Sly Bald Guys Forum
New Member Section => Introductions => Topic started by: bsev08 on May 26, 2012, 08:17:44 PM
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Hey everyone, been browsing for a few days now.
Name is Brett, currently 22 years old. Receding hairline started when I was about 16 and the top of my dome began thinning at about 18. I was obviously not blessed with decent hair genes, but at the same time it has never bothered me and I am actually somewhat grateful for it.
I have been buzzing my hair no guard for about 3 years now soon after the thinning started. I had been considering breaking out the razor for quite some time, and it was always just a thought in my mind.... Until 3 days ago.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi128.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp181%2Fibtrippn08%2FOther%2FFirstHeadShave-5-24-12edit.jpg&hash=f9debb61d1f13f5b07c70d06cb8e0d3bbb359639)
I used my gillette fusion proglide and the results were more than satisfactory but I am very meticulous about not missing any spots. So I found myself standing at the sink for 25 minutes ending with a few nicks and a couple bumps on the back of my neck.
When I read about everyone shaving daily, I followed up yesterday about 22 hours after the first shave. Went a little better than the first.
Last night I picked up the Headblade sport and Headslick from Walgreens and wow what a difference. It will take a while to get used to but its amazing how much easier it was.
I need to pick up some pre and post shaving items to take care of the few bumps that showed up. I used to get ingrown hairs when I would shave my face so I expected this to occur, but no fun when the blade sliced through one on the back of my head yesterday!
I am 3 days in of daily shaving, 27 more to go.. Yet something tells me I wont need the 30 Day Rule considering I feel amazing about this decision.
Looking forward to spending a good amount of time on this forum as I get through my learning period and even long after that.
Sly since 5/24/12
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welcome Brett from New York!
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Welcome to SBG.
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Welcome! Glad to see you jumped right in to the 30 day without hesitation.
Looking good, and I have no doubt you'll stay SLY after that.
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Looking good.
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Welcome to the world of Sly (though you've been lurking at the door for quite a while).
I've only been here a bit more than a week, but can assure you the inhabitants here are an incredible bunch who are willing to offer friendship, encouragement and advice as needed.
Hope you'll be a regular participant as well.
BTW, it's a great look for you. And having been doing the buzz for three years I guess it's not too much of a surprise when you see your shaved head. < wink >
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Welcome to SBG...Looking absolutely Sly my friend! See ya around the forums 8)
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Welcome! Looking great!! O0
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Thanks for the kind words guys, really excited about making this a permanent addition to my daily routine. The past two nights I was very eager to go to bed because I knew it was only a few short hours until my next shave!
I plan to update this thread every couple days over the next month to "document" if you will, the process of my learning and my scalp adapting to the daily scraping. Also including my experiences with products that (hopefully) make this process as painless as possible.
Just starting out I plan to try the following Headblade products -
"HeadWash" for cleaning (not sure if this is necessary, I shower before I shave).
"ClearHead" as an attempt to remove and minimize bumps while my head adapts over the next few weeks.
"HeadLube" for moisturizing.
I was also looking at "HeadShed" for exfoliating but is that not the purpose of a warm shower before?
I figured the HB company is very reputable and with my limited exposure to head care products I went to these as a first resort. If anyone can give me advice on any of these products, or if you recommend a different product found in local stores that worked for you please dont hesitate to say so!
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Welcome! Buzzing for 3 years should have gotten you ready for smooth.
As for the headblade products, I am a loyal user but I shave in the shower. What I use in the shower first is headwash which gets most of the grime off. Then I use the headshed which gets everything else off. It really does make a difference because I have gone times without using it and my scalp shows it. After the wash and shed I use the headslick to shave, then rinse and use a smidge more headslick to get any spots I may have missed.
The warm shower does help your scalp but like I said, the headshed really does the job and gets all of your dead skin cells knocked off. In the shower, don't get it too hot because it will dry your skin out. I am not a fan of the headlube personally because to me it is just too slimy feeling and it makes my scalp feel more greasy feeling, my scalp is oily as it is so I don't need any artificial help
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Welcome and congratulations for freeing yourself from "hair prison".
