Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => General Discussion => Topic started by: D.A.L.U.I. on August 07, 2010, 12:11:38 PM
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I am pretty sure that two guys w/ the horseshoe bald that I knew as a child really affected the way I feel about horseshoe bald--that is, "Never on this head :x!"
The first was an uncle, who although he was very kind and loving as an uncle and spoiled all his nieces and nephews shamelessly, was not only overweight, but a Norwood VII. He had a fire in his house so he lived w/ us for several months and he shared my room. I really disliked the look then and I guess that was the start of the fear that as you get older you can really get ugly.
Second, sixth grade teacher of Spanish, bald head, bad breath, old man style clothes, and all of us thought he was ugly. Typical mean kids, we nicknamed him Harry Toiletseat. Reinforced my fear of losing my hair and getting "ugly."
Those two plus the general public smirks about bald men, my mother & grandmother used to talk about "Look at that ugly old bald man!" So I picked up a lot of mental baggage about being bald. Then it started happening to me--that focused all that negative thinking on myself. That wasn't healthy. But, I did see guys with shaved heads differently that small b bald w/ horseshoes--Yul Brenner of course, a high school teacher--this is the 60's that was radical--and he was cool, smart and much liked by the students. And in college another great professor of Victorian literature. Then of course the entertainment and sports personalities also gave it a positive vib with me. But, my aversion to small b bald rims--definately my uncle and teacher.
How about you guys, any particular memories of how you got the aversion to baldness?
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I think it all comes back to the whole "balding is not a choice but bald is" thing. How many sly guys can you think of -- Stone Cold Steve Austin, Yul Brynner, Vin Diesel, etc., etc -- that would look better with a horseshoe??
Like you, I can remember hearing my parents make comments about "so and so has really lost a lot of hair, what a shame" as well as comments -- rarely positive -- about anyone who grew any facial hair. And as a result, I too got saddled with a lot of baggage that it took a long time to get over.
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Horseshoes and I'd add comb overs. I think for me its guys that had horseshoes and wore their hair long and thinking how bad it looked. Who thinks that either of these guys looks good?
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Photos like those are the reason people fear going bald.
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Photos like those are the reason people fear going bald.
Photos like that prove that 1) cameras are sturdy machines & 2) people who take pictures like freaks! ;D
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When I look at those pics I see those 2 lookin sly. When you have hair but just in a horseshoe it looks so out of place especially when grown out.
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I don't mind a nicely trimmed or buzzed MPB/horseshoe on other men's heads.
When I grew up, men's hair was nothing anyone would talk about, be it positive or negative.
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I don't mind a nicely trimmed or buzzed MPB/horseshoe on other men's heads.
When I grew up, men's hair was nothing anyone would talk about, be it positive or negative.
I agree I see no problem with MPB and a buzz cut. It's only when let to grow too long that Bozo comes to mind.
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I don't mind a nicely trimmed or buzzed MPB/horseshoe on other men's heads.
When I grew up, men's hair was nothing anyone would talk about, be it positive or negative.
I agree I see no problem with MPB and a buzz cut. It's only when let to grow too long that Bozo comes to mind.
If a guy doesn't mind the look and if the remnants are symmetrical, otherwise it's tumbleweeds.
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I don't mind a nicely trimmed or buzzed MPB/horseshoe on other men's heads.
This. In fact, I wear a buzzed horseshoe during the winter months.
The problem with the horseshoe, is that most MPB guys let it grow out and it starts to look like ass very quickly.
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I don't mind a nicely trimmed or buzzed MPB/horseshoe on other men's heads.
This. In fact, I wear a buzzed horseshoe during the winter months.
The problem with the horseshoe, is that most MPB guys let it grow out and it starts to look like ass very quickly.
On point, I would think it's as much or more work keeping it from looking bad, and then there's the worry whether you can delay one more day of buzzing--and although I only did it for little more than a month, it was time consuming to make sure it was all even. And if you have stubble in the "runway" you probably would have to shave that anyway or you'd get a broken chia pet look.
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IMO......It's more work keeping a buzz than to shave it. I didn't always think that way but with MPB (bozo ring) it really is. Once you get your act down Its only a few minutes daily, or every other day and it feels so much better.
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Can't say my reasons are unique or partically original. Going bald has always for me meant being 'old' or even 'tired'.
I've always thought the horseshoe looked awful (though not as bad as combover etc..) and that the total bald look made a guy look alien.
