How To Wash And Clean A Bald Head In 5 Easy Steps

Although hair loss does bring a heap of convenience to a man’s grooming regimen, it certainly isn’t a walk in the park. Proper maintenance of a bald head is crucial. You’re about to learn exactly how to wash a bald head in the simplest and most effective way. 

It’s important to realize from the outset that it isn’t rocket science. As you’d expect, you don’t need to get fancy to get the job done properly. However, washing and cleaning a bald head incorrectly usually leads to dryness, oiliness, flakiness, and so on. 

Because of this, it’s worth your time to learn a straightforward, step-by-step routine to get you great results each and every time. 

Sure, the main objective is to get you a bald head that looks, feels and smells great. But there’s a little bit more to it. 

Some men prefer more shine than others. This tutorial will help you tailor your routine so that you achieve the right amount of shine to meet your specific preferences. 

Let’s get to it. 

How To Wash A Bald Head In 5 Easy Steps

These steps will get you the results you crave. Afterward, I’ll tell you how to decide when and how often to use this routine. 

1. Rinse With Lukewarm Water

As with most cleansing procedures, the first step is to gently rinse your scalp with lukewarm water. This is usually best done in the shower. 

However, one of the benefits of having no hair is that rinsing your scalp can also take place over a sink without fear of dripping all over your bathroom mat. 

Lukewarm water is comfortable to rinse with and warm enough to open the pores for an effective cleanse. 

Water that’s too hot can cause dryness and itchiness of a bald scalp afterward. 

2. Apply A Quarter-Sized Amount of Shampoo

There are many bald men who feel that applying shampoo onto a bald head is a pretty pointless process. Why use a product designed for use on hair when you’ve got no hair to apply it to, right? 

Wrong. 

Shampoo is just as important for bald men. The reason for this is that many of the benefits of shampoo are for the scalp and not just the hair. 

A good hair shampoo is created with a pH designed with the scalp in mind. It’s cleansing and the soap within it does remove excess oil from the scalp. 

But it’s not so drying that the scalp is forced to go into overdrive and produce excess sebum and natural oil to compensate. Drying out the scalp too much is a common reason for a subsequently oily bald head, funnily enough. 

Shampoo is cleansing, while also being gentle, moisturizing, and kind to a bald head. Dandruff is a problem of the scalp, not the hair. 

A quality shampoo containing anti-dandruff ingredients would be just as beneficial for a bald head. 

Regular body soap, on the other hand, is too strong for the scalp. It can lead to itching, drying, and excessive oil production. 

I’ll be recommending a shampoo to use at the end of this routine. 

Getting back to the tutorial, after rinsing with lukewarm water it’s important to apply a quarter-sized amount of shampoo onto your palm and rub it between your hands to form a lather. 

Gently massage it into your bald scalp using the balls of your fingers and be sure not to miss any areas of your scalp. 

3. Rinse Off The Shampoo And Gently Towel Dry

Rinse the shampoo off your scalp, once again with lukewarm water. 

Gently towel-dry by dabbing your bald head with a clean, soft towel. A freshly showered and shampooed scalp is likely to be a little irritated. 

Be gentle with it when drying. 

4. Moisturize For Shine Or No Shine

Here’s where it gets interesting. It should come as no surprise that the preferences of bald men vary widely. 

Most relevant to this tutorial is how some men prefer a shiny bald head, whereas others prefer less shine or more of a matte finish. 

Of course, a significant aspect of which camp you’ll fall into is down to your own biology. Some men have oilier scalps than others. The oilier the scalp, the shinier it’ll look. 

Moisturizing a bald head is an essential component of balded grooming. Although hair shampoo is less drying than body wash or soap, it will still dry out the scalp. 

Part of this is beneficial; the shampoo will remove dirt and oil from the skin. But it can ultimately leave the skin feeling and looking dry afterward, and some men are more susceptible to this than others. 

This is why moisturizing afterward is so important. 

The type of moisturizer you choose should depend on how much shine you want to leave on your bald head. 

If you’re looking to reduce shine, then it’s important to replace the moisture you’ve just removed by shampooing. This will prevent excessive oil production by the scalp. 

Use a non-greasy, mattifying moisturizer like this one on Amazon. 

Alternatively, you may be looking to add some shine for a more polished, eye-catching appearance to your dome. If this is the case, skin oils are definitely worth using as moisturizers. 

