Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => General Discussion => Topic started by: hairtech on November 16, 2007, 02:52:30 PM
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Hi, I am a consumer advocate/educator for hairloss. I have an internet radio show Sundays at 8PM EST. We have different guests from different hair transplant clinics come to answer questions concerning procedures, medications, and whatever comes up.
We try to steer patients in the right direction and to educate those as much as possible so that the potential for disfigurement and/or unnatural results are low. Personally, having been a technician in several clinics across the world, I like the bald look, however, it is relative to those who are having hairloss. Anyway, check it out if you ever have a chance. The show has an active chat feature AND folks can call in during broadcast so folks can ask questions. Thank you... BTW, I am not trying to sell anything, just trying to educate the public.
http://www.hairlossadvances.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=2
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Why would I want to wreck my beautiful bald head?
Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
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Question for Hairtech, taking at face value you're not here to sell, and admit you like the look--are you Sly or on the fence? Of course on this site you can be honest.
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Marz,
I agree... That is why I joined this site... bald is beautiful. But there are folks that jump into wrecking their heads so fast... So I try to prevent the wrecking!
saint,
What do ya mean? Refrase... :) Maybe I don't understand the terminology of this site. School me... :)
wait I think I just got it... I shaved my head... I do it all the time.
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Hi, I am a patient advocate for hairloss. I have an internet radio show Sundays at 8PM EST. We have different guests from different hair transplant clinics come to answer questions concerning procedures, medications, and whatever comes up.
We try to steer patients in the right direction
... BTW, I am not trying to sell anything, just trying to educate the public.
WHAT A LOAD OF sh*t!!! :x! >:(
Here at SBG, we're promoting a healthy sense of self-esteem and attitude. By calling people "patients" tells me you're selling.
C'Mon, it takes a lot of nerve to come on here with that stuff. At least be honest about it!!! :/O Not selling? GET REAL!!!
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I am being honest dude. I say "patients" because in my world... which deals with hair transplants... that is how I phrase it... No offense to anyone. I pretty much help so many guys that have been butchered and intend on swaying folks from being butchered... so that is my deal... straight forward...
In fact I got sued by a doctor because I told the truth about his clinic and he freakon sued me. I have been posting on several sites within the hair transplant industry for about 5 years... and it is a shady place man...
So I ran across this site and was like cool... a different set of folks that have accepted the MPB and shave. I would rather folks go that route and/wait for better technologies but hey... here we are.
BTW your avatar looks like where I gre up... gulf coast of MS.
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Marz,
I agree... That is why I joined this site... bald is beautiful. But there are folks that jump into wrecking their heads so fast... So I try to prevent the wrecking!
So basically you promote hair transplant surgery, so tell me how that is not wrecking a persons head? Scars, pain, temporary fix to a permanent condition, expense, risk of infection , etc. etc.
It is people like you that want to promote a negative association with baldness as it is "Good for Business".
Does the word nemesis mean anything to you?
You really want to help people, tell them not to do it.
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No read my words man... I would rather folks not go down that road but people DO go down that road... so I try to educate them before they go down that road. I think that if folks made peace with accepting hairloss... and just shaved then 10 years from now they may better off... So no I don't exactly promote hair transplants per say.
Not that easy to say... just don't do it. The world is not black and white... folks that are young and starting out in the beginning of hairloss sometimes don't understand what you already understand... So that is why I came here for... for you guys to help me help a different sub-set of folks...
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No read my words man... I would rather folks not go down that road but people DO go down that road... so I try to educate them before they go down that road. I think that if folks made peace with accepting hairloss... and just shaved then 10 years from now they may better off... So no I don't exactly promote hair transplants per say.
Cool. There's an easy way to do that. Send everyone you encounter to SlyBaldGuys.com. We'll help them realize the truth. And the truth will set them free.
Not that easy to say... just don't do it. The world is not black and white... folks that are young and starting out in the beginning of hairloss sometimes don't understand what you already understand... So that is why I came here for... for you guys to help me help a different sub-set of folks...
It's easy to say if you back them up with the facts of why hair transplants and drugs like Rogaine and Propecia are damaging to the body and mind.
