The Grooming Manual
Essential Bald Head Care Tips for Men
Most men will experience hair thinning and hair loss. It's part of life for the average guy, but the exact process presents different things to each person. This is mostly due to genetics, but lifestyle also has an effect.
Once hair loss becomes significant, many men will eventually arrive at a key question: Should I shave my remaining hair and go bald?
It's a big question - and a big change in appearance. But it's also one that many men have done before and are happy to have embraced fully. Whether you're already sporting a shaved head or curious about how to go about it, this guide on how to look good bald - with helpful head care tips - will help you get there.
Bald Head Care
Your bald head care routine should be a lot like your skincare routine: built with natural products. That's because the focus is treating your scalp—which tends to be fairly sensitive skin that's quite similar to the skin on your face. That's why you need to avoid any risk of skin irritation as you care for your head.
Before you determine exactly which steps and products - like a safety razor or an electric razor - should be part of your bald head care routine, consider the following common concerns. As you do, take note of which ones apply to you, and take that into account when deciding how to best care for your scalp.
Do Bald People Use Shampoo?
Yes, many bald people use shampoo and similar natural products to cleanse and hydrate their scalps. Even though you don't have a head of hair, you still need to take good care of your bald skin.
Choosing shampoo for bald head care is similar to what you would do when selecting a product for your hair. A formula rich in natural ingredients will soothe and hydrate your scalp is best. Avoid products with harsh detergents or artificial fragrances, as these can be drying and irritating.
Do Bald People Get Dandruff?
While you might associate dandruff with hair, the truth is that dandruff and flakes are actually quite common in bald men.
Treatment always starts with an anti-dandruff shampoo for bald head. The problem here is that many dandruff products are made with harsh chemicals, smell bad, and irritate your scalp severely.
To avoid those issues, choose a natural product that addresses flaky skin and reduces your chances of dandruff - but without scorching your poor scalp. You want to look your best while also minimizing any risk of skin irritation.
How to Get Rid of Dry Skin on Bald Head
Dandruff and dry skin on bald heads are both common sources of flakes. If you're struggling with dryness, make sure you use a moisturizer to hydrate and nourish your skin regularly.
The best time to do this is immediately after showering. Dry off, then apply a thin layer of moisturizer to your entire scalp.
Reduce Sun Exposure
You can also prevent dryness on a bald head by minimizing sun exposure. That's tough when you don't have any hair to protect your scalp.
But if you want to look your best bald and prevent a variety of health concerns, you've got to keep your scalp out of the sun. The best way to do that is to wear a hat or cap while you're outdoors. This will reduce the risk of skin irritation caused by UV damage.
Wear a Hat
Sick of wearing ball caps? Try a variety of hat styles and make this your signature look. You may not love it at first, but ditching a hat is a bad idea. Direct, unprotected sun exposure for prolonged periods leads to scalp sunburns, flaking, a heightened risk of developing skin cancer, and other skin issues.
Just don't wear your hat too tight. If you noticed that your scalp hurt after wearing a hat all day, that's not a good sign.
Use SPF Products
Apart from keeping your scalp covered with a hat, your next-best option is to use an SPF cream regularly. Of course, we always recommend natural products for sun protection. That's essential for preventing long-term sun damage—which can lead to discoloration, age spots, pigmentation inconsistency, and other poor scalp skin health issues like clogged pores.
How to Get Even Skin Tone on Bald Head
Uneven skin tone, age spots, liver spots, and similar issues are often caused by the long-term accumulation of UV damage. Yes, the sun is aging your skin and altering your scalp tone!
The sun's UV rays cause melanin production to ramp up as your skin attempts to prevent damage. Over the course of many years, however, the harm becomes permanent and you develop dark or light spots.
The easiest method for getting an even skin tone on a bald head is to prevent it in the first place. Prevent tone variation by keeping your bald head covered with a hat. When that's not an option, use an SPF product to prevent the sun's rays from damaging your skin.
