Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => Bald Stories => Topic started by: Baldan on June 04, 2007, 09:13:37 AM
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I thought I would start this topic as as one that could reassure and help "Sly Guys in Training" such as myself as well as those who haven't yet made the bold step of baldness.
What were your main concerns when you went bald (i.e negative feedback, odd shaped head, too much shine, people mocked you, you were the brunt of most jokes etc..etc...) ?
One of my concerns and how I overcame it.
One of mine was that when I went bald... I loved it at first sight and thought it was the best decision I had ever made (considering I always hated the way my hair was - thinning and just generally bad!). Until people (generally family!) started to say I looked better with hair than without! (I now think that it was mainly due to shock regardless of how much better I look)... anyway this created a predicament for me, was I to grow my hair back even though I hated it or was I to take any negative comments with a pinch of salt...
Well I'm now happy to say I took the comments with a pinch of salt and said to myself that I would give baldness a go because I simply prefer it... if people didn't like the way I looked, then so be it. There are billions of people in the world and not everyone WILL find you attractive.
I now know that there are more people in the world who will find you attractive if your confident about the way you look than if you aren't!
I am now part of a great "pulling" cycle... The more people that like the way my confidence makes me look, the more confident I get which means the more people that find me attractive etc etc! and the cycle goes on and on.
I still feel sometimes there are people that just don't like the way I look regardless of how confident I am (simply because not EVERYONE will be attracted to me - and I accept that).
However I now delight in the fact that more people in the world will find me attractive because 1) I DO look better and 2) I KNOW I look better (confidence).
To my SLY brothers... What were your concerns and how did you overcome them?
To the Pre-Sly... If your not sure about going sly, your obviously not sure about your noggin at the moment so you MUST do it! Hopefully with the help from others on this forum, you WILL overcome your fears and your non-confident days will be a thing of the past!
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Just thought i would say great post
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I know my answer doesn't really answer the question the way you intended, but here it goes.
I first shaved (with clippers) my head before going on a hunting trip to Montana. So, my only major concern was that my head was going to get too cold while I was out there. When I got back, so many people gave me compliments on my new look that I decided to keep it.
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When I went sly, all I was worried about was what people would say at school. For the first couple of days, I got weird looks, because people were so used to seing me with hair, but after a couple of weeks, people started saying I looked a lot better.
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Hey S&S... I think that's a common concern.
Regardless of how much you like your new look, you still hope that everyone agrees with you.
As soon as people (friends and especially family) were over the shock, they couldn't stop giving me compliments. Nowadays, my pals have had to "up their game" so to speak when it comes to picking up women in bars. Before it was an easy ride for them with their full head of hair... now chicks can't get enough of my SLY look.
For example, the weekend just gone, they were the only ones who went back empty handed. I hope they don't follow suit and go SLY too as Im currently enjoying having it much easier than them!
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Great post! My concerns were pretty much the same. Mostly fear of people's reaction and what they would say. I was buzzing my hair shorter and shorter for sometime and wanted to shave it with a razor. People told me I had a nice shaped head and I liked the way I looked clipper shaved. I bought a headblade which sat on counter in it's package. It took me about 3 months of talking about razor shaving my head but with no action. One night I finally psyched myself up. Within a matter of minutes I jumped in the shower to soften my hair (a no guard buzz cut at the time), jumped out, lathered up, and took the first swiped across my head. Of course there's no turning back at that point. The feel of gliding my fingers for the first time across the freshly shaved area was amazing.
Shaving my head was a feel of relief and victory at the same time. I finally did something that I wanted to do. It was a desire of mine to shave. I figure it's my life. It's short. Might as well live it. Can't worry about what other think. That was my rationale.
After I shaved, I loved it right away. And knew the look was for me right away. No turning back.
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My going sly was a result of a charity event. There were no immediate concerns as there was a lot of applause, laughter, kidding during the event and it was all for a good cause. When I awoke the next morning it was "What the he11 have I done? Like some have already said, the major concern was what would those who had not seen me before say? How would members of my family and my g/f react? A little bit of that anxiety can still surface when going somewhere knowing old friends or family who I haven't seen in a while will be in attendance. The only way to handle it, in my mind, is to walk in there confidently and boldly and usually NOTHING happens. It is almost always a nonevent. If you are confident with your appearance and who you are no one else reacts to it. I just passed my seventh month of being sly, and this last week was a bit of a test for me seeing people who had not seen me before I am proud to say I don't see that I will ever feel anything but confident about it again. It has now become a part of who I am.
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... It is almost always a nonevent. If you are confident with your appearance and who you are no one else reacts to it. ....It has now become a part of who I am.
I couldn't agree with you more Paul. For most people there is no reaction to your headshaved because it is about confidence. I only get ribbing from my buddies and it's always in good spirit and fun. The camaraderie that it generates help make my headshaving part of me.
