Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => To be or not be...Bald => Topic started by: anonymousnomore on January 07, 2014, 05:51:59 PM
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Hi, I'm new to the board, and let me say it has been a major means of support reading all the various posts and seeing how others have gone through the same things I have. I am almost 36 and started losing my hair around 30. Extremely depressing time for me. There isn't much left up top and it's time for me an my hair to part ways. However, as I've seen from other posts, I'm a little concerned because my head isn't rounded or as level on top as other good looking sly guys and they all seem to have great head shapes. Mine kind of slopes up towards the back before rounding off. It looks a little off to me. I also have more of a narrow face, so I'm not sure I could pull it off. I know you can't tell much without me posting a pic, but since I haven't shaved yet, I'm not sure it would do any good. I guess what I'm asking is how important is head shape to pulling off the bald look, or am I destined to just look funny? Everything I read on the internet says you have to have a round head to look good bald. Thanks for any comments.
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Everyone worries about head shape but really it is not an issue as either no one notices or it turns out that your concerns are groundless. Many have found that some facial hair eg goatee or even full beard helps define your face and skull so if you do go ahead and shave then I suggest you experiment.
Good luck and welcome to SBG - the source of great information and support.
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Everything I read on the internet says you have to have a round head to look good bald.
You can read that the Earth is flat on the Internet.
30-day challenge. it's the only way to be sure.
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Thanks for the encouragement. I think I'm ready, but may wait til the summer so I can get some sun on my dome. This truly is a great community. I recently became pretty depressed when I realized its about time to shave, but was afraid I couldn't even look good that way because of my head shape. Ready some of the posts here and finally joining really helped me cope. Overall it was a tough time. Felt like I was wasting my days worrying about something that probably isn't that big of a deal to anyone but me. Still working up the courage, but I think June will be my 30 day challenge month. Hopefully :)
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If you read around a little more, you'll probably find that a lot of us have worried about head shape. I think if you look at me straight on, my head looks pretty round, but to me, in profile or from the back, it looks misshapen. I've got lots of bumps, dents, etc. however, I do know no one is examining my head the way I might! And no one really has a perfect head.
I've been where you are with the depression over losing my hair; I was afraid to shave my head. But I'll tell, once I did it, I was so glad I did. All my anxiety over losing my hair went away and I learned to like myself bald. I think you can, too.
Keep hanging around the forum. It is a great source of support. You may decide not to wait until June!
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Thanks brother, I can't tell you how reassuring it is to hear comments like that. Again, this is a great place for guys struggling like myself to find a little peace about balding. It's a terrible thing, but not the end of life. Thanks again!
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.... and when you do shave (and it will probably be earlier than June now you have the itch) you will undoubtedly say 'why didn't I do this sooner'.
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Welcome, and to emphasize what nuts wrote above ... once you have finally convinced yourself to shave, don't be surprised when you don't wait as long as you expected.
Why wait to be free of the depression thinning hair is causing you? An argument could be made for shaving now which will allow your scalp to toughen and gradually color versus being freshly exposed to more intense sunlight.
I can pretty much guarantee you will be among the "Why did I wait so long?" chorus regardless of when you go sly.
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Welcome! If you do the deed, don't be surprised if you like it and you will discover that your headshape is fine. Good luck!
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There is no perfect head, I can find lots of things wrong, but the overall shape is what you see. I waited until June of last year to shave my head, and that was too late, I would try it early spring before you start to tan. I go and tan once a week in the winter, and the noggins is still nice and tan.
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Picking up on what Frontier Guy and RedDog said, one reason I chose to shave everything in January was because I knew my face would be at its palest during the winter, so the contrast between it and the scalp would be less. It worked for me.
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Since you have looked at the various posts here and seen many pictures of the shaved... Exactly how many of them do you think "look the wrong head shape"? I'd wager you probably are saying (to yourself), "Oh, I can't really remember one." Many have worried; none seem to think their worries were justified, post-shaving. At least no one who has been here for a while.
Of course, those numberless men who do have really weird, bizarre, mutant head shapes have probably retreated to a dark room, pulled the curtains and never leave the house anymore. Do you believe that? As I've said somewhere before, long ago, it takes a lot to be a wrong head shape--more or less having been run over by a truck and poorly healed (not that I'm against running some people over with trucks). Aside from that, anyhead'ldo.
