I finally hit Day 30 over the weekend. Most local folks have seen me now and I'm very happy with the feedback. I also just got back a week vacation at the beach and couldn't be more happy being sly. No more worry about hats and such, just lube up with noggin with lotion regularly and go. Got a tanned dome now too!
I work from home, so work folks not on Facebook haven't seen me yet. The first test will be at a small conference in August, but the big test will be at a major trade show in November unless they drag me to corporate HQ before then. Still not sure how those reactions will go, but already the look feels natural to me, so I doubt there'll be any issues at all.
Here are a few things I've learned over the month in the interest of sharing info with other newbs:
* Shaving Technique - I use a dual-blade standard HeadBlade. One day I go front to back, the next back to front. I started out using two hands, but I'm so retarded with my left hand, I've managed to get everything with my right hand. Making sure the blade is dry before putting it away, I can get a good 7-10 days out of a blade before it starts catching and dragging. I shave my face with an electric razor, which I use on a hard-to-reach spot behind my ears.
* Aftershave - I started out real concerned about drying out and used regular body lotion or aloe afterwards. I have a naturally oily scalp, so this turned out not so good. Right now I'm using ClearHead from HeadBlade -- it stings nicely and keeps the oiliness down for a while. Later in the day or before going out, I'll use a bit of witch hazel and it works great. After the ClearHead runs out, I'll probably just use witch hazel.
* Sunblock - I've been using Coppertone with Zinc Oxide SPF 50. It goes on thick and white and is hard to rub in completely if you've been wet or have much stubble. However, it works really well and I use it on my whole face and ears. In the past, I've had some eye burning issues with other lotions once sweat mixes in. But this is good stuff. I love not having to wear a hat anymore.
* Attitude - I'm still the same laid back, quiet-in-public kind of guy. However, strangers seem to treat me somewhat differently now. It's hard to explain, and not a bad thing, but maybe it's because I'm not worrying myself about thinning hair that I'm just more relaxed. I've had many more people approach me to talk about random things in random places (parking lots about the car, in line about whatever, etc). However, I probably look a lot meaner in sunglasses in my bigass black car now. Maybe those Prius drivers will be more likely to get out of my left lane now
