What is my profile lacking?

[Kratos]

I've slowly been upping my looks over the last 2.5 years since coming across this site. Mainly in the realms of fatloss, tattoos, and dental work.

I've recently had to accept I'm losing my hair - about a Norwood 4V at the moment and I'm expecting that to progress despite taking min/fin for years. I've had SMP on my scalp within my hairline but am extending it to make a better hairline (and completely shave my head) which will finish it off in January.

Did a shoot recently with my buzzed hair. Tinder/hinge/feeld results have been non-existent since the buzzed hair pics went up, at least with cute/hot girls. Might match with one occasionally, but never get a reply despite whatever I message them.

Trying to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle with my profile pics. Any suggestions on looks/photos to use would be a big help.

Currently using Beach, Denim, Fountain, Peacoat, Snatch with smart photos on. Rest of the pics are the pool i have to draw from at the moment (however travelling overseas next week, perfect time to get some cool pictures to add in).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-5KgSCYv_a4vuDWiweAm0hYvODSgYCnH?usp=sharing

 

[Lord Rey]

Hey man, you have really good photos! What you're lacking are activity pics and eventually a group pic if you have something good in your hands.

In my opinion, you should drop Fountain and put Beer instead.
Your book pic is funny and gives a sexual vibe so I would use it.
I like your camera and boxing pics, so I think they're very usable too.

I don't understand why you don't have good results with these pics already (despite your balding) as you are good looking and have a great body.

 

[HankMoodyJr]

I agree with dropping fountain, angle is slightly too 'low' and makes you look smaller.

Not sure about the She Comes First pic, feels a little too posed to me

 

[MILFandCookies]

I've slowly been upping my looks over the last 2.5 years since coming across this site. Mainly in the realms of fatloss, tattoos, and dental work.

I've recently had to accept I'm losing my hair - about a Norwood 4V at the moment and I'm expecting that to progress despite taking min/fin for years. I've had SMP on my scalp within my hairline but am extending it to make a better hairline (and completely shave my head) which will finish it off in January.

Did a shoot recently with my buzzed hair. Tinder/hinge/feeld results have been non-existent since the buzzed hair pics went up, at least with cute/hot girls. Might match with one occasionally, but never get a reply despite whatever I message them.

Trying to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle with my profile pics. Any suggestions on looks/photos to use would be a big help.

Currently using Beach, Denim, Fountain, Peacoat, Snatch with smart photos on. Rest of the pics are the pool i have to draw from at the moment (however travelling overseas next week, perfect time to get some cool pictures to add in).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-5KgSCYv_a4vuDWiweAm0hYvODSgYCnH?usp=sharing

Solid photos, not sure why you're not getting matches. Have you tried resetting your accounts? Could be an algorithm thing since you made a sudden change.

Also I see your Peak Design attachments I can tell you're more than a beginner

 

[pancakemouse]

Trust me, I've been helping Kratos troubleshoot photos and apps for longer than he's been on this forum and I'm always left scratching my head that he doesn't get (many) matches.

He is in the hardest Western city in the world for apps, but he should still be doing decently. Not sure if too high standards are the problem or what.

 

[kratjeuh]

He needs a really strong dog comfort pic.

You look very Russian, strong dominant but people do assume craziness with Russians.

I assume you tried the smiling pic as a first, but I don’t think it’s enough comfort.

The pics you have here are really solid and I think most girls would swipe right on you if they make it past the first pic

 

[AskTheDom]

I've slowly been upping my looks over the last 2.5 years since coming across this site. Mainly in the realms of fatloss, tattoos, and dental work.

I've recently had to accept I'm losing my hair - about a Norwood 4V at the moment and I'm expecting that to progress despite taking min/fin for years. I've had SMP on my scalp within my hairline but am extending it to make a better hairline (and completely shave my head) which will finish it off in January.

Did a shoot recently with my buzzed hair. Tinder/hinge/feeld results have been non-existent since the buzzed hair pics went up, at least with cute/hot girls. Might match with one occasionally, but never get a reply despite whatever I message them.

