Did the 2020 pandemic afford you the opportunity to shave your head?

• Did the 2020 pandemic afford you the opportunity to shave your head? by Kromedome on 22 Aug, 2025 22:53
• I had shaved my head several times before the pandemic and let it grow back out to a flattop but had the urge to shave it again just before the pandemic shut down everything. My barber was closed down and after three weeks of not getting tidied up, and no clue when my barber would be able to open, I took matters into my own hands and chose to go sly. A few weeks later, my wife and I were sitting on the patio, and I overheard my backyard neighbor saying that he decided to shave it. I took a peek over the fence and sure enough, my backyard neighbor is sporting the sly look as well. I called his name and shook his hand over the fence. Anyway, he kept shaving his head while I chose to grow mine back out to the flattop. I mostly kept the flattop, but would get a wild hair up my arse and shave it two or three more time between now and then, while my backyard neighbor kept his shaved.
  
  I shaved my head 6 weeks ago today and I'm proud to say I haven't let it grow more than 3 or 4 days before shaving it all off, but about that time that I shaved my head, I saw my backyard neighbor with quite a bit of growth on his head. I really wanted to ask him about it, but refrained, as I thought that would be a bit weird. I saw him last weekend working in his yard and his hair was quite long and it really showed how much MPB he has. He's probably 20-25, maybe more, years younger than I am and just an all-around nice person. Well, I saw him tonight, over the fence and noticed he's back to 'Sly'.... I may ask him about it if I see him around this weekend.
• #1 by O2BSly on 23 Aug, 2025 04:46
• Good post, good story 
  I reckon there's a good chance you inspired your neighbour to go sly again.
  He clearly enjoyed it previously and probably got bald envy
  
  Yeah I think a lot of guys tried sly during the pandemic who ordinarily wouldn't have tried, or otherwise it gave them the excuse they had been waiting for 😊
  
  Oddly enough for me I got out of routine during the pandemic, with WFH and young kids at home.
  The year before the pandemic I had maintained a #2 buzzcut most of the time and shaved bald quite a few times. During the pandemic, I would grow it out for several months, then buzz it off, and then a few days after that I couldn't resist the urge to shave bald  and then it would start all over again.
  
  Just post the pandemic I regretfully drifted back to conventional haircuts, but pleased to say that I've been buzzing again since the Spring.
  That urge is coming, it's gonna happen one of these days...
• #2 by Semi-Sly on 23 Aug, 2025 11:14
• Yes, absolutely. As you know, I alternate between a shaved head and a flat top but during Covid, I kept it shaved all the time partly because I couldn?t get to The Barber to maintain the Flattop and partly because it just felt right.!
• #3 by Kromedome on 23 Aug, 2025 11:40
• @O2BSly I never thought about myself being an inspiration for my neighbor to return to the Mr Clean look, but I suppose it's very possible! Thanks for that mention!
• #4 by slybeard on 24 Aug, 2025 06:49
• I was shaving well before the pandemic, but did the opposite, I started letting it grow.  But the reason I did was because the barber I had gone to for a beard trim and head shave was put out of work, so I decided to let my hair grow back so I could return to him for another head shave and beard trim when he was allowed to reopen, with plans to give him a big tip to help compensate for his time shut down.  As time passed and barbers were finally allowed to re-open, he was so busy I could not even get in, so I took matters into my own hands.
  
  I suspect your neighbor was influenced by you.  You should mention it to him.  I have found the head shavers, as well as bearded guys, are quite open to talking about head shaving and/or beard growing.  You might want to mention this site to him as well.
• #5 by reddog on 24 Aug, 2025 08:34
• I continued to shave my head during the pandemic, but for the first time in about 25 years, I shaved off my beard. I had never seen myself with a shaved head and no facial hair! It was not a good look, so the beard came back immediately.
• #6 by Razorhead on 24 Aug, 2025 17:52
• @reddog I had about a quarter inch of hair on my head and shaved it off. And like you, I decided to shave off my beard. I really wanted to like having a clean shaved head and face, but it was so much work. I eventually went back to a beard. But it?s a look that I really like. Hey, I even keep it as part of my profile pic. It?s  Not my best look. But I liked it enough because i rediscovered my dimple
• #7 by chuck63 on 25 Aug, 2025 10:52
• I started cutting my own hair with clippers over ten years ago.  I went back and forth with a shaved head for several years.  The pandemic didn?t have anything to do with me deciding to keep my head shaved.  I decided I wanted to stay bald, so I?ve kept it shaved since 2020.
• #8 by Thathawkguy001 on 08 Sep, 2025 14:56
• Yup as soon as I was done with school interviews I went to the barber and got my head shaved. I kept it all year then grew it out on and off for a bit. Now I mostly keep it bald unless im lazy. I also buzzed a few folks heads since they wanted to try it.