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Thanks Mike, appreciate the reply! Exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
I was unsure of whether to use the headwash or headshed first. Have you tried using headshed before headwash? That was the way I was considering using it since the wash would get rid of the cells the shed breaks loose. Yet on the other hand the wash may have an affect on the shed's exfoliating when used after it.
Did you use the glossy or matte headlube? I was going to get the matte because I am not going for the shiny dome at this point in time, maybe down the line I will :) .. I was mostly interested in it as a moisturizer since I have dry skin naturally.
My second shave was in the shower and being only my second the water hitting my head after the shave was irritating. Also I was not using headslick at the time so the shaving cream may have contributed to that... My only thought about shaving in the shower is my meticulousness about getting perfect around my ears and above the beard. Although that will come naturally by feel in time with more practice.
Thanks sirharry! Glad to be a part of this community!
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You're welcome, bsev....BTW, you said the water was irritating your scalp after your shave...May I suggest rubbing your scalp with ice cubes and witch hazel after your shave...closes your pores without the sting of traditional aftershave. Good Luck!
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Thanks! I saw a post earlier today where someone (might have been you actually) suggested the ice cube idea. I may have to give that a try for now, since my shaving lineup only consists of headslick and no preshave or aftershave products.
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It's always good to apply something after you shave...even if it's traditional aftershave...open pores can lead to razor bumps, something no bald man wants on any part of his dome if he can help it...BTW the beard looks good!. Most drugstores sell witch hazel. Also, two things to suggest. I would just get in front of a mirror and do behind the ears to prevent nicking your ear and also, St. Ives Apricot Scrub is another good product to clean your scalp with. Visit some of the threads and you will find various scalp cleaning and scalp shaving suggestions. Happy shaving!
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Brett, we should talk. I use head blade products, so am familiar with them.
In a bit of a rush this morning, but will write more later, but just a few comments.
I often use the head shed ONLY. It has a nice massaging feeling on the head.
For head lube, glossy!!! I love the shine. It does feel a bit slimy at first, but it absorbs into the scalp within an hour and then you have this great shine all day!
Oh, and coffee or tea tastes great in a head blade coffee mug! (well it tastes great any way, but it's more fun to drink in a head blade mug!)
Congratulations on coming around and shaving totally bald. Looks good. Welcome to Sly. May you become sly for life.
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Hey Brett,
Welcome aboard and Congrats on taking the plunge. I also had the receding hairline thing for over 20 years and recently decided to go sly. Figured I would try for 30 days, to be honest I don't see me going back. The results and comments I have gotten have been great. I too started out with a Gillette razor, just went to HB sport a few days ago and LOVE IT!! Picked it up in a local drug store and a bottle of Headslick and was out the door for around $20. I use an aftershave with aloe and a moisturizer with coconut oil and shea butter.. works for me. Great site for info and support. You look great, stick with it. O:O
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Welcome Brett and congrats ! You already in sly-zone for life !
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Looking great
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Thanks everyone!
Fourth shave under my belt, immediately noticed less irritation overall. Still certain areas that I have to hit 3-4 times from different angles that are bothersome. But that goes away about 5 minutes after rinsing. The one bump I sliced two days ago and yesterday has healed well and it did not get cut this morning. As well as the bump that showed up yesterday did not get cut today either. For my skin, two bumps in four days of consistent shaving is a very good outcome. Especially for not using any scrub before or cleaner/moisturizer after.
I am going to place my order with HB tonight so I will have the products mid week hopefully. Until then I am just going to keep shaving every day the same way I have been, just to get my head used to it in a consistent manner.
It is hard for me to get as close of shave as I like, especially on the top area of the back of my head. I dont know for sure if the HB tripleblades are the culprit or just my hair, guess I will know after using headshed.
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Brett
You look great - -nothing like it and the smooth dome is so nice to feel
A GREAT LOOK
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I'm only ten days in, but here's what's working for me so far.
Also, I moved the whole process into the shower - and got the Toiletree Fogless Shower Mirror which was mentioned elsewhere on this forum.
Everything below comes from tips learned here.
* Shampoo to get rid of oil and dirt (and because I've got a Costco-size bottle of shampoo to use up).
