Wife's reaction...

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

[ I always said, if it got that bad, I'd take it down to the wood. And that is the point I am at now.

You know, you just answered your question.  You're spending too much emotional energy on this that could be directed in positive ways to your family & wife.  If you don't "take it down to the wood" nature will, hair, by hair, by hair.  Some on the pillow, some down the shower drain and some even falling out at work or while you're walking around.  It will fall out, whether or not your wife likes it--it's toasted and at your age I'd say profound Bozo ring baldness is in the relative near term.  Nature doesn't listen to you or your wife, & it has dictated that you will be bald. 

[R o b 6]

If you experienced the boost in your self-confidence (like many of us did) when you first did it, you have more than half the battle won. Take it down to the wood and see if it returns!

[Magoo]

The #3 looks good but Sly is better.

[baldtribesman]

As the Nike slogan goes "Just do it".  As other guys can tell you once you do it not only will you and everybody else get used to it but when you look at pictures of yourself with hair you will wonder why you did not do it long ago.  But lets live in the present do it, change is hard but you'll be a better man for doing it.

[Teehach]

Turned her nose up at first.  But after a couple of days my son told me she said it was growing on her.  She was too stubborn to say anything to me until the end of the first week.  She finally told me that she was starting to like it. 

Women are impossible to figure out so I stopped trying.   

[RyanJP]

Women are impossible to figure out so I stopped trying.   

Pretty much.

[xnewyawka]

 "I hate guys that have combovers. I think they look awful"

Doug, you just answered you're own question to this dilemma. Shave it down bro, you'll feel, and look so much better. Free yourself up and leave this behind you, get on with things that matter.

Like one of the bro's said, don't be looking back down the road wishing you had done it, just get it done and continue forward with your life.   

Good luck, get it smooth and keep it smooth!     

[Sgt. Pate]

Hey Doug,

My wife is very supportive of me being happy.  That said, she really doesn't like my sly look as much as with some hair.
The first time I went sly she did her best not to say anything negative and even admitted liking the feel of my smooth pate... in time she grew to accept it.  I told her that I would grow a little hair every once in a while to please her and she's grateful when I do.  She doesn't lament it when I shave again though. 

[-Doug-]

I am now at a No. 2. I think it is just going to take a liitle while for my wife to get comfortable with the idea of seeing me with less hair - and eventually no hair.

[schro]

Doug,
One Word

SHAVE IT

ok, that was two, but you get my drift. There is absolutely no friggin' contest. You look so much better sly. As one married dude to another whose wife hates the sly look on me (which to date I still can't understand  ), you have to do what's best for you.

I grew it back on two separate occasions since going sly on 1/1/07, the last being in the Spring 2009. I did that out of respect for The Lovely Mrs. Schro, making a deal with her that if I could keep the irritating scalp at bay without medication, I'd keep it buzzed to a #1 (which I still think looks good on me). However, it still itched to no end and I was scratching all the time with "snow on the mountain". Finally, she said "just shave it". So one morning before I went on a run, I got out the Wahl clippers and each of kid took a turn buzzing half the Schrodome. My daughter's comment .... "Dad, you got a lot of dandruff!". She said it loud enough where The Lovely Mrs. Schro was in earshot. Since then, no comments.

Everyone has their own reasons, but #1 should be how it makes YOU feel. Do you tell your wife how she wears her hair?

Cheers!
Schro

[cvasara]

Well, for me, it was the wife who first suggested I shave my head.  So I guess I just don't relate to a wife that says HAIR ! !   My bride use to cut it,  but now, between the Headblade, Mach 3, and Fusion,  AND the wife, I stay pretty smooth.
Don't know if it works for everyone, but you have to wonder if a wife / GF would be more comfortable with 'her man' being bald, if she ever had the opportunity to put that blade to your head, and see what its like to shave it.     
As for me,  WE like it.

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

I am now at a No. 2. I think it is just going to take a liitle while for my wife to get comfortable with the idea of seeing me with less hair - and eventually no hair.

You have my sincere best wishes.  My wife never got used to buzz, but once it was gone and she'd gone through her tantrum she's living with it, even though she still would want me to have hair.  And maybe if that impossibility existed I would like to also--but I live as a bald man in the real world.  But I'm a bald man, as I said, and sly is the only way I know to make myself comfortable.  I know from the numerous and continuous compliments over more than two years that I have made the right choice and that whatever drives my wife's dreams and fantasy of hair just isn't a real option anymore.  Frankly, all things considered, I should have done it 10--15 years earlier. 
Good luck,
Saintc

[Arnie]

In my experience...my "wife's" reaction prooved that I did not marry for better or worse...etc...etc...

And since then, my friends...old and new have prooved themselves over and over again!!!

[-Doug-]

Tonight my wife   commented on a mutual friend's hair saying "See, he doesn't have much hair and he doesn't shave his head." This guy has a receding hairline and one that isn't that bad IMO. My situation is vastly different than his. Mine is/was thinning.

After I re-buzzed my hair to a 2 tonight, she stated, again, that she didn't want me to shave my hair because she didn't like the way it looked. She said, "remember when you stopped shaving it last time because I got tired of maintaining it? While there is truth to that statement, this time is different - I want to do it and am seeing it as my final hair style. Also, the amount of thinning has gone from not too bad to totally noticeable - especially now with the no. 2 cut.

I can't seem to convey that this isn't just a fad type of idea. I am done pretending that I have a full head of hair and don't want to just watch it slowly - well quickly - fade down to a "toilet seat" or "bozo ring".

I know that this is a bit of a disjointed rambling of thoughts, but a) I am tired and b) I want to get my thoughts on here to see if anyone has any advice.

I appreciate the advice thus far! It is a solid reminder of why this site is one I check of a frequent basis.

[R o b 6]

Doug:
A very wise bald man once posted: "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." Hey, wait. That's what you wrote under your avatar!

It comes down to what you already know and feel...you're ready to stop being a balding guy and ready to be the confident BALD guy than lurks underneath a lousy 1/4 inch of thinning hair. I say cut it down to a #1 today and make a stand. You'll be so close to slick sly you won't be able to hold off much longer.

Hang in there! The time will be right and you'll just do it.