Sly Bald Guys Forum
Head Shaving, Grooming & Care => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: kdog on September 27, 2009, 06:05:44 PM
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Wanted to tell you my tweezing story so anyone out there thinking of doing this will have a better understanding.
Well, I read about tweezing from a couple of guys on this forum that got me interested. My interest was to get rid of the MPB shadow. So I bought myself an epilator to give it a go. I had 3 and a half days worth of growth by Fri evening and all weekend to finish the job. By 9pm I got the courage to put the thing against my head - still hesitant and unsure to go along with it (by the way my wife thought I had lost it by this stage). As soon as the 'teeth' touched my hair, I shrieked in pain and quickly pulled the epilator away. Looking at my head completely red, I mistakingly thought I was bleeding! Took a rest for about 30 mins & then gathered up courage to go for it again - this time using the 'tape method' from scalptweezing.com website. I found this quite difficult as the tape didn't stick to my head and had to focus my energy on holding it down in place instead of manoeuvring the epilator. Anyway, I tried to work my way up along the narrow exposed strip of hair. The pain was bad. I stopped to check & it looked more like a wound - bright red and all the hair still seemed to be there!! After a couple of minutes I could feel the skin becoming swollen. At this point I gave up, I thought this was not for me, maybe my skin's too sensitive or something.
Disappointed but still thinking about the experience (while watching tv), I looked at the epilator and saw it had actually grabbed quite a lot of hair by their roots. I could see a thick white bulb at the bottom of the follicles. But how come there was no effect, I mean there seemed to be no difference as the layer on my head was still full of hair? Maybe because there is so many hair there! If some hair were uprooted then given enough time, this has to work! This was the Eureka moment.
At 10.30 on Fri night I went for it full on. I chose to go without the tape, starting at left side of my head. I just worked at it, grabbing the hair here and there. I didn’t want to focus completely on one spot till it was clean. I wanted to work evenly over the whole side to manage the pain a bit better and not to over-focus on one spot. I spent 2 and a half hours that night plugging away on the left side.
On Saturday, I started working on the right side even though the left side wasn’t completely done but again didn’t want to overwork one particular side. I spent six hours on Sat doing pretty much the whole head. I found the back of the head the hardest (I have thickest hair there just below bone protrusion). After slugging away like this, I had most of my head covered by Sat night. The only areas left were the back which I found really difficult to work and few spots here and there. I decided to get these on Sun. By the way, six hours straight pain was quite taxing and I was absolutely exhausted by Sat night…
On Sun (today) morning I started to focus properly on the back of my head. In about 3 hours I got it down to a narrow strip just below the protruding bone but found this virtually impossible to break. The pain was torture and I noticed the epilator was hardly pulling any hair. The hair that were pulled showed very deep roots. At this point I had to take a break to re-think my goal. My goal was to get rid of the MPB shadow which was gone as I had successfully removed all hair above the ears. So, I decided to concede the narrow strip at the back and just shave it off. My plan now is to keep the dome above the ears clean and shave the lower back. I’ve done this and it’s not noticeable at all. In the last hour today I went over all of the head again as there were some patches to be cleaned off…looked in the mirror..was proud of what I saw. There were tiny hair all around the head that I couldn’t get but these were not noticeable unless you looked at it really close up. Gave my head a rest for about an hour (as it felt sensitive and had an uncomfortable tingly feeling especially when I sneezed!) before shaving the back and those tiny hair all around the head.
By the way as regards to the pain, it is PAINFUL. But I felt the first few times you put epilator against your head is the worst. The body then kind of de-sensitises and the pain does seem manageable although some areas will really make you wonder why you are doing this – ‘have I gone crazy?’ stage. What did work for me in managing the pain was stretching the skin with your free hand and really focussing on the pain as you feel each hair being pulled out. For me distractions like TV and talking to others was not good as was caught out by the surprising jolt of pain. Be aware of the pain, focus on it and just remember it is only from your hair being pulled out (and not from a knife vibrating against your skin which it sometimes seemed to feel like!). But to be honest you do get used of it so pain should not be a hindrance if you REALLY want to do this – I don’t think it is so bad that you will pass out or anything.
Also, surprisingly when I finished today my head is not red at all. I went outside to the mall and no one gave me an odd look. Maybe because my skin is darker so the redness isn’t that noticeable, I don’t know.