* Exfoliate with St Ives Apricot Scrub - $5 at Wal-Mart for a generous tub
* Apply one drop of Shave Secret to the razor blades to prevent gunk buildup
* Apply five drops of Shave Secret to my palm and then massage onto scalp thoroughly
* Apply Headslick - just a pea-size bit forms plenty of lather in my opinion
* Shave with Headblade (I'm using the Gillette CustomPlus3 disposable for replacement blades). I like the HeadBlade because my index finger can "ride" in front to detect stubble patches. I end up going several different directions to get every last bit smooth.
After showering I apply HeadLube or a Sunscreen product.
Recommended in the forums, but I'm not doing/using:
* ice cubes to close pores
* witch hazel or astringent
* after shave lotions
For about the first week it was taking me an extra 15 minutes in the morning, but that has gradually decreased and I'm back to my normal 43 minutes from "bathroom light on" to "bathroom light off" - fully cleaned, dressed and ready to greet the world. But feeling ever more confident as I stride out the door.
Cheers to you for moving forward.
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Welcome to the bald brotherhood Brett. You are owning the sly look. The fun is just beginning.
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Welcome,
You are rocking the look!
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Thanks guys! Appreciate the process breakdown you use frontierguy, I have been contemplating getting shave secret..
Day number 5-
The longest time between shaves so far since I had something come up this morning before work. It was about 30 hours and by the time I got home at three I wanted to get rid of it so bad!
My head is adjusting very fast, there was practically no irritation today. I let my OCD take hold again and while it took me almost as long as my first shave, this was the most perfect to date.
I placed my order today. Got the headwash, headshed and clearhead, as well as 2 oz of each glossy and matte headlube. Figure ill try them both out before I commit and if I still like the matte better ill have some glossy for those special occasions :)
Spent some time with some friends and their family (basically family to me) yesterday. They had not seen me since the change and they all loved it. It is my best friend, his five brothers and their sister. All of the guys have perfect full heads of hair, they're the type that keep a comb in their pocket at all times. Yet they were all so intrigued by the shiny dome they held a Q&A session with me for nearly an hour.
I have yet to get a bad reaction from anyone whether friends, family or coworkers.
Every time I get the opportunity to see someone that is unaware of the change I take it, just to see what kind of reaction ill get.
Loving it!
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Good for you. An hour Q/A. Wow! Maybe all five of the guys will shave their heads, too.
Isn't this addicting? Listen to you. 5 days and you can't wait to shave your head in the morning.
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Welcome aboard. It looks great on you.
I'm afraid I can't offer much advice about products or routines. I use a Nivea anti-irritation shave gel and some disposable razors with three blades and a moisturizing strip. Sometimes I shave in the shower, sometimes at the sink. Takes a lot longer in the shower.
I also have a hard time with the back of my head. I think it's just where the hair is the thickest and going against the grain there is always noticeably tougher than elsewhere. I've tried going with the grain first then against, but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
And the only aftershave product I use is cold water. Feels good!
Do let us know what you find from your experiments with different products. I may look into other options when the opportunity presents itself. Thanks!
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Zed, I dont see them shaving theirs any time soon. And yes this is extremely addicting!
Thanks Sal, my aftershave has been cold water followed by gillette hydrating body wash (had a sample bottle that came with my last fusion razor I bought).
My headblade order will probably be here Monday since they're in California and I am on the east coast.
Day six-
The whole process has gotten easier each day. It has almost become second nature knowing which way each section of the scalp requires the blade to be dragged for the best results.
The against the grain directions are regular for the most part, except for the back of my head. Dragging perfectly side ways from my left to right ear produces the best results from my neck to nearly the peak. The whole crown area surrounding the top has shown best results going basically 45 degrees between front to back and side to side axis ( i.e. - drag from behind left ear in a forward and right direction, up and over the top towards the area near your right temple /right forehead. Repeat in opposite direction for other side).
Looking forward to seeing how much the HB products help, plan to test out shave secret as well if necessary.
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Brett, that's a really good look for you. Very striking.
Try the shave secret oil (I use five drops) and the Headslick - I've been doing that this week and the whole process has become so much easier and smoother.
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Thanks Frontier, I plan to pick up the shave secret tomorrow or Thursday.
