Greetings And Salutations - page 1 -

• Greetings And Salutations by RussTKD on 16 Oct, 2012 15:09
• Hey, what's up?
  
  I'm Russ.  I'm 41 and from a small town north of New Orleans that has a great brewery (Abita Springs).
  
  I found this site while looking for recommendations for an electric shaver for shaving my head a couple months ago, and finally joined today.
  
  Like a lot of guys, I deal with hereditary male pattern baldness.  My hairline just went further and further back as I got older.  To deal with it, about 7 years ago instead of a pathetic attempt at a stylized haircut, I had the stylist buzz my hair with a #3 guard.  Then on the way home, I bought some clippers and just started cutting my hair myself.  As my hair receded, I'd cut it shorter and shorter until a couple years ago I finally buzzed it with no guard, and kept it that way for a while.
  
  One day this spring, as I was goofing off with some friends over email and the topic of baldness came up, I took a picture of the top of my head, and decided it was time to shave it.  I put it off a couple months mainly out of laziness, until one dead day at work I found myself looking for an electric razor that could do the job and found SBG.  I ordered a Panasonic razor that day (Wednesday) and shaved my head for the first time that Friday.  Somewhere around 90 days later, I'm still shaving it just about daily, but have now moved on to using a Headblade Sport.
  
  For me, it was never a confidence thing, as I made up my mind a long time ago I'd never try to hide going bald.  It was more a matter of timing, and now was the time.  All the reactions I've gotten have been positive (except from my wife...), and I love how much easier it is to shave rather than cut my hair with clippers. 
  
  My only real downfall is getting over the irrational paranoia that I'm going to scalp myself one day.
• #1 by Andrei on 16 Oct, 2012 15:15
• Welcome Russ!
  Glad the reactions were mostly positive. With time your wife will see that it was a great decision.
• #2 by D.A.L.U.I. on 16 Oct, 2012 15:19
• Welcome!
  
     Here's to Amber, Turbodog, and all the wonderful uses for Abita Springs Water!  From a faithful follower of the Abita Brewery in the Crescent City!
• #3 by Mikekoz13 on 16 Oct, 2012 15:25
• Welcome Russ! Nice intro.
  
  I'm also a fan of the Abita brews.... though I can't get them where I live.
• #4 by RussTKD on 16 Oct, 2012 15:32
• Quote from: saintc on 16 Oct, 2012 15:19

  Welcome!
  
     Here's to Amber, Turbodog, and all the wonderful uses for Abita Springs Water!  From a faithful follower of the Abita Brewery in the Crescent City!
  

  
  I'm particularly fond of Restoration Pale Ale and Abbey Ale myself. 
  
  I saw there's a couple other guys from the Big Easy here.  I grew up in Jefferson Parish and work in the CBD.
  
  
• #5 by theman on 16 Oct, 2012 16:17
• Welcome to the Country Club of the Sly.
  
  It sounds as you have come to the right place.  I also can't get any of the Abita brews, but they sound mighty fine.
• #6 by RoWilJr on 16 Oct, 2012 17:16
• Welcome to SBG!
• #7 by Sir Harry on 17 Oct, 2012 06:31
• Welcome, Russ! I'm also a Crescent City Native, but live near Baton Rouge now. I got a case of Abita beer in the Variety pack for my last birthday, the orange is my personal favorite. Good to have you, enjoy and post often!
• #8 by bennett11 on 17 Oct, 2012 07:40
• welcome,  I am not that far away in the Austin Tx area
• #9 by balddaniel on 17 Oct, 2012 09:10
• Welcome you look great
• #10 by BaldRunnerFL on 17 Oct, 2012 10:03
• Welcome, Russ.
  
  I hear you about the reaction from your wife.  I just tell mine to give it some time to get used to it and I'd already been using clippers for years so it's not like a super-drastic change for me.
• #11 by RussTKD on 17 Oct, 2012 14:02
• Quote from: BaldRunnerFL on 17 Oct, 2012 10:03

  Welcome, Russ.
  
  I hear you about the reaction from your wife.  I just tell mine to give it some time to get used to it and I'd already been using clippers for years so it's not like a super-drastic change for me.
  

  
  I met my wife 18 years ago, right at the height of the grunge movement.  And at the time, I could have filled in for any number of Seattle band guitarists (except Kim Thayall) with my look... Long straight blond hair that was undercut about an inch, often pulled back in a ponytail.  She LOVED my hair, as did most women I knew.  I couldn't blame them, as it was really nice hair.
  
  But as I matured and life started dictating my look and genetics my hairline, I started cutting it shorter and shorter up until the point where I was buzzing it with clippers and no guard. 
  
  Since I'm vertically challenged (short), there was no hiding how bald I was through other means, and I hated the way my head looked in pictures, so that's why I finally shaved it.
  
  My wife, however, thought it looked "fine" buzzed, and misses my longer hair.  But as far back as my hair had receded, in my eyes it looked horrible buzzed, so I had no reason to keep it any longer. 
  
  But at the same time, at 41 I'm in the best shape of my life and think I've never looked better.  And just about every other woman I know likes my head shaved.  So I've got options. 
• #12 by Mr Jules on 17 Oct, 2012 14:19
• Quote from: RussTKD on 16 Oct, 2012 15:09

  the irrational paranoia that I'm going to scalp myself one day.
  

  
  Sure you'll nick yourself from time to time. But no more than that.
  
  And welcome to the SBG forum.
• #13 by Beardman on 18 Oct, 2012 00:29
• Welcome to the family mate, I'm glad you finally came out of the shadows and joined in the fun!
• #14 by Slyfive on 18 Oct, 2012 02:51
• Welcome! I was a long haired guy too, but nature takes one thing and gives another... Now we look awesome