Trying to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle with my profile pics. Any suggestions on looks/photos to use would be a big help.

Currently using Beach, Denim, Fountain, Peacoat, Snatch with smart photos on. Rest of the pics are the pool i have to draw from at the moment (however travelling overseas next week, perfect time to get some cool pictures to add in).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-5KgSCYv_a4vuDWiweAm0hYvODSgYCnH?usp=sharing

I assume you use tinder platinum/gold right? if so can you tell us if you get likes at all even from "less desirable" girls?

 

[AskTheDom]

He needs a really strong dog comfort pic.

You look very Russian, strong dominant but people do assume craziness with Russians.

I assume you tried the smiling pic as a first, but I don’t think it’s enough comfort.

The pics you have here are really solid and I think most girls would swipe right on you if they make it past the first pic

The "Chads" I've seen their profiles have zero dogs and zero group photos, most of the times it's a collection of shirtless and gym photos and these guys clean it, the issue must be somewhere else.

Also the OP reminded me vaguely of another member of the forum (( Colton ) in terms of looks, so I don't really know what could be the issue

 

[kratjeuh]

He needs a really strong dog comfort pic.

You look very Russian, strong dominant but people do assume craziness with Russians.

I assume you tried the smiling pic as a first, but I don’t think it’s enough comfort.

The pics you have here are really solid and I think most girls would swipe right on you if they make it past the first pic

The "Chads" I've seen their profiles have zero dogs and zero group photos, most of the times it's a collection of shirtless and gym photos and these guys clean it, the issue must be somewhere else.

Also the OP reminded me vaguely of another member of the forum (( Colton ) in terms of looks, so I don't really know what could be the issue

I agree, the chads just put some random pics (even selfies) and girls go crazy for them. OP is an attractive guy, good-looking, good body (not elite), great style, I can see he takes care of himself, but he's not a chad. If he was, he wouldn't be posting here for advice whilst having solid pics in good locations showing of a cool life.

I've taken some more time to really think about what could be the factor and I think I found some possible shortcomings. You can consider all of them, I'm not saying that I'm totally right, I'm only offering my take on it.

1) If going for the lifting route, you will limit yourself to a smaller percentage of girls. This is ok if that's your type but the competition in this "niche" are guys who are bigger and more muscular than him. Girls who want this type of man prefer a dude posing in tank tops and other tight clothes over a guy who is a little smaller with excellent fashion.

2) I can see girls looking at your profile and thinking that you are an attractive man but you don't show in your pics that you are a fun guy to be around. A little bit too much of mr tryna be cool.

3) The type of hobby pics you choose is really mainstream and even a bit overdone. Lifting, boxing and calisthenics (pull-ups) are not 3 separate hobby shots, they count as 1 as they're so related. Reading does make you look intelligent but the pic looks setup and the title of the book does the exact opposite of making you look intelligent. I would only suggest having a pic with a book like this if your profile lacks sexuality. A tatted up strong gym goer is already connotated towards sexier. The shot showing you hold the camera is cool. For me it lacks congruence with the rest of your profile. You don't look like a guy that's into photography (I could be wrong, again this is just my perception).

4) Apart from the lifting pic, your pics are too perfect in terms of quality. Me and MILFandCookies disagree on this but I think that having too many professional shots hurt you unless you go for the wealthy high value man archetype. Especially since more guys are doing photoshoots, I strongly believe a good way to stand out is having max 3 professional shots and the rest Iphone shots. Those Iphone shots still have to be well taken but you can just feel the difference between a professional shot and a well taken Iphone picture.

As mentioned a couple times, I don't want to break you down, just trying to help by being really critical. I can tell you put a lot of effort in yourself, your profile and I bet you're killing it at life (probably smashing 3x as many girls as I do). Take this advice into consideration, maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't.

 

[natedawg]

He is in the hardest Western city in the world for apps, but he should still be doing decently. Not sure if too high standards are the problem or what.