Also found the thread about using the Custom Plus 3 cartridges with the headblade. Plan to try this trick as well to see if it require less passes, hopefully meaning less irritation.
UPS tracking finally updated and my HB order will be here Monday. Gives me a week to test the oil and blades to find my constant variables before throwing more things into the equation!
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Welcome Brett. It's a good look for you.
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Thanks Mozingo!
Forgot to post yesterday.. I am getting faster and better each day. Walked into the bathroom at 6:10 showered and shaved and was out in just 20 minutes. Compared to the 20 minutes just to shave last week.
Did not get a chance to pick up shave secret yet, also will finish off two of my three remaining hb triples before trying the custom plus 3 blades.
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Day number 8 -
Only irritation I have been experiencing is on the sides in front of my ears. It takes a good amount of passes against the grain to get it smooth.
Decided to clean up the look, beard grows a little thin so I got rid of it.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi128.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp181%2Fibtrippn08%2FOther%2F8thshave5-31-12.jpg&hash=256a77b1e3c2b958cf664d6a752757a769257ba4)
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Hey Brett: I'm late 2 the party but just wanted 2 say welcome 2 the sly fraternity. U look like a natural. I'm glad that U are enjoying your new look. The sly life gets better each & every day. O0
WARHAWK O0
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Day number 8 -
Only irritation I have been experiencing is on the sides in front of my ears. It takes a good amount of passes against the grain to get it smooth.
Decided to clean up the look, beard grows a little thin so I got rid of it.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi128.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp181%2Fibtrippn08%2F8thshave5-31-12.jpg&hash=d238d22bad841e711343a851524bdfe0a9fcff1b)
You got rid of the beard? NOOOOO! Just kidding, Brett...the beard in your first picture wasn't bad, but the Van Dyke looks good. Nice job shaping that up. FWIW, as a Guardsman, because of weekend drills, very rarely can I keep a beard past six weeks.
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Looking good brett...looking good. O0
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Well finally got my hb order yesterday.
Started this morning with headwash followed by headshed in the shower. Has been 24 hours since I shaved, noticed a quicker shave requiring less passes. Used the clearhead in front of my ears and on the back of my neck, burns for just a second or two but quickly takes the redness away. Hoping after a few days of treatment every other day it will get rid of the irritation.
Finished it all off with a dab of headlube matte and wow am I pleased with the results! I think tomorrow morning I will give the glossy headlube a try and see how the shiny dome suits me. Just as an example, a good friend wanted to touch my head the other day. She liked it of course, but her reply was that it felt similar to a snake's skin. I immediately noticed that the headlube makes it so much smoother!
I have been wondering why my head doesnt look like most sly guys. I have been noticing recently the sides of my head looked awful dry and red. I will keep updating with my results on how much this routine helps with the scalp.
Happy shaving!
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Hey Brett ! Thanks for updates. Not sure how much hair reamins on top, but I'm sure your sides/back is thicker stubble that still gets irritated. After your dailly chrome dome shave, try ice cold water before the the rest of your sly routine, which sounds good !
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great look
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Looking good O0
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The slyness fits you so perfectly that I can't imagine your head full of hair ;)
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Been a few days since I updated..
Now 17 days in, twice I have skipped a day between shaves and have not noticed a real difference as opposed to shaving every day. I will say that today (Saturday June 9th) had nearly no irritation at all in my previous areas that bothered me after using clearhead for a week. In front of my ears and the back of my head are showing great signs of improvement.
Stasiu - You are correct that the top of my dome has major thinning compared to the sides and back where it is thicker and showed irritation. Clearhead has really helped, I have not deviated from the cold rinse or HB triple blades yet.
Tried the headlube glossy the other day and I dont notice it being any more greasy than the matte. It was more shiny earlier in the day but as the day progresses my natural oil gives it a shine of its own. Both glossy and matte provide the moisture that I was hoping for.
More updates soon!
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Great update. It's a really good look for you. Your writing indicates total comfort and confidence, if I'm reading it correctly.
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Welcome bsev08.
I was somewhat in the same boat. I had been buzzing down to a 000 for about nine months (and had shaved smooth a few times but just one day and let it grow back). Last week shaved on Friday ... Saturday ... Sunday ... I'm now day ten and agree that I won't need 30 to get me over the hump. I'm already over it.