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... It is almost always a nonevent. If you are confident with your appearance and who you are no one else reacts to it. ....It has now become a part of who I am.
I couldn't agree with you more Paul. For most people there is no reaction to your headshaved because it is about confidence. I only get ribbing from my buddies and it's always in good spirit and fun. The camaraderie that it generates help make my headshaving part of me.
There is no doubt about the comaraderie of being sly...but even when you are all alone it is fun and interesting. I have been getting an awful lot of stares up here for being the only sly guy around. Rather than finding it intimidating I am getting a kick out of it, I confidently look them in the eye and smile and usually get a smile or nod back. It can be a real conversation starter with women who seem intrigued by a guy who would shave his head and have been told by several I know up here that they really like it. (Alas no head rubs yet)
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... It is almost always a nonevent. If you are confident with your appearance and who you are no one else reacts to it. ....It has now become a part of who I am.
I couldn't agree with you more Paul. For most people there is no reaction to your headshaved because it is about confidence. I only get ribbing from my buddies and it's always in good spirit and fun. The camaraderie that it generates help make my headshaving part of me.
I was amazed at how many people didn't care.
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Well I guess major concern was what would my family think (bro,sist. father, mother) as we don't want to disapoint them..
well I can say it was a big THING for them :Xo! :Xo! >:( >:( @c3.. so it was hard so I kind of got mad and brushed them off.. and I was not nice about it either.
even after 9 years.. especially when I didn't shave for a few weeks or so.. then shave it off.. WTF you doing..
last summer after a month of hair growing went to our family place at the lake.. freshly shaved for vacation their for a week.. my father saw me and started his seen.. ok he's old school I said listen i'm here for a week and if your going to bitching about me shaving I'm not even unpacking.. consider yourself lucky you brought up a good man, respectful man, an honest man.. who loves you both and only wants your respect...not your wishes or commands..
I live in a small town where pretty much everyone knows each other. and for my parents who's in their 60's is almost an embaresment..
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Given I was practically bald on top before going sly, I knew I had a good shaped head for finishing the job that Mother Nature started. However, I was a little concerned about reactions. Those quickly ended when I got almost 100% compliments on the new look (wife still hates it...confirmed again last night).
Again, I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but if you suffer from a scalp condition (such as sebhorreic dermititis like me), you'll find that shaving your head makes it virtually non-exsistent. For that reason alone, I plan on keeping it sly.
Cheers!
Schro
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schro.. I got the confirmation this morning also.. as I was stepping out of the shower I asked My wife.. so.. how is it..
she said I liked it better lastnight when it was just velcro look but it's your head.. :@`
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Well danyroo, looks like you & I are in the same boat.
Great wives, but clueless on the way of sly. Oh well, their loss. O0
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the day that i actually went sly, my biggest concern was " Am I gonna miss the second half?" my story goes like this. the wife and i were talking about my hair. she said i should grow it out. so i asked her to help me figure out some way to fix it until it grows out. we decided that at halftime of the football game we were watching we would play around with it. when she started fooling around with my hair she said " it is getting thinner up here." so i got the clippers and she buzzed it with no guard. then i went to the bathroom and shaved it. and still got to see most of the second half of the game. i guess you could say i shaved on a whim. but hey, it got me here and i have had the chance to get to know all of you great people. so it was very worth it.
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Our entire culture is way too focused on appearance so much so that beautiful young women starve themselves to death!
So it's quite natural (?) to be overly concerned with what others think... after all NOBODY wants to be rejected!
Being SLY has made me come face to face with my own dependence on the acceptance/rejection of others and for the most part set me free from that initial concern.
I think that that’s the foundational element of what it means to be SLY.
Self confidence in who and what you are is a crucial part of happiness and living the life God has given you to it’s fullest.
Sarge
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Our entire culture is way too focused on appearance so much so that beautiful young women starve themselves to death!
So it's quite natural (?) to be overly concerned with what others think... after all NOBODY wants to be rejected!
Being SLY has made me come face to face with my own dependence on the acceptance/rejection of others and for the most part set me free from that initial concern.
I think that that’s the foundational element of what it means to be SLY.
Self confidence in who and what you are is a crucial part of happiness and living the life God has given you to it’s fullest.
Sarge
HOOAH!
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For example, the weekend just gone, they were the only ones who went back empty handed. I hope they don't follow suit and go SLY too as Im currently enjoying having it much easier than them!
