New Member - great site.

[Mikekoz13]

Welcome to the Forum, James!!!

[Frontier Guy]

The other guys beat me to it, but "Welcome" from me as well.

The HeadBlade won't leave you stubble - it's down to the skin (and awesome).

But sounds like you've got the clippers at the ready for the next adventure and that's great.

Honestly, I think you (and your girl) just need to get out in public more so you'll be totally comfortable regardless whom you encounter (new or old friends).

Having gone sly doesn't mean it was because of balding (even if it was). I won't call it "trendy" or "fashionable" ('cause I've never been either) but the buzz/bald look is certainly mainstream.

Welcome. Post often. Share experiences. Ask questions. Because whatever you write will be something that someone else was thinking but was too reluctant to make public.

[Slynito]

welcome James, nice introduction. 

[KG]

Welcome James.  It definitely sucks to have thinning hair degrade your quality of life and confidence.  I know how you felt.  I was also always in my head thinking of what others thought, until I went sly.  Enjoy it and wear it with confidence. 

[Free at Last]

Welcome James...
 Its about you liking you
 Have fun with you new look

[Beardman]

Welcome mate, as Nate said, the clippers with a no guard will give you that stubble look. The razor will give you a close shave, just the same as shaving your face.

I hope you enjoy your new experience, and stop worrying what everyone else thinks, as long as you are happy! Your old friends will accept you no matter how long or short your hair is. Sure they might give you a bit of grief, I know my mates did, but it is usually all in good spirits, just prepare some witty one liners to throw back at them!

[kalbo]

Welcome to the bald brotherhood James.

[James84]

Cheers for the advice & the welcome guys, much appreciated. Will try without guard this weekend. Good to hear others outlooks too, has given me a different outlook myself already.

[Andrei]

Welcome James!
Try the cut without guard. I expect you will like and in a relatively short time you will try the razor too just out of curiosity if nothing more.
From my own personal experience, the clippers are great but the razor is just better.
In the end you will have to find out what works better for you.

[mrzed]

Last summer, on a whim, I took the guard off my clippers and took my hair down to almost nothing.went on vacation through New England.  Buzzed my head every day of the trip.

And it was just a few months later that I got the razor out and I've been bald since. Love shaving my head every day.

Once you get that short, you might as well shave your head.  Its fantastic.

[James84]

Will give it a go without the guard, then I bet I'll end up with the razor!not used clippers without the guard, doesn't it leave it uneven?

[Laser Man]

Clippers without the guard will give you a very even stubble, assuming you go over your scalp enough.  That will give you an idea of what you will look like completely sly, but not how it feels to be sly.

Once you get that close, if you shave and don't like it, you'll be back to the length of a no-guard buzz in a few days.  But I guarantee that once you've shaved smooth, you'll be converted!

[Andrei]

Will give it a go without the guard, then I bet I'll end up with the razor!not used clippers without the guard, doesn't it leave it uneven?

Without the guard it's a litle bit trickier because if you miss a spot it will be more visible vs a guard haircut, but an even cut can be achived, even if you cut your hair by yourself.

[James84]

Cheers lads, I'll go over it a few times. look forward to giving it a go!