No Longer The Long Haired Bald Guy

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

Hey guys.
New to the forum, and just saying hello.

I'm an ex-longhair of about 18 years or so.
(for life at heart though  )
My head started gradually taking over right toward the end of high-school,
yet I was always very opposed to helping it along the way.
I always said that if I cut my hair off, it would ALL COME OFF.
I will never be the guy that walks around with the funny horseshoe haircut,
or as I like to call it, my broken halo. 
That being said, I took the plunge about a month ago.
FREE AT LAST! 
It's definitely been big change for me, but a big weight off the shoulders as well.
Now....I've found that I get more irritated with hats, and actually get pretty aggravated when wearing them, when it used to be quite the opposite.

Here are my first questions:
I've been bald in front for many years and never had any freckles or anything like that on my head. Now that I've been shaving it for the past month, I've developed several freckles on the front of my head, and a few on the top.
What is causing this?
Are they freckles, or something else?
(I know they're not razor bumps, and they weren't there when I first started shaving.)
Any way to get rid of them, and/or prevent more from coming in?

Thanks.
-BTG

[xnewyawka]

Welcome to SBG's forum BTG, good to have you join us.

First I want to congratulate you on taking control over the situation with your hair loss. One thing that does not look good is a balding guy with long hair in back and on sides. Isn't it better to be free, and no longer have to worry about it?

If you have been out in the sun at all, that may have caused some freckling, The scalp skin is very sensitive at first, so make sure you are using sunscreen. If you're going to be out in the sun for a long period of time, I would also bring a hat.

You didn't mention what kind of razor or shave cream you use, what your shaving routine is; this may also have something to do with it.

Enjoy the forum, your new found freedom, and keep us posted.   

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

Thanks for the welcome.
Yes, the new found freedom is great!

I actually got a pretty bad burn on my head out at the lake last week.
My entire scalp peeled right off.
I didn't think that would happen because I never get sun burns,
just tans.
After the bad peel is when I noticed the freckles in the front.
Will they go away, or am I stuck with them?
Will sunscreen prevent them?
If so, any special kind?

For shaving I'm using a HeadBlade Sport and HeadSlick.
It works pretty good I guess, but I always find myself grabbing my Gillette Sensor to touch up what the HeadBlade misses, and also because it's easier for me maneuver in certain spots.

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

Probably the increased sun, you do mention that you wore hats a lot pre-sly.

[Arty Chris]

Hi! Welcome to SBG!

It seems we've both followed the same route with our hair!

For me the logic was strange, I loved having long hair, and hated the bald patch, so why on earth would I shave it off and have my whole head bald? And I'm not sure I still know the answer to that one.... All I know is that after considering it for sooooo long, I just woke up one day and knew it was time... and that it was the right thing to do!

It's only been gone a couple of weeks, maybe nearly 3 now, and not once have I wanted the old hair back! It's such a good feeling... I can't say I wish I'd done it sooner, as I wouldn't have been ready, but maybe I wish I'd been ready sooner!

Hmmm.... waffled on a bit more than I thought I would there!

The important thing is... Welcome to here! And enjoy the new you! I hope it's a fantastic change for you

[Mozingo]

Welcome to SBG

Sounds like too much sun too soon. Ya have to be careful with that one.
Been there done that. Ouch!

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

Hi! Welcome to SBG!

It seems we've both followed the same route with our hair!

For me the logic was strange, I loved having long hair, and hated the bald patch, so why on earth would I shave it off and have my whole head bald? And I'm not sure I still know the answer to that one.... All I know is that after considering it for sooooo long, I just woke up one day and knew it was time... and that it was the right thing to do!

It's only been gone a couple of weeks, maybe nearly 3 now, and not once have I wanted the old hair back! It's such a good feeling... I can't say I wish I'd done it sooner, as I wouldn't have been ready, but maybe I wish I'd been ready sooner!

Hmmm.... waffled on a bit more than I thought I would there!

The important thing is... Welcome to here! And enjoy the new you! I hope it's a fantastic change for you

That's pretty much how I viewed it as well.
I'm a long time metal head,
and the long hair to me wasn't just long hair,
it was really part of that lifestyle.
Some people may or may not understand that line of thinking,
but it sounds like you might.

I'm a little older now...
some things have changed, and some things will NEVER CHANGE,
but this actually fits where I am in my life a bit better now.
So far, it's been a pleasant surprise.
I do have to admit that even with lots of consideration about doing it,
it was still very difficult for me to commit.
I actually took out the electric clippers and zipped out a huge patch of my long hair,
just so that I would look so ridiculous, I would HAVE TO COMMIT to it.
But whatever works, right?

