Sly Bald Guys Forum
New Member Section => Introductions => Topic started by: samtheman on May 29, 2010, 08:28:19 PM
-
Hey Sly Guys.
My name is Sam, and I've certainly gotten more comments about green eggs and ham then I have about my hair loss, but I'm getting prepared mentally to shave it all off regardless. I'm 28 years old, and from when I was 14 all the way to 24 I had long hair pulled back into a ponytail that I used to let out and swing around and headbang at metal concerts. Then I went through a bit of a stressful period and developed psoriasis, which over the last few years has resulted in me having some major flakes(and I like to wear a lot of black...doesn't go together very well), and hair loss around the top front of my head.
So as I understand it, a bit of sunlight and a shiny shaved head can help out with clearing up psoriasis. And the way I look at it, since I've got a pretty dorky combover going on now, why not just shave it all off? Right? I've been looking over this forum for a few days, and from what I've read I'm going through the standard worries everyone goes through. I'm wondering if I'm going to look funny...is my head structure suited to slyness? Do I keep a beard/goatee? How bumpy is my head under this rug? I can be lazy, how hard is this going to be to maintain? With all of these questions bouncing around in my head, I've pretty much decided to just go for the sink or swim approach and dive right into it and shave it off and see what happens after. I'm going to wait a couple days for my current psoriasis flare up to cool off, and the blade will be hitting the dome.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg689.imageshack.us%2Fimg689%2F5376%2Fphoto1qu.jpg&hash=df05ce65ec6df10cfc05f7b62b2bc81db33fe6b2)
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg691.imageshack.us%2Fimg691%2F540%2Fphoto2lc.jpg&hash=de0c664bf23dc95bc03a5a6d373c3c75d833388e)
-
Go for it! You're going to look great with a slick dome. Bald >> comb over
-
You'll look just fine; no need to worry. And there's a good chance that it will help your psoriasis; it's worked for a lot of other people. Good luck and let us know how you make out.
-
Welcome to SBG!
-
hey sam: welcome 2 the sly fraternity. glad that ya joined us. good luck on your upcoming head shave. keep us posted to your road 2 slyness. O0
WARHAWK O0
-
Thanks guys.
I'm pretty excited to do it, I want to do it right now! I think I'm going to grab my clippers and do the first step and see whats really going on up there.
Short random side story for you all. About 5 years ago this incredibly beautiful girl I worked with had recently broken up with her sly boyfriend. I like tall girls, and she was 5'11, native american girl who had done runway modeling, she showed me her pictures from the time. She started telling me that I should shave my head, and I was of course totally shocked by the suggestion and never did it. A couple weeks later she started dating a new sly guy, I found out after she bailed on me for a date. (ouch) After that, I tend to believe the rumors that a lot of the ladies love the sly guys.
All of you guys with pictures of you with like 5 different women hanging off of you, well your my heros. And all the posters I've seen here, they all look good with the style, so I'm feeling optimistic I should come out ok. Thanks for the support all the same, while I'm half confidant, the other half of me is a bit freaked out so you guys are awesome for speaking up in support.
-
Welcome to the forum, Sam. Glad you could join us!
If you like to wear black a lot, just the shear absence of dandruff to deal with makes going sly worth the price of admission alone. Let alone having to deal with the oh-so-obvious comb-overs and the anxiety that goes with having to maintain that self-delusion.
AND ... your skin problems will, in most likelihood, clear up to a large degree as well. HOWEVER ... It's essential that you do some research on this site on how to properly prep, shave and maintain your scalp if you have skin issues. Fortunately there are many guys on the forum who have been in your position and are more than happy to help out any time you have a question of ANY sort.
So, check out the 30-day Rule threads, make your resolution, and go for it! O0
-
Sam, have you done the clipper yet? That should give you an overall idea of what you're heading for, but it doesn't do the look of your head justice until you shave it. It's a small matter but a huge one too! ENJOY THE MOMENT!!!! O0
-
Thanks Ozzie and Nonick. And yes Ozzie, thanks to this website I did check some of those posts and I had a much better idea of how to go about the shaving process. I did the clipper stage to see how bad my current flare up really was, and it really could have been worse so I went ahead and have gone SLY!
Wow that was more exciting then I expected. I was standing there with the clippers looking at myself in the mirror for about 10 minutes trying to chicken out before I actually put the clippers to work. But once the hair started coming off and I saw the shape of my skull under, I was grinning! I think it looks pretty good! I am curious to hear what veteran slys think, but as I know the most important thing is what I think, and I'm already happy with it. The 30 day rule is a great idea, and I think I'm off to a good start mentally, I'm loving it! I'm also getting the urge to get my ears pierced again....I had a job that made me take them out a few years back.