I'm having trouble believing that you really try to sway guys from getting hair transplants or using drugs since you have posted a link to site is riddled with advertisements for those products.
Sure, I see some posts up on that site about how people have gotten mistreated within the hairloss industry, but I also see a lot of discussion about how people still want the procedures and drugs from "reputable people."
Do you own that site?
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No read my words man... I would rather folks not go down that road but people DO go down that road... so I try to educate them before they go down that road. I think that if folks made peace with accepting hairloss... and just shaved then 10 years from now they may better off... So no I don't exactly promote hair transplants per say.
Not that easy to say... just don't do it. The world is not black and white... folks that are young and starting out in the beginning of hairloss sometimes don't understand what you already understand... So that is why I came here for... for you guys to help me help a different sub-set of folks...
The point is that you say you are a "patient advocate" once you put "patient" in your moniker you have crossed the line to acceptance of such surgery, easing the process that is (in my opinion) a surgical farce.
Why not advocate the social acceptance of MPB?
Why allow someone to believe the myth of "Hair Restoration" and giving false hope? The solution is not what doctors are good or what procedure is better, it is the mental stigma that makes people do this...
Dont get me wrong, I would love to respect you but it sounds like you just help the knife slide in easier, not prevent it from sliding in at all.
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You know? You guys are right... The word patient is acceptance of surgery... I never looked at it that way. I will remove it.
Tyler,
The site that you saw is riddled with advertisement because that entire site involves hair transplantation... however, the guy who owns the site gets sponsorship from some of those banners. I don't get paid by anyone for my part of that site which is the radio show part.
I am glad to come here and be criticized by you all, because it give light to my own cause. I hate the hair transplant industry. I have seen it work... and I have seen the horrific dark side of the industry where I derived my own personal beliefs that are this... Positive outcomes pail in comparison to the negative outcomes. Like I said, one doctor whom I worked for has me in freakon federal court for exposing his crap. So I know you guys don't want to accept me yet. I can tell you my experiences on the other side of the tracks and you guys can maybe help me make others understand what you guys do! I am being entirely honest. I did not know how to approach this site but to just jump in and get my head kicked in.
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Hi, I am a consumer advocate/educator for hairloss. I have an internet radio show Sundays at 8PM EST. We have different guests from different hair transplant clinics come to answer questions concerning procedures, medications, and whatever comes up.
We try to steer patients in the right direction and to educate those as much as possible so that the potential for disfigurement and/or unnatural results are low. Personally, having been a technician in several clinics across the world, I like the bald look, however, it is relative to those who are having hairloss. Anyway, check it out if you ever have a chance. The show has an active chat feature AND folks can call in during broadcast so folks can ask questions. Thank you... BTW, I am not trying to sell anything, just trying to educate the public.
http://www.hairlossadvances.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=2
Um.. if you're so against the hair transplant industry, then why do you have a radio show helping it? I mean, you say you're trying to "steer people in the right direction," but the way I see it, your just part of the industry. Why do you care so much if people get transplants? We're are ANTI transplants here, and try to give people the self-worth they should have without having to go through some bullsh*t surgery. I, for one, find it VERY hard to believe that you're against the industry when you came here trying to promote it first thing.
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I'm actually a little miffed right now... and actually it's not at hairtech, it's at the rest of you for basically attacking this guy. :(
One thing we have always said here is that we are very tolerant... everyone is welcome. Doesn't matter who they are, what they look like, race, sexual orientation, color, religion, etc!!
I understand the why, and while I don't agree with transplants or trying to hide baldness, everyone here is entitled to their opinions and such. Did we kick schro out when he started growing his hair back to appease his wife? What about our other BBC members that no longer shave their heads? What about all our fence sitters? Should we attack them for not shaving their heads? f**k no! Everyone that has posted and attacked hairtech should be ashamed of yourselves!
While yes, we promote shaving heads for many reasons, there are those balding men in the world that will never even consider shaving and will always go with transplants or drugs or rugs. As a balding man that chooses to shave my head, I understand where other men would not want to do this. Shouldn't they have someone to at least help educate them on the do's and don'ts of the alternatives to shaving?