So, where am I going from here? I think I will see how it unravels and whether I can maintain it properly. Right now my aim is to let my head heal and see what kind of growth I get in the next week. But I will try to pull out any hair as early as possible as feel the longer I leave the more difficult it will be and I don’t want to go through this experience again. I understand from others that the regrowth will be sparse so don’t expect anything like this again plus I’ve heard the pain reduces considerably the second time.
As for any tips, I have to say think carefully before doing this because once you start you have got to finish it. Motivation is very important – you have to have it strong enough to get through 12 hours. You don’t want to think what you’ve got yourself into 4 hours in. So make sure you really, really want to do it. Secondly the pain is bad but is manageable – harder in some areas than others. The main problem is with the amount of time that’s involved. If it was only one or two hours, I would say there is no problem but because we are talking about a whole weekend of pain (with a lot of short breaks of course) then it’s a different story. The length of time makes it much more painful. If you can’t take it you can always use a few shots of whiskey/vodka (so yes, keep that close to ya)!!
And lastly, if you decide to go down this road – GOOD LUCK & stay bald!
O0
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Kdog,
I just finished reading your post in it's entirety and have to say you are a better man than me on this one. That is not something I have the time or tolerance for. Please post pics of your before and after result, I am curious to see that.
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With Pain, Comes Bald Glory and Handsome Results. Thank you for sharing youir story ! ---Stasiu
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thanks for your full report. No pain no gain. Send pics when u can.
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Before (2 days growth)
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1 day after tweezing (notice a skin is still tender with pimples)
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After (side view)
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After (front)
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Kdog,
I just finished reading your post in it's entirety and have to say you are a better man than me on this one. That is not something I have the time or tolerance for. Please post pics of your before and after result, I am curious to see that.
Chromeskull: don't get me wrong, I think this is do-able by anyone - as long as the motivation (that's the key) is there. Believe me, I was able to do this but I still can't stand an injection syringe!!! ;)
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good work!
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Thanks Kdog, I am going to consider this. Yea and needles aren't my thing either. I don't mind tattoos though.
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Owwie! :'(
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What epilator did you use. The one I bought didn't work but I want to try it again with a better epilator to see what will happen.
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I've tweezed the island on the top front but can't imagine doing the rest.
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What epilator did you use. The one I bought didn't work but I want to try it again with a better epilator to see what will happen.
Actually a very basic one...Braun Silk-epil SoftPerfection only cost €50...I noticed I had to go over the same spot quite a few times to start seeing that it was working..hope it helps good luck!
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do u see and like the difference?
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do u see and like the difference?
yes I'm very happy with the result - no sign of MPB shadow no matter what lighting etc..but only worth all the pain if I can get a manageable way of maintaining it..let's c how it goes. will keep u posted over the next few weeks.
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Dude....... WHOA! you've got big ones.........that's all I've got to say...................
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Update as it's been 3 days since I tweezed my head..the scalp's still a bit sore and hair regrowth is sparse of very fine, thin hair...not visible at all except from 1inch away & I don't let anyone come that close, he he!! Can't even see them in mirror, the only way I know is from touch, overall look's still completely bald.
Did my first maintenance tweez this evening & surprisingly didn't hurt AT ALL :) I could feel hair been pulled out but without pain & took only 20 mins, coulda finished in 15, wanted to be absolutely thorough ;) then scrubbed a bit of medical alcohol to disinfect.
So far it seems this is very manageable - even easier than shaving each day!
Guys, u only need to take the pain of the first tweez - that's all..after that seems like the ride's easy & I feel such a big difference personally... I'm ecstatic!!
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Like I have said about waxing and lasering , you can keep it. :/O
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Like I have said about waxing and lasering , you can keep it. :/O
actually it's neither, if u read the topic it's tweezing
btw I'm not an idiot either, if I like tweezing, then deal with it..not twisting ur arm or anything.. this post is to help anyone who wants to tweez or considering tweezing.
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First off, I can read. I was referring to my other posts regarding subjects other than shaving.
I put them all in the same category, because I think it's a waste of time and money.
Shave your damn head and deal with it! Nobody said you were an idiot, obsessive I would definitely say, but now that you mention it, maybe you are. :D
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First off, I can read. I was referring to my other posts regarding subjects other than shaving.
I put them all in the same category, because I think it's a waste of time and money.
