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Sly Bald Guys in the Miami Herald by Tyler on 15 Dec, 2006 09:45
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On December 14th, I was contacted by Christina Hoag, a reporter for the Miami Herald, to ask if I would do an interview regarding the growing popularity of products for bald men. I agreed to the interview and as a result was quoted in an article on December 15th.Quote
Entrepreneur has a head for business -- if it's bald
Howard Brauner launched a product line to help restore self-esteem in bald men.
BY CHRISTINA HOAG
choag@MiamiHerald.com
It used to take Howard Brauner half an hour, a special comb and two hair sprays every morning to carefully plaster a sheet of hair from one side of his head over his bald dome.
''I did it for 12 years,'' he recalls. ``I couldn't walk in the wind, I couldn't wear a hat in the winter.''
Until one ultra humid day in South Florida in 1993, when the comb-over drowned in a sea of sweat and Brauner's patience along with it. 'I went to the barber and said, `Cut it off.' Who am I fooling? I'm a bald guy, and I'm going to be proud of it.''
Pride doesn't begin to describe Brauner's passion for his Friar Tuck tonsure. It his mission in life to restore self-esteem rather than hair to the hairless.
His year-old New Jersey-based company, Bald Guyz, markets a line of products designed especially for the hairless. There's a shampoo, a 30 SPF sunscreen, head wipes, a moisturizer, a shaving gel and a cleanser/conditioner.
South Florida is a key market, says Brauner, 49, who lived in Coral Springs for 12 years before moving back north: ``It hits the young metrosexual in South Beach, the older retirees and the baby boomer.''
Brauner, whose title is ''head bald guy,'' developed the products himself over a dozen years and talked to hundreds of shiny-pated counterparts.
''The people speaking to bald guys are Hair Club for Men, Rogaine, hair transplants. They're all saying it's not cool to be bald,'' he says. ``It's a market no one's speaking to.''
35 MILLION MEN
About 35 million U.S. men are in some stage of male pattern baldness, ranging from about 20 percent in their 20s to about 65 percent in their 60s, according to Brauner's research. Hair restoration is a $1.7 billion a year business.
But in recent years, it has become more hip to be hairless, especially among the young and receding. ''Shaving your head is a lot sexier than a bald patch,'' says Tyler Smith, the 29-year-old founder of slybaldguys.com, a website for the follicly challenged.
The cachet of the egghead has been boosted by NBA superstar like Shaquille O'Neal and actors like Bruce Willis and Vin Diesel. People magazine has even run a ''Bald and Beautiful'' page.
Bald Guyz isn't the only company lured by the heady prospect of a bald market, but no one else has quite the same products. HeadBlade sells special razors and related products mainly aimed at the head-shaver. And Smith says his website has been contacted by two other companies preparing to launch special head-shaving creams.
The need is there for specially formulated scalp cosmetics, Smith said. Wiping your head with a paper towel or using regular shampoo can make the pate peel.
'Once your head is shaved, a lot of guys are like, `How do I clean it?' Your old shampoo will dry out your scalp pretty bad,'' he says.
Bald Guyz also capitalizes on the growing niche of cosmetics for men.
Brauner's more hirsute partner, Michael Nyman of Weston, said he opted in when he saw the metrosexual trend taking hold with products such as moisturizers and cleansers for men.
''This whole men's grooming category is exploding,'' Nyman said. ``Before it was just shaving cream and deodorant. Now retailers are devoting a lot of shelf space to men's grooming.''
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16247661.htm -
#1 by BaldRob on 15 Dec, 2006 10:21
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Tyler!! You're famous now... will you still remember all us little people?!?
Great job Tyler!! It does my heart good to see good exposure for bald guys... in contrast to all the companies out there that are trying to make us seem inferior for not having hair! -
#2 by ar3inc on 15 Dec, 2006 10:55
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On December 14th, I was contacted by Christina Hoag, a reporter for the Miami Herald, to ask if I would do an interview regarding the growing popularity of products for bald men. I agreed to the interview and as a result was quoted in an article on December 15th.
QuoteEntrepreneur has a head for business -- if it's bald
Way to go Tyler!!! Next there will be a star on Hollywood Blvd w/ your name.
Howard Brauner launched a product line to help restore self-esteem in bald men.
BY CHRISTINA HOAG
choag@MiamiHerald.com
...Bald Guyz isn't the only company lured by the heady prospect of a bald market, but no one else has quite the same products. HeadBlade sells special razors and related products mainly aimed at the head-shaver. And Smith says his website has been contacted by two other companies preparing to launch special head-shaving creams....
What shaving creams are we getting for a special launch? -
#3 by Tyler on 15 Dec, 2006 11:08
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There's a new cream coming out pretty soon (supposed to be this month) calld Bold For Men. I don't know much about it, but it's designed for head shaving. http://boldformen.com/
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#4 by Noner on 16 Dec, 2006 10:54
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Our little boy is all grown up now, he's famous.
Congrats! -
#5 by happyharry on 16 Dec, 2006 14:43
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There's a new cream coming out pretty soon (supposed to be this month) calld Bold For Men. I don't know much about it, but it's designed for head shaving. http://boldformen.com/
Thanks for pointing this out. I checked out their website, read the pdf file with the info about the product, but to tell you the truth, I'm a bit skeptical. Why? Because this gel is supposed to be applied on dry skin. And that means you don't get to rinse your head with warm water first to soften the stubble prior to applying the gel. And we all know this is the most basic thing you can do to minimise irritation (rinsing your head with warm water).
So if you have to apply it on dry skin, and your stubble hasn't been softened by warm water, then no matter how good this gel is, I doubt it will provide the irritation free shave they claim it will. Just a thought...
What do you guys think?
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#6 by David on 16 Dec, 2006 14:53
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There's a new cream coming out pretty soon (supposed to be this month) calld Bold For Men. I don't know much about it, but it's designed for head shaving. http://boldformen.com/
Thanks for pointing this out. I checked out their website, read the pdf file with the info about the product, but to tell you the truth, I'm a bit skeptical. Why? Because this gel is supposed to be applied on dry skin. And that means you don't get to rinse your head with warm water first to soften the stubble prior to applying the gel. And we all know this is the most basic thing you can do to minimise irritation (rinsing your head with warm water).
So if you have to apply it on dry skin, and your stubble hasn't been softened by warm water, then no matter how good this gel is, I doubt it will provide the irritation free shave they claim it will. Just a thought...
What do you guys think?
First, congrats Tyler. Frame that article on a wall somewhere.
Second, I can see your point harry. For me since I went electric, the warm water hasn't really been necessary, but with a traditional razor it would be. The shaver I use comes with gel, but the cartridges are expensive and run out quick. So I just usually get my ipod on, try to get to a computer so I can browse the internet, and put the king of shaves alphagel all over the head, and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I go to work. I found it was a lot quicker using quick, short strokes last night, because then i'm not going down a stretch and missing a small spot.
One method I do like: put more gel on in the middle of the shave. Why? Because how easy the gel goes on, tells you the spots you have missed. Makes things easier. -
#7 by wpruitt on 16 Dec, 2006 16:11
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Hey Tyler - Now that you are famous (or infamous) ....Are you going to remember all us little people out here in cyberland? Good publicity!
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#8 by Tyler on 16 Dec, 2006 22:33
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Thanks for all of the congratulations guys! I can't say I'm famous, yet. Infamous, maybe.
I really attribute getting mentioned in that article to all of you guys who add such great value to this group with your awesome posts. And if it wasn't for Noner's awesome review of their products, who knows if I would have gotten a call from the Herald.
Let's all continue having fun and making this the most Sly place on the web!