Head Shaving for Norwood 5/5A

[scotlandguy]

Hey guys, I'm a neebie and am looking for some advice.  First a bit of background.  I've had a receding hairline as far back as age 18.  It bothered me quite a bit until I got to my mid 20s, when I pretty much decided I had to accept it, as it was definitely not getting any better (it was getting worse, of course!).  Now at 29, I'm somewhere in the 5/5A area on the Norwood Scale.

For years I had been keeping it quite short, with a number 2 back and sides and short on top at the barber.  I was gradually getting sick of how obvious it was that I was going so thin on top (hair on back and sides is so much thicker), and thought it could look better shaved.  I asked for a number 1 all over at the barber.  The hairdresser suggested going for a 2 on top, and a 1 round the sides and see what I thought of that.  I agreed.  I was very happy with the results. 

Although I could slightly notice that the sides were darker than the top (due to the thinning), it wasn't particularly obvious likely due to the number 1 on sides and 2 on top.  Although I was very happy with the results, I knew I couldn't go back every 2 weeks to get this done as it would cost a fortune.  My brother had some clippers that he'd been shaving his head with for years (he only has a receding hairline, none of the thinning), so I got myself some of those.  I decided that, as I am not a pro hairdresser, I'd shave it down to a number 2 all over, which ought to be easier than the 1 on sides and 2 on top.  I wasn't as happy with the result this time.  It's much more obvious that the sides are much thicker than the top when shaving it this way.

Does anyone have any advice?  I'm not confident shaving number 1 round the sides and 2 on top as I'm not sure if the hairdresser has a special technique for this that I'd mess up.  Do I simply shave the thicker parts down to a number 1 (some of the thicker hair is on the top in the Norwood 5 way) while shaving the rest of the top to a number 2?  Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome, Scotland Guy! In my honest opinion, no matter what number you try, there isn't anyway around being bald. If you are a 5/5A on the Norwood, you're pretty much nearing a full blown horseshoe anyway. If you are not ready for sly (which most of us would recommend), it's much better to shave it #1 all over (why don't you try a no-guard buzz, and see what you think; it will be back to #1 in about four days if you don't like it). Good luck to you, and if you can, post a photo so we can see and offer better advice.

[slybeard]

It is not as difficult as you think to clipper a #1 on the sides and a #2 on the top.  I did that for years and think I could do it as well as a barber.  Start by giving yourself a #2 all over.  Then take the clippers with the #1 guard up on the sides, but do not follow the curve of your head to the top, take the clippers straight up (away from the skin).  Try first on the front where you can see.  If not satisfied with the transition, you can also take the clippers with the #1 guard from front to back, holding the upper part of the guard slightly away from your head and the lower part toughing the skin at the transition point.  Either method will do a good job of blending in the transition.  Plan ahead of time where you want the transition to take place.  If you make a mistake and don't like it, you can always revert to a #1 all over.  You could also practice first using a #3 or 4 on top and a #2 on sides and back to get the feel of it.

I did this for several years just because I did not like the way may hair looked when grown out longer.  I was not Norwood 5/5A, in fact I had no sign of MPB.  I just had too much gray/white hair, too wavy (in all the wrong directions), and very difficult to style.  Once I noticed the first sign of slight thinning, I was ready to shave.