So I've got some pictures to show the final results for everyone. And for those who might have psoriasis and are worried how things might look at first, I've even got a straight on shot of my dome, and yes you can see some red patches. I'm pretty sure they will go away quick enough and I should be left with just looking awesome. Right now its awesome, with a dash of redness. And there is also a nick you can't see on the back of my head....when they say don't press down they mean it! You will learn just what that means soon enough. Hopefully I've learned my lesson thourougly today and don't repeat that very often haha! Ok here is the pictures, comments and suggestions would be very welcome.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg41.imageshack.us%2Fimg41%2F3149%2Fsly1.jpg&hash=db4511e5a0df4360e1cae9cb424c23c9ad208366)(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg204.imageshack.us%2Fimg204%2F9203%2Fslyred.jpg&hash=4a69beb57d52b8f09641c635ee45abdd3032d142)(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg257.imageshack.us%2Fimg257%2F2924%2Fslyglasses.jpg&hash=79beac0884832f521ca2c16451ca13190145e637)
-
looks fantastic! The smooth head suits you well. Much better than the comb over too. Glad you like it... sounds like you're a converted sly guy. Now go get pierced and complete the Mr. Clean look! haha
-
Thanks InProgress!
I should have done this a long time ago. It's kind of funny right now, my dog keeps staring at me. I guess if the dog is reacting like this, I should prepare myself a little for the people that know me. At least I can face them better now, then with that combover.
Day 1 Scorecard: Sly 1 / Combover 0
-
Congrats, Sam. Looks great on you.
-
Looks fantastic Sam. You carry off the sly look really well.
Make sure to apply some astringent, like Witch Hazel to your freshly shaved dome, and a touch of soothing after shave balm. This will help keep the skin nice and calm. And make sure things that come in contact with your newly shorn dome, like hats, pillow slips etc., are very clean.
Congratulations once again.
O0
-
Maybe your dogs want to be sly too. Go ahead and shave 'em ;)
Seriously though, you look good, a lot better than before! Congratulations
-
Congrats on your fast decision! Looks fantastic.
But be aware your sly adventure has only just begun!
-
I agree with everyone else- looks super!
-
You’re looking great Sam, congratulations and welcome to the bald look. I agree with everybody else. You look great and a lot better without the comb over. And don’t worry about what everybody else is going to say because I know the comments are going to be supportive of you choice to go completely bald.
The transformation is outstanding, sharp and exceptional. Bald is Beautiful indeed and your certainly do rock the look. I can tell you that you just took off a pretty good number of years by just shaving your head. Much younger looking then before. Enjoy the freedom of being bald and I can already see the confidence glowing on your face. Good luck and glad to have you on board.
-
Looks great, Sam. Welcome
-
Great new look--and another dead combover scratched into the post at SBG O0
-
Thanks for all the welcomes and positive comments sly guys! Also Ozzie, thanks for your words of experience and wisdom, I'm going to have to look through the cabinet to see if I can find some witchhazel. I did use some Nivea shaving balm, same stuff that I've been using on my face for a while and so far it feels pretty good up there. I can tell my skin condition will take a couple days to adjust, and admit its defeat.
I saw while I was lurking around on an older thread where there was a young guy who was having a hard time with coming to terms that he was balding. He said something about how he felt like shaving his head would be like admitting defeat, and he didn't want to give up so easily. I can understand what he means, but the way I see things I feel like I just declared victory. I was losing when I cared about what other people thought and tried to hide what was going on.
Thanks again everyone, and also USMCPelon for your exceptionally kind words. I do plan on sticking around and contributing to the forums, your a great group of people, and I'm only just beginning on the path of the sly guy.
-
Your very welcome. My girlfriend was amazed at your transformation and very surprised. She say your a very luck guys and shouldn't have any problems with the girls.
-
Grow it back. :o :o
Just kidding ... it looks terrific. Congratulations. :D
-
Grow it back. :o :o
Just kidding ... it looks terrific. Congratulations. :D
Hahaha! Well I do still have the pile of hair and some duct tape....
-
Dude, the psoriasis will fade away. Just scrub that scalp for a week or two and it will magically go away. It worked for me. I use an apricot scrub, such as St. Ives, to keep the noggin nice and clean and exfoliated. Yes, manly men can use "exfoliate" in a sentence and not lose anything.
Looks awesome, by the way!
-
Sam, welcome to the forum and freedom. I must say, the transformation is awesome.
-
Sam, congrats!!! You look so much better! It's incredible! Now you'll have to keep us informed about your new you and encounters!! O0
-
Hey Sam,
You look awesome. Do you have contacts. You look even better without the glasses.
-
outstanding change. welcome!
-
You look great - -now enjoy being bald like all of us - -nothing like it
-
...aaannd another combover bites the dust. Keep it in the scrap heap and revel in the your new found look.
