Does everyone really look good totally bald?

[RayJ]

I'm new here and I'm certainly not trying to stir the pot but I'm not so sure that everyone looks good totally bald.I've been reading a lot of previous posts and the majority always say to go for it and that "you will look good ". Maybe,maybe not.Now,I do realize that a balding man has few options.Rogaine,Hair piece,just letting it grow and looking ridiculous,Short haircut ,very short buzz,or sly.Right now I'm at the very short buzz with a Wahl balding trimmer.I'm considering on letting it grow to 1/16" and keeping it there but not sure yet.I have a prison ministry through our church and I visit inmates individually several times a month.This is in Texas and they are required to keep a short haircut.A lot of the guys have a buzz but one man in particular is sly and just doesn't look good that way in my opinion.He would look much better with a buzz of some kind.I'm not some fashion judge and I would never say anything to him unless he asked but the truth is that sly does not suit him.This is only my opinion and others may think differently of course .There is another man who attends our church who showed up bald one day.My wife said that he just does not look good bald.Sure,we would all get used to it and what anybody chooses to do with their hair is their business but if I was asked,I hope that I could be honest with my opinion.Some have such few hair left that they have no choice but to shave it.That's not who I'm talking aboutm.I'm talking about guys who are receding,thinning,etc...and still have some hair left.Am I way off base here?

[RayJ]

I want to be clear that I'm not judging others based on their looks. A man has every right to wear his hair as he pleases and shouldn't let any one else 's opinion determine what he does UNLESS he asks for an opinion.Is anyone willing to say "I think you would look better with a buzzcut or just some hair ".There may be someone who truly wants to look attractive to others, especially if he is a young man.
   I'm 50 years old and have been married for 24 years .I still want my wife to be attracted to me but also I will do what I think looks best on me.i'm not sly but am using a balding trimmer.I've had some good comments and one lady said" I'm not sure if I like that or not yet".I had another man look at me, turn around and walk
Off without saying a word.Now that cracked me up.I feel good about how I look even though I 'm not totally sly.Others may really need a true opinion to help their confidence  and sly might not be it.

[reddog]

Hi Rayj, I do agree with you. Just my opinion, but not everyone looks good sly. Head shape has a lot to with it. I only comment on guys here that I think look good. It's all personal preference, if you like it, go for it.

[wutwutman]

Personally I don't think there IS any one look that looks good on EVERYONE.  To each his own.  If you like it, rock it.  Well within the limits of employability LOL

[slybeard]

Not everyone, but most guys with MPB do look better sly.  Rugs and plugs never look good, in my opinion.  But sly, or in your case, nearly sly, is all part of a total package.  Most guys with MPB gain some confidence and make other changes as well such as dressing better, loosing weight, added facial hair, and getting in better shape.  I know that these can also be done without going sly, but it does seem to give some guys a boost.  In my case, I still have a relatively full head of hair, albeit much thinner that what I had as a teenager.  I always found my hair "hard to manage" and difficult to style, so I normally just kept it cut short.  When the thinning started, I was already prepared mentally to go sly.  Some may think I looked better with the hair I had, but I like being sly.  So I say, to each his own, but if a guy is coming here encouragement, that he will get.  Encouragement to try it, and then make his decision.  We cannot make the decision for him.

One other thing, most guys that blade shave enjoy the shaving and the resulting smooth feeling.  But to the casual observer, there is no visible difference to sly and clipper shaved.

[tobler1]

I don't think it really makes a difference most of the time.  If you're decently good looking with hair, I think you'll still be decently good looking without hair.  In some cases, smooth isn't a good look for you.  But I honestly think it most cases it will work.  Will it be everyone's BEST look?  No.  But most people will be able to make it work pretty well.

[buddha]

George Carlin had an interesting take on this topic. I actually have this as the ringtone on my cell phone. I get some confused looks from people, especially bald guys (borders on combative), when the phone rings while I'm out in public. Then they notice that I'm bald, too. That really messes with their minds.

Here 'tis.



'Cuz ya gotta be able to laugh at yourself sometimes.

