Why you Should be Preemptive

As I’ve mentioned in my ebook and throughout this site, my biggest regret when it comes to my struggle with male pattern baldness is how long I waited to deal with it. I waited until I was in a corner and I shaved my head not out of any genuine desire, but because I felt as if it was my only option left.

In short, I was reactive. I had been reactive for years. Watching my hair fall out and constantly trying to mitigate the loss. Getting hair cuts to try and erase the look of a receding hairline. Carefully arranging my hair in the mirror. Even trying different treatment options when I first discovered what was happening.

All of this did nothing for me. At best, I was running in place. At worst, I was losing a battle I could never win. Why did I keep going? Fear. Simple as that.

I’ve often compared the moment before shaving your head to the moment before jumping in a swimming pool. You could also compare it to pulling off a band-aid or getting an injection at the doctor’s office. In each case, the outcome is never as bad as we assume it to be. We build it up in our heads to the point that it becomes almost unbearable. Yet our assumption and anticipation is always removed from reality. It’s our mind trying to protect us from harm. Err on the side of caution – that’s our thinking, whether we want it to be that way or not.

Here’s the thing. Ripping that band-aid off is going to hurt no matter what. Whether you do it now or whether you wait a few days. The problem with male pattern baldness is that leaving the band-aid on, or in MPB terms, trying to constantly cover up your situation and fake your way through it, leads you into a deeper hole that is ultimately harder to climb out of.

Without even talking about all of the time wasted as an anxious and depressed dude, waiting to deal with your hair loss makes it harder to deal with. This is something you need to consider. Putting it off, pretending like you’re not going bald, finding short-term solutions — all of this just makes it more difficult later.

Pull the band-aid off in one quick stroke. Do it while you still have some hair. See what happens. If your world comes crashing down, you still have some hair that you can grow out and you can work on a different plan. I’ll bet that your world doesn’t come crashing down, however. Sure, you might have a day or two of wide eyes and jokes from your friends and family. After that, life will go on and you will grow into a new look that doesn’t involve you constantly looking in the mirror. You can liberate yourself right now if you want to.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lioil/125662910/

If you enjoyed this post, check out my How to Deal with Hair Loss ebook. It details my personal story of beating male pattern baldness, explains all the options for dealing with hair loss, and offers concrete tips and strategies for getting over it and building confidence.