Now, that being said...
Hairtech, you say you're bald and you shave your head... post a picture! And, since you have an internet radio show talking about hairloss and treatments and such... maybe you should have Tyler on one day to promote the glory of being bald!
[/rant]
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Look how can I bring you guys to the forefront on the sites that I post on if you don'r accept me for who I am. I am really just trying to show folks that there are options besides hair transplants. Man I see why you guys are so hard nosed. It is a very complicated thing in my world. If I just renounce everything then I lose my foot in the door and then the HT cycle continues. Man I hate the industry... I have seen the worst of the worst.
Consider this: You got a guy that had surgery in the 80's and 90's... before the internet... before this freakon site came around... he got into something he regrets... he is all scarred up... what do I do, leave that guy hanging because he CAN'T shave his head because of embarrassement? What do I do with that guy... We talk about it on the radio. We call out the doctors and clinics that F**ked him up. I get threatened all the time by doctors. So I just happened upon you guys and had an idea... Again I ask you guys to help me help others so they will try to build their self-esteem and self-worth and if they see that there is a group out their like them, then maybe they will put down the knife.
Again, it is a very complicated world in HT. Guys are freakon looking for a quick fix, medications, and especially what doctor can fix them. I HATE THE FACT THAT SO MANY LOSER PHYSICIANS PROFIT OFF OF THESE GUYS. Do you get what I am saying? I want to sort of open a discussion door with you guys and I open to you and maybe I will learn from you guys and slowly guide the newbies into your direction.
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What a great idea and that would be so awesome man Tyler on the show!
Now as far as my shaved head... I do shave my head. And what I am about to say will piss people even more off. I am not balding. I never said that I was. I am a popular poster in hairloss forums, but I myself do not have MPB. I worked in the industry long enough to realize that something was not right. Most all of the veteran posters over on the other sites know this... sometimes get my head kicked in over it, but most know the that I have it out for the industry and so they stand behind me.
This summer I started shaving because a guy that started losing his hair, was really troubled mentally(depressed)... a poster. He did not want to go to surgery... He posted a picture and I swear his head looks like mine. So I told him... look you sort of look like me... and look man if I shave my head, will you look at my picture and just consider shaving it? So I did and I posted my picture. Ok... I will post it here and find the link to the thread where we went back and forth.
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Ok here are my pictures:
The one on the left is the depressed guy. The one on the right is me:
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hairlossadvances.com%2Fforums%2Fuserupload%2F998%2F471_image211.jpg&hash=924e32bc11d051e942f69876ee8ccfe867c975f0)
Then before/after shave.
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hairlossadvances.com%2Fforums%2Fuserupload%2F998%2F471_image207.jpg&hash=f112f9833cda810269f85da0938ff36132b4ef29)
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hairlossadvances.com%2Fforums%2Fuserupload%2F998%2F471_image210.jpg&hash=6665b5858ede60b54ed5338bd526d4931e4adec3)
Ok here is the thread: And change the view to "board view" or thread looks strange IMO
http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/board_entry.html?id=8572&da=ASC&page=0&category=all&order=last_answer&descasc=DESC&be_page=1
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I'm actually a little miffed right now... and actually it's not at hairtech, it's at the rest of you for basically attacking this guy. :(
One thing we have always said here is that we are very tolerant... everyone is welcome. Doesn't matter who they are, what they look like, race, sexual orientation, color, religion, etc!!
I understand the why, and while I don't agree with transplants or trying to hide baldness, everyone here is entitled to their opinions and such. Did we kick schro out when he started growing his hair back to appease his wife? What about our other BBC members that no longer shave their heads? What about all our fence sitters? Should we attack them for not shaving their heads? f**k no! Everyone that has posted and attacked hairtech should be ashamed of yourselves!
While yes, we promote shaving heads for many reasons, there are those balding men in the world that will never even consider shaving and will always go with transplants or drugs or rugs. As a balding man that chooses to shave my head, I understand where other men would not want to do this. Shouldn't they have someone to at least help educate them on the do's and don'ts of the alternatives to shaving?
Now, that being said...
