Finally doing it. Need some support..

[newbeginning]

Hi Guys,

I found this site a few months ago as I was considering what it would be like to shave it all off. I always had thin hair growing up & I was extremely self conscious of it.. using high volume shampoo's took care of that for the most part. This stopped working as I hit 30 and it was around that time I seriously considered HT. I was super scared of being bald. Fortunately for me (though I didn't consider it like that at the time) , the HT doctor laid it out like this. "Look man. Looking at the direction your hairloss is headed I don't think I will be able to make you happy so I can't take your case. You have a good head shape. I suggest you shave it off & get comfortable with it"

That was six years ago. Since that time I have used medication to keep the progression slow. My hairline is low (young) but it's totally defuse now all the way to the back & I have been using concealer (toppik) to hide it. It's a constant concern. I can't do so many things I'd like to. Water sports, ride motorbikes, be more active (without a baseball cap) etc etc. Now that I've had the chance to analyze it more. I find that this sh*t is running my life. I've realized that I am always aware of how the person I'm interacting with is perceiving it. Can they detect it? I think most cannot. Yet... walking outside on a sunny day. Or under bright lights any observant person can detect it if they look closely. I feel like I had been in denial about who can.. who cannot. I'm sure most close friends, cousins.. and family cannot since they are frank enough with me to have ribbed me about it. Yet I can tell who can. And then the effing mess it leaves on my sheets.. on the floor. The cloths I can wear. I have to be mindful of wind.. rain.

Intimate moments are awkward at times. And I would gently redirect a girl away if I thought she was going to touch my head. I figured she would think I'm not comfortable being touched there for whatever reason. And then about 7/8 months ago as I begin to face the fact that my gf that I had been dating for six months was well aware but wouldn't bring it up (so as to not offend me), I asked her one day.. what should I do. And she said.. "Shave it off. You have lot more good stuff going on than this. It's not worth it.."

Here I am. Guess it's safe to say I've let it simmer for a bit. I am lot more calm and accepting of it today. Yet I am still nervous. What if it looks ridiculous. What would my coworkers think. What would my friends think. Am I going to loose my appeal. I know some of my fears are not logical but that's what it is.. we all have them.

Guess what I am really looking forward to is Freedom. Just not having to care about it. Not hiding. I feel it will fit well with this other transformation I've been experiencing.. that of being true and absolutely honest with myself. Today is the day!

[Razor X]

Wow -- a HT surgeon with ethics!  Go ahead and take the plunge.  If it looks ridiculous -- which would make you a member of an extremely small minority -- it will always grow back.  And at least then you will know. Otherwise you'll always wonder.

[geeman]

Great post...shave it off and start fully enjoying your life without any worry of anything rubbing off or someone finding out your secret....you'll love it

[reddog]

I know how you have been feeling. Although I was not balding, once I thought I wanted to try shaving, it was consuming a lot of my time. I thought about it constantly, so I finally just shaved it bald. Although my GF said go ahead and try it, she was shocked when I did it. Then she liked it, and almost everyone had positive comments, a few just couldn't understand why I would shave a full head of hair. It gave me a whole new attitude and confidence, it is all in how you feel about it. I loved not seeing that grey hair, and as some commented, made me look tough. In the end, nobody really cared what I did with my head. Best of luck, whatever you decide!

[Hingatao]

I agree with the others. You've got nothing to lose by shaving it off. You've got you're gf's support. As far as your coworkers are concerned, why does it matter what they think. It's your head and your choice. You're the only one who has to be happy with the results. If you don't like the look your hair will grow back.

[TheSlyBear]

There is nothing to lose by trying the 30-day challenge. In the very unlikely event that you and your gf are not much happier about it, it will just grow back.

[slymyke]

Your girlfriend told you, "Shave it off. You have lot more good stuff going on than this. It's not worth it.."

That means a lot!!   She knows you more intimately than any of us, or most of the people you work with and will see around.  She must be right.. plus you have the HT doctor telling you that you have a good head shape.

I agree with the others... you have nothing to lose, but  SO much to gain.

