I want to shave my head, but...

[Swordfishtrombone]

Well, I've always figured that if I started going bald, I'd just shave my head. A couple years ago, my hair started thinning, but I usually wear a hat, and my hair is pretty long, so it hasn't been too noticeable. Well, if I check it out with a in the mirror with a hand mirror to view the back, it is certainly noticeably thinner now.

Anyways, I haven't had a haircut in about three years, but now I'm looking for a job, so I'll need to get a haircut. So I was thinking I'd shave my head. The problem with this is, I have sebhorreac dermatitis. From searching around and reading about other peoples' cases, mine appears to fairly mild.

I'm wondering if anyone else here who's had it, or knows something about it. Is it likely to stick around after I start shaving my head? It's bad enough when you've got hair, but with a shaved head there'll be nothing to conceal it. But, If I get my hair cut short, which I'll have to do anyways, my thinning hair will probably be much more noticeable than it is now (which would really suck considering I'm still in my 20's).

Seems like a lose/lose situation I'm in here... Anybody have experience or ideas here?

I probably have to leave fairly soon or I'll get stuck in major traffic, which I'd rather not be with gas prices what they are these days (not to mention that being caught in traffic just sucks anyways), so I'd be grateful for any quick responses. Thanks.

edit: I guess this probably should have gone in the head shaving section, sorry if it's in the wrong place.

[warhawk]

hey s-f-t:  welcome 2 the sly fraternity.  glad that ya joined us.  since U R going bald... i would just beat mother nature & just shave that dome.   like R brother in sly (schro) says:  "it's like giving mother nature the bird".  besides... it will also cure your scalp condition once U go 4 the shaved look.  i would get your head buzzed 2 a "zero" by a barber & shave that dome with a quality razor like the fusion, mach3, or headblade.  do some research on the HEADSHAVING section of the forum ("your shave routine",  "what razor you use").  there R tons of info & if U need some questions answered "we" R here 4 U.  again... welcome 2 the family & keep us posted 2 your road 2 slyness.

WARHAWK

[time2shine]

Welcome man.  First of, i think your user name is hilarious.  let me know if this is something I should look up in urban dictionary.
As far as your age.. I'm 23, and I'm living BALD.  It's scary to take the leap, but people could care less.
When you shave it shorter, you may be surprised that your thinning becomes less and less noticeable.  I would recommend going down to a # 1 on some clippers.  It may seem drastic from your long hair, but at that short length, you would hardly be able to see your hairloss.
As far as your seborrheic dermatitis, like Warhawk said, the solution is going sly.  There have been many guys in here that had problems with dandruff and flaky skin, that have not experienced that since doing the razor shave.  Once you go sly, your scalp starts to become super healthy, because in order to get a good shave, exfolioting becomes vital.
Again, start with bringing it down with clippers, and see how you like it.  I know what you're feeling, you're scared to do it.  But unless you think you'll do drugs, rugs or plugs, you will probably shave it sooner or later, so why not go for it.  Good luck.

[marty22]

buzz it slowly down to a #1 over time. See what the company is regarding conservative, liberal, etc.

[Brkeatr]

Welcome to SBG SFT.....great to have you aboard !!   

[Dome of Steele]

I knew my MPB fate was upon me and noticed the thinning.  But I took my fate into my own hands by buzzing it down from long hair to buzzed with no guard. 
Then most people probably won't notice that you did it because of the thinning.  You can finally take that hat off and let your scalp breathe. 
Then if you feel ready you can take it down with the razor.  As for the scalp condition I don't know anything about that. 

[champ007]

Seems like a lose/lose situation I'm in here... Anybody have experience or ideas here?

Welcome to SBG S F T 
First, what brought you here doesn't matter, but now its a win/win for you. There are a couple of guys here that have had something similiar to your scalp condition and they have no signs of it now that they have shaved, like WarHawk stated. I am sure they will chime in and discuss.
Be sure to read through the shaving techniques and see what helps to keep the dome smooth and healthy.

