Hey Gentlemen

[King88]

Ok so here it goes.

I'm 31, married and have a beautiful 18 month old girl.  I am on the fence about going sly.  Here's a little background.  I've had alopecia for as long as I can remember and the severity fluctuates but I've always been able to cover the spots up.  It recently has gotten pretty bad and has showed no signs of letting up anytime soon.  I have gone sly before in my early 20's but grew it back while I was in between jobs becuase I felt it was effecting my ability to get another job. 

Now I'm just tired of dealing with the alopecia.  Getting ready in the morning is a huge pain.  I spend 20-25 minutes on my hair/head alone.  I use eyeliner pencils to color in the spots on my head so of course that's very messy.  The biggest difference with shaving my head this time around is that now I can't grow facial hair and I have no eyelashes or eyebrows due to the alopecia.  I'm thinking that if I stay tan it won't be too much of a problem.

I'm planning on going sly over memorial day weekend so I can have some time to adjust and get some sun on my dome before I go back to work.

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

Welcome to SBG--where guys with mpb, and guys who just don't like their hair, have found support in dealing with it sensibly without drugs, plugs or rugs.  I think your planned sly venture will surprise you.  Since you last tried it more and more guys, particularly of your age, have taken it up.  Regarding employment--sly guys are in every line of work at every level.  Look around, you'll see lots of us.  So, you've just got an advantage that your cost of shaving supplies will be minimal !  REad up here and you'll find guys who are getting laser treatments to be like you!
In the nearly five years since I gave up on the combover, sly has become very much a mainstream haircut.  You've been dealing with it longer than that.  It has gotten to the point that it isn't even noticed sometimes.  Example, within the last two weeks, I was at the gym, dressing up.  I had a locker next to the counter where they keep hair spray, etc. and hair dryers.  A guy who was finishing up came up and asked me if I was going to use the hair dryer.  Reaching up and rubbing my smooth dome I said, "I don't think so!"  He did a double take, laughed and started drying his hair--he didn't even notice my shining dome .  We're pretty mainstream now if they don't even realize we're clean shaven above the ears!  

[Natedawg]

Welcome, King.  


Glad to hear you're planning on going sly! After all, you shouldn't invest so much time and energy into your hair. You're supposed to use that energy to keep up with your daughter! I'm sure it'll be a great look for you. Best of luck! I'm positive baldness only plays a very teenie, tiny role in who gets hired at some places of employment. Besides, you wouldn't want to work for/with anyone that superficial anyway, would you?

[Mr Jules]

... memorial day weekend ...

when is "memorial day weekend" ? Means nothing to me.

Some SGB guys are outside the US !  

[Laser Man]

Memorial Day is the last Monday of May.  It's the equivalent of Remembrance Day in Britain. 

On a lighter note, "summer" in the U.S. is often defined as Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend (Labor Day is the first Monday in September).

[Mr Jules]

Memorial Day is the last Monday of May.  It's the equivalent of Remembrance Day in Britain. 

On a lighter note, "summer" in the U.S. is often defined as Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend (Labor Day is the first Monday in September).

Thank you for that. You learn something ever day.

The Queens Diamond Jubilee is just around the corner. This is a big deal here in the UK. Only one other monarch in our 1000+ year history has reigned longer.

[Laser Man]

Re: the Queen's Jubilee:  I was in London shortly after the Jubilee Line opened on the Tube - that was celebrating 25 years as queen.  Hard to believe another 25 years have passed so quickly.  Do you think Elizabeth will surpass Victoria?

[Mr Jules]

Re: the Queen's Jubilee:  I was in London shortly after the Jubilee Line opened on the Tube - that was celebrating 25 years as queen.  Hard to believe another 25 years have passed so quickly.  Do you think Elizabeth will surpass Victoria?

Yes, we need named a Tube line after the Queen's Silver Jubilee. When not cycling to work, I actually use the Jubilee line to get to the office. You'll know it's coloured silver on the London Tube map.

Yes, I do think Queen Elizabeth will surpass Victoria. In September 2015, she'll be longest reigning British monarch ever.

[Lynchy]

Welcome.......

I have nothing new to add to what's above! It is all excellent advice

The key in my opinion is to do what is right for you! If you truly want to go sly, balls to what anyone else thinks. Do it and be happy!

If you are trying to convince yourself on the other hand that might be harder!

Either way, Good Luck..... Hope to see you sly soon!

[Goodfishfrancis]

As a new slyman, I can only offer words of encouragement. Before I went sly, I was constantly trying to find ways to conceal the bald. Now that I'm sly, keeping it freshly sly all the time is my biggest concern! Whatever you choose to do, I hope you find peace with yourself. That was the most important part for me

[King88]

Thanks for all the replies guys.  At this point I'm 98% percent sure I'm going sly.  The biggest question in my mind is how I'll look now since my eyebrows are gone.

 I was just getting ready to type that I know all that really matters is what I and my family think, and in that moment I've moved to being 100% sure I'm going sly.   

Thanks again guys.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome and good luck....I have a friend who has alopecia, except he is sly naturally can't even grow hair. So I see firsthand what alopecia can do. As far as a job goes, if you go in with confidence, a hairstyle shouldn't matter...As far as people's reactions, well to put it nicely some people need to go get lives....

[TheSlyBear]

Don't worry about the eyebrows. You'll still look fine.

[baldjoeg]

Congradulaltions and ellcome to SBG.

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

my eyebrows are gone.

That really isn't a factor--except that with the scraps left on top that might cause people to notice the lack of eyebrows.  And, as you'll see looking around here, there are guys who shave those too--I only trim mine, just to prevent another temptation for a really weird combover   Do you have any ideas how to "catch" alopecia, I could use some on my back and shoulders?