BBC at 16, Thinning at 18, Sly again by 20? - page 1 -

• BBC at 16, Thinning at 18, Sly again by 20? by Qball49 on 19 Aug, 2010 12:36
• Hiya!
  
  My sly journey began back in 2008, when I went from long, flowing hair, all the way down to a smooth dome. I was BBC for about 2 months or so before the "white power" and "cancer" jokes got to me, and I grew it back. I've kept my hair in tact over the last two years, but a couple of months ago, a friend of mine awkwardly asked: "Hey dude, are you... uhm.... balding?"
  
  I hadn't really thought about it until the very moment he mentioned it. I went home and looked in the mirror, and finally noticed that, along with my receding hairline (which had been obvious since I was about 14 or 15), I could see all the way to my scalp through my hair.
  
  I thought this might've been normal at first (since I recently just lost 30 pounds, and I've read that with a big enough weight loss, you can have thinning hair), but when I got my hair cut yesterday, my barber started giving me tips on how to "thicken up my hair" to deal with MPB. I asked her how many years she thought I'd have left before it was obvious to most everyone, and she said.... "Well, hmm.... probably 5 or 6."
  
  It didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, because I really dug the way I looked when I was sly, even if nobody else in my family did
  
  So even though I'm out of high school, and no longer in a position where moronic people can refer to me as "Obama Killer", I'm still not sure I'm ready to take the plunge again. The reasons I say this are:
  
  1) I'm not skinny, but I'm thinner than I was a few months ago, and since I can't grow facial hair just yet, the fact that I have no hair, added on to the fact that I'm really white might give people the false impression that I'm sick or something, and people I know can't be talked out of first impressions 
  
  2) One of the reasons I didn't keep the sly look the first time was the shadow, which seemingly would be solved now that I'm thinning. However, I don't know if I'm thinning strongly enough to the point where the shadow would be less prevalent up top (I'll have a pic up soon)
  
  What do you guys think as far as the paleness and shadow are concerned? And have you ever had to put up with moronic people suggesting you were a cancer patient or some sort of hatemonger?
  
  And it's great to be back (I was registered here once before, but I can't remember my account name)  
• #1 by xKevoBx on 19 Aug, 2010 13:37
• Hey, sorry you have to deal with that kind of stuff. That's what happens in high schools, in the midwest where I grew up in Missouri. You would have been made fun of there at least in my highschool. Now that you're graduated, people are a bit more mature about it. I haven't been made fun of and I shave my face as well as my head.
  
  Sorry to hear about your hair thinning at such a young age. I guess the upside is that you already know what you look like with a shaved head. I'm BBC and I haven't heard anything moronic like that I'm a neo nazi or something. As for the shadows, there are alot of posts on this site about MPB shaved shadows. There is lots of good advice here.
  
  
• #2 by Qball49 on 19 Aug, 2010 13:43
• thx, man
  
  I'm in no way regretful of going bald, because I knew it was coming anyway, and just putting it off a few more years will do nothing but get me more attached to my hair. I'll definitely check out the posts about shadows, too.
• #3 by The Noggin on 19 Aug, 2010 13:46
• Welcome back Q!
  
  I have been asked if I was sick only once, and that was when I started to buzz my hair very short. After I went sly, there were a few slightly negative reactions, but also some positive ones. All in all, no big deal.
  
  As for the shadow, I'm neutral about it. It's just the way it is.
  
• #4 by D.A.L.U.I. on 19 Aug, 2010 13:57
• Those "cancer" and "skinhead" comments are often made by friends and family who, for whatever reason, don't like either the change in your appearance or possibly the sly look generally.  But, if you ever get another cancer one, I got a suggestion on this site early on in slyness, the guy said to answer the question, "Cancer?" with "No [insert your personal zodiac sign] actually, what about you?"
  
  Shadow, pale skin, don't sweat it, only other bald guys are going to notice shadow anyway, really.  Pale skin, it will blend in pretty quickly.  And "skinny" well a lot of guys who lack some muscle or have a little too much around the waist when they move to sly often get motivated to get to the gym and redistribute and develop their bodies, it's just another improvement in appearance, isn't it?
• #5 by Papa Don on 19 Aug, 2010 14:04
• Welcome back Q.  There is nothing wrong or disgraceful about MPB.  Look around, it's everywhere.  After all, a person's worth is not on top of their head.  Most people DO look deeper.  Hold your head up high for the World to see and say "Here I Am World.  I'M GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• #6 by Qball49 on 19 Aug, 2010 14:10
• Absolutely, Papa Don!
  
  I think what I'm going to do is ease my folks into this by sticking with my #6 for now, and then let them slowly realize just how balding I actually am. Once they realize, I'm gonna take the plunge and go sly again. (I know this sounds a bit like I'm letting them decide my appearance, but since I require their assistance for the time being, I need to be a bit diplomatic with something like this; even though personally, I can't wait!!!!)
  
  Thanks for your help, guys! I really appreciate the advice!
• #7 by marty22 on 19 Aug, 2010 15:43
• good work!
• #8 by wpruitt on 19 Aug, 2010 19:20
• Welcome Q.  Some sun will even things out
• #9 by pdxtodd on 19 Aug, 2010 19:28
• Welcome to the group and back to the sly look.   The interesting thing is that people will make comments about anything when its related to change.   You could change your choice of clothing styles,  your choice of shoes, your glasses, or anything else and I would bet dollars to doughnuts that someone would make a negative comment.    What impresses me about you is that you "manned up" and took control at a young age - when a lot of us were fretting over our hair loss - and continued to do so for years or like me - decades.   If I knew back then what I knew now I wouldn't have wasted 35 years on lotions, potions, and rugs.   
  
  Pale skin can be solved with Jergen's Natural Glow.   A little extra weight = in the gym.   But the reality is that sly looks better than MPB and you made the right choice.   
• #10 by xnewyawka on 20 Aug, 2010 11:00
• Welcome Qball, you've made the right choice in doing what you want to do. F#$k the naysayers!.
• #11 by Arnie on 20 Aug, 2010 16:21
• Welcome back to SBGs!!!
• #12 by Smooth_Operator on 22 Aug, 2010 14:56
• Welcome back, Qball.  If you're getting negative comments, put on a polo shirt or button-down.  It may sound silly, but 'dressing up' even 25% more than you usually do can help make you look undeniably "sly."  How many ne'er-do-wells wear polo shirts?  It projects a little more confidence and presents you as polished. 
• #13 by New_Shine on 22 Aug, 2010 19:34
• i've heard "omg look at his head" when walking into stores and such, but that might be because i still have the die on my scalp from the blue/red mowhawk i had gotten for the weekend.  didnt think it through all the way ^^
• #14 by kenny57028 on 22 Aug, 2010 19:56
• Me getting sly has definetly made me take care of my body in other aspects of my life. I have been goin to the gym lately and bulk up getin some abs, if you can't change your hair change parts of your body that you can control. As for the shadow it botherd me somewhat when I first started espically since I have brown hair white pale.. pry paler than you I get alot of "your really white comments" So I basically have a shadow at all times even after just shaving, but you learn to lvie with it. Also I think some new clothes make you feel better as you can get some clothes that suit the new you. And lastly yes I've put up with lots of lots of comments some negative and some just being jokes, but you learn to live with it. I've been sly for 3 months now and the only comments I get now are "I can't even rember what you look like with hair" or "youd look wierd with hair." So yes the comments while annoying at first, do stop eventually.
  
  Also pdxtodd, ive never herd of that, but ill definetly have to check it out!