Starting to feel the Power of the 30 day rule.

[Ftank]

The first time I shaved my head about a year and a half ago I didn't follow through to the end of 30 days because of negative reaction from friends and family even though I liked it.

Well my hair loss is still progressing very slowly but to have a nice hair cut I found I had to keep it fairly short and go to an expensive barber every 3-4 weeks.  I found it making me more self conscious because I did like the way I looked with the hair cuts he would give me but it didn't last long.  Also I started to become fearful of my hairloss progressing as I was comfortable with my situation with the barber.  I had also decided not to use any rogaine/propecia because of health reasons.  I tried them briefly before and I had adverse reactions to each medication so I decided to choose my health over hair.

Well about 2 weeks ago I shaved my head again and I still like it!  My family and friends are against it again but the longer I stay with it the more comfortable I am becoming.  I shave my head with a Mach 3 and some head lube every morning.  I am even starting to become more comfortable and confident in my appearence around women.  I am not hanging my head in shame like when I was first bothered by my hair loss.  I am also starting to get used to seeing me this way and it has motivated me to hit the gym harder and eat better which are good things. 

So you guys have a good thing going here.  I have gotten tons of postive feedback as a newb very quickly on this site and not a single person has put me down.  You guys have choosen a healthy aproach to help  men deal with hair loss and we all know that it can bother many men severely.  You have helped teach me to be thankful for my health and the positive in my life.  I am thankful to live in this time period where head shaving is more acceptable because it would have bothered me to wear a horseshoe around. 

I am working on well carved facial hair like Chris Daughtry and I think I like it and will post pics within a week.  Thanks again for all you do at this site guys.  Keep up the good work you are doing.

Frank

[Tyler]

That's awesome Frank!  Stick it out for 30 days and I'm sure you'll be loving the look even more.

[SBG Math Guy]

Yeah some of us need more than 30 days.     For me, it took about 45 days before I got used to my new look.  I was not happy for the first 30 to 40 days but then slowly I began thinking "hey this isn't so bad."

[Ftank]

My goal is to give it 3 months and evaluate things from there.  If I shave everyday for 3 months I will know what it is like to live as a bald man.  Plus it will be nice to have it for the warm weather.

[Paul]

Good going Ftank.  Hang in there, it only gets BETTER.

[MLNHD]

Congrats on the insightful observations, Ftank.  Sticking to the routine and the look for 30 days is really important.  Seems to take that long for one's brain to get used to the new look in the mirror and adjust to the new reality.  Dedication to the ritual of scraping the dome also seems to make it more of a part of us in those early days. 

Twenty months into SLYness, I have enjoyed every day (except for a rough patch of breakouts a little while back -- resolved now) and am completely comfortable with the chrome dome.  I've had very few folks question why I did it, and they were more curious than critical.

Hang in there.  You look great.  By the end of thirty days you'll have unshakable confidece to match your look! 

[The Scottish Ambassador]

My goal is to give it 3 months and evaluate things from there.  If I shave everyday for 3 months I will know what it is like to live as a bald man.  Plus it will be nice to have it for the warm weather.

Hmm, are you aiming to have a 90 day rule buddy?

[Ftank]

I am not here to start trouble and argue with the 30 day rule.  I think the powers that be here have done quite a fine job.  They are the ones fit to set the regimen to train a new sly guy.

That being said for myself I have encountered a lot of negative reactions and pressure from family and friends to grow my hair back.  To be honest I could probably hold on and appease them for a couple of more years but I would have to struggle with my hair loss then get used to being sly at that point.  I gave in the first time and did not stick to 30 days and I was a sly guy drop out.  This time I want to make it to the sly guy special forces.

After 90 days I think my critics will be silenced and I doubt I will want to go back.  If I can get used to going out in public like this and maybe even get a date or something that is all I would need to put this hair thing to rest.  I enjoy shaving and it is turning a negative into a positive.  It has also motivated me to grom myself better, workout more, eat better, and dress better.  Not taken to extremes I think those are all good things.

So the 30 day challenge rocks but for a stubborn case like myself I aiming for a 90 day attitude adjustment. 

[The Scottish Ambassador]

I am not here to start trouble and argue with the 30 day rule.  I think the powers that be here have done quite a fine job.  They are the ones fit to set the regimen to train a new sly guy.

