Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => 30 Day Rule / Beginners Section => Topic started by: Ramboorider on April 26, 2017, 08:58:02 AM
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Hi,
I'm about two weeks into shaving my head. I recently found this place, lurked for about a week, and decided to subscribe. I've had a seriously receding hairline for several years now - I'm 57 and have kept my hair really short for about 15 years because once the receding got noticeable, I just thought having longer hair looked pretty bad. I'd been maintaining about a #1 buzzcut for quite a while, got a new Remington trimmer (awesome trimmer BTW) and it's #1 is a LOT closer than the #1 I'd been using before. So it made me effectively bald but with a velcro stubble, so I decided what the hell, lets try shaving the whole thing.
I haven't been at all self-conscious about how I look or people's reactions to me. A few folks have mentioned it, most haven't, those who have have been positive. My Brother in law said it made me look meaner, which I thought was pretty funny, since I'm anything but. I personally like the look a lot better than the short-hair look I've had for so many years...
But the way it FEELS and maintaining it has been a real adventure. When I first shaved it, overtime I reached up and touched my head without thinking about it, I was shocked by the hard, non-pliable surface that having ZERO hair feels like. There was always some give there, some movement, but now it feels like a slightly tacky and warm rock. I'm getting used to it, but I'm not there yet. Even with one day's growth, just before I shave it again, that little bit of stubble feels somehow more normal to me. Also, we've had some semi-cold days since I've shaved it and I really felt a chill at first, although I seem to be adapting to that. And hat's feel really funny. I used to wear a ball-cap most of the time, but with no hair, I feel every seam and irregularity on the underside of the cap and I can't say I like the feel or the look as much as I did when I had hair there...
Also I first shaved it with the electric shaver I've been using on my face for a few years now, a Braun Cool-tech (I think it was a series 5, but I'm not sure and it doesn't say ANYTHING on the shaver). I've since tried a Remington 3-head rotary and various wet shaves (including the Headblade Moto), but damned if I don't keep coming back to the Braun. I've always been an electric face shaver (when I don't have a beard - currently have a goatee) and I just seem to be able to get as close or closer with this Braun than I've ever been able to get with anything, and with far less irritation than a blade. I can't use a blade more than every 2-4 days - the Braun I can do everyday without problems.
Anyway, just a few early thoughts. I'm sure I'm gonna go at least 30 days with this. I'll probably go through the summer. I'm not sure if it'll be permanent. I may go back to having short hair during the winters - I'll definitely go back to a full beard by autumn but don't know about the head yet. We'll see.
Anyway, thanks to all for your various thoughts - I've found this site really interesting and occasionally entertaining to read as other's have gone through the same transition and many have settled into full time slick status.
-Ray
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Guess I should include a pic. This is pre-shave, so a tiny bit of stubble that you might or might not be able to see...
(https://s18.postimg.org/l87ametbd/Bald-2.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/u384wxi3p/)
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Welcome to the site! Stick with it for 30 days and see if you become more accustomed to things. Could just be the newness of seeing / feeling a fully bald scalp.
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The bald look may grown on you. You may be surprised. I know I was!
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I like the look - pretty much did right away. I'm just not used to the feel of it yet, or the process of maintaining it. But the look seemed right as soon as I shaved it off...
-Ray
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The part of your scalp that is now shaved will feel strange for a while. When I first started shaving, I knew exactly where my hairline was because the skin felt completely different. It also seemed to produce more oils at first. Over time, the skin toughens up from exposure and being shaved and the feeling evens out.
As far as maintenance, it takes a while to get into a groove. It seemed to take forever at first - up to 30 minutes. Now, it's pretty quick.
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Welcome Ray! What a way to get rid of the grey, huh? Well, you look good sly, we could be brothers. :)
Yeah, 4 years ago I shaved my head for what was supposed to be a one time thing. After 30 days, it might be hard to go back to having hair. I've tried several times, but I think I look alot younger without the white hair, so I keep shaving it. It's definitely cold in the winter, but great in the summer.
Good luck with the bald head, I hope you will like it. What part of the country do you live?
Mike
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I'm in Pennsylvania, not too far from Philly. Most winters have cold stretches (although this past one was crazy mild) and all summers are hot and humid.
By the way, where did "sly" come from as a description of bald guys? I'd never heard it before I saw this site...
