Should I do it? Been wanting to for a while but ...

[Frontier Guy]

Congrats on the four days towards your 30!

I use HeadSlick also and don't have a problem with stickiness afterwards. You may want to try adding Shave Secret (available in most retailers like Wal-Mart) to your routine. Before your put on the HeadSlick put five drops of Shave Secret in your palm and then rub your scalp thoroughly. Makes the whole process smoother.

Without applying any moisturizer I'm don't have a shiny dome ... and then the shine depends on the moisturizer I'm using. I mix it up - some days I use the HeadLube Matte, some the Shiny ... and days when I will be outside a lot I use Coppertone Sunscreen SPF 50. All depends on my mood. I find the key is to use any of them somewhat sparingly.

The first couple of days I shaved with the grain because I was still learning. Then I added against the grain which provided much better results. About two weeks in I eliminated the WTG and just do ATG, followed up with lots of feeling for missed patches. I didn't realize how many different directions my hair was growing until now -- and after almost four weeks I know most of the quirky directions which need adjustment.

Continued success to you!Q

[mrzed]

Sorry I have not jumped in sooner. I've been traveling and had limited internet access.

Congratulation on shaving your head bald.  It looks really good.  Welcome to the sly community.  Keep up shaving for 30 days and you'll never want hair on top again! 

After using the head lube, your head may feel a bit tacky but the lube will absorb in a few minutes and then it's smooth.

If you have some sandpaper spots after shaving, just go over them again more slowly and they will smooth out. Some days you get a closer shave than others. 

Thanks for the pictures. The bald ones look so much better than the very sort buzz.  Guess I'm biased.

[SyZ]

 Ok, so have some updates.

First off, I got a date 

I was taking the bus to campus one last time and a girl I hadn't seen before was checking me out at the stop, so I made sure to sit across from her and chat her up. Before getting out I asked if she wanted to grab coffee and she said sure and we exchanged #s and are getting together Sunday. Score!

As for the gloss shine, I tried it and I think it worked well. It seemed to last from 7 to 6 at which point I wiped it off. My head was as shiny at 7 as it was at 6, I don't think it ever faded or changed with sweat/moisture or anything like that. I made sure to get 3-5 minute breaks outside now and then to soak in some sun. Still some questions though:

I'm still cutting myself. Not as much as at first, but I'm definitely not a pro yet. Is it normal to still be nicking my scalp or do I suck at shaving?

Should I be using some sort of moisturizer every day? For example, tomorrow I'll be home working on a project. I won't be going outside and won't be in public, but should I still apply something?

Do most guys who shave their head actually prefer to have the shine? I always assumed it was a negative - that people would comment about seeing their reflection in your scalp, about how you're sweating, etc. Without applying anything I don't have a shine and I don't know if this comes across as cleaner or what have you.

For the date, I'm pretty sure she's going to want to touch it (she's a stylist). And if she doesn't I'll probably make her .. but I don't want to put on something like a gloss moisturizer if she's going to cringe when she touches it. Thanks!

[balddoc]

I have not nicked myself since using Bald Guyz preshave scrub and applying some oil before I slap on the shaving gel. I found that nicks happened during "touch ups". If there is a stubborn area of hair, make multiple passes with very little/no pressure (esp with a HeadBalde).
Good luck with the date!

[waine]

@SYZ

I fully understand your concerns at your young age.  Guys who are in the forties or fifties generally care less about what people think about them than guys in their twenties.  So it is easy to roll a statement like, “Just do it man!” off the tongue by someone like me.

Having said that, it still remains the truth.  You will only know if you take the plunge.  You will be surprised at how many of your friends, family and loved ones will actually be accepting of your new look.  Don’t even tell anyone, just do it and let them deal with the perceived shock.  I found it so exhilarating.  It is also a good character builder, as you learn how to accept yourself for the person who you are rather than a person who is defined by their “hairstyle”.  Besides, going sly is just another “hairstyle” – that is another way to look at it.

All the best with your quest!

[Frontier Guy]

My two cents ...

Still some questions though:

I'm still cutting myself. Not as much as at first, but I'm definitely not a pro yet. Is it normal to still be nicking my scalp or do I suck at shaving?

Should I be using some sort of moisturizer every day? For example, tomorrow I'll be home working on a project. I won't be going outside and won't be in public, but should I still apply something?

Do most guys who shave their head actually prefer to have the shine? I always assumed it was a negative - that people would comment about seeing their reflection in your scalp, about how you're sweating, etc. Without applying anything I don't have a shine and I don't know if this comes across as cleaner or what have you.

