Newbie who finally took the plunge

[ninfragile19]

Hey All,

After contemplating the idea for a long time, and being sick and tired of using hair products to maintain a look that was merely for show, I've finally hiked my pants up and shaved my head for the first time last night!   So far results are mixed, but i's my opinion that counts and so far, I like it!

I've read through a lot of the posts on here about your first time, what to do, what to expect, what to use, etc.  But what I like to know is how long is a good time to wait until my second shave?  My scalp is not used to this much razor contact and, as expected, I've developed a few bumps, not too bad, but I want to keep this up, yet I don't want to wait too long until the next job.  I figure a good 48 hour lapse would allow my head to recoup before continuing on.  Is this a good idea or should I just plunge right into it and make it a daily regiment?

[jamesh75]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on going sly.  You made the right decision.  I have only been sly for just over a month, so I can't provide too much advise.  But I would say shaving every other day for a while would be good.  At least until your head gets used to it.  From reading the forums, a lot of guys shave every day and others every other due to irritation.  I'll let some of the more experienced members answer in more detail.

[Dome of Steele]

Welcome NIN!  You already did the hard part, working yourself up to shave, the rest will take care of itself.  Of course you will have to deal with reactions for a few weeks, and getting used to it yourself, but within a few weeks it will seem normal.  

Follow the 30 day rule!  Do it for 30 days and you won't want to go back.  
As for the "waiting period," to each his own.  These days I do it every day, but try every other day for awhile until your skin gets used to it.  Just be sure to use a hi-quality razor and some good cream/gel/oil

[Baldboss]

I got a week under my hat (so to speak) and the first couple of shaves were irritating so it was every other day.  The last three days are every day because by 4PM, I'm starting to feel like velcro which I don't like.  I really don't have that much irritation just a week in.  I guess everyone that said I was a hardhead was right.

Welcome!  BTW, I'm liking it more every day.

[Antimidas]

Welcome!  I started right out of the gate with shaving during a shower every morning.  I don't think it was this site, but I read somewhere that to keep the razor bumps (if it is pseudofoliculitis barbae) to a minimum, one should shave every day.  Those would be bumps of the ingrown hair type.  Doctors in basic training used to give shaving waivers to people who suffered from this affliction so they would not get dinged all of the time.  The military solution taught in the required mail hygeine class was to let the hair grow out enough that it pulled the ingrown hairs out thus eliminating the bumps and then shave every day.  There are a couple of products out there specifically for razor bumps that might help.  One is from Headblade called Clearhead.

Another tip is to make sure that you let the shaving product sit on your head for awhile before shaving to soften the hairs more.  Use warm water to wet your head, apply your shaving product and let it set for three minutes.  This is supposed to reduce the toughness of the hair as much as 70%.


Let use know how it goes, and once again welcom to the best site on the net!

[D.A.L.U.I.]

After shaving, make a mixture of hydrocortizone creme and benzoyl peroxide 10% creme--it doesn't take a whole lot, and rub in in good.  It works for me if I develop bumps or even zits from blocked follicles.  Wash your scalp at least twice a day, and make sure you change your pillowcase regularly.  Without hair to keep the junk in the air off your skin, you really have to pay attention to clean, really clean.  I suggest Cuticura anti-acne soap as a gentle anti-bacterial soap for washing the scalp.  Oh, and I am almost a religious daily shaver. 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'm sure everyone's different.  Sometimes I let my hair grow out for a while, and then go SLY again...no problems at all with a tender top.  Could shave every day with no problems, but my hair, being white, does not shadow, so every other day is fine; even a three-day gap between razoring does not leave me looking too unSLY.   

A fresh-to-the-practice head shaver, however...well, as I said, "everyone is different."  You'll find out real fast what works best for you.  That's the good part about head shaving.

[MikeInPdx]

ITA about everyone being different.....a good rule of thumb is to wait for any bumps to clear up and go for it again. The time you need tp wait will decrease as your scalp gets used to it.

Also depends on the razor.  Back many years ago, when I first tried it.....the Trac II was still popular. I needed to shave every other day with that baby. My Fusion.....I could shave twice a day if I wanted to.

[Antimidas]

My Fusion.....I could shave twice a day if I wanted to.

Ditto!  And I do shave twice a day with a Fusion if I am going out in the evening and have time after work or can manage to not tick people off doing it in the bathroom at work.

[sellitman]

I haven't missed a day shaving since I started. I found that using shaving oil as a base and leaving the Gel I use on while I shave my face helps a great deal. Even with all this my head is sometimes raw in back a bit.

I use Bald Guyz Gel afterwards to cool the fire and that seems to do the trick.

Welcome to the site.