If you’re like us, you care about your hair every day. Our hair can be our calling card, after all, and when it doesn’t look great, we feel it. But if there is any day for your hair to look its absolute best, it’s your wedding. Your partner is likely going to be spending hours on theirs, so you don’t want to get shown up, right? Plus, think of the pictures. They last forever.
Most of the things we, as men, want to change about our hair, though, can’t be done the day of the wedding. Around one third of men in their twenties have already started to experience hair loss and that number climbs with each decade. Thinning hair is the number one concern for men of any age, whether they’re just starting to see it or have been dealing with it for years.
Gray hair isn’t quite as much a touchy subject, what with more men embracing grays. But if you wish you didn’t have quite so much, there’s no shame in that, and there are some things you can do as well.
The biggest thing to keep in mind when dealing with any of these issues is to plan ahead. It might be tempting to look for a quick fix the day of your wedding, but really solving a problem requires a long term solution, not a Band-Aid. And it also doesn’t hurt to consult your dermatologist.
HOW TO STOP THINNING HAIR
Medication
With your physician’s blessing, start on an over-the-counter medication to prevent further loss as soon as you notice thinning. Classics like Rogaine, a topical foam, and Propecia, an ingestible pill, are both clinically proven to prevent further hair loss and help you keep the hair you have. A new breed of direct-to-consumer companies like Hims and Keeps are now offering the generic forms of Rogaine and Propecia (minoxidil and finasteride, respectively) shipped right to your door. These medications work by blocking DHT, a hormone linked to increased hair loss in men.
There is also a new supplement on the block, Nutrafol, which claims to use more natural ingredients to thicken and retain hair, and to good reviews. Any of these treatments take a few months to start showing their effects (so plan ahead), and remember that if you ever stop taking them, the effects will go away too. Meaning your hair.
PRP
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a technology using the patient’s own blood platelets to stimulate hair growth. The platelets are harvested, infused with plasma, and reinjected into the scalp (usually with the help of microneedle therapy) which helps hair to grow and the scalp to retain more. It’s an advanced treatment, but has been showing good results for people with various stages of hair loss. Speak to your dermatologist to see if it’s right for you and plan to have a few treatments well before your actual wedding (the effects take a few months to be visible).
Styling
Thin hair can be tricky to style, but the key is adding not just volume, but also texture. Texture will make hair look more natural, not just bigger. Add a volumizing mousse like Bumble & Bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Mousse to wet hair to pump it up while it dries, then add a clay product for texture and a matte finish.
Use a spray like Rudy’s Barbershop Clay Spray if you’re worried about weighing hair down or a clay pomade like Baxter of California’s Clay Pomade for extra hold and definition.
Spray
Generally, spray-on hair is a big no-no (remember Stephen Miller?) but if you want a little extra help on a big day, there are some things that will give instant results. Use a very light hand to shake in a hair fiber, like Boldify Hair Fibers, which latch on to your existing hair to plump it up and build it out. Start with only a little; you can always add more if you want, but you can’t erase it without getting back in the shower.
HOW TO STOP BALDING
Generally, once you’ve lost it, it’s impossible to get it back. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But some cases have shown that PRP has helped regrow hair and reverse thinning. It’s not a miracle and isn’t going to get you back to where you were as a kid, but speak to your dermatologist if it’s something you think you’d want to explore.
We believe that if you’re bald(ing), you should embrace it. Why fight it, right? We advocate the shaved head approach, and believe that it’s the best way to move forward with your life. Just remember to moisturize your dome and wear sunscreen every day.
HOW TO PREVENT AND HIDE GRAY HAIR
Much like balding, we are firmly in the “own it” camp. But some guys aren’t ready to go full-on silver fox. The best thing to do if you want to cover some grays is call up a hair colorist. They are trained at matching your natural hair or, if you want to, can advise on a brand new color. Just remember that gray hair takes color differently that other colors, so the amount of grays you have might mean your color options are limited.
You can also consider using a gradual color dye that will blend in to the gray without making your hair look like an instant helmet. True Sons, a foam dye, can be used on your head, beard, and even chest.
It’s buildable, which means you can use it multiple times to achieve the color you want, and it will eventually wash out if you go a little crazy. Test this out a few months before the wedding so you know exactly how much to use (and re-up a few days before).
