How To Get A Bald Head Without Shaving

Razors leave patches, streaks, burns and nics – it’s really a crime that most guys think they’re the best option for removing hair. Once you know how to get a bald head without shaving, you’ll never want to go back to your Bic or Gillette. 

How To Get A Bald Head Without Shaving

Before we dive into a few alternatives to shaving your head, please keep in mind that all hair removal options come with some downsides. 

Your skin will be more susceptible to sunburns, damage, irritation, and dryness. You’ll still need to use shampoo for your bald head and other products to avoid scalp infections. If you’re hoping for a low-maintenance hairstyle, going bald is not necessarily your #1 option.

That said, there are lots of safe ways to get a bald head without shaving. If you’re eager for a new style and willing to put in the work to keep your scalp happy, going bald could be the best decision you’ve made in a long time.

For best results on all of the options below, you’ll want to use clippers or trimmers to get your hair down to ¼ inch before you use the product (just like you would if you were shaving).

Hair Removal Cream

Also known as depilatory cream, hair removal cream dissolves your hair so that you can wash it off your skin. It’s one of the easier ways to get a bald head without shaving.

Though they’re called “creams,” some have a consistency closer to a gel or lotion – and a few come in aerosol cans so that you can spray them on. They don’t smell great, but they’re just as effective as razors if you follow the bottle directions. 

Pros:

• It’s significantly easier and more convenient to spread cream over your head and let it sit, versus trying to shave those hard-to-reach parts of your head.

• When you follow the instructions correctly, hair removal creams are quick and painless.

• You can go longer between applications when you use a hair removal cream instead of a razor. It usually does a good job of dissolving hair at the root.

• When your hair grows back, it will feel softer because the cream leaves the dissolved follicle rounded (whereas a razor cuts the hair in a straight, jagged line).

Cons:

• The chemicals in hair removal cream can cause irritation for sensitive skin.

• If you accidentally leave the hair removal cream on your skin for too long, you can suffer from 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Follow the instructions on the package carefully. It’s not a passive activity.

• Hair removal creams don’t smell pleasant. You’ll want to freshen up afterwards.

• Some guys feel like hair removal cream leaves a “shadow” on your skin. That’s often because creams can’t reach the root of your hair.

• You’ll have to clip your hair short before using a hair removal cream.

That may seem like a long list of cons… but keep in mind, shaving has a lot of similar risks. You can nic your head or give yourself razor burn. And you’ll probably have that same “shadow” because shaving doesn’t take out the root of your hair. 

If you really want to shake things up, waxing, sugaring, or laser hair removal is entirely new territory for most guys.

Waxing & Sugaring

If you prefer to rip off your bandaids quickly, waxing or sugaring might be the right option for keeping your head bald.

Both use a gummy, sticky substance to tear the hair out of your skin. It’s painful, but not necessarily as painful as it sounds. Lots of bald guys also appreciate that it takes a lot longer for their hair to grow back after sugaring or waxing.

Pros:

• Your bald head will last longer when you wax or sugar your hair. Timelines vary, but most guys can go 3-6 weeks before they notice hair growth.

• Waxing and sugaring are almost guaranteed to give you a smooth, shiny bald head. Other methods of hair removal often leave patchy spots.

Cons:

• Waxing and sugaring are painful. 

• If you have sensitive skin, waxing and sugaring can cause skin irritation from all the tearing.

• Hot sugar and wax can burn your skin if handled improperly.

Waxing vs Sugaring

If you’re choosing between waxing and sugaring, you’ll have to consider a few differences. Waxing looks and feels more like using strips of duct tape to tear out your hair, while sugaring looks and feels like using a sticky mass of glue to tear out your hair. Some other big differences:

• Waxing is tried-and-true. It’s been in the hair care industry for decades. Sugaring is a relatively new method – not all salons will offer the service.

• Waxing works better for thick and coarse hair. Sugaring works best for fine hair and sensitive skin.

• Wax is not reusable. Once you tear it off your skin, you need a new strip for the next section of your skin. You can get several uses out of sugar – it stays pliable, so you can ball it up and reuse each strip a few times.

• Sugaring is supposedly less painful because it only grips your hair, not your skin. Wax has the tendency to stick to your skin, so you can feel the tearing.

• You can easily make your own sugar paste at home and use it to bald your head. If you opt for wax, you need to buy a kit or visit a stylist.

• When you wax hair, you tear off the wax in the opposite direction of the hair growth. When you sugar your hair, you tear off the sugar in the same direction as your hair growth.

If you’re a “no pain, no gain” guy, waxing and sugaring are great options. They’re also a bald head favorite because you can find relatively low-cost waxing services at salons and barber shops.

Laser Hair Removal

It takes a specific kind of guy for laser hair removal to work well. Namely, a guy with light skin and dark hair.

Current laser hair removal technology uses light to damage your hair, hindering regrowth. It works best on hair with lots of pigmentation (color). So if you have light hair, or if your hair color is close to your skin color, it’s less likely to work well for keeping your head bald. 

For most guys, it takes several treatments to get laser hair removal to work. The laser will feel warm, and it may tingle or sting. After 2-6 sessions, your hair will start to shed, until regrowth stops for an extended period of time.

Pros:

• Laser hair removal is a more “long-term” solution than any other hair removal method. Guys with the most treatment success can go for up to 2 years without needing touch-ups.

• When your hair does eventually regrow, it’ll be thinner and finer.

Cons:

• Laser hair removal isn’t entirely pain-free. Lots of guys say it stings.

• It’s not a guarantee that laser hair removal will work for every guy. Even if the initial sessions go well, your hair might grow back faster than expected, which is a huge waste of your money.

• You shouldn’t get laser hair removal if you have tattoos.

• Laser hair removal can damage your skin. You’ll notice redness and swelling for at least a few days after the treatment.

If you hate dealing with your hair and want it gone, laser hair removal is the closest to a “permanent solution” that you can get. That’s the real appeal of the treatment.

Crew Cut

Going 100% bald is not always the best option for everyone, especially for guys with sensitive skin. Hair removal can be a painful process.

So if you’re wondering how to get a bald head without shaving, but don’t like the other options, consider getting a buzz cut instead of going bald.

Using trimmers, you can get your hair down to 1/4 or 1/16 of an inch. Leaving some hair on your head gives you better protection from sunburns and dryness, but it also makes bald patches less obvious. For a few guys, it’s even a confidence booster to leave some hair on their head.