That being said for myself I have encountered a lot of negative reactions and pressure from family and friends to grow my hair back.  To be honest I could probably hold on and appease them for a couple of more years but I would have to struggle with my hair loss then get used to being sly at that point.  I gave in the first time and did not stick to 30 days and I was a sly guy drop out.  This time I want to make it to the sly guy special forces.

After 90 days I think my critics will be silenced and I doubt I will want to go back.  If I can get used to going out in public like this and maybe even get a date or something that is all I would need to put this hair thing to rest.  I enjoy shaving and it is turning a negative into a positive.  It has also motivated me to grom myself better, workout more, eat better, and dress better.  Not taken to extremes I think those are all good things.

So the 30 day challenge rocks but for a stubborn case like myself I aiming for a 90 day attitude adjustment. 

Hey, easy going big guy. I was only pulling your leg. Not for a minute did i think you were trying to change things

[D.A.L.U.I.]

W/ some facial hair growing at the same time, your decision to go on from 30 days to 3 months is certainly indicative of a strengthened personality.  That strength will come through to family and friends and since they value you they will learn to accept the fact that it is your decision, your self esteem and your look.  They might not chose it for themselves, but that's another edge to the blade--and you're not asking them to go there. 
Glad to see this progress, it further validates the existance of the SBG Site and influence.

[baldmancometh]

Trust me man I don't think getting a date with a shaved head will be an issue. It looks great on you. Plus you look about the same age as me. I'll be 30 this Sunday. The perfect dating age, you can date women 18yrs-40yrs without any weird looks. 

[socctty]

Could you elaborate on the objections of your family? My favorite retort to "Why did you shave your head?" is "Because I found out that I am my father's son", a reference to the genetics I inherited. The humor puts people at ease and it's a display of confidence.

I think the key to putting your family at ease is explaining it to them. Stay calm, cool, and collected. Assert that you like the way it looks, that you prefer the reduction in maintenance and the shorter showers. And whatever other reasons you have. I had objections to it, but I think those are just natural - it's a big change. It helps to get some sun on you to even out your skin tone, that puts people at ease.

The date thing is important, I believe. Two weeks after shaving my dome I got a date. I dated that girl for two years. She had never dated a sly guy before and it took her two weeks to get up the nerve to touch my head, but she swears by it now. I consider myself an ambassador to women on behalf of sly guys now, haha. But getting a date confirms to you that you didn't commit a horrible act or anything; it's very important to you, and us telling you all day not to worry about it will only go so far.

The most important thing about approaching women is being confident. Project the idea that you have a plan. Even if you aren't 100% comfortable with your new hair style, project that you are. Women who haven't been exposed to sly guys are wary at first, but they still love a physically fit man with confidence and a sense of humor. Hair ranks seventh or eighth on the list for most women and there is certainly room to change their attitudes on that.

And now it's to decide which woman, right? I like women that are open-minded. I would suggest you look for a girl with her own sense of style; she can relate to your experience of going out on a limb with your look. After all, there was a day where she stepped out of the door wearing something out-of-the-ordinary that nevertheless made her feel unique and bold - you're doing just that everyday. Or go for a girl with tattoos. The girl I mentioned earlier has 13 tattoos and six piercings - and she wasn't some hell-raiser or anything, very much the take-home-to-mom type actually.

These are not requirements of course; you can easily date a choir girl, too, nothing says they are off-limits or against you because of your slyness. But if your purpose is to confirm that you are still attractive to women, then go with what is likeliest to work. Look for indicators that a woman is open-minded, and tattoos and a personal sense of style are two of the many indicators you can look for. You haven't closed as many doors as you think. In fact, you've probably opened a fair amount up, because now you're not getting nervous if a girl sees the top of your head. You've got it all out in the open for everyone to see. That takes balls, my friend. Own it.

[bigbearls]

Not having seen you with hair, I can only say that you are a very good looking man and I don't understand why anyone would criticize your look.
I have been bald most of my life but went through the various stages of denial:  "artistic" haircuts, hairsprays,combover--before I finally accepted myself as I am.  I remember about 20 yrs ago, finally getting the guts to cut the combover off and being upset because no one noticed. I guess I thought that no one knew I was bald because of those 6 strands of hair!
anyway, I shaved the remaining bits off on Easter Sunday and am quite happy with the results.