Hairtech, you say you're bald and you shave your head... post a picture! And, since you have an internet radio show talking about hairloss and treatments and such... maybe you should have Tyler on one day to promote the glory of being bald!
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:-\ point one for team Rob.
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I posted a picture so what do you want know for acceptance? I am kind of curious how you get so slick bald just by regular shaving for one.
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I'm actually a little miffed right now... and actually it's not at hairtech, it's at the rest of you for basically attacking this guy. :(
One thing we have always said here is that we are very tolerant... everyone is welcome. Doesn't matter who they are, what they look like, race, sexual orientation, color, religion, etc!!
I understand the why, and while I don't agree with transplants or trying to hide baldness, everyone here is entitled to their opinions and such. Did we kick schro out when he started growing his hair back to appease his wife? What about our other BBC members that no longer shave their heads? What about all our fence sitters? Should we attack them for not shaving their heads? f**k no! Everyone that has posted and attacked hairtech should be ashamed of yourselves!
While yes, we promote shaving heads for many reasons, there are those balding men in the world that will never even consider shaving and will always go with transplants or drugs or rugs. As a balding man that chooses to shave my head, I understand where other men would not want to do this. Shouldn't they have someone to at least help educate them on the do's and don'ts of the alternatives to shaving?
Now, that being said...
Hairtech, you say you're bald and you shave your head... post a picture! And, since you have an internet radio show talking about hairloss and treatments and such... maybe you should have Tyler on one day to promote the glory of being bald!
[/rant]
Great point Rob!
Hairtech, you've proven your point in my eyes that you are there to help guys deal with their hair loss without getting taken by the hair transplant companies.
So, to switch gears and stop bashing you in, I have a question for you.
How can we help you convince guys that they can be comfortable in their own skin?
We have guys here that went through hair transplants and realized that shaving their head was better.
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I posted a picture so what do you want know for acceptance? I am kind of curious how you get so slick bald just by regular shaving for one.
Practice. Lots and lots of practice.
Oh, a Headblade, some headslick, and a sensor excel blade are involved, too. 8)
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I dig what Rob said!
If that's you in the posted pics..great! BUT...bro, buzzed bald is NOT slick shaved bald...you gonna give it a go to look REALLY bald like our friend Cam with that extremely hairfree head that you so nicely commented on...
I say if I see ya totally bowling ball smooth, then we'll talk...because truly only a completely bald man knows the power of the liberation we're all talkin' about here...which we so proudly refer to as SLY! 8)
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M!55
One thing's fer shur.....we got some passionate folks 'round here.
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You guys are great! I really like this. Ok so tomorrow I am going to bring up the topic slowly and go from there. I really want to involve you guys and somehow integrate this type of thinking.
Oh so a shaved head is not the ultimate goal here right? It is to be slick bald right? So when do you guys think that tyler can come onto the show. It will blow people away. And ultimately may push people away from surgery. I appreciate you guys putting me on the grill!
Rob, How can you help me???? Well I need to hear stories... I need input and basic psychology as to how you guys got to where you are... comfortable with being slick bald. I need learn your terminology and verbage... ie, I did not know what "being on the fence" was completely... What does sly mean? What do you do with butchered folks.
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Speaking of terminology, what do you mean by:
Oh so a shaved head is not the ultimate goal here right? It is to be slick bald right?
What does the term "shaved head" mean to you? To most of us around here "shaved head" and "slick bald" are one and the same.
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You want input on how we got to where we're at, here's my story.
I used to have very long hair, I had the sampson complex, I would never cut my hair. Then I found out about the locks of love wig program. I'm a big softy and I felt that I had to donate, so I chopped it all off. It took me months to get over the fact that I had no hair, I couldn't wait to grow it back, and I did. I grew back to the requirements to donate and I got the urge to do it again, even know I went through my own little hell of having no hair. When I cut it off the last time I noticed that I was going bald, high forehead and the friar tuck spot in the back. I started thinking that I don't have much choice any more, I'm NOT going for the skullet. I have out lasted my little brother, he went bald when he was still in high school. I changed my whole point of view, I did the buzz thing for a long time while I came to the conclusion that if I couldn't have it all I don't want any. It has been such a sense of freedom that I can not even begin to explain. I feel like I was hiding behind all the hair for my whole life and now I'm out in the open I can't hide any more. I'm just me for me now. My only regret is that I should have done this way sooner, and not thought so longabout it but I guess I needed the time to come to grips with my own hairloss demons.
sorry if this was a ramble I'm not exactly an author.