For the date, I'm pretty sure she's going to want to touch it (she's a stylist). And if she doesn't I'll probably make her .. but I don't want to put on something like a gloss moisturizer if she's going to cringe when she touches it. Thanks!

I had that problem the first few days until I learned which spots were irregular and required unique shaving directions. Using a pre-shave oil, like Shave Secret, improved the situation as well. But I still get a nick once in a while.

I don't have dry skin/scalp, so if I'm going to be home and mostly inside for the day I don't use any moisturizer or sunscreen. It's different for each person I think.

Based on comments on this board, I think "shiny" is the preference (or at least they are the most vocal). I vary from shiny to matte to (nothing) depending on mood, place or people I'll be with. Having been studying sly guys in the public there doesn't seem to be any reaction one way or another to shiny or matte.

Congrats on the date. If you don't put on a lot of moisturizer it shouldn't be sticky to touch. That headrub is such a surprising reaction - happens to me regularly.

[Natedawg]

Hey Syz, looking good! Congrats on the date! 

I'm still cutting myself. Not as much as at first, but I'm definitely not a pro yet. Is it normal to still be nicking my scalp or do I suck at shaving?

As with anything, the more you do it, the easier it will get. Practice makes perfect. Do it often enough, it will become second nature.

[SyZ]

Hey guys, I think I might be getting a few razor bumps from shaving everyday. I know about the 30 day challenge but ... should I take a day off? I have graduation tomorrow and want to shave before then and that would be about 20 hours from now, and last I did it was about 16 hours ago

[balddoc]

Hey guys, I think I might be getting a few razor bumps from shaving everyday. I know about the 30 day challenge but ... should I take a day off? I have graduation tomorrow and want to shave before then and that would be about 20 hours from now, and last I did it was about 16 hours ago

Sounds like razor burn. Are you using adequate lubrication and getting your stubble really wet before you shave? Bald Guyz preshave scrub works really well. If the problem persists, get some 1% steroid (prednisone) cream, but use sparingly for a day or two only.

[SyZ]

I've used more water the last few days, I think it's not getting any worse, but not any better either. With no days off it's really hard to recover and every time I go over one of those bumps I cringe that I'm making it worse.

On days when I'm not going anywhere is it better to just shave front to back and then not do the back to front to relieve some of the irritation? I don't want my hair to start growing in all funky because it's confused on what's happening

[Sir Harry]

SyZ: I know that many people say do it every day for thirty days, but maybe you were not meant to be an everyday shaver. Myself, I broke out a lot in the beginning, and I was shaving maybe once a week when my hair loss was minimal. But as the hair loss got worse, I wanted to keep a fresh shaved head as many days as possible. Thanks to this site, I've gotten it down to every third day (sometimes every other day). Maybe if you let a little fuzz grow and shave every third or fourth day, it will give your skin a chance to heal...I think bumps and irritation can happen to people of all races. Many guys here don't shave everyday and are okay with having a day or two of growth before the next shave. But if you still want to shave everyday, there are many threads that can help you with the proper care for your scalp to adjust to everyday shaving. Good Luck!

[SyZ]

Thanks for the replies!

Since my last reply I've taken two days off, and I think it's healing better. I have nothing against shaving everyday, I 100% love the way I look and will continue doing it, so I don't think I need the 30 day challenge. As you can see, I added a photo on the left That was taken 20 minutes ago right after I shaved, and this is day 10 since I did it it the first time. Here is what I was really worried about though: the cut I keep getting

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w369/SyZstats/cut.jpg

Apparently I have a little scar there and it makes it really hard to shave over. I don't really know what to do about it. I try to only go over it once, as smoothly as possible, but I knicked it going bottom to top. Top to bottom was fine. Maybe I should not go bottom to top over it? = /

And should I continue posting in this thread or is there another more appropriate forum? I don't see one for 'progress' or anything like that.

[Frontier Guy]

I think posting here is fine.

I'll be interested to see what others say. But my limited experience (today is day #32, not that I'm counting) was that the first couple of weeks I had a couple of places similar to you that I would easily nick and bleed. But after a couple of weeks the scalp seems to have toughened up and I'm not having that problem any more. In fact, today I tried to locate the problem bumps and couldn't find them.

Now, hopefully, my posting that they are gone won't resurrect them!

[DaveM61]

Just read through your post/thread.  Great thread and enjoyed reading through your progress.  Welcome.  Congrats (sly, graduation, etc).  and ... looks great on you!

[balddoc]

I also had a few spots that were prone to getting nicked. They disappear, trust me.