I'm curious about this too. If he's in the hardest western city in the world for apps, AND he's going after cute/hot chicks... I can only imagine how stiff the competition may be. Maybe it's more of an environmental thing, and doubling down on looks/lifestyle pictures?

 

[AskTheDom]

I think it's mainly a "vibe" and location issue.

When you are in big western cities, you are literally competing with top 1% of males on tinder.
Rich guys, male models, gym chads, Actors, semi famous artists, etcetc.

 

[jackBruh]

He is in the hardest Western city in the world for apps, but he should still be doing decently. Not sure if too high standards are the problem or what.

Curious what makes you say that? Since I'm in the same place. If it's so much better elsewhere maybe I'll move lol

 

[Kratos]

Solid photos, not sure why you're not getting matches. Have you tried resetting your accounts? Could be an algorithm thing since you made a sudden change.

Also I see your Peak Design attachments I can tell you're more than a beginner

Yeah I have decided to reset, has been 3 months since I last did it. Maybe it's an age thing. Feel like 31 would have a big dropoff in terms of search settings for girls in their 20s (mine are generally 18-30).

Trust me, I've been helping @Kratos troubleshoot photos and apps for longer than he's been on this forum and I'm always left scratching my head that he doesn't get (many) matches.

He is in the hardest Western city in the world for apps, but he should still be doing decently. Not sure if too high standards are the problem or what.

You've been a big help over the years mate. Owe you a beer or 10 if you ever come down under. Melbourne sure is a tough city. I wouldnt say I have high standards. Most cute and better girls are getting a right swipe, so about 1/2-1/3 of the time I'm swiping right. Always seems to hit a point after about 4-6 weeks where it's like I've become invisible - rare matches on people I've swiped on, almost never get people liking me first - using Platinum and boosts.

Travelling abroad for the first time since COVID this weekend, so will be interesting to see how things go.

He is in the hardest Western city in the world for apps, but he should still be doing decently. Not sure if too high standards are the problem or what.

Curious what makes you say that? Since I'm in the same place. If it's so much better elsewhere maybe I'll move lol

Melb is swarming with 6ft chads mate. AFL/elite footy players and other sports all call melb home, along with heaps of male celebs, influencers, etc. I found Brisbane and the GC much much easier when I visited earlier this year.

 

[MILFandCookies]

Maybe it's an age thing. Feel like 31 would have a big dropoff in terms of search settings for girls in their 20s (mine are generally 18-30).

This could easily be it. When did you turn 31? If it was recent, it would explain the dropoff.

 

[klondike]

about a Norwood 4V at the moment and I'm expecting that to progress despite taking min/fin for years. I've had SMP on my scalp within my hairline but am extending it to make a better hairline (and completely shave my head) which will finish it off in January.

Is an FUE transplant an option for you? It would look great. You're at the point where it would make a maximal difference, help you age better, etc etc etc

 

[NeverSayNeverAgain]

about a Norwood 4V at the moment and I'm expecting that to progress despite taking min/fin for years. I've had SMP on my scalp within my hairline but am extending it to make a better hairline (and completely shave my head) which will finish it off in January.

Is an FUE transplant an option for you? It would look great. You're at the point where it would make a maximal difference, help you age better, etc etc etc

Yeah, that might be the answer. It would be great if there was an app that OP could use to just add say 2000 graft transplant simulation to his hairline, so he could see how he would look and test the impact on his results before committing to a surgical procedure that isn’t without risk and that will certainly require additional follow up procedures in the future (he is on the meds but still losing hair).

 

[AskTheDom]

So I spent a bit of time thinking about this as I moved location and I've seen no major results even with a better profile than I had 9 months when I was in this same location.

