The Reality of Going Bald as a Teen

Going bald at a young age can make you feel like girls don't even see you as a person.

I started losing my hair due to male pattern baldness when I was around 13–16 years old. Since I was so young, treatments like finasteride weren't really an option. Eventually, I accepted my situation and got a buzz cut at 17. No matter how hard I tried to stay positive, my classmates—and even some teachers—would joke about my hair. I laughed along because I didn't want anyone to see that it hurt me, but it did.

No girls ever approached me. Whenever I tried to get to know someone, none of them even wanted to be friends with me. Girls I met online didn't believe I was my actual age. Some even accused me of lying or being a creep because they thought I was much older.

By the time I was 18, I was around a Norwood 5–6, and even a buzz cut looked bad, so I started shaving my head completely with a razor. I've almost never worn hats or tried to hide my baldness. I've always presented myself as I am, but it never changed the way girls saw me. They always treated me like I was some guy in his thirties instead of someone my own age. I never really got to feel young.

Instead of isolating myself, I tried even harder. I talked to more people, met new people, picked up new hobbies, improved my general knowledge, competed in different sports, and learned to play a musical instrument. None of it made any difference.

I take good care of myself. I pay attention to how I dress, shave every day, follow a skincare routine, work out regularly, maintain good hygiene, and keep my stubble neat. But nothing seems to help. I don't even get a respectful rejection or end up in the friend zone. It's as if I'm treated like I don't even exist.