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Nomad, Your story touched me... And it helps giving me a beginning of what this site is about. I appreciate the words bro.
Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
Dude speaks the truth!!!! You have to shave smooth brutha, to fully understand! 8)
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
Dude speaks the truth!!!! You have to shave smooth brutha, to fully understand! 8)
All the mysteries of sly will be revealed once your dome is completely smooth. 8)
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
Dude speaks the truth!!!! You have to shave smooth brutha, to fully understand! 8)
All the mysteries of sly will be revealed once your dome is completely smooth. 8)
That is the case, you will never kn ow what it is to be sly until you are
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
Dude speaks the truth!!!! You have to shave smooth brutha, to fully understand! 8)
All the mysteries of sly will be revealed once your dome is completely smooth. 8)
That is the case, you will never kn ow what it is to be sly until you are
I don't know how some guys can stand it to come so close to completely smooth but stop just short of it. Two weeks in a row I was at the barbershop when the same guy with very tightly buzzed MPB came into the shop and asked for a zero-blade all over. How do you go so far and just stop? The first time, I was going to stop at a no-guard buzz, but that lasted about 5 minutes. I just couldn't do it.
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Razorx, I thought I read in this thread that I needed to shave more than just what I did. Like no stubble. Am I wrong?"
No, you're not wrong. If you have stubble, you are not shaved. Scrape it smooth and then and only then will you understand our obsession with our slick noggins.
Dude speaks the truth!!!! You have to shave smooth brutha, to fully understand! 8)
All the mysteries of sly will be revealed once your dome is completely smooth. 8)
That is the case, you will never kn ow what it is to be sly until you are
I don't know how some guys can stand it to come so close to completely smooth but stop just short of it. Two weeks in a row I was at the barbershop when the same guy with very tightly buzzed MPB came into the shop and asked for a zero-blade all over. How do you go so far and just stop? The first time, I was going to stop at a no-guard buzz, but that lasted about 5 minutes. I just couldn't do it.
Yeah, that seems stupid to me, especially when someone has MPB, I mean, you can still see the horseshoe, so what's the point?!
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Yeah, that seems stupid to me, especially when someone has MPB, I mean, you can still see the horseshoe, so what's the point?!
Especially when you take into account that this place charges $18 for a haircut. Hopefully they're giving him a break on the price since there's very little work for them to do. Can you imagine paying that every week to get that little bit of hair cut?
I guess for some guys it's a pshychological thing; they still feel like they have some hair.
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hairtech, there's a huge psychological reaction to shaving your head while dealing with Male Pattern Baldness (MPB). Buzzing has some effect, but no where near shaving it all the way down. We can all describe the feeling, but it's hard to explain why it's such a powerful thing to do.
As for being on your show, when would you like me on it?
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Hey Hairtech, I do owe you an apology for my initial post. The point of the post was that I felt you were selling the idea of hair transplants. After reading your posts, I was wrong. My bad. :(
Here's my story on going SLY. Who knows, it might of use for your radio show.
Although I have totally embraced the shaven head and LOVE the look & feel, I was actually comfortable with my MPB. I just kept it cut short and was fine with it. However, I suffer from sebhorreic dermititis (hereditary). It's a painful, dandruff-like scalp condition that results in sores and severe itching. There was really nothing I could do to "cure" it. Prior to shaving my head, I found SLYBALDGUYS.COM and started participating in the forum and asking questions about shaving, maintenance, etc. I also asked about dandruff. A few of the guys did find that their dandruff basically disappeared once they began shaving their head.