Agree: shave now, not June, so your winter paleness will mellow along with the face as you get more sun in the advancing season.
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Bro, everything you mentioned, I went through, as did many of us on this board. You'll be fine.
I'm a vain son of a bitch and I too worried about the shape of my head, how others would look at it, if I would lose my game with the ladies, etc. My hair was getting thinner and thinner and no amount of special hair growing shampoo was gonna change what was happening.
I did do it in steps though. When I finally decided that there was no turning back, and at the suggestion of one of the girls I'm dating, I buzzed my hair and wore it like that for the past year (I've only been shaving since mid-November).
The buzz allowed me to accomplish a few things.
1) Helped me step up my game. The ladies actually liked the buzz look on me
2) Allowed me to get some sun on my dome so that it would blend better with my skin tone
3) Allowed me to see the shape of my head a little better.
Even with the buzz, I gotta tell you, I still was unsure if I would look good bald. When it finally came time, and I knew I had to shave my head, I just went for it and as the saying goes, "let the cards fall where they may." Turned out, I was worried for nothing. I have kindofa small bump at the top of my head but no one seems to notice it. We tend to be our own worst critic, but once you do the deed, you'll find yourself saying, as many of us did, "Why didn't I do this sooner?"
Happy Shaving!
We only have one life. Live life, don't let life live you!
Peace!
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Many have found that some facial hair eg goatee or even full beard helps define your face and skull so if you do go ahead and shave then I suggest you experiment.
Agree with nuts, experiment with facial hair, if you don't have any already. For me personally I found that with both the buzz cut and now the shaved head, the beard works for me as a matter of balancing my look. I've always had facial hair, never liked the way I looked clean shaven. So for me the bald and bearded look works.
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I agree with everything you guys have said. Thanks so much. I do agree that facial hair looks better when bald (no offense to anyone who doesn't have any, just my opinion). I currently have a pretty full beard, which I definitely want to keep. I'm not a tall guy, only about 5'9", but I do work out regularly and am fairly muscular, which I hope will help me focus on the whole look, and not just the head. I'm starting to feel relieved about the head shape thing. I also have an "island" of hair at the front which is hanging on a little tougher than the crown did. I would love to just zero guard first, but I'm afraid that island patch will show up too much. I'm thinking I may have to go all the way and shave to make it less noticeable.
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I tell you, the crown was where I had the most hair loss and the front was starting to recede. Buzzing it allowed it to look less noticeable and more uniform. But I do understand what you are saying. Is the crown just considerable thinner or almost completely bald? If it's just thinner, as long as you buzz uniformly I'm sure it will blend in. Start with a 2 maybe and then work your way to a 1 then a 0.
My last pass with the clippers I realized it had thinned to the point that I was ready to shave it. Since then, no looking back!
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Ok, so zero buzz your entire head. Then shave the island only!
It will give you a feeling for shaving all over, without actually doing it. Give it a try.
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The area behind my island is noticeably thinner. I wish it was more of a uniform balding pattern. Right now, the thinner hair behind the island is a little longer and sort of connects to the island, but it's not long before it's gone. The island isn't as thick as the hair I have on the sides of my head, but not as thin as what's behind it either.
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I would post a pic, but don't know how :)
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From your pic I would say you will look great bald.
So don't be worried.
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Thanks zetaeffe, I hope so. Looks like nature will leave me no choice. Going bald wouldn't be that big of a deal if I were like 50, but it sucks any of us have to lose it so young. And I realize there are those who lost it younger than me, so I guess I'm grateful for the years I had my hair. But, in the end, it's just hair, not who I am. I just need to man up and shave it off. The reactions should be interesting....
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I think going bald can be a big deal for just about any man no matter his age. And yeah, I am one of the MPBs who lost his in his teens and twenties. I did not shave off the horseshoe until I was fifty.
You seem to have a good attitude about it, sir.
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You are right, I didn't mean to sound insensitive. I'm really trying to have a good attitude, but trust me, I have been in a spiraling depression about it that in just beginning to come out of. Hopefully I'm moving towards the acceptance stage. It has been hard though. The most helpful thing I've learned on this board is that we are our own harshest judges. I personally don't believe I will look very good bald. Many guys really can pull it off and do look awesome, I'm not yet at the point where I believe that about myself, but I'm better than I was, with a lot of thanks going to reading the stories of others on this board.