Shave your damn head and deal with it! Nobody said you were an idiot, obsessive I would definitely say, but now that you mention it, maybe you are. :D
Well, that's your opinion mate & ur entitled to it.. at least I'm not so damn sad with my life that I've to go around in forums looking to put people down & impose my own narrow way of thinking - u know what, I'm actually happy!! & I'm done with arguing with u...
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That's right mate, that is my opinion, and when you have to come in and brag about tweezing your darn scalp, that's a sad life my friend. But as long as you're happily obsessed, good for you.
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Ok guys, let's not ruin this thread. I think it's great that someone is sharing his experience
with tweezing. If after a month or so it no longer hurts who knows I might try it. I would love
to but of course if it will look good (all parts growing at the same time, not having hairs growing in one
part and another nothing growing yet), and has little pain.
But I do want to point out where things went wrong in this thread. NewYawka may not have
intended to say "idiot" but unfortunately that emotion figure or whatever you call it ...... :/O.....stands
for "idiot". That's where kdog got the impression from.
Anyway, nobody is sad and has no life. Sharing experiences is really great, especially when it deals
with removing hairs on one's scalp. After all, this is what SBG is about.
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Ok guys, let's not ruin this thread. I think it's great that someone is sharing his experience
with tweezing. If after a month or so it no longer hurts who knows I might try it. I would love
to but of course if it will look good (all parts growing at the same time, not having hairs growing in one
part and another nothing growing yet), and has little pain.
I'm only 4 days in so will keep updating over the next few weeks. The head's no longer sore even though I did a maintenance tweez last night (didn't hurt at all). It does still look good even after 3 days growth - regrowth is barely visible and something no one notices. Before my next tweez (maybe this w/end), i'll post some pics of the state of affairs on top!
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Math Guy: (This wasn't supposed to be in the grey box in last post)
I'm only 4 days in so will keep updating over the next few weeks. The head's no longer sore even though I did a maintenance tweez last night (didn't hurt at all). It does still look good even after 3 days growth - regrowth is barely visible and something no one notices. Before my next tweez (maybe this w/end), i'll post some pics of the state of affairs on top!
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2nd maint tweez yesterday night...had more growth than Wed and a bit painful, also took longer about 40 mins (just cos I was being over picky and going after each follicle!)...even though I promised not to tweez at the back below the ears, I did it anyway! O0
Took longer this time, but still worth it..
Didn't get time to take before pics though, flat out at work - had to work through the weekend closing 3rd quarter!!! 8 days doing 12 hours a day is exhausting! :'(
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NewYawka may not have
intended to say "idiot" but unfortunately that emotion figure or whatever you call it ...... :/O.....stands
for "idiot".
:/O means idiot??? Crap, I've been using it wrong. I thought it meant crazy.
Kdog, keep posting. I don't plan on tweezing, but I like reading about other's experiences on things like this. It keeps the options open.
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Thanks for the detailed report K. I'm not considering doing that but it's nice to see all different approaches.
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no problem at all guys, I will keep updating.
If even one person reading this solves his (or her!) concerns by tweezing, it's all worth it.
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And there is a web site called scalptweezing.com (http://www.scalptweezing.com/) and a Yahoo group called Permanent Scalp Hair Removal (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/permanentscalphairremoval/), both of which offer much useful information.
Wow, that site is FREAKY. Not only are there a a bunch of guys who aren't balding that tweeze a MPB pattern or a bald spot in back, the guy who runs it goes on about how he is so obsessed with a bald head that he used to masturbate with a bald cap on.
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Kdog -
Any update on the tweezing? Were you able to maintain it?
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Definitely a freak Mazzie! But you can learn methods from anyone.
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sorry guys haven't been here for a while - a quick update, tweezing's going great... 6 months in and it's become even easier. I had a bit of a problem with dry skin a month or so ago but nothing an exfoliating scrub couldn't take care of! ;)
Now I scrub the scalp thoroughly every two days (leaving it unbelievably smooth) and tweez only every 7 to 9 days. Takes me about 30 mins to tweez and 2 mins for a quick shave after..not very painful, but gotta hand it still a bit uncomfortable at start of the tweez. Bottomline, for me it's even easier to maintain than shaving..
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Does this really Work???!!!
If it only cost $30 and it is effective, then wow!
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Does this really Work???!!!
If it only cost $30 and it is effective, then wow!
six months in so far so good - am loving it! let's see what future brings - will keep you all posted ..but right now, one day at a time O0