Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => To be or not be...Bald => Topic started by: Scott on January 22, 2008, 11:51:27 PM
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Just thought I'd share an essay assignment I just completed for my online English class. Wanted to let you guys know the impact you'd had on me and how empowering head shaving is. Sorry if it's long! Oh yeah, please don't steal my hard work!
The number one thing men fear as they enter their twenties is their inability to attract attention from the opposite sex. As I transitioned from high school to college, I noticed that Mother Nature had begun her wrath – my hairline was receding! At first I thought I was the only one who noticed, however, my barber also noted my newfound horror. I realized there wasn’t much I could do but to work with what I had left. Over the next ten years my hairline progressively worsened, which resulted in a poor self-image and increased stress in social situations. It became even more difficult to approach women or feel attractive, as my confidence fell every time I looked in the mirror.
Before deciding to shave my head bald, due mainly to male pattern baldness, I was scared of how people would treat me and thought I would be even more self-conscious, yet after finally doing it I’ve learned that people haven’t treated me any differently and that I’m more confident than ever about my appearance. The decision over whether or not to shave my head caused extreme stress and sleeplessness as I was gripped with fear over the reaction of my friends and perhaps most importantly my family. As I stood at the mirror shaving my face, I finally made the decision to just do it so I quickly went down the middle of my head with my razor. That singular action resulted in an immediate boost of confidence as I studied my newly shiny head. My self-confidence grew to all-time highs as I continued to peel away the hair that had held me captive for so long. My family’s reactions were very surprising in that no one even noticed I had shaved bald until I pointed it out, and even then it was very supportive. My friends were quite shocked at first but I wasn’t treated any differently and the females in my life eagerly gave me my first head rub and were soon overheard trying to persuade the other guys to give shaving a try.
I’m convinced that my apprehension to shave my head was a result of society’s perception of bald men. For years, modern media portrayed men as sexy and attractive only if they had a thick head of hair; whereas if they were bald, they must ride Harley’s or be troublemakers. I had watched numerous late-night infomercials from various companies touting their hair restoration miracles. It felt as if the companies knew I would be watching as they demonstrated just how lonely, unsuccessful, and desperate balding men are to the opposite sex. My self-esteem tumbled every time I witnessed one of those spectacles and I, like so many other men, felt so struck with fear that I would actually consider enduring painful hair restoration procedures or purchasing what were obviously quick-fix products. Money was of course a driving factor in my ultimate decision to solve my problem by shaving my head. The anticipation was worse than the actual deed. Although it seemed extreme at the time, it was more financially feasible than enduring a hair transplant and I’ve never been comfortable with surgical procedures anyway.
My head shaving experience led me to an epiphany that I had not realized in all my years of worrying about my lack of hair or how unattractive I felt – confidence is everything. Words simply cannot express how much my attitude and confidence changed once I shaved. A weight had definitely been lifted from my shoulders and many people started noticing the new “inner” me and complimented how much more self-assured I appeared. The internet was not a medium I had ever actively participated in; however, my discovery of a website for bald guys piqued my interest so I joined. In the online community of Sly Bald Guys (www.slybalduys.com ) I discovered that many men of various ages and body types had embraced their balding issues and shaved. The website’s members boosted my confidence significantly more and it became a great forum to share my experiences and help alleviate others’ fears about shaving. There’s a wonderful family feel to the site and I have learned much more about head shaving techniques than I would have ever thought possible.
It would have been easy for me to admit that I didn’t care what others thought about my looks or how I was perceived by strangers. But the reality is I did care. Once I stopped denying my baldness and embraced it, my feelings changed. Although I still yearned to be accepted by my closest friends and of course by my family, for the first time in my life I honestly didn’t care if they accepted my new look. The bottom line was that I faced and embraced the thing I feared the most and was able to be comfortable with myself. The emergence of such iconic personalities as Michael Jordan, Bruce Willis, and Andre Agassi resulted in the media’s shift in embracing bald men as someone who was attractive to the opposite sex, successful in their careers, and had faced mother nature head on and won. Society’s new perception of bald men definitely had an affect on my decision. The bald or “sly” look has become a timeless style embraced by men of all ages. I haven’t encountered any bald jokes or negativity, only curiosity.
Before I took the plunge and shaved my head bald, I had many sleepless nights. There were several factors that haunted me each night as I tried to go to sleep, including how people would perceive me and if I would end up being even more self-conscious than I already had been, yet after finally taking charge and doing it I realized that people hadn’t treated me any differently and that now I’m more confident than ever about my appearance. Since I conquered my fears about my appearance by shaving I’ve asked myself “why didn’t I do this sooner?” Shaving my head was therapeutic in that as I did it that first time, I felt more and more confident with each stroke of the razor. My parents, friends, and co-workers never faltered in supporting my new hairstyle, and perhaps even more importantly to me, beautiful ladies find rubbing my head to be an irresistible experience in itself and I haven’t complained yet!
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I really enjoyed your essay. Good work!
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Scott, Truly awesome mate!!Well done O0 I am amazed.
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Nice work Scott! You got an A+ from me!
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Outstanding piece Scott!
As you stated....... Confidence IS everything!
Mike 8)
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copied and pasted. >:D not really bro, that was very good read. i enjoyed it.
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Well done, Chef Scott!!!! O0 O0 Now, can you help me out with a sandwich? :*))
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Good read, Scott. Let us know how it goes over with your class.
Thanks for sharing.
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Nice work!
Man, it does make you remember how much "worry" there is with losing your hair (even though I'm BBC, I never liked what my hair would do and I would stress out about it)...
Going slick bald (and sly) took care of any worries and replaced the worries with a surprise confidence we've all experienced...
thanks for the reminder Scott! O0
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Outstanding essay, Scott!
It reflects the development many of us had very well.
J
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Now you're cookin' Scott! Well done.
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scott....i thoroughly enjoyed that sly read. O0
WARHAWK O0
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Great essay, Scott and very well written. Thanks for sharing it.
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Great epiphany
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Good job Scott!
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Thanks guys for your kind words - got rave reviews from my classmates and instructor as well.
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Thanks guys for your kind words - got rave reviews from my classmates and instructor as well.
scott....way 2 represent the sly fraternity. O:O O:O O0
WARHAWK O0
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Scott that was an extremely articulate and well thought out piece. Outstanding job that should be read by every guy who is "on the fence' about whether to shave or not, MPB or BBC. If the prof doesn't give you and A+, give me his name and address. :x!
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Scott, that was one outstanding 'from the heart' essay. I could identify with everything you said. And it makes me proud to be part of such an awesome forum.
SLY Guys R-O-C-K! 8)
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Those words that came from Scott's head and fingers were and still are on many peoples tongue. That was and is an outstanding essay. That speaks to many people in this forum..new or old....very well said Scott....Do I hear a Standing Ovation???? I think I do...
Timmay
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Fantastic essay.
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Well said Scott! And I agree; we all should have done it sooner.
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Thanks bros I appreciate it! I got an A so I'm very happy!
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Way to go Scott! The power of SLY even extends to the classroom.
Mike
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Thanks bros I appreciate it! I got an A so I'm very happy!
yeah me too! thanks :P ha a j/k