Discussions About Being Bald > To be or not be...Bald
Still on the fence?
Razor X:
Since we seem to have a number of newbies lately who are considering taking the plunge:
I just realized this afternoon that this weekend marks the eighth anniversary of the first time I shaved my head. I'd bought a set of clippers because I thought I should start doing my own buzzcuts instead of paying the barber to do it once a week. The #1 setting wasn't short enough; the only option was to take the guard off. After one swipe over the top of my head, I realized that this was MUCH shorter than I'd thought it would be. I'd had no plans to shave my head, but when the shorter-than-expected buzzcut was done and I realized how very close I was to complete hairlessness, I couldn't resist the urge to lather up and shave.
Had this site been in existence then, I likely would have gotten some much-needed support, kept my head shaved daily and that would have been the end of the story. I liked the result better than I'd thought I would, but I was very self-conscious about it and made the crucial error of letting it grow back after that one shave. Once the hair was grown back, however, I got the urge to shave again and a month or two later I did. Thus began an almost two-year roller coaster ride of shaving, growing back, shaving, etc., before I finally made the commitment to stay shaved for 30 days no matter what.
A lot of things have changed in the past eight years. At the time, the shaved look was becoming more mainstream, whereas now it is completely mainstream and is, in fact, the haircut of choice for the overwhelming majority of young and middle-aged men who suffer from MPB. So if you're sitting on the fence, just do it. There's nothing to be afraid of. It does take some time to adjust to a change in appearance, but you'll be surprised at how quickly you and those around you get used to it.
I can honestly say that it has brought about a number of positive changes in my life. They say that change comes from within, but I believe that being happy with one's outward appearance creates a confidence that carries through to almost every other aspect of life. Nobody looks good with thinning hair, a combover, or a bald top surrounded by a long fringe of hair, which were the only options for balding men in years gone by. On the other hand, most guys look perfectly fine with a shaved head. Everybody thinks he's the exception -- that his head is too big, he's too pale, too fat, too thin, whatever. It rarely turns out to be the case. There are hundreds of reasons we can come up with why we can't shave our heads, but at the end of the day, the only thing that is stopping you is you -- not your parents, not your friends, not your boss, not your wife, and not your girlfriend. Just you. There are no more excuses; the shaved dome is accepted in all walks of life. You may run into the occasional person who doesn't like it, but that's going to happen no matter what you do with your hair, no matter how you dress, etc.
You younger guys -- count your blessings. You're addressing this issue early in life and putting it behind you. You're lucky; you get to be the hip bald guy in your circle of friends. It may not be what you had in mind, but use it as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Hair is greatly overrated. You may not see it that way now, but if you take the leap of faith, shave your head and observe the 30 day rule, and visit this site regularly for support, you'll find that I'm right. There are a lot of things I'd change about my appearance if I could, but a full head of hair is definitely not on the wish list.
So what are you waiting for?
Sgt. Pate:
Great post Razor! O0
wpruitt:
Words of wisdom !
D.A.L.U.I.:
Great post, and you are really part of the vanguard of the liberation from mpb--you may not have realized it when it was happening, but you really are. Glad we had you to lead the way.
Razor X:
--- Quote from: saintc on January 15, 2010, 08:42:41 PM ---Great post, and you are really part of the vanguard of the liberation from mpb--you may not have realized it when it was happening, but you really are. Glad we had you to lead the way.
--- End quote ---
Thank you. I remember all too well what it was like obsessing over every hair that was lost. And I can remember listening to other guys saying that they didn't mind being bald, that they wouldn't want their hair back --- and not believing a word of it. I don't think it's something that can be fully understood until you've gone through it yourself. That's why it really is important to give the shave a try. It may take a little while to adjust to it, but once you do, it's amazing how different things seem. For one thing, you wonder what you were so afraid of.
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