Great topic and statement dude! I dig how you love the whole bald thing! O0
But the line I quoted...you've just made it a level playing field...before you were probably a lot more self conscience and shy when it came to girls...now YOU took control , look cool and have actually improved your looks ( to those that find bald attractive...and there are plenty of cool girls out there)....
your mates are way behind and run of the mill (especially for your age group)....keep the secret dude and keep the upper hand...at least until nature leads them to the SLY way! ;)
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I had no concerns, i went bald by choice because i lost a bet, i said that if the Olympic Stadium renovations in Athens Greece were completed that I would shave my head and as long as the roof at Olympic Stadium in Athens is in place I will stay bald. and i started receding, It was the best thing i did by shaving my head in April of 2004, i started out with the clippered look, and once the final roof panel was put in place at Olympic Stadium in Athens was put in place in June 2004, i went with the smooth look, My Uncle in Germany had three hair transplants that didnt work and he is still wearing tupees.
Im enjoying being bald now,
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Was concerned about the shape of head initially but am okay now as it is a fairly good shape.
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Hell I was bald when I came into the world ,be bald on my way out! :*)) That was my rationale lol
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I din't have as much of the "what other people would think"(maybe a little), because generally I like to shock people and I'm allways goin against the norm so to speak. My biggest concern was that I hate to shave my face, so what the heck would I have to go through with having to do my whole head but now that I've got over that and went for it I now have a routine and its not that bad and I'm so glad I finally went for it.
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It seemed to me that my head was about the size of a pea when I shaved it, and so I felt very self-conscious for a week or two. I felt like David Byrne in his oversized suit...
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I had many of the same concerns,but for a different reason:my moustache.I started growing it into a handlebar about 5 years ago.The Handlebar Club started me on the path of large moustaches and there was no turning back.The ame objections many face with baldness,i faced with the moustache."you look better without it.." and so forth.But i kept a growing.Now i have competed in 4 competitons,winning First place in 2,Best of show in one and third in the other.
Check this link out:
http://whiskerclub.org/gallery/albums
Now,after these years of having the moustache,people can't imagine me without it.
Back to the Sly style.When i shaved my head last week,99% of my friends and family,workmates,etc,LOVED it!!!
So much different from the response to my handlebar.
It might be due to a trend of bald headed men(i disagree with it being a trend)being popular.Some perceive that.
But bald heads have always been around.Handlebar moustaches have not.
So now that i have shaved,i have the best of both worlds!! A bald head AND a handlebar!!!
Here is the new pic from the other day
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi62.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh93%2Fn7myw%2FMoustache%2Fbald31.jpg&hash=3f0f62ce1f55229d14cf8f0a75ca350345c3f606)
And also with one of my Borsalino hats:
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi62.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh93%2Fn7myw%2FMoustache%2F10-5-07-21.jpg&hash=c9749e87713f78af30038a99fd8cbee63efe0560)
I love to dress in vintage 1930's and 40's style.The bald head always matches!!!
Thanks to this site and the gentlemen therin,i have a place to chat with other guys!!!!
Jim
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I had many of the same concerns,but for a different reason:my moustache.I started growing it into a handlebar about 5 years ago.The Handlebar Club started me on the path of large moustaches and there was no turning back.The ame objections many face with baldness,i faced with the moustache."you look better without it.." and so forth.But i kept a growing.Now i have competed in 4 competitons,winning First place in 2,Best of show in one and third in the other.
Check this link out:
http://whiskerclub.org/gallery/albums
Now,after these years of having the moustache,people can't imagine me without it.
Back to the Sly style.When i shaved my head last week,99% of my friends and family,workmates,etc,LOVED it!!!
So much different from the response to my handlebar.
It might be due to a trend of bald headed men(i disagree with it being a trend)being popular.Some perceive that.
But bald heads have always been around.Handlebar moustaches have not.
So now that i have shaved,i have the best of both worlds!! A bald head AND a handlebar!!!
Here is the new pic from the other day
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi62.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh93%2Fn7myw%2FMoustache%2Fbald31.jpg&hash=3f0f62ce1f55229d14cf8f0a75ca350345c3f606)
And also with one of my Borsalino hats:
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi62.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh93%2Fn7myw%2FMoustache%2F10-5-07-21.jpg&hash=c9749e87713f78af30038a99fd8cbee63efe0560)
I love to dress in vintage 1930's and 40's style.The bald head always matches!!!
Thanks to this site and the gentlemen therin,i have a place to chat with other guys!!!!
Jim
Funny not only does the bald head make you look "current" it also adds to the cool vintage look!
Very cool bro! O0
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Honestly, none. I knew I had to do it after a hair trimming mistake I did to myself, and liked it afterwards, so I have kept it since that point.
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I was almost bald most of my married life!
So it wasn't to shocking when I shaved it one day and caome out into my living room
my wife and daughter both gave me that wife look and said did you shave your head?
My comment was yes! I did! What do you think! Another wife look and a grunt and that was it!
Everyone else just looked at me funny!!!