The requirement to shave your head

[Tyler]

In my latest blog post I make the assertion that every male should be required to shave their head.  What do you think?  Do you agree?  Disagree?

[Razor X]

I'm not sure I'd go as far as to make it a requirement, but I do think that every man should try shaving his head at least once in his life.  Ultimately I'd like to see hair become optional the way facial hair is.  Most guys who can't grow decent beards shave their faces and don't spend a lot of time obsessing over it.  It would be good if we could get to a point where hair on the scalp is viewed the same way.

[Razorhead]

It's an interesting thought! I agree that every guy should shave his head at least once -- to get rid of that fallacy of our hair defines us. Just think of all the women who go through chemo and lose their hair. There is more to be said about someone who loses his or her hair (by nature or by choice) and how they choose to allow hairloss to define them or help them to build their character.

On the flip side, I think of the two brothers in the article below. I never really thought about it before but I guess you may have to have your head shaved to go through the procedure. You would think that these guys would think they that the look pretty great bald after having their heads shaved prior to the procedure. But I guess not!

Plugs are plugs and a rug is a rug! You are not fooling anyone!

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/05/15/bald-brothers-double-hair-transplant_n_3277165.html#slide=2451479

[Razorhead]

haha....and I just realized that Tyler put a nice plug in for this forum in the Huffington Posts' comments area!

[Tyler]

haha...you like that?

[isleepinthebuff]

Sorry but no I don't agree. Yes parents should be teaching their children values but I don't think shaving the head is the same as balding. Shaving your head is just another haircut. I had a 0 for years but later when I decided hair wasn't working for me, I am not sure that helped.

[Mikekoz13]

I don't like it..... it's kind of like the government saying you have to buy health insurance.

[Sir Harry]

Another vote for: personal option, yes; requirement, no. However if a youth wants to shave his head he should get parental permission first, but to make it mandatory I think is a bit overboard.

[schro]

I don't like it..... it's kind of like the government saying you have to buy health insurance.

DING DING DING!!!
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

 

[Blitzed]

My assumption, which is mentioned by Razor X, is that there be a requirement that every male do it once in their lifetime. In one sense, it presents men with the opportunity to do something they may not like but, as with life, we do many things that we are required to do but do not like. Or, of course, you can join the Marines or get head lice then the shave must be a requirement. When I joined the service I got peeled and was "allowed" to keep it that way for the first six months. There after the service mandated how it would be kept, conformity was everwhere but....it relieved me of many decisions that I wouold have routinely made that just took up time..such as deciding what I'd have to dinner and when I'd have it...PJ

[benlen]

Folks, I have a request:

Can we keep politics (healthcare) out of this discussion? Tyler posted a compelling blog entry and that should be what we are discussing, not equating his argument to a United States partisan issue.

We also have a fair number of non-US citizens here who might disagree with US domestic issues and live in countries with universal healthcare who have a different perspective.

If your goal is to make zings at people, American or otherwise, who believe in universal healthcare or just make a statement about it, there are other places/forums on the internet to do that intelligently.

SlyBaldGuys should remain bipartisan, and our discussion should reflect that, especially from our moderators/senior members who I generally look up to and respect. I'd like to continue to respect such people regardless of their political beliefs provided they are kept to themselves.


Onto Tyler's post:

I agree that a mandate to shave your head shouldn't be instituted by parents. Instead, I think we can encourage shaving. Here's my personal story on that:


By my own volition and curiosity, I shaved my head one summer before I was noticeably balding a few years later, and that was empowering. It taught me that I could look good with a shaved head, so that made losing my hair that much less of a struggle.

[Tyler]

In my post I said this should be a requirement by parents, not the government.  It would be more of a societal requirement, a coming of age in the sense. 

[-Doug-]

I think every guy should try it at some point in their life. I don't think it should be a requirement though.

[Razor X]

I would like it to be a common enough occurrence so that it is viewed as just another haircut. We've made great strides in that direction but we're not quite there yet.

About ten years or so ago it was a big trend for kids to get their heads zero-guard shaved in the summertime but lately the fashion has gone back the other way. I'd like to see things get back to the summer shave routine for the reasons Tyler mentioned in his blot post. If guys were used to getting their heads shaved every summer while hey were growing up then it wouldn't be a big deal when MPB starts kicking in.

[bud]

I think also that every man should try it at some point in his life. As a requirement, I would also not see it. I agree to razor x Bald should be seen as a normal hairstyle. I think that this forum and all the guys shave their heads contribute to an altered visual example.