It takes some of us longer than 30 days

[Semi-Sly]

In my case - a LOT more than 30 days!

I have never liked the way I look.  I have avoided photographs all of my life.  In fact, even though I spent 16 years in the Navy, and retired from the Navy, I only know of two or three photos of me in a uniform.

One thing I did really think looked cool, however, was my "World's Greatest High, Tight and Brutal Horseshoe Flattop" haircut


I thought that my Flattop was really badass!  And it still looked "O.K" until 2015.  In 2016 I got very ill with what was to be the first of three unrelated, but life threatening infections.  They had to put a port into me each time and pump antibitics, steroids, and morphine into me every day for weeks.  The cocktail made my hair fall out.  When it grew back it was thin and wispy, and worse - it had no color; it was the color of a dead mouse.  And to make matters worse, the stark flattness of the top is like a neon sign which exposes my crooked face and head.

My right orbit (eye socket) sits lower in my head/face as a result of an incident in my childhood in which I wound up with a broken face.  The flattop makes this a bit more noticeable.  An incident that happened to me when I was a brand new Ensign gave me cracked C3 vertebrae and destroyed to of my cervical discs.  Ihis set off a three decade degeneration of my cervical vertebrae.  I  have endured two surgeries (fusions with interbody transplants) to stabilize this and I have experienced a lifetime of pain because of this, but few people would have noticed it until the last 18 months.  About 24 months ago, unbeknownst to me, my C5 Vertebra collapesed and fell into my C6 in an uncontrolled fusion.  The facet joints on the left side of C5, C6, and C& have also collapsed.  The C6 is sliding off of the C7 and the C3 is falling off the front of the C4. So now my head is drooping off of the front of my body and my chin is pointing down and to the right.  My entire head is "going down at the bow and listing to Starboard"!  Ha Ha!  So, if I grow any hair, especially a flattop, this just make the crooked head much more noticeable!  It is really better to keep it shaven.

Off and on through the years I had shaved my head for a variety of fund-raisers, so it wasn't a crushing blow when I had to shave it off when I was sick.  But it has been a different story since I got sick.  Now, when I tried to grow it back I would also have to color it.  And I really hated doing that. So, for the majority of the last two years it has been shaved.

I like the clean feeling of a shaved head; but I have never felt that it looked good on me; I have always thought of myself as "BBC" and only "Semi-Sly. But for almost all of the last year I have remained shaven.  And I don't even like to shave my own head!  I go to the Barber twice a week.

But yesterday, I had some minor day surgery - cataract removal in my right eye.  Even though it was not medically necessary, the hospital absolutely insisted that I remove all of my piercings.  I had 00 Gauge tunnel in both earlobes, two gold rings in the lower helix of my left ear, and two heavy stainless steel rings through the cartilage in the upper helix of my left ear.  (I got really crazy when I hit 58!!!).  I had also trimmed my goatee down to mere stubble because I cannot shower or wash my face for several days.

When the surgery was over and I was getting dressed in my little Prep room I saw myself
in the mirror - something I have always avoided doing!  And something in me said;  "You are not dead yet - you don't look so bad as a bald man - in fact, you look just a bit "badass" clean shave and and without the tunnels and rings".

So, it has taken me several years, but just maybe I am getting used to this.  I had better get used to it, there isn't much choice and I don't have that much time left anyway! Ha Ha!

[slybeard]

Great story Semi.  I have to say, for all the wear and tare, you look great now.  But I also envy your flattop.  I always wanted to have a flattop like that.  I tried it several times, but my hair was just not the type that would stand up at attention, and it would just lay over to the side.  It is a classic style that always look good.

[Barbero Pelón]

Experiment with military haircuts is fun,but nothing can't beat a freshly shaved 💡

[reddog]

I just can't seem to grow my flattop anymore either. My hair is less course now, and after 3 or 4 weeks I miss my shaved head, and shave it smooth again.