[wpruitt]

Welcome SFT

[north]

talk to schro!!

i'm fairly sure he had the same issue, and now since he's gone sly it has rid him the problem of seborrheic dermatitis.

shave it down and forget about it, really.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Thanks for the replies guys. Especially the first two which came very quickly (though I didn't leave as soon as I wanted to, so it looks like I'll be facing the traffic anyways).

After some searching around, I found another topic with a post from someone who had seborrheic dermatitis, and he said it cleared it up for him, so that's great, as that was my biggest concern. The only other real concern I had was if the shape of my skull was weird underneath all this hair, though I was willing to risk that anyways (as long as I wasn't going to be left with a scaly/flaky scalp). But when I was around 13-14 I used to get my hair cut with clippers at #2, and I don't recall any problems with the shape.

Anyways, thanks again for the help. Guess it's time to bite the bullet and get it over with. I just hope I don't get called in for any job interviews until next week.


edit: oh, and time2shine, I took the name from a Tom Waits album (and song).

[champ007]

Read up on the shaving and make sure you get headslick and a good blade.
Post up a pic and let us know how it goes. Would be good to have you as a active member 

[Swordfishtrombone]

Read up on the shaving and make sure you get headslick and a good blade.

Hmmm... I'm not sure where I can get some Headslick. I was thinking of trying it, but I'd rather not order online. I'm in Canada, so of all the retail outlets listed on the Headblade site, I think Wal-Mart is the only one we have here. Normally I don't like to go to Wal-Mart, but at least the only one I know of is close by (though in a somewhat inconvenient location).

As for the blade, I use a Gillette Sensor 3 on my face, very similar to the Mach 3, so hopefully it should be fine for my head. I've never received any razor burn on my face using the Sensor 3 (with Gillette Foamy, though I wouldn't use that stuff on my head).

[champ007]

CVS and Walgreens have it but not sure if they exist in canada.
I use a headblade with the Sensor 3 blades and they work great. Just take your time on the first few shaves
to get use to it. You may get some numbness the first couple of shaves, but thats kinda normal.
I go against the grain. If you can't get headslick I would suggest a shaving oil over foam, I know walmart carries the shave secret oil, it takes some getting use to.
Use the clippers first the egt the hair down close, and you may want to shave in a hot shower versus a sink, so it might pay to get a fogless mirror.

[schro]

SWORD,
Dude, my bad for being slow to the draw on your post....

I can't emphasize it enough.......SHAVE THE DOME!!!!!  

I've suffered from sebhorreic dermatitus for all my life...the embedded dandruff, the scabs, the pain......it SUCKS.  Shaving your head is akin to exfolliating your skin. You get rid of anything growing on it (be it hair or yeast - which causes the itch), you alleviate the problem.

Shaving the dome has given me COMPLETE RELIEF from the painful condition. Granted, during the drier winter months, there are times that I get a little itch if I skip a day, but compared to the mountains of snow on the shoulders, and the never ending pain, shaving your dome is a FRIGGIN' BLESSING.

AM I LOUD & CLEAR HERE..............SHAVE IT!

PM me if you have any questions.

All the best,
Schro

[Swordfishtrombone]

Well, I did it. Got my hair cut down as far as possible with the clippers last night. Stopped by my mom's on the way home, who I told I was getting a haircut, but didn't say (to her or anyone else) that I was gonna shave it. I put the ponytail that I kept underneath my hat and kinda turned around after knocking, looking out into the yard. Then when she opened the door, I turned around and took the hat off. Needless to say, she was rather shocked by it, going from one extreme to the other. That was pretty fun.

So today, before my shower, I shaved it with a razor. No cuts or razor burn, though the back was a little difficult, but I managed to get it done with the aid of a hand mirror. It still feels a little sandpaper-y if I rub it against the grain, but since I'd never done it before, I shaved with the grain, so that might be why. I'll start going against the grain once I get used to it.

Anyways, I think it looks good and I'm glad I did it.