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Welcome, anonymousnomore!
I don't think you should worry about the "island" too much. If you buzz it with a zero guard, it will probably blend in pretty well.
I also think that shaving the head seems to be more forgiving of irregularities than most people think. When you see a bald guy, you notice that he is bald... and don't usually concentrate on any particular irregularities about his head. While when someone has patches of hair on their head, it may actually add to their funny head shape. It is kinda like how women wear that black dress to hide imperfections in their bodies... creating an optical illusion or something. I'm sure it doesn't work in all cases (if someone has half of their head missing, it will not work, just like if a woman is the size of an elephant, it won't make her look like she wears a size 1 dress)... but do you follow my nonsense? ;)
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That's a great photo, anonymousnomore!
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Welcome anonymousnomore! My advice is to just buzz the hair down short one length with either no guard or a #1 guard. That will give you some idea of what you will look like with a shaved head. Years ago I really didn't like the full shaved look, but once I buzzed my hair without using a guard I realized a bald head would really suit me. So I gave in to shaving.
With a buzzcut I wouldn't worry about thickness at all. at that length the hair will just look more uniform and neater. But I agree with shaving earlier in the year versus waiting for summer. You want the tan to be uninform, plus it's easier to apply sunscreen to slick dome versus having stubble or a #1 buzz. you still need to use screenscreen when you are buzzed that short. the scalp still burns!
I say stop worrying. do the buzz and that will quickly give way to temptation to do a shaved head. It only takes a week to go from shaved to a #1 if you don't like the look. Also everyone has some imperfection. I have slight ridge on the side of my head and I never gave it thought. And people still say I have the perfect head for a bald guy.
Stop worrying. Give in to temptation! You will be sly!
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Let me also add ...your thick beard will look pretty awesome with a shaved head!
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Dude, I think you have a nice beard to go with short/shaved....We all get nervous when doing something and then after we do it, we discover it's not that bad.
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Welcome to sly bald guys. I am sure that you will like the look once you shave your head. I agree woith the previous comments.We are our own worst critic. I am sure that you will look just fine and that You will wonder why you did not do it sooner. Please post a picture when you do.
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Thanks so much for all the positive comments guys. That's really encouraging. I would like to know how to post pics. I'd like to post some side views so I can get some brutally honest feedback. Again, I feel very encouraged. Thanks so much!!!
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Pretty straightforward bro. When you are posting a comment, hit the dropdown arrow next to Additional Options and then click the Browse button to attach a saved pic. Keep in mind the pic(s) can be no bigger than 128KB for the entire post, so you might have to re-size your pic(s) to meet that requirement.
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Sounds like you are ready, so why wait? Head shape is just what it is, we all have a little different shape and we all think our head shape is odd. Go ahead and do the deed for 30 days and get on with you life - no need to worry about it until summer. So post us a picture with your first head shave and be proud of it.
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Go for it!
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Ok, so here are a couple pics of my head. I know it's not shaved, but you can see how my forehead kind of slopes up and back towards the back of my head. I also have sort of a diamond shaped narrow face. I would like some brutally honest opinions on my head shape. If it looks bad, I can take it, but would at least like some objective criticism. Thanks in advance.
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Your head looks fine to me. Of course, I could get a better look at if you shaved it! ;D
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Here's another angle.
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Looks perfectly OK to me - we are always are own worst critic. Your beard will be a definite plus when you decide to shave - just go for it. Much better to shave before summer as it gives your head a chance to tan up and match the rest of your skin.
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Looks totally normal.
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It's been confirmed! You have a good shaped head for it. Go for it O0
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Yep. Just as you thought. You definitely are your own worst critic.
In all honesty, I saw your second picture first, so I missed your explanation of what you perceived as such a big flaw with your head. I could not tell on my own what was "wrong" with its shape. Then, when I read your explanation, I had to go back to try and see it. You have nothing about which to worry.
As you have said, you see the negative things about yourself that no one else can.
So calm down and shave it if you want to. You will look fine, sir.
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You head seems just fine from all your pics. My own opinion would be clean up the beard some to show you jawline and strong chin/jaw. A length like Slymyke has in his pic looks great when shaved bald. Very crisp and aggressive somehow versus a longer beard. You will love the freedom of shaving when you finally do it.
