A little bummed out, can't eat or sleep

[50plus]

Hi Wayman
Firstly, you have come to the right place. From my own experience what you hear is what members truly believe to be the case. They helped me a lot regarding a situation not unlike yours.

You may of read that I wore a hair program for nine or so years due to alopecia. I buzzed down to a No1 and when the topic came up (as it did) I replied with 'losing too much hair….decided to shave it'. I would advise keeping your responses short and sweet because at the end of the day people are not interested in your hair. People are interested in themselves.

You sound a bit stressed and that too is something I can completely relate to. You are going to be 100% fine and in a relatively short period of time you will of gained a new sense of who you are: real, real to yourself and real to the people around you.

[50plus]

I can now relate to what 'TIME TO SHINE' also wrote in response to your thread but prior to making the move to buzz I couldn't. He's right when he said live your life.

[schwank]

Glad you decided you like it. Bald is in, its a choice vs. thinning. you've given yourself power by choosing the razor. When I just looked at your picture, it looked like its the way you should be. And thats how everyone who meets you from now on will feel too.

I like shaving every other day. I used to hate shaving my face... now its fun, but dont forget the sunscreen.

[Crowbar]

It's very understandable why you have been so emotional and stressed to the point of almost vomiting as you have gone from doing the system, to shaving, all within six days. I cannot begin to imagine that. That's one extreme and one way of thinking to another, all in six days! Hell, what a heavy vomit inducing roller coaster!!! Let the carrots fly!

Now you have come out the other side. You have experienced a lot and you have been through a lot, all in a brief intense period of time

So here we are. You look great sly. I am not just saying that to be all positive and to try and make you feel better. Fact is, this is what I thought when I saw your picture.

"So onto fun stuff now", you can now let yourself flirtingly think "Hmmm what shavers to buy and try? What soap? What brushes?" "What aftershave?" "This is fun!"

The adventure and the new you begins and your family will be so happy to see that smile of yours again

[Curly]

It will get better with time.. Believe me. I wore to Tupee for ten years.. Everyday I felt like puking, spent hour a day in bathroom combing and fixing it... Your life will be ALOT better!!! 4 years now for me and could not be better!!!! Hang in there.. There might be a few people that bother you but for the most part people really don't care, they have more important things to worry about than someone that shaves their head... Just speaking from experience ... Good luck...!!!

[geeman]

its all been said....and great advice from the brothers....you took the hardest step....its all gravy from here on in!...hell im sounding like ya'll...lol....the truth is...no one but you gives a damn about your hair....if people notice a hairpiece then thats one thing....especially when its called virtual reality or whatever it was! that had me laughing! ...but when someone sees no hair....that just looks like what it is....shaved...your decision. ...you da man! now put on those sunglasses and rock that look dude!

[WesternKiwi]

Embrace the baldness, my friend!! People react to change, that's what your workmates are doing right now and of course, what you are going through as well. It's the whole change thing that is causing you grief rather than the baldness per se. First thing you need to realise is this will all pass. In a week (or maybe a month depending on their tenacity) your work mates will forget all about your change of head styling and go on with their lives. And as for you own thoughts about it, you have to stop looking at the baldness as a negative thing. As a teen in the 80's living in a beach side town, I had the long surfy hair going on which was was all the thing at the time... as I entered my twenties my hair started to thin pretty early on and I cut it a whole lot shorter, keeping it pretty much around the 'number 2' length most of the time. At about 26 I realised it was pretty much a gone cause, so took the plunge and shaved it all off... the first few weeks were a bit of a shock mostly for my self, and too a much lesser degree those around me, but as time went on (a very short amount of time in all reality) the sly-look just became part of me. It doesn't define me, it doesn't determine who or what I am, it's just how I roll. Soon, most people I know had completely forgotten what I looked like with hair and most have an absolute giggle when ever I put up an old photo on FB from when I had locks. I've never regretted shaving... it's never been an issue. You mentioned that you're 39 and still wanting to look your best... I'm now 40 and even with the shaved head most people still think I am in my early 30s... believe me, shaving can have it's benefits!

[Sancho]

Good work, Wayman, you look sly! (That´s the first time I´ve ever used that word, I´m new here, and I assume it means "cool", "exceptional", etc.). I´ve never understood the whole hairpiece/toupee thing, even when I had a full head of hair. You´ve got to have respect. Now I can´t understand how all those guys with hair can live with it, when they see how "sly" we are!