Well, on New Year's Day 2007 I shaved my head for the first time. I truly loved the feeling and the look (although my wife hates it >:(....her problem, not mine). Although it's more work to maintain than just running a brush over my "horseshoe of hair", my scalp condition has completely disappeared since going sly. In fact, I did some experimenting with shaving every other day vs. daily, and found that shaving is like exfoliating your scalp. My scalp is at its healthiest with a daily shave. During the summer, I made a deal with my wife; I would grow it back to a #1 buzz cut as a compromise because she just doesn't like the look on me. However, she saw the effort I made for her (tee tree oils, medicated shampoos, other remedies) to get relief from the SD. Even though she truly appreciated the effort, she knew the relief I got from shaving it and I told her "Sorry, I just have to keep it shaved". On the morning I returned to SLYNESS, I let each of my two kids buzz one half my head with the clippers (no guard). When it was my seven year old daughter's turn to use the razor, while she was buzzing my scalp, she commented "Dad, you have a lot of dandruff", despite all the topical things I used. Well, I think those 7 words spoke volumes.
And there you have it.
Is my attitude better? Yes. 8)
Do I like the look? You bet. O0
Do others like it? Most do (unfortunately, my wife does not...oh well). :'(
Am I scratching my scalp? HELL NO. And for that reason alone, I plan on being SLY THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!! O0
I hope this information helps your efforts and your radio show.
Cheers,
Schro
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Hey Hairtech, I am a "fencer". I hang out on this forum every so often as I know that I will shave my head eventually.
Basically a fencer is someone thinking of doing it.
My story is that I am a 24 year old who has MPB and it really started to kick in about a year or more ago, so about 8 months ago I started buzzing my head with these guys help. I started with a #3, then let it grow, then started making it shorter and shorter until I was on a #4 but then I started buzzing it to a #2 which I think looks awesome, but I know it will be #0 or shaved soon.
Why am I holding out? Well it isnt that common amongst my age range but a few of my friends #0 every so often and I would like to hold onto some hair for abit since when I start shaving it, I wont ever stop.
I dont really have bad MPB, I just dont want to get to the stage of a horseshoe as I think it just shows you dont look after yourself, it looks messy and not clean and tidy.
On the pills, HT and wig side - this really isnt an option, as pills may wreck your body for life when they at most will provide 3 more years of hair. HT looks unnatural and the balding will happen around the transplants and make it look ridiculous. Wigs are just trying to trick other people, I appreciate why people wear them as MPB can be traumatic, but if you can not be yourself, then what is the point?
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Wow, after being gone since my last post on Friday I see a lot has been unearthed.
Hairtech, if your goal is to council people on the bogus hair replacement industry then I apologize. I (obviously) feel that the hair replacement industry is one of the biggest farce's on the planet and initially I must have misunderstood you for someone that helped "patients" or potentials navigate the products and services of the hair loss industry opposed to someone that addresses the psychological aspects that the purveyors of plugs, rugs and drugs exploit for their benefit.
Rob, you are right, I should have been more inquisitive than accusing and I want to apologize to the board for my lack of initial trust and skepticism.
Yeah, I am passionate about this as it was something I had to deal with with very little support and every time I turned around there was someone telling me PR&D were ok and worked. Had I not went against the grain with that advise, I would not be here now...
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Your telling me Marz! I see a different set of men/women that have gathered here and has such a drastic different "meaning" for their heads and life. I knew that the folks I help on the other side of the tracks were an eclectic set of people. I did not realize that this was even here. I am going to try to bring this topic about tonight... sort of winging it. Tyler, let me talk to my partner and let's set something in stone soon. It will be interesting to hear your stories. Thanks again guys/gals.
