it means I'm ugly and that not having much hair is something to be ashamed of. And the irony is, life was actually validating that belief via experiences that were coming into my life! I had to seriously sit down with myself and start having some uncomfortable conversations about why I believe this to be true and began the process of letting go of the shame I felt about not having hair. Eventually I was able to let these beliefs go and accept my physical body for what it is, which is beautiful. The transformation that happened after the deep acceptance in my life is stunning, I started attracting opportunities that I would not have even DREAMED of when I was deep in my shame/feels bad era. Literally, I'm here writing a blog post about my balding challenges now that will be read by many people and this is something I would have NEVER done even a few years ago. The confidence you get from letting shame go cannot be understated!
So in conclusion, you are NOT ugly or lesser than if you are balding/bald. Embrace the look, it's an epic look, don't hide it. Wear hats, beanies, head gear occasionally but I recommend exposing yourself as much as you can to situations where you have no choice BUT to show your receding hairline. The more you face that fear, the easier it becomes. Don't run away from it, don't hide, embrace it!