[reddog]

This photo is about 3 years ago, and self cut by me.

[chrisphilly123]

I just can't seem to grow my flattop anymore either. My hair is less course now, and after 3 or 4 weeks I miss my shaved head, and shave it smooth again.

ft okay, but the round head is better on ya.

[Semi-Sly]

Great story Semi.  I have to say, for all the wear and tare, you look great now.  But I also envy your flattop.  I always wanted to have a flattop like that.  I tried it several times, but my hair was just not the type that would stand up at attention, and it would just lay over to the side.  It is a classic style that always look good.

I can still grow a flattop, but unless I also color it, it looks thin and whispy - almost like "see through" hair.   But the other issue is that any hair - and most especially the dramatic level line of the flattop - really call attention to how bad my head is bending over. 

[Semi-Sly]

I just can't seem to grow my flattop anymore either. My hair is less course now, and after 3 or 4 weeks I miss my shaved head, and shave it smooth again.

yes but you still grow nice thick even hair and it’s a nice even color.   if I had hair like yours I would still enjoy wearing a flat top half of the year in a shaved head the other half of the year. 

My hair mine is now very thin, it is wispy, and it is the color of the dead mouse!  This is what it look like even two years ago before it got real thin but as you can see I have a bald spot in unless I color it it’s not very pretty and I hate covering here  this is what it look like even two years ago before it got real thin but as you can see I have a bald spot .   and the color is awful so for me to keep a decent looking flattop I would also have to color it in some way  and that’s too much of a hassle for me.

[reddog]

I would probably grow some hair back, if not for the dermatitis issue, mainly in the back. I think the grey flattop makes me look older too. I've tried growing the top and keeping the sides shaved, like a high and fight recon, but I think it starts to look silly on someone my age. I think a shiny shaved head is my best look at this time.

[Barbero Pelón]

I would probably grow some hair back, if not for the dermatitis issue, mainly in the back. I think the grey flattop makes me look older too. I've tried growing the top and keeping the sides shaved, like a high and fight recon, but I think it starts to look silly on someone my age. I think a shiny shaved head is my best look at this time.

Is rare to see a Flattop this days.

[Grimgor Ironhide]

100% you look better shaved clean.

And yes, it does look badass.

[nohairnow]

A flat top was something I always wanted to have.  Even when I had a full head of hair, it would have been impossible due to my hair always being extremely thin.  The wind, even the slightest minor breeze would just have its way and my hair had no choice go where the wind chose.

Semi-Sly.  You know, the picture you shared, the first thought I had was bad ass.  Its a damn good look for you.  I have always thought some guys do the look great, and others not so much.  You own it.  Man, you need to stop getting injured and sick though.

[PDXGuy]

I got to say your flattop looked great, but bald looks really good on you as well. I have worn a flattop for 20 some years, but finally buzzed it off last Friday, but left a little hair on top. Tuesday I shaved the top down with a 000 and 1. Today I re-shaved the sides and back but left the stubble on the top. Bald guy in training. Use to go by FlatDave need a new handle...BaldDave I guess.

[Semi-Sly]

I got to say your flattop looked great, but bald looks really good on you as well. I have worn a flattop for 20 some years, but finally buzzed it off last Friday, but left a little hair on top. Tuesday I shaved the top down with a 000 and 1. Today I re-shaved the sides and back but left the stubble on the top. Bald guy in training. Use to go by FlatDave need a new handle...BaldDave I guess.

How about “BraveDave”. for your new handle!

 it’s shows a lot of self-confidence to be able to switch switch up your style now and then if you can still grill here and you can still do a great flat top I suggest you do a flat top for six months of the year in a beautiful smooth Bloomingdale for six months out of the year switch it up and have fun

And by the way I gave birth to a new bald head on Saturday the guy went from 6 inches of hair to clean shaven he couldn’t be happier.

[slybeard]

@Semi-Sly are you back at work as a barber, or was this a friend that went sly?