Male pattern baldness affects nearly 75% of men to some degree, and is thought to be a combination of your genetics and a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone. Basically, if your mother’s father had any baldness, chances are you will, too. (Blame it to the lack of redundancy in our XY chromosome pairing.)

     Long time readers of Stuff will note that the iteration of my hair in this comic has gone through some wild swings over the years; a mirror of real life as I, too, have tried new looks every now and again. But, mostly, I have “enjoyed” having a large, thick, wavy mane. (It has had it’s trials, too.) But astute readers have probably also noticed that, over the last year, or so, I have also included a small detail to the back of my head; when it becomes visible. (Because who likes to look at the back of anyone in a comic, right?)

     Yep, I have a small bald spot on the back of my head, now. It also doesn’t seem to want to grow too much in the back.

     Thanks, grandpa.

     Recently, though, I have also been playing with extreme new looks for myself – because midlife crisis – and have come across a style that not only looks cool, and kind of reflective of my new self, but also manages to deal with that small spot on the back of my head well enough. The one downside to this cool, hip, gothy look, though, is that – unlike a giant bushy mane – it’s quite susceptible to the wind. And, in fact, can become more of a living creature than my old long hair used to.

     Joel, who runs the team at the day job, probably also had a bald grandpa, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by the wind too much. Lucky him…?  As for me, I haven’t thought too much on how to deal with this, if indeed I even need to. Socially, there’s this odd stigma around male pattern baldness; where bald can be sexy, a full head of hair shows health and vitality, but anything in the middle is… pathetic?

     Right now it’s not much of anything, and I don’t mind it, much. Though, to be truthsome, I would love my unruly mane back. But then, hey; two toned buzzed sides is kind of working for me, these days. So…