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Hairtech--thanks for the information on your head--as you've noted heads are the topic here. For myself, my issues with baldness w/ the fringe percieved as ugly probably started in the 6th or 7th grade with a teacher, our first male teacher, who was bald, fringed and unfortunately had little or no personality to make the kids admire or even like him. We had a name for him, almost out of Southpark, Harry Toilet Seat--after the fringe. That's stuck w/ me, and when I began to get the noticeable MPB symptoms in my thirties it wasn't pleasant. Fortunately the process was slow, starting w/ the Friar Tuck hole in the head and some growth in the size of my forehead. Good for me that as that process went on as MPB does, however, the shaved head became less than a Yul and Kojak and skinhead thing for society as a whole and moved more mainstream thanks to the media personalities. As the MPB clock ticked on, I started to admire the shaved look--but worried about the shape of my head which for some reason I considered to long (That has proved groundless--I get compliments on my head shape!). Anyway, about two years ago the MPB started to accelerate, and I knew what I was going to do. Unfortunately, a friend of ours had really bad MPB and shaved, and didn't and doesn't keep it cleanly shaved. My wife hated it. But about a year ago I realized I was going to be doing this and in the foreseeable future and I had to have a "wife plan." So on the web, search words bald, balding, shaved heads, etc. The more I saw shaved and buzzed heads the more I realized I really wanted to try this out. I was a lurker here and at a few other sites, gaining some insight into how to shave, products, etc. By this past summer, I jumped when I saw a Headblade "live" and "in person" at the drugstore, and other products by BaldGuyz ultimately buying my supplies for the "deed." This fact of the general commercial nature and availability of the products enforced my drive to Sly. I was lurking here and other places, noticing guys w/ the fully shaved head and liking it even more, the urge was growing stronger everyday. Then I decided to adopt the buzz process, 3/8", 1/2" and 1/18" until I would finish with a blade--all plans to get over the wife explosion. On September 7, needing a haircut and really having issues with the combover effect that had developed--I was spending time with a mirror everyday seeing how bad it was getting--I went to my barber of perhaps 15 to 20 years and said, "Buzz!" He took it to 1/2", and then to 3/8" and I loved it, but once free of the combover, and in buzz time, things went faster than my original plan. My wife blew up on the buzz, but settled down. She didn't seem to notice when I got a clipper at Wal-Mart and moved on from 3/8" to 1/4" myself less than a week after the beginning of what I've called the Buzz Time. The 1/4" lasted until 3 days before 10/12 when I went to 1/8". Still no further reaction from her, but I loved more and more as it got shorter--[a question for you Hairtech, don't you enjoy rubbing the short buzz? I did]. Then, 9/11 I decided, "Tomorrow morning it's Sly time." So #0 buzz before the gym, looking just like you apparently do now. Getting home after my wife had left for the office I was really hyped. Shower, gel and then a brand new Power Fusion, and following the information from the web, I shaved clean, slick and smooth. It was a real high. The wife went ballistic when she got home, but my daughters didn't say a thing one way or the other. Within a day, I became a member here, and posted questions--I felt a numbness at first on the non-balding areas and all the cool breezes. I got answers and encouragement, even relief about the overwhelming urge to rub my slick scalp and I found it to be a common response by the Brothers. Well that will be 7 weeks ago this Friday, and I've never looked back. I had and have issues about the "shadow" but that's easier than issues about the combover, and I can time my shave or reshave to pretty much handle that. Only one bad comment--someone asked if I had cancer--but the rest of the comments, except for my wife--are totally in favor. Again, from a Brother here I got the answer if anyone ever says cancer again, "No Libra actually!" The other comments mostly how young it makes me look! Let me tell you, once you're past thirty, and I'm long past that, you can hear a lot of that without getting upset! It's especially fun when they say it front of my wife, and they have! :*)) My wife still hates it, but she doesn't say anything unless we've been out and had a few pops, but it doesn't last. This has been mostly successful, and not expensive either. Hard for surgery to do that, I've seen too many guys looking like a Gia Pet after expensive transplants and as noted by the Brother, Itsonlyinmyhead, pills aren't an answer either--and who wants to wear a wig 24/7 to hide the fact of MPB. So that's the story, and with nearly 7 weeks under the blade, I'm one happy camper. A lot of support here for that option, I didn't ever find any support available for the other "solutions." That's why one guy w/ MPB did it, but I notice you appear to be more on the BBC side of life, and they get support here too.
My suggestion, lather up, power up the Fusion, and join the Sly side! Unless they ask on the radio show, you don't have to tell them unless you want to or they ask for a picture.
This is far too long, but you really seem to be looking for a point of view.
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saintc....well said. O0
WARHAWK O0