Best Bald Head Care Routine
The following steps and products comprise the best bald-head skincare routine for men for a comfortable shave and a healthy scalp. Adjust based on your skin type, scalp condition, and individual needs. But in general, these tips will help you look your best bald and stay confident. We always recommend using natural products with gentle ingredients.
Cleanse
The first step in any skincare routine - including your bald head care routine - is to cleanse with your regular shampoo. You want a clean slate on which to build.
For your scalp, you can choose to use a regular shampoo shampoo or a face wash. Either is fine - but take special care to go with a gentle formula that won't strip away all oil or dry out your scalp.
Best Shampoo for Bald Head
For a refreshing natural scent and gentle cleansing experience, go with our Daily Strengthening Shampoo. Its combination of peppermint and tea tree oil invigorates the senses while also reducing bacteria and preventing irritation - making it the best shampoo for bald head.
If you're concerned about dandruff on bald head, your best option is our Relieving Dandruff Shampoo. It combats this pesky condition with Ziziphus Juazeiro bark extract - a natural alternative to the tar, zinc, and other harsh ingredients you'll find in typical dandruff shampoos. It's also made with jojoba and aloe vera for a hydrating, scalp-soothing experience that relieves itchiness and inflammation. It can be used as a regular shampoo or as a temporary antifungal shampoo to get rid of dandruff.
A facial cleanser is another option for cleansing your scalp. Our Clarifying Gel Face Wash is designed for guys with normal to oily skin. Instead of the strong, artificial detergents you'll find in most soaps, our face wash is made with gentle coconut-based cleansers.
How Often to Wash Your Scalp
Most guys are fine washing their scalp once daily in the shower. To maintain a healthy scalp, choose products with natural ingredients that effectively cleanse without stripping your skin of essential moisture.
If you have oily skin, you may find that washing more often with your regular shampoo is necessary. In that case, wash both your face and your head at the same time, twice daily—morning and evening.
Be careful not to overdo it. That's a common mistake made by guys with oily skin. You want a regular shampoo habit, but too much washing can irritate and dry out your skin. Twice a day is plenty for maintaining a healthy scalp.
Condition
Conditioner soothes, nourishes, and hydrates your scalp - so don't quit using it just because you've gone bald. Simply massage conditioner all over your scalp, then rinse away.
Try our Revitalizing Hair & Scalp Moisturizer. It includes the key ingredients aloe vera, borage oil, and avocado oil - which fight flakes, inflammation, itch, and irritation.
How Often to Condition Your Scalp
For the best results, use conditioner on your scalp 2-3 times per week. Take note of how your skin feels afterward and adjust the frequency as needed. The goal is to have smooth, non-irritated skin that resists inflammation and flakes.
Exfoliate
Due to the high number of pores and sebaceous glands in your scalp, it's important to make exfoliation a regular part of your bald head care routine to prevent the buildup of dead skin. But remember, less is more when it comes to exfoliation—you don't want to overdo it with your scalp scrub since there is a risk of irritation. You shouldn't notice your scalp hurt after you're done. Still, this is a critical step to getting a comfortable shave experience every time.
Our Renewing Face Scrub is gentle enough to be used on your scalp without causing irritation. Its scrubbing particles, made from jojoba beads and pumice, effectively remove dead skin without being harsh or harmful. It also contains aloe and jojoba oil to restore your skin. Scrub is a combination skin smoothing and anti-shine product since it reduces excess oily buildup.
How Often to Exfoliate Your Scalp
We recommend you exfoliate your shaved head at least once a week, but no more than three times. Exfoliation is a crucial part of your scalp care routine, as it helps remove head grease and dead skin, prevents ingrown hairs, and clears away any leftover shaving cream residue.
It's especially helpful to exfoliate immediately before a shave, so align your scrubbing and shaving days for the best, smooth results. If you notice a sensitive scalp sensation after exfoliating, adjust to using scrub less often.
Shave
Just like when shaving your face, it's important to wash and exfoliate first with natural products so you're working with clean skin, clear pores, and no excess dead skin cells. This is true whether you use an electric shaver or traditional razors. You want to take special care to keep your head smooth and your skin healthy - thus ensuring you can have a comfortable shave. That's where smart shaving techniques become critical.
