Reactions from other balding men

[SultanofSwing86]

I was wondering about the reactions that people had recieved from other men with balding heads?

My eldest brother who has been very obviously balding for atleast 6-7 years saw me last week with my shaved head. He asked me in a rather aggresive manner "what did you do that for?", it sort of threw me a bit as I wasn't expecting it. I was trying to be careful in my response and just said that I preferred to have no hair than have half a heads worth. I was mostly suprised by his response as he had been quite supportive when I had it buzzed down for a couple of months prior to shaving. He has often had his hair buzzed short but now has it grown to about an inch (which seems to draw attention to how thin it is).

 

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

My experience for what it's worth is totally mixed.  Younger, that is less than 50 are either shaved, buzzed or very short.  Older guys who are shaved are totally cool w/ it as are the younger guys.  Where it gets dicey is the older guys--some are hostile but more interesting to me are a number who quietly come up and ask about it.  I can tell they've at least thought about it.  The hostile ones never do and we're not talking a great number, always pop off in large crowds--so I let them have the reactions in large crowds, why haven't you thrown that dead animal out yet, etc.  Most of them pointedly ignore it, and one said he liked his hair and was keeping what was left of it--I really wanted to ask him if he had one or two boxes of it--but I didn't I was nice. 
The younger ones always ask about it, how to do it, do I shave everyday, does it take a lot of time--the whole list.  They are going to do it one day in my book. 

[slyatlast]

I never have received many comments, even when I first went sly.  Have had at least 4 guys with MPB comment on it and said they'd been considering shaving their heads...but only one convert so far that I know of.

[jamesh75]

I had a guy at work the other day stop me and ask me why I shaved.  He said that he has been thinking about it since he is already bald on top, but just didn't have the nerve to do it.  I think I may have talked him into it.   And a friend of mine who is balding on the top told me Sunday that he is going to buzz the rest of his hair down to a number 1.

[baldy46]

Lately at work, I've had a bunch of guys ask me about my shaving routine.  I think some of them want to do it but don't have the nerve.  I've really been feeling the sly brotherhood lately too.  Yesterday at lunch, a sly waiter told me "hey, nice haircut!"  That's been happening to me a lot.  Feels great!

On a side note, I'm about to head up north to see my family.  My dad hasn't seen me sly yet and I have a feeling I'm going to get a bunch of grief.  When I was buzzed to a "1", dad commented several times about my short hair.  I don't think he's cool with the bald look.  Everyone else in my famly (except my wife, at first) has been supportive.  After 15 months of being sly, I have no intention of going back.

[Antimidas]

Most of the 40ish MBP's with the bozo ring that I have encountered have kinda looked down on me  for it and made negative comments.  I think it is more jealousy than anything else.  Sorta like "Why didn't I think of that?"  The owner of my company commented on it and is considering doing it.  He has very little left and it is all buzzed.  He just thinks it would be too time consuming to shave every day.  I told him he had so little left, it would only take a minute or two.  I have little tact.

Went to another customer site today where they had not seen it yet.  They loved the look and I got tons of compliments and head rubs from everyone.  Even have one of their employees considering it now.

The interesting thing I have noticed between the various customers that I work with - If it is a business that is primarily traditional white collar, they react more negatively.  Blue collar (drywall company, body shop) all love it.  I never thought of it as a class issue, but there is a pattern emerging.

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

  I never thought of it as a class issue, but there is a pattern emerging.

Sorry to hear that is your experience, mine is quite the opposite.  I had to eat lunch at my desk so I went to the food court in a high rise downtown building, saw at least three other slys.  At least here, there isn't any "class" difference, except that personally, in my opinion, fringe longer than 1/4" indicates a slob, a guy w/o any self respect.  Sorry if that offends any lurkers, but if you're out there and are offended--look in the mirror and get honest w/ yourself.

[SultanofSwing86]

The interesting thing I have noticed between the various customers that I work with - If it is a business that is primarily traditional white collar, they react more negatively.  Blue collar (drywall company, body shop) all love it.  I never thought of it as a class issue, but there is a pattern emerging.

I do get the impression that shaving the head isn't a very "middle class" thing to do. I think it stems from the image of skinheads/thugs. Though saying that in a business environment it seems that shaving ones head combined with shirt and tie type of dress gives more the impression of someone who is smart and orderly in their appearance. I guess how the shaved head is recieved depends on many other things as well. 

[Antimidas]

I have been paying more attention to wearing better clothing at work.  I dropped the polos and went for the shirt an tie for the most part.  Seems to improve the reaction.  People seem to more readily notice the 15 pounds I have lost faster than the shaved head.  But our former VP of Sales had a shaved head, so it is not a complete negative at work.

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

The interesting thing I have noticed between the various customers that I work with - If it is a business that is primarily traditional white collar, they react more negatively.  Blue collar (drywall company, body shop) all love it.  I never thought of it as a class issue, but there is a pattern emerging.

I have been paying more attention to wearing better clothing at work.  I dropped the polos and went for the shirt an tie for the most part.  Seems to improve the reaction.  People seem to more readily notice the 15 pounds I have lost faster than the shaved head.  But our former VP of Sales had a shaved head, so it is not a complete negative at work.

Excuse me, and please don't think I'm "picking a fight" but these statements just don't match up in my mind.  A VP of Sales is not "blue collar".  Sly dresses up well, and dresses down well--that can't be said of a "Bozo Ring".  A slob is a slob in white tie and tails or in overalls.  Sly IS NOT A CLASS THING.  It is a reasonable and IMO more sensible response to mpb than any other reaction known to the mpb population.  It's more acceptable now, but then so is the use of hairspray by guys w/ hair--and that would have made you the brunt of crude jokes not that many years ago.  Men go to "stylists" in many cases not barbers.  Contemporary life is just more accepting a a man doing what he can to make himself presentable--that includes sly, working out, etc.  One article on shaving heads estimated that there are more than 20 million of us out there now and we all know that number grows daily.  I saw three slys driving to work today alone, one in shorts-a day off I guess--two in business dress including ties--and that's not unusual.  So my point is, this isn't a CLASS thing at all.  That attitude kind of gets me going, as if you hadn't already guessed.
MY Rant Is Over. 

[tomgallagher]

I used to work in the Security/Law Enforcement field and the amount of shaved heads that I would run into would make your jaw drop. 

[Antimidas]

True.  Quite common in the military and police forces.  Anyone with a gun in fact. 

[adam_r_todd]

Your brother probably just liked you being in a similar boat to him.  There is strength in numbers.  Encourage him to shave his too.  Tell him about how great it is. 

[marshd1000]

I am kind of wondering if the "class" thing is a thing in different parts of the country???  Anyway, here in Seattle,  I have seen many white and blue collar workers with a totally shaved head or at least buzzed.  I also know ministers and Amway salesmen who are sly.  But then again, it might depend on the part of the country that you are in.

[marty22]

I have had a few comments but the over 50 sect seems to comment on it more than the younger sect. For years, barbers and fashion people told me that guys over 40ish keep it short but not shaved. Im glad I do.