Brand New

• Brand New by Clean79 on 23 Jun, 2012 18:17
• What's up everybody?! I've been browsing around on the forum for a few days now & so far, I'm loving this community! There seems to be so much support & great advice for going & being SLY.
  
  So here's my story...I first went sly when I was 25 for about 3 months. I wasn't losing my hair, but I live in south Ga & the summers can be brutal at times. So every summer I would buzz my head with a #2 or #3. For whatever reason, one day I just decided to go far it! I wasn't sure about how it looked on me but I can say this, I absolutely loved the way it felt.
  
  There were two reasons that made me stop shaving, 1 I got tired of the comments from some family members & 2, I seemed to stay broke out along the temple area & just couldn't stand that so I let it grow out. Here we are 7 years later & now I have a receding hairline & grey coming in along the temples & sideburn areas. I've been debating on doing it again for a couple of weeks now & started with the buzz. Every week I would take it down a notch & stopped wearing a hat EVERYDAY!
  
  I was attempting to get people semi use to my head along with starting the tanning process. I come across this forum and....nuff said! There was enough encouraging people & info that made the move easier, thanks SBG!!! Last night I used the trimmers with no guard, then massaged in some head slick & went to battle with the Head Blade! I forgot how much I loved the way it felt after a clean shave!
  
  I'm going to commit to the 30 day challenge with no intentions on going back...just hope the skin will tolerate the shaving at first. Thanks again guys!
• #1 by Frontier Guy on 23 Jun, 2012 18:26
• Welcome Clean79 ... Central Florida here, so I know what you're talking about HOT summers, particularly with swamp humidity.
  
  Since you've been Sly in the past, and are again, doesn't sound like you need a lot of encouragement. The 30 days will allow time for others to get used to the "newer" you. But in any case, what matters is only how you feel - and your post pretty much says it all.
  
  I can't address the breaking out issue ... but it would seem like being sly AND using an exfoliant (like St. Ives Apricot Scrub) will help to keep pores open if that's causing the issue. Surely the other gents will have better info.
  
  Glad you've joined us. Stick around and share your 30-day experience. Everyone's is different, informative, and often inspirational.
  
  Cheers!
• #2 by RoWilJr on 23 Jun, 2012 18:39
• Welcome Clean! Being stationed down in the Florida Panhandle I know how ya feel (factor in the humidity from the Gulf=extra sticky)
  As Frontier posted, 30 days should be be a breeze... Also, your head will adjust to the "consistent" () shaving. Feel free to browse our forums...there's a plethora of info on here
• #3 by mrzed on 23 Jun, 2012 19:43
• Welcome.  I'm not quite that far south. Live on the NC/SC border south of Charlotte.
  
  Can be hot and humid.  Love the feel of a bald head. Love the feel of the sun on a bald head. Rain too.
  
  You're correct. There is just something about the feel of a bald head that is incredible.
  
  
• #4 by erikwillke on 23 Jun, 2012 23:09
• Welcome Clean,
  
  I sweat A LOT!  I get the same bumps on my temples and also on the back of my neck (I shave there too).  What I think it is my case is me rubbing my dirty mitts in those areas.  The pores open up and my dirty hands do the rest.  Sometimes I'll get pimples on the back of my head for the same reason. 
  
  I don't let anyone touch my head in the morning.  I don't want them to get it dirty either.  Try being conscience about where your hands are for a couple of days.  It's natural to rub your head when you're sly because it feels so damned good but see if not touching it at all will improve it.  Also, make sure you're shaving slick.  By that I mean make sure when you shave you're very well lubricated.  When you're not very well lubricated your razor will actually pull on the skin and skip, causing irritation.  Also, don't keep going over the same area trying to get those few stragglers.  All you'll do is scrape away a layer of skin cells and irritate it more.  I rarely get a perfect shave.  I find that I"m the only one who notices. 
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Erik
• #5 by wilky895 on 24 Jun, 2012 05:17
• Welcome Clean... Make the 30 commitment. I just completed my 30 days recently, it felt like it went by fast. Within a few weeks I was shaving/showering just as quick as when I had hair. I was fortunate I never really had an issue with bumps, but I do exfoliate my head about 2x / week before I shave it. Lube it up well and take your time at first. Don't worry about about others, I was nearly bald when I went SLY and no one really saw me differently. Good Luck
• #6 by Sir Harry on 24 Jun, 2012 06:20
• Welcome to the group and good luck.
• #7 by Mr Jules on 24 Jun, 2012 08:17
• Quote from: Clean79 on 23 Jun, 2012 18:17

  I'm going to commit to the 30 day challenge
  

  
  Go for it. After 30 days of daily shaving, what's the worst that can happen ?
• #8 by erikwillke on 24 Jun, 2012 08:49
• Quote from: Mr Jules on 24 Jun, 2012 08:17

  Quote from: Clean79 on 23 Jun, 2012 18:17

  I'm going to commit to the 30 day challenge
  

  
  Go for it. After 30 days of daily shaving, what's the worst that can happen ?
  

  
  Couldn't have said it better.
• #9 by Clean79 on 24 Jun, 2012 11:14
• Thanks for the responses and support! I'm definitely going to keep shaving, I like the look & love how clean & fresh I feel afterwards. I will keep all of the advice in mind as I find what seems to work best for my dome. I dfinitely have to be conscious of placing my hands on my head because it does feel nice as well as reminding others to ease up also lol.
  
  I remember the last time that I tried going sly, I messed up & put a hat on right after a clean shave & it messed me up bad...lesson learned! Will this go away as the scalp toughens up?
• #10 by Mr Jules on 24 Jun, 2012 11:30
• Quote from: Clean79 on 24 Jun, 2012 11:14

  I like the look & love how clean & fresh I feel afterwards. I will keep all of the advice in mind as I find what seems to work best for my dome. I dfinitely have to be conscious of placing my hands on my head because it does feel nice

  
  That clean and fresh feeling will always motivate you. Don't worry about rubbing your smooth head. Others are curious of that smooth head feel. But only you know.
• #11 by IllinoisBaldy on 24 Jun, 2012 13:47
• Welcome to SBG.
• #12 by balddoc on 24 Jun, 2012 15:47
• Welcome and good luck for your 30 days. They'll fly by in no time.
• #13 by Laser Man on 24 Jun, 2012 16:13
• Welcome. 30 days gives you and those around you time to adjust. Something else will happen in that time period: you'll reach a point where it will be hard, if not impossible to remember what you looked like with hair. For me it happened at about the three week point. I was looking in the mirror and realized I could picture myself with hair. I closed my eyes and still no picture came to mind. That was when the transition was complete!