If you're aiming for a shaved head, always use a clean, sharp razor and a moisturizing shaving cream like our Smooth Brushless Shave Cream. Instead of foaming up and barely lubricating your skin with tiny air bubbles, this shaving cream goes on thick with a rich texture that coats your skin, ensuring a close and smooth shave with minimal irritation. You don't want to be left with a sensitive scalp sensation after shaving.
Be sure to shave in the same direction as your hair growth for the best results and to minimize the risk of ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Rinse your traditional razors thoroughly with warm water after each stroke to maintain hygiene, keep your head warm, and ensure a smooth, irritation-free shave without skin issues.
Replace your blade regularly, as used blades dull quickly and create conditions for bacteria growth, cuts, and nicks. There are lots of electric head shavers available too. An electric razor won't get you as smooth of a shave as a safety razor, but it is a reasonable head shaving tool if you are mainly looking for an efficient shaving experience.
Soothe
Right after you shave - whether you used traditional razors or not - it's time to soothe your scalp and complete your scalp care routine. Use our Instant Relief Aftershave to quickly cool, moisturize, and calm your skin. This will keep any redness, irritation, itch, razor bumps, or post-shave burn to an absolute minimum.
On non-shaving days, using a moisturizing balm will help maintain hydration and keep your scalp smooth and revitalized.
Alcohol-based aftershaves are not ideal for your bald head—or your face, for that matter. Although alcohol is antiseptic, it's also dehydrating and leaves your skin dry and tight.
For many guys, this can lead to even worse irritation than if they had used nothing at all. Instead, opt for our soothing, calming aftershave lotion or moisturizing balm to ensure your scalp stays healthy and hydrated.
Moisturize
On the days you don't shave your head, you still need to moisturize your scalp after you wash it with your regular shampoo to maintain healthy moisture levels.
Best Bald Head Moisturizer
Our lightweight, fast-absorbing Daily Essential Face Moisturizer is a great choice. Its oil-free formula absorbs quickly and won't leave a greasy look or feel. Packed with natural ingredients like aloe, hyaluronic acid, jojoba, and green tea extract, it also contributes to keeping your skin bright, smooth, and hydrated.
Additionally, essential oils in the moisturizer provide an extra boost of nourishment while supporting the natural balance of your scalp's moisture.
Protect
The sun is the #1 enemy of bald men. Its damaging UV rays cause sunburn, dryness, and irritation. That's without mentioning the increased risk of skin cancer if you spend lots of time in the sun without any kind of protection.
Going to be outside in the sun? You need to take steps to protect yourself from prolonged exposure. The two easiest ways to do that are:
Wear a Hat
Cover your head with a hat to stop UV rays from cooking your skin.
Use an SPF Product
A mineral-based SPF sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF 30 or higher is ideal for protecting your scalp, especially if you're dealing with baldness. That's exactly what you get from our Element Defense Moisturizer. It offers broad-spectrum, zinc-based UV protection of SPF 45—without the potentially harmful chemical ingredients found in so many other sunscreens.
Instead, it's made with natural ingredients like zinc oxide, green tea extract, and sunflower oil. The result is a hydrating lotion that protects your skin from UV damage, making it an essential sunscreen for those embracing baldness.
Remember to Reapply SPF Often
Even the best natural SPF lotion needs to be reapplied often to keep your skin safe from the sun. That's especially true if you've been sweating or swimming. Remember to put more SPF on every 2-3 hours to keep your protection at maximum.
Keep Your Bald Head Looking Great
There's tremendous confidence, masculinity, and pride in owning your appearance and choosing to go bald. It's not an easy choice for many men at first, but it can be quite empowering.
Build your confidence and embrace the look by developing and sticking to an excellent scalp care routine - and use these head care tips to make it a success. You deserve to have an efficient shaving experience every time - so pay attention to your shaving techniques and improve them as needed. You'll get noticeable results that impress everyone around you and keep you at the top of your game.