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Blimey, you have nothing to be concerned about. Perfect for a bald head. Plus the cool beard! Go for it! The only thing you will lose is your hair!
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Everyone's head slopes back. If your forehead did not ease off to become the top of your head, and then go down at the back, it would not exactly be a head-as-we-know-it. Time to stop dithering, consider the good advice you've been given here, and do what you secretly want to do. Trust us. It'll be OK.
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Man, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the encouragement. Everytime I start to feel a little down, I read these posts and immediately feel more confident. I think I'm almost ready. When I do it, I will post pics. Probably will do a 0 guard first to kind of work my way in before going completely sly. Thanks again, you guys are awesome.
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Welcome aboard. You are an excellent addition to the world of the sly. I am sure you will rock the smooth dome. All the best on your journey to baldness.
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Welcome aboard. You are an excellent addition to the world of the sly. I am sure you will rock the smooth dome. All the best on your journey to baldness.
Welcome to SBG ! You have no worries about head shape perception. It would be worse if you just kept the horseshoe sides / back hair and the usual male pattern bald top which really accentuates head shape then. My head is essentially flat in back but being all smooth-n-sly does not focus the eye to my head's imperfection. Good Luck !
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I think I'm almost ready.
What will make the difference to change "I think I'm almost ready." to "I'm ready NOW!"?
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I think I'm almost ready. When I do it, I will post pics.
And if you are like most of us, you will be asking why you waited so long.
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Bro, the head shape is good, and the beard is good. Once you go to a 0, you'll realize that you should just shave it all the way off.
I actually think your longer beard will work well. I keep mine tighter and more close cropped because I can't grow a long beard. However, if I could like yourself and several on this forum, I would grow it thicker and fuller! Go to the beard section and take a look at all the various beard lengths. There's something that works for everyone.
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As you can see from my pic on the left, i dont care what people think about my bald head! lol
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I took the plunge last June, haven't regretted it once, and got dozens of positive comments!
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Part of the reason for wanting to wait til June wasn't just the sun on the head thing, but also because I'm a teacher and football coach, and I think doing it in the summer would give me time to get adjusted as well as let me start a new year with a new look. That may be a dumb reason, but for some reason, it makes me feel better.....
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Whatever works for you ... it took me forever to decide to keep my head shaved, so I'm certainly not criticizing. However, if you end up wanting to shave it all before, go for it!
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Part of the reason for wanting to wait til June wasn't just the sun on the head thing, but also because I'm a teacher and football coach, and I think doing it in the summer would give me time to get adjusted as well as let me start a new year with a new look. That may be a dumb reason, but for some reason, it makes me feel better.....
I'm a teacher, too. I had been buzzing my hair for years but the first time I shaved with a razor was this past June! ( I think I might have asked you in a prior post why June because I thought you might have been a teacher!) Kids will comment on everything and I wasn't ready to deal with that. But, before school started this September, I chickened out and let my fuzz grow back in. It wasn't until I became a member here this fall and started reading these posts that I began razor shaving completely bald on a regular basis.
So now I am razor sly pretty much all the time ( but I do get lazy occasionally). And now that is the way I prefer it! So thanks to the guys on this forum!
Today a second grade girl I was working with said to me, "You're bald." And I said, "Yes, I am." She was simply stating a fact - making an observation. That's it.
So I probably didn't need to wait for June, but that worked for me at the time and I went sly on my own terms and it ended up working for me. It'll be the same for you. But we're all here for support, no matter what you decide.
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Thanks for the support and the advice. It really does help guys like me. Here's a pic of my sweet island of hair. It definitely has to go :).
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That may be a dumb reason, but for some reason, it makes me feel better.....
Dumb reason? No such thing. It sounds like you have thought this through.
Do it on your terms. There is no rush.
But like I said before, you probably will be asking why you waited so long once you do.
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Yep. Just as you thought. You definitely are your own worst critic.
This. I can tell you that the itch to shave does not go away, it only gets worse. I was always worried about the shape of my head, but wanted to go for it anyway. Once I did it, I got tons of complements. Whether they were being genuine or not, I don't know, but I do know that I love the look and I am the one that has to live with it.
Good luck and can't wait to see the before and after pics.