Other people's perception of a clipper shaved head

[clipped]

I had an interesting experience on Sunday evening. I had given myself a “haircut” on Saturday afternoon after doing yard work, after a week without a buzz. I used my clipper with a #00000 blade. A week previously, I had used the #000.  For the past year, I have been using the clipper every 5-6 days or so, varying from the #1 blade to the #000000 (outliner) blade. Occasionally, I will razor shave, but not often. So, I have never really considered myself as someone who "shaves his head".  Rather, I think of myself as someone who cuts his own hair very short with a clipper.

On Sunday evening at a party, a neighbor commented that he couldn't remember how I looked with hair "before I started shaving" my head. He asked how long I had been “shaving”; if I had any hair left on the sides (this is with a day's growth after the #00000, but my hair is white); commented that another balding neighbor looked younger when he briefly had a #1 buzz.  I said that I used a clipper & that this was a “0”. He asked again if I shaved.  He didn't seem to get the distinction between “shaving” and “using a clipper”.  I suppose for many people, “using a clipper” on a #1 or less is “shaving”. 

Today, I did a #000000 outliner clippershave.  Thinking about my neighbor's comments on Sunday evening, this really does qualify as a “shaved head”, although because I use a clipper, and not a razor, I think of it as a tight buzz cut.  But I guess most people would consider me as someone who “shaves his head”. In fact, over the summer, when I said something to my wife about “shaving” my head when I used the razor to shave my head while on vacation, she commented that “you shave your head all the time”.  So, even though I am not using a razor, people consider me as someone who shaves his head.  Do I think as myself as someone who shaves hi head? Not really, but I guess I do.
 
Like a lot of men with MPB, I switched to a buzz cut, about 9 years ago around age 50, and had a #1.5 mostly for a long time, going to the barber every 3 weeks or so. About a year ago, I bought my own clipper and blades and have gradually cut it shorter & shorter. I haven't been to a barber in almost a year.

So, if you clipper shave, do you think of yourself as someone who shaves his head?  What do other people think of your very short clipper cut?  Do they think that you have a buzz cut or that you shave your head?

[slybeard]

As far as the general public is concerned, a short "clipper cut" is a shave.  Many will call anything shorter that a number 4 (1/2") a shave.  The only ones that notice the difference are ourselves and others that actually do buzz or shave.  With a no guard buzz, there is only a small visual difference.  The fact is, either with a razor or a clipper, the result is just a very short haircut.  While a razor is the closest "cut" possible, it is not much different from a no guard clipper.  Most guys that use a razor do so more for the feel than the look.  For those with dark hair and pale skin, a razor may help reduce the shadow, but only for a few hours. 

I had the same types of comments about shaving when I had a short buzz.

[reddog]

Hi Clipped,  I am the same age as you, and also have white hair, and I assure you, as short as you have been cutting your hair, you look bald. When I don't shave for a couple of days, I'm still bald, with a little stubble the is hard to see. OOne benefit of the white hair is you have no shadow when you shave.  

[waine]

That's the only thing I do not enjoy about being sly: That shadow.  An old half senile lady asked me in the pharmacy one day: "Why is there such a big bruise on your head?"

[Magoo]

Yes I have to laugh at some of the stories in the magazines or TV, were so and so shaved their head and all they did is a short crew cut.   

[TheSlyBear]

Remember that most guys "shave" with an electric razor rather than a blade. So to them, using clippers is a shave.

[slymyke]

When I first started buzzing my hair, I used different guards each time.. and got to where I was using no guard.  I still felt that I was "saving" a razor shave for when I wanted a different look.  I used the buzzer for about 4 years, then shortly after joining SBG last November, I went ahead and shaved it for the first time (so many comments on here about how much better it felt).  I have razor-shaved now ever since then (shaving 3 or 4 times per week).  Also, I realized the look was not that different than a no-guard buzz-shave.