There are plenty of them to choose from. For example, jojoba oil, argan oil, aloe vera oil, grape seed oil, and so on. They’re all available on Amazon. 

If this sounds appealing to you, it’s worth trying a few of them out to figure out which one suits you best. 

5. Exfoliate Once A Week

We’ve gone through the best way to wash a bald head in a stepwise manner. Following that routine will give you the results you’re looking for; shine or no shine. 

But a (sort of) bonus tip would be to try and exfoliate your bald head once a week. 

Exfoliation removes dirt, oil, and dead cells from the top layer of skin. It can be done using an exfoliating scrub (physical exfoliation), or an exfoliating face wash (chemical exfoliation). 

Although exfoliation is great for reducing shine, it’s still a good habit to get into even if you’re looking to keep some shine. 

Removing that layer of grime from the skin allows for cleaner, closer, and more comfortable shaves of your bald head. It reduces the risk of ingrown hairs and allows for a smoother look and feel. 

However, it’s important not to over-exfoliate. Don’t do this more than once a week – any more than that may be too drying and irritating for the scalp and isn’t necessary. 

Try to leave 24 hours between exfoliating and shaving or applying shampoo. A freshly exfoliated bald scalp can be quite sensitive and you want to give it some time to recover. 

The Best Shampoo For A Bald Head

Although there are many, many shampoos available out there, this one by Brickell (Amazon Link) is certainly popular among bald and balding men. 

It’s all-natural and organic, which is its main selling point. Peppermint and tea tree leaves an invigorating scent and tingle on the bald scalp, as well as reduce dandruff. 

Its main downside is the price – Brickell competes on quality and not cost. But let’s face it – it isn’t cheap. 

When you get into the lower cost range there are plenty of acceptable alternatives. For example, this one by Dove on Amazon. 

Essentially, you want one that’s anti-dandruff, cleansing, and moisturizing. It’s hard to go too far wrong. 

How Often Should You Wash A Bald Head?

You should rinse a bald head with water daily. This should be enough to remove dirt, oil, and odors. However, shampoo should only be used two or maximum three times a week.

I’ve already mentioned the reasons for this. The main one is that excessive shampooing of a bald head, or any head for that matter, is too drying for the scalp. 

Shampooing too often will lead to dryness, flakiness, and itchiness. 

However, be sure to rinse with water alone at least once a day. This should tie you over nicely until shampoo days come around. 

Do Bald Heads Need Conditioner?

In short, no not really. Most shampoos do contain conditioning properties in themselves, as well as all of the cleansing and anti-dandruff properties we’ve already talked about. 

Products marketed as standalone conditioners usually hold more benefits for the hair itself, as opposed to the scalp. They’re designed to make hair strands softer and more manageable. 

A bald man wouldn’t really have much use for it and it may essentially be overdoing it. Shampoo alone should be more than enough to handle a bald scalp’s needs. 

If you’re balding and not completely bald yet, however, it may be worth applying some conditioner for the sake of the hair you have left. 

That brings me to my next point. 

How To Wash Balding Hair

Balding hair should be washed using exactly the same method as you would for a bald head. Rinse with lukewarm water, apply a small amount of shampoo, rinse and towel-dry, and moisturize the bald parts of your scalp. 

Exfoliating is less important unless you’re looking to shave regularly. 

The only additional step you may take if you’re balding is that you may want to apply a small amount of conditioner after you’ve applied the shampoo. As I mentioned, conditioner is more useful for hair. 

But overall, having a small amount of hair shouldn’t change your routine significantly. The same principles apply, although maybe to a lesser extent. 

The bald areas of your scalp still need looking after. Being exposed to the environment and the weather, the bald areas are certainly more vulnerable than the hair-covered ones. 

Conclusion

There you have it. A solid routine to get that bald head ready for whatever the day may bring. 

Hygiene is a crucial component of managing a bald head. A clean, smooth, and healthy-looking bald scalp often looks attractive and intensely masculine. 

It’s important to get the right balance. With such a huge range of products available on the market today, it can be tempting to use more than you need in an endless search for a magical elixir. 

Using too many products usually has the effect of drying out and irritating the skin. Once you find a good shampoo and moisturizer you enjoy using, there shouldn’t be anything else you need. 

Less is often more when it comes to men’s personal care. 

Hopefully, you found that useful. Now get to scrubbin’, my friend.