Then when people look at you, you don't have to wonder if they are noticing that you are going bald... you will Know that they are looking at a handsome man with a shaved head.  FREEDOM at its best.

[Mike E. P.]

You got really good advice from the doctor and your girlfriend seems amazing, also smart. I was where you are once and I know what it's like to be constantly wondering if people are noticing the receding/hair loss. It really consumed me, too!  When I finally shaved my head, it did give me freedom. No more worries. I got used to it pretty quickly and so did my family, friends and coworkers.

And you're not going to look ridiculous.  it seems like you are close to making a decision. ood luck, my friend!

[Sir Harry]

Welcome aboard and good luck with going sly!

[newbeginning]

Alright guys. Thanks for the all the message. Just buzzed it to #1. Surprisingly.. I was looking forward to it all day. And as I started to get a sense of how I'd look (going from #8, #5, #3.. to #1).. I was smiling I'll rock this for a few days before going further. I feel I can pull of a #1 or 0.5 as I don't have any bald spots. Any reason I should go all the way anyway? Has to be worth a try I guess.

Anyway.. good riddance to the painted combover effect.. No man should have to live with that.

[mrzed]

Good for you.  Take a good look at your #1 buzz.  That's pretty much how you will look when you get the razor out and shave your head bald.  There is not much difference in the look. Some folks will even miss the fact that you went from #1 to shaved!

The big difference is in the way it feels. That's a major reason I stay BBC.  I love the feel of my bald head.  Well, I like the look too, but the feel makes it a keeper.

When I was preparing to shave my head bald. I had been buzzing #1 daily. Just for the experience of the daily shave.  Then gradually went shorter and shorter every few days coming up to shave day.  My clippers had an adjustable length for each guard length.  Eventually just took the guard off and buzzed long, medium and as short as possible.  Each click shorter was more amazing. So when it came to shave it off day,  there was not much to it.  I already looked bald.  And not a big deal to anyone.  My daughters at home took three days to notice that I went from buzzed to shaved. LOL.

Post a picture when you're ready.

[Mike E. P.]

So glad you're feeling good about your choice!  I did what you did.  I gradually kept clippping shorter and shorter.  Eventually I was buzzing my head with no guard.  Now I go back and forth between buzzing with no guard and shaving all the way with a razor.  I like it both ways.  And mrzed is right.  The first time I shaved completely bald, my wife didn't even notice since clipping with no guard was almost the same look!

[mrzed]

It takes about 3 days to grow back from shaved to clippers no guard with Walh clippers from WalMart. Since I started shaving my head there was only one time when I let it grow long enough to need clippers again. I was sick in bed that week and did not feel like doing anything except fighting the germs. By Saturday, I was way overdue for returning to normal.

Usually shave my head daily.  Occasionally skip when I have a very early morning meeting with the guys or on a Saturday.  But don't go beyond one day unless I'm sick. 

[ScribeGuy]

Just go for it . . . I, too, was nervous before I took the plunge--but I can honestly say I haven't regretted it for a moment!  It's natural to worry about what others might think, but what's most important is how you feel about it.  Give the 30-day challenge a try.  I'm on day 22 and have no complaints!

[waine]

Hello and welcome New Beginning.

There was no gradual process for me.  I had been pondering over the idea for a while when one morning my boss made a remark about why my hair was so messy.  I ride a motorbike, and my helmet causes my thin hair to go wild.  I never had time to comb it that day before the meeting.  The next day I took out the clipper, shaved it to the scalp, soaped up and dragged the razor over my scalp. The backdrop of snow white scalp and blood from the nicks and cuts were not pretty.

After a few days of shaving everything settled, I got one negative comment. My wife and daughter were OK with it. But most importantly,  I seriously did not care -- I loved the look and feel so much I have not looked back since.  I must admit, you do have to cultivate a bit of extra confidence depending on the complexity of your social interaction and work colleague / office dynamics.

I say -- go for it!  Try the 30 day Challenge.

I and many here at SB.com did it. There is a good chance you may just love it and never go back to hair.

Good luck with your choice...