-
Sam,
You went from dorky to super sly in a matter of seconds. I did the same. It really, really looks great on you. The wimen will be watching you more than you will ever know. It's amazing how much a little shave makes. Welcome to the group and stay Sly brother!
-
Hahaha! Well I do still have the pile of hair and some duct tape....
Is that a "Redneck Toupee"?
-
You guys are awesome, thanks for the continuing support. Also thanks for the Psoriasis specific tip DaveDorm. Because of the skin condition I'm giving my scalp the day off from shaving to let it heal a bit from the first shave. The redness is starting to go down a little, after taking another shower and using some of my old treatment shampoos on the scalp. Here's hoping that once the red goes away I can throw those products away and replace them with all the cool dome care products. I'm going to head to walgreens tomorrow and pick up some astringent and some sun block/moisturizer.
Balddaniel - I don't have contacts but I don't really need the glasses. When I had my eyes checked the doctor told me I my prescription was really low and I didn't need to get them, but I opted for the glasses anyways because I had a hard time seeing the details on what is sometimes the most beautiful things....things far off in the distance like mountains, people, stars at night, or perhaps a sly dome a couple blocks away. I'm a real appreciator of beauty, which is going to make my time here at Sly Bald Guys well spent with all these nice looking domes! I alternate wearing the frames, but once you get used to perfect vision you kind of get attached to it. But I do agree, I really like the look without the glasses, add in a couple ear piercings and I'll be set!
-
Sam, the sly look makes you look very dynamic...compared to your previous photo of you with hair! Enjoy your new look and the added confidence!
-
Thanks Marshd1000! Do I see something about Seattle above your avatar? Man I love that city, I go up there once or twice every year.
-
great transformation man. keep it :)
-
Way to go Sam! Definitely an improvement! O0
-
Thanks Sam. I wear contacts myself. Used to wear glasses, but hated having to clean them all the time and so on. Just got back from the gym time for a shower and a fresh shave. :D
-
Thanks Marshd1000! Do I see something about Seattle above your avatar? Man I love that city, I go up there once or twice every year.
Sam, I live in the Emerald City. I was born in Tacoma but lived most of my life in Seattle with about 2 years in Bellingham, near the Canadian border. So if you ever come up, look me up!
-
Also thanks for the Psoriasis specific tip DaveDorm. Because of the skin condition I'm giving my scalp the day off from shaving to let it heal a bit from the first shave. The redness is starting to go down a little, after taking another shower and using some of my old treatment shampoos on the scalp. Here's hoping that once the red goes away I can throw those products away and replace them with all the cool dome care products. I'm going to head to walgreens tomorrow and pick up some astringent and some sun block/moisturizer.
It may take some time for your scalp to adjust. The apricot scrub works well, I never really used an astringent on the scalp. It took me about two weeks to rid myself of the splotches and flaky patches. I *still* get flaky patches, but it is easier to manage now that I am sly.
I took a tip from the boards here and shave in two passes. Lather up and go with the grain, rinse. Then use the apricot scrub and buff it out real good, rubbing the stuff in well. Rinse, and the shave against the grain on the second pass. It takes a little longer, but I end up smoother longer. Sometimes I can even go an extra day without a shave it is so smooth.
For moisturizer, I use the HeadBlade HeadLube, they make an SPF 30 variety you can get online, but most druggists that carry HB products will have the regular HeadLube. It comes in matte or glossy, I prefer a little shine to my dome. HB also sells an oil-free sunscreen spray, but it's only SPF 15. You can likely find a similar product, though with a little more horsepower as long as it does not make you smell like a coconut.
-
Just a short update.
I am 6 days post shave now, and my psoriasis redness has almost completely vanished. I have to look really hard in the spots that I knew were red from before to even detect it, so I think its safe to say a week from now the red patches from the psoriasis will be gone! What an annoying skin condition, and what a great way to overcome it.
I was at the gas station earlier today filling up, and there was this pretty hot woman that stole glances at me no less then 4 times while I was in there. This sort of thing keeps happening to me. I'm going to have to buy a spray can of mace to protect myself from the women I think, I can already see this is going to be a problem with how good the sly look is.
I also have not cut my head with the headblade since the first shave, and am starting to get a firm grip on how to get the dome super smooth. It does take a few run overs on the same spots to get it completely smooth, I will probably experiment with other blades like some of the other members here. So far though, clean up with the Mach 3 takes care of the trouble spots rather well, so I will probably not let the 4 headblade spare cartridges I purchased go to waste and just continue to clean up with the M3 for now.
-
Sam, a late Welcome to you. Good to hear all is going well with your shaving. Keep at it with the HeadBlade, it only gets better with time. Try different blade cartridge combo's as suggested.
Enjoy the forum, and keep that noggin' smooth! O0
-
Sorry for the late welcome...WELCOME TO SBGs!!! 8)