Ok this may sound weird, well very weird

[Itsonlyinmyhead]

Ok as you all know I buzzed my hair(down to a 3 but looked more like a 2) a couple of weeks ago and I love it, I cant believe I didnt do it earlier but now Im getting some very strange thoughts through my head. I want my MPB to progress so I can shave my head completley, without getting the discouraging comments from friends, family, work colleagues, etc. I dont know what the hell Im thinking. Is this usual? or am I losing my marbles?

[jusbnme]

Naw man, you're ok.  To be honest I wish I all my hair would totally fall out so I wouldn't have to shave it anymore and get that stubble effect.  I actually envy guys I see that I can tell have actually went bald for real.  Just do what makes you happy and don't worry about anyone else.  Even if it's family.   

[Paul]

Nothing wrong there bro, you've just been bitten by the Sly bug and won't be happy to you're dome is slick and smooth.  Those thoughts won't disappear until you are.

[Razor X]

Ok as you all know I buzzed my hair(down to a 3 but looked more like a 2) a couple of weeks ago and I love it, I cant believe I didnt do it earlier but now Im getting some very strange thoughts through my head. I want my MPB to progress so I can shave my head completley, without getting the discouraging comments from friends, family, work colleagues, etc. I dont know what the hell Im thinking. Is this usual? or am I losing my marbles?

I can remember feeling exactly the same way.

[RichardN.]

It's natural to be a little nervous!!  Be strong.

[tomgallagher]

That is the slippery slope that leads to the Wonderful World of Sly.

[Sgt. Pate]

There was a point where I wished my hair would stop growing so I wouldn't have to shave but the truth is, I actually like shaving it.  Shaving reinforces my choosing to be bald and affirms that decision!   

[PBurke]

There was a point where I wished my hair would stop growing so I wouldn't have to shave but the truth is, I actually like shaving it.  Shaving reinforces my choosing to be bald and affirms that decision!  

how did you know what i was gonna say?

[Razor X]

I used to monitor my hairline obsessively on almost a daily basis.  I had a picture in my mind of how far I'd let it recede and then I'd shave it.  But MPB can be painfully slow.  I kind of got stalled at a point where it wasn't quite at the "shave it now" stage, but it was looking awkward and it was going to take  way too long for the balding to continue.  So I do know what he means.  But finally, I just said screw it and shaved it off and got it over with.  Why postpone the inevitable?

[JohnMont]

RazorX, I think I'm where you are now... the 'it's looking awkward' stage ; ...  it's still not thin enuf on top to shave it . ... I even tried to help it along by 'spot shaving'  the central-most; thinnest part above my forehead . ......    Why don't I just  "DO IT !" 

[Paul]

Good question John, why not?  You know you will get plenty of support here and summer gives the perfect excuse to go sly.

[Razor X]

RazorX, I think I'm where you are now... the 'it's looking awkward' stage ; ...  it's still not thin enuf on top to shave it . ... I even tried to help it along by 'spot shaving'  the central-most; thinnest part above my forehead . ......    Why don't I just  "DO IT !" 

I have only your avatar photo to judge by and it's a bit small and far away, but based upon it, I'd say that as far as the rest of the world is concerned, you're not thinning, you're bald.  No one, with the possible exception of your wife, would bat an eyelid if you shaved it.  In fact, it would be considered the logical next step.

I hope that doesn't sound harsh or offensive to you; I'm just trying to be honest with you.  Sometimes the people closest to us are thinking these same things but no one wants to be the one to tell us.  I think you'd look great sly.

[SLYinKC]

RazorX, I think I'm where you are now... the 'it's looking awkward' stage ; ...  it's still not thin enuf on top to shave it . ... I even tried to help it along by 'spot shaving'  the central-most; thinnest part above my forehead . ......    Why don't I just  "DO IT !" 

I have only your avatar photo to judge by and it's a bit small and far away, but based upon it, I'd say that as far as the rest of the world is concerned, you're not thinning, you're bald.  No one, with the possible exception of your wife, would bat an eyelid if you shaved it.  In fact, it would be considered the logical next step.

RazorX,  I remember about 2 months ago when I looked just about like John does now.  You wrote those same words to one of my posts and I recall how strongly it hit me.  I don't have MPB, just hair that had begun to thin out to an extreme that made it impossible to do anything with or to hide all of the scalp that was showing.  The buzzing helped a little, but not much.   I would have never considered myself bald until that point.  When I saw what you wrote it made me take a serious look at where I was and realize that I was only fooling myself if I thought that I could continue trying to hide the problem.  I really did need to do something, at least then I would be taking control of the situation and there wouldn't be any more of the worring about what else I could do to try to put everything back like it used to be.  There wasn't going to be anything like it used to be.

However, I now consider SLY soooo much better than before.  I feel like I'm in control again.  It's not like it was when I was in my 20's or even 30's.  But it's a different stage of my life and I'm happy with who I am.

[Razor X]

You know, I've looked back at old photos of myself that were taken not long before I shaved.  I was thinning, too but did not realize how bald I was at the time, either.  It wasn't until I looked back at the photos a few years later that I realized how little was left on top.  I think we really tend not to see ourselves as others see us.  It kind of gives you an understanding -- to a point -- of the guys who do the combover and think they're disguising their hair loss (though enough has been written and enough jokes have been told about that, there really isn't any excuse for it anymore).

[SLYinKC]

You know, I've looked back at old photos of myself that were taken not long before I shaved.  I was thinning, too but did not realize how bald I was at the time, either.  It wasn't until I looked back at the photos a few years later that I realized how little was left on top.  I think we really tend not to see ourselves as others see us.  It kind of gives you an understanding -- to a point -- of the guys who do the combover and think they're disguising their hair loss (though enough has been written and enough jokes have been told about that, there really isn't any excuse for it anymore).

Sometimes you just need someone to hit you with a big dose of the truth.  I can be hard to take at first, but in the end "You shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set you free"...  or is it the Truth shall just make you mad....