Good luck with your new dome as well.
Cheers.

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

Any idea if those sun freckles will go away or how to prevent more?
(I'm not prone to freckles btw.) 

[Arnie]

Welcome to SBGs!!!

[xnewyawka]

BTG, that's one frightening avatar!

I also get what you mean about long hair. I was a rocker/metalhead myself, and I gradually cut it down. It is a big decision, and granted I wasn't losing my hair back then (that might have actually made it easier, lol), but life changes and we have to get on and go with it. You will get more and more comfortable with time. Hang in there!     

[Arty Chris]

I do understand... long hair is part of the lifestyle... It was hard to loose it. I couldn't have done what you did and cut if myself! I had to go to a barber shop (and it took so long to find one that felt right!)

The lifestyle... maybe that lifestyle has broadened now? There's certainly a lot of rock bands with bald guys in these days...

Or maybe I've grown... not out grown the lifestyle... That's in the blood, it'll always be there, but I think I'm a bigger person now, there's more to me than that! That life is just one aspect of who I am, and I still am that person, just lots more besides!

And... I kind of think that bald really is pretty rock'n'roll!

Not sure if this is your sort of music, but this video helped me when I shaved my hair!



I'm off to plug in and rock with my guitar right now!!!

(And the new photo's awesome!)

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

BTG, that's one frightening avatar!

I also get what you mean about long hair. I was a rocker/metalhead myself, and I gradually cut it down. It is a big decision, and granted I wasn't losing my hair back then (that might have actually made it easier, lol), but life changes and we have to get on and go with it. You will get more and more comfortable with time. Hang in there!     

Very well put. 

I've actually adjusted to the change pretty quickly.
At first I was a bit leery having people see me bald, but that went away rapidly as I realized that people don't care, or treat me any different than they always had.
If anything, some are actually treating me better.
I think it was really more of a mental thing that I had built up in my head for many years.

At this point...hats are a thing of the past for me.
I was once the guy that always had to have one on and couldn't leave the house without one.
Now....I see them for what they really are.
They're just tools to provide the head with a little shade at times and maybe to take the sun out of your eyes....NOTHING MORE.
I'm quite opposed to them at this point which somewhat aggravates me because I just bought 2 new hats right before I shaved my head that I really like. 

Oh well.....

[intex]

They're just tools to provide the head with a little shade at times and maybe to take the sun out of your eyes....NOTHING MORE.



[/quote]

I was never a fan of hats but living in the desert in Phoenix AZ for years and sly.  I wore a hat when outside - not as a fashion statement.  Here in Texas the large cowboy hats are the in thing.

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

I do understand... long hair is part of the lifestyle... It was hard to loose it. I couldn't have done what you did and cut if myself! I had to go to a barber shop (and it took so long to find one that felt right!)

The lifestyle... maybe that lifestyle has broadened now? There's certainly a lot of rock bands with bald guys in these days...

Or maybe I've grown... not out grown the lifestyle... That's in the blood, it'll always be there, but I think I'm a bigger person now, there's more to me than that! That life is just one aspect of who I am, and I still am that person, just lots more besides!

And... I kind of think that bald really is pretty rock'n'roll!

Not sure if this is your sort of music, but this video helped me when I shaved my hair!



I'm off to plug in and rock with my guitar right now!!!

(And the new photo's awesome!)

I agree with you 100%
Metal is in the blood, not on the head!

I really hope that undecided people stumble across these conversations that we're having, and that it helps nudge them in the right direction.
I wish I would have known about this site before.
I think it would have made me a heck of alot more comfortable with the idea of shaving my head, and I may have done it sooner.
That being said, for anyone still on the fence about this issue....
JUST GOT FOR IT!
It might take you a little bit to adjust, but after you do, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

Thanks for the music link by the way.
I'm always down to check out any kind of music.
My main genre is Metal (speed/thrash metal) & Rock,
but I like a little bit of everything really.
When I was young, I used to be a really narrow minded person about music.
It HAD to be METAL METAL METAL, or it sucked.
What a stupid a$$ way of thinking.
Now that I've got some years behind me, and have grown/matured,
I can find a good song in pretty much every genre that is out there,
and can appreciate them all.  

[BLACKTOOTHGRIN]

They're just tools to provide the head with a little shade at times and maybe to take the sun out of your eyes....NOTHING MORE.

I was never a fan of hats but living in the desert in Phoenix AZ for years and sly.  I wore a hat when outside - not as a fashion statement.  Here in Texas the large cowboy hats are the in thing.


[/quote]

I hear ya.
Phoenix is a monster for sun.
I guess I should have mentioned PROTECTION in my "tool" comment.
Great point!