Kratos I have few follow up questions for you:
1) How many matches you usually get?
2) Do you use platinum/gold and if so, do you get likes from less attractive girls?
3) How the girls respond do to you when you message them? what is the main "theme"? they are time wasting with a bunch of "maybe ahah" ? they are positive and down to mingle?
4) Of the girls you have dated, have you seen the competition? when I was in Poland, I noticed that in the city with 3 girls I meet, they were talking with these 5-6 guys, that gave me a baseline of what the competition look like

 

[Hedon]

Photos look pretty good man, getting SMP and shaving is probs a good idea but you'll have to shave your hair with a 0-0.5 guard on top all the time with SMP. Did you consider getting a hair transplant instead? SMP works really great for diffuse hair loss as you can fill in the illusion of greater density but for temple recession I really feel a hair transplant is the best way forward.

Also I reckon a beard or even some facial hair like a disconnected goatee (James Franco style) would look pretty good on you and suit the overall look. Ear(s) pieced with a stud/hoop would also look cool.

Also not a big fan of the blue shirt, beige pants look and other photos when wearing blue. Sticking to black + grey and a little white I feel would work best for your look.

 

[Lou]

I also live in Melbourne and have not had any luck with dating apps. However, I know guys that are average looking, do not have professional photos and have done OK with dating apps here. They have mainly dated average looking girls but they have dated plenty and had fun. I will list them below.

- Peruvian Friend 1: Average looking guy, was using mainly Plenty Of Fish in 2018 and got heaps of dates. He was in his mid-late 30's at the time (currently 42 years old and with a girlfriend)

- Peruvian Friend 2: Below average looking guy, late 20's. He mainly dated Asian girls but scored a pretty hot Vietnamese-Australian (born in Australia with Vietnamese parents) girlfriend from Tinder.

- My Ex-Boss: Half Belgian/Half French. Kind of similar looks to mine (look at my photo) and did pretty well on Tinder without even paying. Asked him which photos he used and he told me that he had a friend taking photos of him at a local park. He met his current girlfriend there. She is probably a 6.5/7 in terms of looks but she is an awesome woman and they just had a kid. He used Tinder around 2018 after his divorce and was in his late 30's. Before he met his current woman he went on several dates through Tinder and dated some 27 year-olds.

- Average Aussie Looking Guy 1: Very average looking. He was 42 when he used Tinder and met his girlfriend there. Again, not a hottie, probably also 6.5/7 but definitely higher on the looks department than him. He has a decent job but is not rich or anything like that.

- Average Aussie Looking Guy 2: This guy is one of my best friends. Turned 40 last year. He has been using dating apps since 2016 when I met him. Met his current girlfriend on Hinge in 2020. Again, another average-looking girl but pretty cool chick and with a pretty good accounting job. My friend was unemployed at the time they met because he lost his job during Covid. Now, I have personally met about 6 or 7 girls that this guy has dated through dating apps and he has scored some hot ones.

So, as you can see above, I honestly do not understand how this happens. The only guys I have personally met that have not got any success on dating apps in Melbourne are one friend who is a 39-year old metalhead/long-haired dude with a serious (and a bit weird) face expression and myself. So it is pretty frustrating.

Yes, Melbourne has a good number of good looking guys, especially in the wealthy areas, but what I see on the streets on a daily basis are LOTS of average looking guys with pretty nice looking girls so I don't buy the "only chads get the chicks" narrative. I have personally done OK in Melbourne outside dating apps despite being shy to approach (and I used to be terrible with this before) but Covid made everything difficult and things have still not got back to normal here.

 

[pancakemouse]

So, as you can see above, I honestly do not understand how this happens. The only guys I have personally met that have not got any success on dating apps in Melbourne are one friend who is a 39-year old metalhead/long-haired dude with a serious (and a bit weird) face expression and myself. So it is pretty frustrating.

Apps are about two things:
1. Being physically attractive and/or representing such through photos.
2. Appearing normal OR having a specific archetype. The former is conveyed through subtle body languages cues in photos that women are highly attuned to. The latter is done conveyed by polarization through style and hobbies.

If you're hearing about guys who are doing OK, they're probably either more normal than you think or more attractive than you think.

For us non-normal guys, learning how to appear normal is the hardest thing.