Clipped,
 I have to say that I am amazed that you went to the barber for a buzz-cut every three weeks for 8 years.  I bet they hated when you stopped sitting in their barber chair for that easy money.-  lol.

[Sir Harry]

When I go to a barbershop (there are three or four that I randomly go to depending on other factors) one guy only does clipper shaves, another will ask the customer "clipper or razor" and the others will use the clippers unless the customer specifically asks for a razor shave. I think that a shaved head is a shaved head regardless if clippered or razored, but only sly guys can tell a clipper shaved head from a razor shaved head.

[isleepinthebuff]

In my teens I liked long hair but in my 20's I liked it short, that could range from a 0 to spiked and short at the sides. I said I had a shaved hair cos I shaved it. Just like pre-beard I used to shave my face sometimes with an elec razor until I discovered wet shaving. I didn't use another term when I used a elec razor I was shaving!

Shaved heads are still popular and now I think they lack the political statement judgements people used to make or associate with the look. I see a non MPB shaved head as just a haircut, which is what I see "BBC" razor heads as, cos at the end of the day you can opt out of the style at any time.

Saying that, I don't really find myself assesing the hair of everyone I meet I have to say ha ha!

[clipped]

Clipped,
 I have to say that I am amazed that you went to the barber for a buzz-cut every three weeks for 8 years.  I bet they hated when you stopped sitting in their barber chair for that easy money.-  lol.

Slymyke: Over the years, I gradually went shorter, starting at #2, long time at #1.5 and gradually down to #000, with a two periods with a flattop.  I was glad that I tried the Flat while I still had enough hair (just barely) to do so. I was also taking my son for his haircuts....it was a good father-son time every 3-4 weeks.   It was an old fashioned style barbershop, so I also kept going for the "Barber shop experience" - sports on TV and the talk.  My last attempt at the flattop is what resulted in my buying my own clipper.  My barber told me that I didn't really have enough hair left for a flattop and that he really couldn't do much with what hair I did have.  He said that I should just shave it all off, and that he thought that look suited me well.  I appreciated his honesty, even if he did loose a customer.   Before the first #2 buzz, I had been getting a short "regular" business cut. Switching to the buzz made sense as I was getting more bald at the crown.  he helped me make the move to buzz that eventually led to the clippershave.  Along the way I found Sly Bald Guys.  it has been a long but good journey.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments.       

[Vogi_the_bald]

Even though I am in my mid twenties, I have only really had "long hair" for about 7 years my entire. I always liked the buzz cut. I hate hair, and shave pluck and trim every hair on my body (i have had the few "stages" when i dyed and styled it into funky hair dues). Except below the waste... I always said I was going to "shave" my head. That was because in ROTC and the military programs always telling me it is not a hair cut. Call it what you will, people tend to give you a weird look when you call anything under 1/4 of an inch a "hair cut". Just say shave for the sake of weird looks or the ever so clever "what hair".

[Barbero Pelón]

Is unbelievable how some millimeters makes the difference,but nothing is compared with the feeling of being shaved.


Buzzcuts: Everything do it with a machine (#8 to #1)

Clippers Shave: #0 to #0000 and electric shavers (You look bald,but it doesn't feel that way)

Head Shave: Razor,if your scalp doesn't feel like the skin of a dolphin, you're not really BALD.

[reddog]

It's true, when you have white hair, it can take a week or two of growing before you don't look bald. The good thing about white hair is when shaved, there is absolutely no shadow. You have a nice even skin tone on your entire head.

[chrisphilly123]

It's true, when you have white hair, it can take a week or two of growing before you don't look bald. The good thing about white hair is when shaved, there is absolutely no shadow. You have a nice even skin tone on your entire head.

that's pretty cool; i never really thought about that but makes sense.

[Miller1989]

Back in my teens, when I used to get a #1 buzz, everyone referred to it as "shaved". I think most people consider #1 or shorter shaved.