And like many i always hoped that if it were to happen to me, i would be happily married and would recieve all the 'emotional support' i needed from my loving partner. Also there was no way in HELL that i was going to lose any hair before 40.. The idea of it was laughable..
My dad started rapidly thinning in his late 20's, I did not know of it at the time as my mother gave him a hard time over it and he ended up with a hairpiece. These days he looks back and feels that wearing that hairpiece was probably the worst regret of his life. He now has his hair buzzed to something like a 2 but pretty much wears the horseshoe look (plus the few fine hairs he proudly holds onto at the top ; )
Point is i had alot of pretty normal issues with the bald/balding look and already carried alot of self confidence issues, largly regarding my appearance. So to then find myself facing it at such a young age.. it was beyond bleak.
Thankfully i (like many i share this forum with) have found some perspective.
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Never an aversion to balding or to those who are bald. I guess only that classic, full, MPB with anything beyond a buzz signaled (when I was young), "old." Now that I AM old, I realize there are worse things than baldness (just ask my prostate).
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I did not know of it at the time as my mother gave him a hard time over it and he ended up with a hairpiece. These days he looks back and feels that wearing that hairpiece was probably the worst regret of his life. He now has his hair buzzed to something like a 2 but pretty much wears the horseshoe look (plus the few fine hairs he proudly holds onto at the top ; )
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This is the sort of thing I was wondering was out there, like my uncle and teacher, really bad role models so that we got a "super dose" of bad baggage to carry that really doesn't relate to a genetic predisposition. Maybe, we've broken that link, and our sons and male relatives who grow up with us showing ourselves as admirable guys--who shave our head by the way--don't merit any guilt or shame or whatever for them who also share the predisposition to be bald.
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I think you may be right. A white going shaving his head was practically taboo back in the day. Now people are coming to terms with it and many are actually embracing it
Could the days of rugs and plugs be be comming to an end? I for one hope so.
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I don't really have an adversion to the Horseshoe look. The combover-yes. My thought is that if a person wants to wear his hair a certain way, it's his business. Granted, it may look like crap, but it is that persons choice. I have chosen the sly look as it best suits my way of thinking. I personally don't care what a person thinks or dislikes about my appearance. I'm always neat and clean. My slyness signafies this. Therefore, I'm happy.
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I don't really have an adversion to the Horseshoe look. The combover-yes.
My belief is that with the longer horseshoe comes the temptation to flap the hair over the top of the head in an attempt to reduce glare.
When I think of the horseshoe, though, I think of my grandfather. Of all the men I've ever known I respect him the very most. If I needed to revert to the horseshoe, remembering that my grandfather had one, I would consider myself to be in very good company.
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For me the issue is not so much the horshoe because as mentioned a buzzed horshoe looks fine--but my mpb is a very irregular pattern--not sure if that is beacause it is still in progress or what but the look is very uneven once it grows in a bit....
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I actually think if I keep it at a #1 buzz cut, it looks good on me. However, I get complete relief from seborrheic dermatitis by shaving my head.
No hair, no problem. O:O
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I just don't like the look. Most of my life I had shoulder length, curly hair. The women loved it. :@`They would always ask me if I had it permed, LOL. By the time I hit 50, I couldn't even grow a decent crew cut so I shaved it all off. I have several friends sporting the 'reverse Mohawk' and that's fine for them. Not on this head.
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[Old topic, but interesting.]
There are aesthetic reasons: No hair all around seems to highlight the shape of your head, which is or at least can be beautiful. Especially if the hair at the back and on the sides of your head is relatively long and clearly visible, it changes the shape of the head at least in the viewer's perception, making it broader.
But most of the reasons are connected with the fact that the horseshoe clearly marks baldness as MPB and thus as not a stylistic choice. It is therefore associated with (old) age. And if you start noticing that you are losing your hair, this is the worst-case scenario for you (exemplified by your dad, your granddad, your uncle, anybody whom you might think very old and very uncool at the time).
The odd thing with me is that I tested a full shave, but I was not really happy with it and did not feel to comfortable with it aesthetically. Now there is a horseshoe, though cut to 3-4mm, with a relatively big shiny top. If you had told me that this it what I would look like thirty years ago (with relatively thick glasses as a further element dreaded in my early teens), I would have collapsed. But oddly enough, I'm fine now. Perhaps it was the invention of the digital camera, where you can take a thousand pictures of your head and then find four that you like and you decide to take these as the starting point for the rest of your life.