As for pre-post routine. I started using a pre-shave oil and use Headslick with the Headblade and found that the pre-shave oil makes a huge difference.
BTW ... sly looks great on you.
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Well guys here we are an hour into day 30.
It has been a long time since I last posted since I have been super busy. Sure you all will be glad to know I have not deviated from shaving for more than one day.
Have a few things to say about my experiments and trials with products.
First and foremost, every cartridge in a pack of blades is different!!! The blade that came with my HB sport and the first two of my triple blade 4 pack were great. The third one was a bit dull, pulling and tugging the hair more so than cutting it. Just moved onto the last one in my pack and all is well again. (Picked up another pack today with one of my three $1 off coupons that HB sent with my order)
I did give the Gillette custom plus 3 a try and after about 3 strokes I threw it in the trash and put on a HB triple blade. I know a lot of people have had great results with them but my hair seems too thick, I may try again since I have 3 left.
Headshed and headwash are excellent products that I would recommend to everyone! Headshed really rids the dome of dead skin and the headwash leaves it super clean.
Clearhead... AMAZING! I used it for about 15 days straight (sometimes skipping a shave or two) on the sides and back of my head/neck that were showing signs of irritation. Wednesday I was out in the sun for about 5 hours and my head got pretty burnt so I decided not to use it because it would only hurt that much more. Thursday when I did not use it there was NO irritation. I'm sure without it my head would have still adapted but not this fast.
Thursday, the day after my head got burnt I hopped in the shower and man the water hitting it was painful. The headshed was like sandpaper on it. I got out and I shaved it all off while gritting my teeth with quite a bit of pain. (Still shaving out of the shower) The sunburn made the top and back of my head feel so tight and raw, even with having used aloe on it the night before. Again this time I did not use clearhead, no irritation. Once I put the headlube on, my sunburned scalp IMMEDIATELY loosened up and became smooth and it did not hurt a bit!
When I showered Friday morning, the water hitting it did not cause any discomfort. As well as the shaving was near pain free!
Not trying to sell or promote any products here, but I am sure sold on all products that HeadBlade has to offer!
On another note, the response from people has been great. I have ran into a lot of people I have not seen in over four years since high school, when at one point I had hair down to my shoulders. None of them recognized me at first, a few people actually asked "Did you use to have hair?" When I told them yes and they remembered who I was, we had a good laugh and talked a bit about my new look. They all had comments ranging from "I like it" and "you look better without hair" to "it makes you look older." One person even said I resemble Phil Collins which I thought was pretty awesome!
In short, I could not be happier with this decision. If you are on the verge of deciding whether you should go completely sly or not. My recommendation to you, is to GO FOR IT! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Sorry for the long post, but I had a lot of catching up to do and I hope this helps some other newcomers take the plunge!
Brett
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congratulations, Brett.
Well done. You do look like a natural with the shaved head.
Well guys here we are an hour into day 30.
First and foremost, every cartridge in a pack of blades is different!!!
I've noticed this too. Just a bit frustrating to pay $3 for a dull blade right out of the box. I guess you could return it for an exchange.
Not trying to sell or promote any products here, but I am sure sold on all products that HeadBlade has to offer!
I'm sold on HB too.
On another note, the response from people has been great. I have ran into a lot of people I have not seen in over four years since high school, when at one point I had hair down to my shoulders. None of them recognized me at first, a few people actually asked "Did you use to have hair?" When I told them yes and they remembered who I was, we had a good laugh and talked a bit about my new look. They all had comments ranging from "I like it" and "you look better without hair" to "it makes you look older." One person even said I resemble Phil Collins which I thought was pretty awesome!
In short, I could not be happier with this decision. If you are on the verge of deciding whether you should go completely sly or not. My recommendation to you, is to GO FOR IT! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
YES. I think this is the fun part of shaving your head. I like the reaction ... "did you ever have hair?" I've had that a time or two.
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Thanks for a great wrap-up. It's the right look for you, and you were ready for it. All things work out as they should. Continued success with your new self.
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Thanks for the updates, Brett....Congrats and continued happy shaving!!!!