Hey everyone. My name is Ryan. I'm 24 (Oh shoot... 25 in a month!) and I live in Ontario Canada. I stumbled upon this awesome looking community after googling a few things RE shaving.
I've been losing my hair in a very unforgiving pattern for about a year and a half now. As I'm sure many of you who've made the decision to shave have done it for similar reasons (balding), you know there's no sense in putting it off.
I've been in quite a few forums in my life so I'd like to think I know a few of the do's/do not's. I know myself enough to know that I tend to ramble and if I sit here for more than another 120 seconds I will create a TLDR of epic proportions.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic (believe me, I'm not), I've spent the large majority of my teenage and then into young adult years very unhappy. To say I'm a textbook overthinker would be like describing the trade centre bombing as a simple accident.
In the last half year I've put my foot down and said f- enough. Without going into a lot of detail I've been changing a lot of things for the better and I'm a close to happy/functional as I've ever been. I've become very aware of my patterns and penchant for negative thinking and I've gotten a hold of most of the terrible self talk and managed to stop it at the onset.
The reason for that entire last paragraph is to give weight to the next sentence:
This thing with my hair loss has been a huge worry of mine for over a year nowDespite the rest of my life being balanced and positive I know that this has the potential to maybe set me back a few steps. No way I'm letting that happen.
That being said gentlemen... I want to handle this the best way I possibly can! With many questions asked... great advice... preparation... and organization. I suppose if I was one of you reading this I'd throw the old "well buddy.. if you're already preparing for this to potentially bring you down how can that not happen???" I hear ya. Frankly I'm just being realistic.
I know myself... and I know for a fact that everyone who's ever known me has been 100% shocked to hear from me that I've struggled greatly with depression for years.. and continue to do so. Its a battle and I once heard a wise man somewhere say.. "You've gotta fight for your happiness". (for any men or women reading this who often 'get the blues' you are NOT alone... take it from sports personality Michael Landsberg:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/tvradio/article/789290--zelkovich-depression-not-off-record-for-tsn-s-landsberg )
OH my... I broke my 2 minute rule!
Anyway I've read the "read this before posting/beginner" posts so I didn't want to combine my INTRO posts with the many questions I have!!!
I'm preparing to have my first shave(s) in the next 2/3 weeks... and in case you didn't get the general feeling from my earlier ramblings this is a big deal for me.
I want to do it right! SO a lot of my questions will be aimed at ordering (online.. or buying in store?) Some good beginner products to try. As well as questions about things to try first off (as I've seen a lot of you have said not to be afraid to try diff methods to see what works for you).
I've noted that replies come same day/pretty quickly sometimes on the site so I'll wait to hear back from some regulars on where I should post some of my questions.
If you've made it to this point I salute you. I type really fast and I've always got a lot to say so take my word when I say this was toned down for me haha.
Thanks for reading and cheers.
-Chief