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I'm in Pennsylvania, not too far from Philly. Most winters have cold stretches (although this past one was crazy mild) and all summers are hot and humid.
By the way, where did "sly" come from as a description of bald guys? I'd never heard it before I saw this site...
ME too. I would also like to know.
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http://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/index.php?topic=3939.0
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Welcome, Ray! I had to squint to see the little gray in the picture. One advantage of being gray is that you can't see the shadow left behind after a wet shave. Enjoy the forum and participate often.
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http://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/index.php?topic=3939.0
Thanks - that explains it! I probably won't use it except on this forum, but I'm happy to think of myself as sly. Now to convince my wife she's the family stone... ;)
Thanks for the warm welcome folks.
BTW, if anyone wants a HeadSlick Moto with one slightly used blade and four untouched ones, they're your's for the cost of postage (probably $7 for priority mail). I can't use 'em. Tried again last night and with the blood thinners I'm on, it was a small mess. I do well enough with my electric setup not to mess with a blade going forward. Just let me know...
-Ray
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Guess I should include a pic. This is pre-shave, so a tiny bit of stubble that you might or might not be able to see...
(https://s18.postimg.org/l87ametbd/Bald-2.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/u384wxi3p/)
Looks like you're confident already. Total natural, too. Live it, love it.
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Welcome, Ray. Sly looks good on you. Don't give up completely on blade shaving. I had blood bath issues with Headblade as well, but using a good cartridge razor I am able to get the job done with only an occasional nick.
Going from a #1 to shaved is not a big change, so that is likely why you had few comment. Most people do not notice a difference, but other head shavers will know immediately.
You may want to consider expanding the circle beard into a full beard for a try. Full beards and shaved heads go well together (I admit my bias).
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I've never had much luck with a blade on my face over the years - if I shaved more than every 3 days or so, I had all kinds of irritation that just got worse each time. So I'm not all that worried about sticking with electric - my Braun gets me as close as I've ever felt from a blade and the process is overwhelmingly easier and more familiar for me.
I'll definitely do the full beard thing by sometime this Autumn. I keep a full beard most of the time, but sometime down to a goat during the Spring and Summer. I've come close already - here's a photo with my wife and daughters with a #1 cut and full beard...
(https://s16.postimg.org/cqvqub7c5/16722459_1620770931273005_1187332762786754352_o.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/979t4i4m9/)
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Nice picture , lovely family. Welcome to SBG .
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Well, I made it about 60 days. I liked the look right from the start - didn't have any issues with confidence or anything. And after a couple of weeks I liked the feel of it well enough - didn't love it but got used to it. But I HATED the upkeep! I had to shave pretty much every day - I got my best results with an Andis electric and if I waited two full days, it was like mowing a wheat field, so I was shaving basically every day. And to get it feeling close all over my head, it was a 10-15 minute project every day to cover my head and most of my face.
So I'm out. I'm just gonna use my Remington clippers on their lowest setting (1.5mm) in the summer, which makes me look more or less bald to the casual observer, but there's definitely some fuzz left up there, which I can feel and you can see if you're standing near me. It's just long enough not to get the whole velcro experience when I'm taking a tee shirt off and I kind of prefer the feel of having a little bit of hair up there.
I'll probably just give it a good clip every week or so. It's a lot quicker than shaving and of course FAR less frequent. For the beard, I'll probably use about the #2 or #3 clipper. In the winter, who knows - I may let it grow a bit again. So now I'm just back to shaving my neck daily, which is about a 30 second job.
I appreciate the advice and encouragement from folks here. I'll probably shave it again at some point, but given my history with beards (having them, shaving them, growing them again, etc), I know its not gonna be a constant thing...
-Ray
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That's cool, Ray, if you can tolerate the stubble. Many of us, including me, have to have it smooth as I hate the Velcro feel. Too bad, I thought the shaved head and goatee was an awesome look for you. What's nice is you can take a razor to it whenever you get the urge, then a week later, you're back to the short buzz.
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Thanks. Yeah, I liked the look too, but basically having stubble length hair and beard looks OK too. And my hair is just long enough that it just feels like soft fuzz, not grabby like velcro - shirts slide off right over my head.
I'm sure I'll shave it from time to time, maybe for a few weeks here or there, but I just don't seeing it being a constant thing...
-Ray