[Sir Harry]

Ray, I'm going to say this....the purpose of this forum is mostly, to get guys (and gals) to understand that balding, whether by choice or not, is not the end of the world and that you can live a full life as a partially or completely bald man. The idea is not, I repeat, not to get every balding person to shave their heads. We have other members that only keep no-guard or short buzz cuts and they contribute to the forum just the same. What I do want to say is that if you are happy with your short buzz cut, then great, we're happy too...Everyone does NOT necessarily look good sly, in fact some people look good if they keep their horseshoe groomed neatly (Terry Bradshaw, Dr. Phil and the aforementioned George Carlin are some examples). That said, if a guy does not look good sly, but if he feels confident with it, I'm not going to knock it. I personally think the worst fashion mistake is a horseshoe bald guy wearing a ponytail, but if that guy is happy, I still will respect the guy's choice and keep judgement to myself. While we encourage head shaving, we want to make it clear that we do not FORCE members to shave their heads, nor will we knock a member if he takes an alternate method of doing something about his hair loss. In fact, while we strongly don't recommend it, if a member wants to go for the rugs, drugs and plugs, then we still wish them well with the understanding that we do not allow them to do sales pitches for the hair industry. I do think that what you're doing with the prison ministry is a good thing, keep it up, but I'm pretty sure that inmates are pretty limited in what hairstyles they can wear anyway. Good luck in your ministry and keep us posted with whatever you decide.

[Cave Dweller]

Bravo, Sir Harry! Very well put.

RayJ, that prison ministry wouldn't be Kairos by any chance?

[chgobuzzbald]

I have to comment that from different points of view and culture, a shaved head may not be judged as everyone's "best" look. For me I can still grow mostly a full head of hair but personally I love the sly look and feel. I saw a guy out today who had a full head of hair but he had it clipper shaved or had razor shaved a few days ago. Many would say that is not his "best" look when compared to having grown out hair Im sure. But he obviously likes it. Saw him in a vitamin store where we both bought muscle supplements. He has a bald look as a more muscular guy he likes apparently, at least for now.  I thought it looked great. There were 4 of us in there that had shaved or nearly shaved heads. But I bet someone over 60 or 70 would have no compliments to give him on his clipper shaved, intentionally bald head. Its just a different look whether you are losing hair or not. Im sure many would say to me , if I ever cared to ask which I don't, that they think a better look for  me ( and just about everyone else) would be some amount of head hair.
Success comes in relationships, jobs, business etc. from confidence in how you feel & look from inside yourself. If others detect you feel sad or insecure about hair not growing anymore then they detect it and assume you feel that way about everything in your life and so tend to feel you may not be the best employee, partner, and so on.
 I have seen so many clipper shaved or sly bald heads this weekend I lost track. The guys who had nice faces and bodies looked fine bald and those who didn't looked the way they do with hair or not. But I bet they all are confident and don't feel any need to have hair on their heads to please anyone's idea of their "best " look. Internal confidence is the key, sly or not.

[RayJ]

Cave Dweller, I 'm not involved in Kairos but one of the inmates I write to has been in it for years.

[AgentBald]

I agree wholeheartedly with Sir Harry.  Being Sly is not for everyone and I personally don't feel that it is the one and only answer to balding.  However, to those who choose to take the "sly plunge", more power to them.

As for the original post, it really is a matter of opinion.  Sure there are certain people that I may think don't look good Sly. But I'm sure that person has his or her own support from people who think they look great sly.

I'm sure there are people that don't think I look good sly.  That's their opinion.  I love it and I wear it proudly.

[RayJ]

I'm certainly not a judge of how people should or shouldn't look but I 'm mainly referring to people who ask others opinions on how they may look sly.I would want someone to give me their honest opinion.Before I buzzed my head,I usually wore a short fade haircut almost military like.My wife never liked but I did and wore it that way mostly.Since I buzzed my head,she likes this much better and I do too.If I went sly and truly wanted honest opinions,I would hope that others would be honest and tell me which cut looks better on me..I may not take their advise but would know what they think.Y'all are right though.It's our head and we should do what we want with our hair style whether others like it or not.there are those that want an honest opinion and we should give it if asked.

[Goatee]

I am ugly with or without hair!! lol Do i care? No!

[slyest]

No they don't.  I think people with badly thinning hair do look better but if someone has a good head of hair, keep it.