Questions, questions and more questions

[Kevin G]

Well I have totally gotten used to my hair being at a clipper guard #1.   But I think that when it rolls around to Spring time I will probably go sly.  I am waiting til then because I am a night time feed truck driver and it gets pretty darn cold on the farms during the winters here in PA.  Also it will give me time to get my scalp in the best shape possible for the future shave.  Plus let me get some more sun on the scalp.

So here I go with the questions.  I have been reading the various threads and there is a lot of info here.  But I am still not sure totally on what I should be using or what the best routine would be.(information overload  )  I see that the Gillete Fusion, Mach 3 and Headblade are very popular here.  Which one would be the best one for a beginner?  

I initially though that they Headblade would be very cool and simpler to use once I got the hang of it.  But the stories of taking a chunk out of their scalp skin kind of scares me.  On the other hand from what I am reading as long as you apply no pressure and keep the support arm on your head, you are ok.  So would a Headblade be ok for a beginner?

What would be the best beginner routine and what products are best?  From what I see, a lot of people seem to like the products put out by Headblade.  Some mention the use of witch hazel, what exactly does this do?  I though I saw something about it helping with the pores.  I know that a cold rinse helps close the pores, does the witch hazel help add to this?  As far as routines go, I am looking for something simple that will help minimize cuts and irritation.

As far as scalp health goes, is there anything that I could use on my head now with my real short buzz cut that would keep my scalp skin healthy and clear?

Finally I have a question about scars.  I have one on my forehead.  It does not look bad and is about only 1 1/2 inches in length.  It is barely raised and is basically just slightly lighter then my skin color.  Truthfully I think that it is highlighted by my hair and will probably look better once I am sly.  While it does not bother me to have it, I would like to minimize it as much as possible being that I plan to go sly.  

I just started to use something called Mederma advanced scar gel.  To my wife and I, it looks like the scar has been changing even though I have not been using it that long and my scar is older.  Do any of you have any experiences with Mederma?  Or should I maybe just go see a dermatologist?  What all could a dermatologist do for the scar and would something like that be expensive.  I have good insurance but I do not know if it would be worth it to see a professional or just stick with the Mederma?

Hear is a picture of my scar, it is the vertical lighter colored line at the beginning of my hair(I think that the picture makes it look worse then it does in person)-




Sorry for all the questions.

Kevin

[buddha]

Welcome.
I find that the best routine for me is shaving in the shower. I wash the head and face with bodywash and let that sit for a few minutes, rinse and apply whatever shave cream/gel/etc that I happen to be using. Currently I use HeadSlick but I have also been known to use Bald Guyz or King of Shaves gels.
My razor of choice is the Personna M5 Magnum. I use that on the face and skull. WalMart used to carry it but something went sour there. Now it's a hunt to find them. But whatever razor you normally use on your face at least has the potential to be effective for headshaving as well. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The option is to end up like a bunch of us in here spending 10% of our takehome pay on shaving stuff trying to find the perfect shave. Perfect is the enemy of good enough.
As for the scar why try to fix it or hide it. To me scars speak of character and they almost always have some kind of story behind them. I don't feel like scars are anything to ever be ashamed of. They're like the pictures in the book that is our life story. Be proud.
As for the cold, well, I live in Northern Wisconsin. I imagine it gets pretty much as cold here as it does in PA. Find a warm yet "cool" hat and wear that. The insulating factor of human hair is waaaay over rated.

[mrzed]

You're a good candidate for sly. You'll like it. You'll wonder why you waited so long ! Where have we heard that before.

[mrzed]

I'd avoid headblade on day one, but by day 14 you'll be ready for it.just take it easy the first week or so.

The reviews say the ATX headblade is more forgiving. I've not tried it yet.

The multi blade razors are also very forgiving.

[mrzed]

Shaving in winter? Not a problem. I started in January.I'd do it again, but I'm not likely to grow hair again. Winter was a non issue for me.

You don't have to wait.

You look like a good candidate for sly.I'd go for it now rather than later.

The scar will not be an issue. I suspect the hair really draws attention.

Sly looks much better than thinking hair. Go for it, Kevin

[Beardman]

Hey mate, they guys before me have pretty much covered all the bases. But I'll simplify it for you.

