More men than ever are choosing to rock the clean-shaved head hairstyle for the first time. Some men opt for head shaving because they just like the way it makes them feel. The baldness feels clean, you look like a badass, and the ladies like it– if it's good enough for Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Vin Diesel, then it’s worth a shot, right?
Other men start shaving their dome if they have thinning hair rather than trying to comb their hair over a bald spot or a receding hairline. If this sounds like you, you aren't alone. Men can start losing their full head of hair as early as their 20s or even late teenage years, and 66% of men experience some sort of hair loss by their 35th birthday.
There are products out there that claim to reverse hair loss, but there's only so much you can do to slow the process once it starts. Bald men, however, are iconic. Just look at Bezos.
So for one reason or another, you’ve decided to shave off your hair and skip the trip to the barbershop. The next step is to understand what steps you should follow to maintain your bald head. Your head needs to be a part of your skincare routine as you don't want any acne or pimples. The bald look is low maintenance, but not entirely no maintenance, as you need to keep up with hair growth and keep a solid shaving routine.
Prep Your Head Pre-Shave
Bald head skincare starts with the shave. You can use pre-shave oils to soften your facial hair follicles and protect your skin when you’re shaving your face scruff, and the same is true for shaving your head.
A few pumps of quality shaving oil to lather on your scalp will soften your hairs, making them easier to cut for a smoother and close shave, and will also provide an extra lubricating layer to protect your scalp from razor burn and razor bumps. Be sure to use clean clippers to minimize the risk of infection if you accidentally cut yourself on the noggin’.
Use An Aftershave Balm
Wondering how you can make your bald head smooth? Make sure you’re using the right products during and after your shave.
Shaving strips away your unwanted hair and dead, flaky skin cells. This is good, but it can also take a top layer of healthy skin cells along with it. This can leave your skin feeling smooth to the touch, but if you don’t use an aftershave balm or a moisturizer afterward, you might get dry skin that feels tight. If your scalp gets too dry then it can end up looking dull and flaky – definitely not the Ben Kingsley look you’re going for.
Aftershave balms contain ingredients specifically formulated to keep your skin healthy and moisturized. Look for ingredients like aloe vera, which has natural soothing properties, or Vitamin E (which our moisturizer incorporates), which protects against free radicals and moisturizes your skin.
A face moisturizer is a better substitute than using a body lotion, which tends to be much thicker and can clog your pores. There are specific aftershave products designed explicitly for bald head skincare routines. Using a quality shaving cream will be really helpful here, too. This helps keep your scalp hydrated while you shave, minimizing the potential for the dryness and itchiness that comes afterward.
Quick side note: make sure you’re grabbing an aftershave balm rather than a traditional astringent aftershave. Those aftershaves come with a hell of a sting, and your scalp is going to be pretty sensitive post-shave, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Wear Sunscreen (Or A Hat)
Hopefully, you’re already diligent about wearing sunscreen regularly– skin cancer doesn’t look good on anybody. You should have SPF on your face anytime that you’re hanging around outside, and that goes double if you recently started shaving your head.
Your freshly exposed head skin is totally unprepared to be in direct sunlight, which is exactly where it’s going to be. If you’re not wearing either a hat or some sunscreen, you are running the risk of acquiring some serious sunburn in a very inconvenient spot– the top of your head is a particularly bad place to be burned.
If you do get a sunburn on the top of your head, you’ll want to rub some aloe on it until the irritation and redness clear. A fun and attractive peeling head may be in your near future as well. There’s an easy solution: wear sunscreen, or wear a hat when going outside.
Use An Antiperspirant
Your head has pores that will sweat, just like every other part of your body. You probably didn’t think about this when you had a whole head of hair up there to maintain that sweat, but that will all just bead up on your bald head without your hair there to run interference. This is both annoying and not great for your skin.
A few swipes of an unscented antiperspirant, applied at night to help the active ingredients take effect, can help to keep that sweat in check. You may not need to take this extra step in the winter, but we strongly recommend grabbing an extra stick of antiperspirant (NOT whatever you’re using on your pits, for obvious reasons) to use through the summer months.
Aluminum is the only FDA-recognized sweat inhibitor, and some studies have shown that this can be damaging to your health over time. However, the active ingredients in some natural deodorants, such as tapioca starch and baking soda, can help to soak up any excess moisture to keep sweat from beading up on your head.
(You should use an aluminum-free deodorant for your underarms as well - restorative ingredients like aloe and tea tree oil will keep your skin healthy in addition to smelling fresh all day.)
Don’t Forget To Shampoo!
Shampoo should remain a staple in your bald skincare routine. Shampoo targets the oil and dirt that builds up on your scalp, which comes from your skin and not from your hair. Your lack of hair doesn’t protect you from dandruff either. Be sure to wash your scalp every few days or so with a little shampoo to keep your bald head clean and smooth.
While body wash and conditioner technically will also get rid of the oils on your scalp, it’s really made for the tougher skin on the rest of your body and is likely too harsh for your scalp. Stick to shampoo for healthy skin on your head.
Final Thoughts
There isn’t any magic necessary to keeping your shaved head smooth; you’ll just need to remember to treat your head with the same care as you do the rest of your skin.
A few extra minutes over the course of the week is all you need to keep your bald head smooth, soft, and ready for action. Just make sure that you are ready for the extra sun exposure and sun damage that can occur with your new clean head. Pack that sunscreen for sun protection and get ready to hit the town.