In the beginning, just start off with whatever razor you use on your face. The old style headblades have a bit of a learning curve so it's better if you get your head used to shaving already to reduce the nicks. But also starting off with a normal razor will give you time to get the feel for head shaving. I started of with the hydro 5 and now use the headblade sport.

The most basic routine, is just wash, apply cream/gel/soap shave and an after shave or moisturiser. Then you can add in all your exfoliators, ice cude rubs, witch hazel etc if you want too. my routine is exfoliate (apricot scrub), apply headslick or KoS gel, then shave and cold water splash followed by headlube (moisturiser).

As for waiting for spring, if you are already #1 buzzing you are going to be reaching for the beanie/warm hat whenever you go outside anyway, so why not just go sly now... I went sly the 2nd day of winter and don't regret it at all!

Scars, that is a common topic on this site... I have several of scars on my head, I wear them with pride. Let me tell you this though, you will be the only one that really notices the scar or the only one that will care enough to give it more then a moments thought, so don't worry about it mate!

Hope you've found all the help you need, and hopefully the next time you post will be to tell us you have gone sly accompanied by a picture of the new you 

[Baldstu]

Id  avoid headblade  unless you have got yourselv crossmatched for 3 units of blood  ( exageration ) Mach 3 or Gilletter  fusion , I use the gillette fusion ... you can always  go sly now and  wear a nice hat for the  long US winter

[Sir Harry]

Your scar, IMO is barely noticeable...and going sly will diminish it's appearance even more...I see sly truck drivers all the time in all seasons....so what are you waiting for?

[theman]

I would agree that the scar proably shows up more now with your hair.  I have quite a few on the old dome.  But it doesn't  bother me or anyone else.  Good luck you are so close that you might as well getter done.

[Mr Jules]

Truthfully I think that it is highlighted by my hair and will probably look better once I am sly.

Think you have answered your own question. Time for you to go sly.

Welcome to the SBG forum.

[antoniom]

1st off welcome a little something for you

If you are going wear the bald look wet or dry

1. make sure you cut your hair down to a short length if it is not already or cut your hair all off if you prefer not to wet shave

2. wet head or wash your dome to clean up make your hair ready for the shave if wet shaving or to clean up after dry shave

3. grab your shave lube and lather up then grab your razor and shave if going for the wet

4. rinse off towel dry and apply your after shave or moisturizer

[theman]

I am sorry I should have welcomed you, so Welcome glad to have you here.  I use a Fusion (not the vibrating type)  I have used the head blade etc.  , but with arthritis and a such , I prefer a Fusion. 

Again , Welcome many great members on this board.  Enjoy the botherhood.

[Ming the Merciless]

Luddite Ming is back again.

WHY all this angst over "What is the best blade to use"?  It seems to me like asking what's the best toilet paper to use.  HEY! It's just "shaving."  Obsessing over micro-differences between blades, scalp-prepping, post-shave lotioning, etc., etc. gets in the way of what counts.  Does your blade work or not?  If it does (and since I use a primitive one, I'm sure the main difference is what comes out of your wallet, not off your head), suck it up and take it off.

No one is going to take calipers to your dome and, frowning, say, "Oh, your stubble is a nanometer longer than it should be if only you had used [product X]."  BTW, I've calculated: Ming's hair grows at around 4 nanometers/sec, and yours probably does about the same--whatever SLY guy you are.

[theman]

Luddite Ming is back again.

WHY all this angst over "What is the best blade to use"?  It seems to me like asking what's the best toilet paper to use.  HEY! It's just "shaving."  Obsessing over micro-differences between blades, scalp-prepping, post-shave lotioning, etc., etc. gets in the way of what counts.  Does your blade work or not?  If it does (and since I use a primitive one, I'm sure the main difference is what comes out of your wallet, not off your head), suck it up and take it off.

No one is going to take calipers to your dome and, frowning, say, "Oh, your stubble is a nanometer longer than it should be if only you had used [product X]."  BTW, I've calculated: Ming's hair grows at around 4 nanometers/sec, and yours probably does about the same--whatever SLY guy you are.

Thank you LMing, how true !  Thank you!   

[clarinetguy]

Go for it man. You will love it.