Shaving Your Head

[Ash]

I started losing my hair on top in my mid 20's.  I never noticed it at first and only came to realize it when my friends pointed it out to me.
It started gradually but after a certain point, it got pretty noticeable and started to look really bad.

I had never shaved my head before until Superbowl Sunday, 2003 when we were sitting around watching the game and some girls there suggested that I shave it all off right then and there.
They even offered to do it for me and told me that most women prefer a man who is totally bald rather than have hair on the back and sides and nothing on top.
So I let them cut it and have been shaving it ever since.
The girls do like it.  They always want to rub my head. 

I used to just take clippers and shave it down to the stubble but it wouldn't always look good so I eventually graduated to shaving cream and a razor.
It took some trial and error using a razor at first.  I've cut my head pretty badly a few times.  
One time, I cut it so bad that it bled for what seemed like 20 minutes and then stopped.  I was sure there was going to be a scar but thankfully, there wasn't.

I still have some insecurity issues about my hair loss.  That's why you'll never see any pics of me without a hat on.  Webcam and digital pics always make my head look shiny when it really doesn't look that way in person.
And the chance of seeing me outside of my home without a hat on are slim.
I've mostly come to terms with it, but there still is this feeling that everyone is staring at my head and I sometimes feel very self-conscience about it.

I've been told that there are two types of bald or balding men...
Guys who look wimpy and terrible and guys who look strong and sexy.
Girls have told me that I'm in the latter group but the insecurity is still there.

As for shaving my head, I try to do it at least once a week because my hair grows in very slow.  Shaving it is a pain in the ass and sometimes I just can't be bothered.
There are guys out there who shave their heads every day.  There's no way I could do that.  Shaving your head is a 20-45 minute ordeal (at least for me it is) and I can't imagine doing it every day.

I first take clippers and shave it down to stubble, then I rinse my head with hot water and apply a thick lather of cream.
Then I take a razor and carefuly shave it all off down to the skin.
I have tried many different types of razors but I've found the best ones are the cheap plastic Bic razors where you get 10-12 razors in a bag for $2.00.
The more expensive razors tend to suck.  The hair gets between the blades and can be almost impossible to remove.  And replacement blades can be very expensive.

I even went out and bought a Headblade thinking it would be better. 



Wrong!
Earlier I mentioned that I cut my head so bad that it bled for 20 minutes...
I did that with the Headblade and now I'm scared to use it. 

Also...lately the left side of my head has developed a couple of red blotches.  The red area is very dry and flakes a lot but it doesn't really itch. They were never there before and have only recently developed.
I use moisturizing cream and it seems to lessen the redness but it's been there for several weeks now and won't seem to go away.
I thought it may be eczema but I'm not sure.  Anyone know what it might be?

How about you?
Ever shave your head?

[LilCerberus]

I'll shave from the neck up once in a while, then leave it all alone until I start to look like a !@#$ hippy or it gets humid & I feel like I've got bugs crawling on me.

I gave up on women & getting that big promotion a long time ago, so I really don't care what I look like.

I read somewhere once that going bald was a medical sign that you have way too much testosterone in your system.
My mom once told me it means you're smarter than everyone else. (Of course, I am, but I'm having trouble convincing the unbald of that.)

I was thinking about shaving my head this coming Thursday, because it's been really rainy & muggy around here lately, & I feel like I've got bugs crawling on me, but I may put it off a little longer, as I'm hoping the shiny part of my head gets the attention of a couple of local directors who are looking for a dad for a dog food commercial.

[Mr. DS]

I used to shave my head about once a week in my late high school to final college years. I grew it out but occasionally I'll give myself a good buzz once a month.  Nowhere near as short as I had it though.  Personally I hate having hair on the side of head and in the back. So no matter how long it gets on top I usually keep it tight on the sides.  Most of the time I'll give myself a haircut to save money.  People often marvel how well I get the fade right.  Granted, I gave myself quite a few hack jobs here and there.  Oh well, my philosophy is it will grow back.  Well hopefully it will.   

[ToyMan]

i bought a pair of electric clippers a few years ago, and i've been shaving my head with it every 2 to 3 weeks since. i used to shave my head with a razor when i was a teenager, but it's too time-consuming and expensive.

[Killer Bees]

I'm assuming this question is mainly male oriented.  But I've never shaved my head and I never will.  My hair is thick and curly and half way down my back, and if someone ever shaved it, I would feel violated and probably end up in therapy for the next 10 years.

Ash,  if your head is sore, red, blotchy, itchy, flaky, etc. try coconut oil.  It's cheap, natural, soothing and just melts into your skin.  And in a few days, the problems should disappear.  You can get it at any health food store.  Get it in a container as opposed to a bottle if you can.  Otherwise, when it solidifies, you'll have a devil of time getting at it.

It probably isn't eczema or anything like that.  If you're not used to shaving your head, then it's just that the skin hasn't had time to toughen up and it's a little too tender for such harsh treatment.

[LilCerberus]

When I get a rash or cut myself shaving or something, I've found it helps to wash the area with Selson Blue extra medicated.

[Torgo]

I started shaving my head about 6 or 7 years ago.

The men on my mom's side of the family suffer hair loss pretty early on (usually in their late 20's) whereas the guys on my deceased dad's side of the family never lose a damn hair up until they are dead and buried it seems like.

I unfortunately take after the men on my mom's side of the family and started losing my hair in my late 20's.

I finally to just decided to shave it off. Started off using clippers and then switched to using a razor.

I shave my face/head about every 5 days as my skin's just too damn sensitvie for me to do it more often than that. I use a Schick Quattro razor and Gillette sensitive skin lather.

some guys look good with a shaved head and some don't. I fortunately fall in the category of it working with the shape of my head and women I know like me better like this. They said I should have done this even when I had all of my hair.   

[ToyMan]

for shaving irritation, i'd suggest aveno moisturizers with colloidal oatmeal in them.

[Shadow]

I have never shaved my head and most likely never will. On both sides of the family I have inherited "hairy" genes and don't have to worry about hair loss. However, my hair started going gray when I was 19. Now, 20 years later, it's damn near half and half. This was the reason I got rid of my long hair. I just didn't feel like walking around with a gray/white pony tail, like I was some ancient hippie.

[LilCerberus]

Nepsporin & a doo-rag

[odinn7]

I'm bald on top but keep the rest of the hair cut really short. I'm 41 so at this point it isn't completely abnormal so I am getting used to it. Unfortunately for me, I started losing my hair in my early 20's...At that time it was hard to deal with but as I got older, it's not so bad.

I will say one thing that has helped...I have noticed that women don't seem to make as big a deal of it as I had originally thought. On top of that, My girlfriend who is 10 years younger than me, actually likes it...so with that going for me, how can I complain? LOL.

[Zapranoth]

Started shaving my head just after college; was losing my hair in my late teens (but I will not say that I "suffered" from hair loss).

I think I look better without my hair, and I am thankful not to have to mess with it. 

What's a blow dryer?  I've got a towel here anyway.  Oops, no towel.  Well, a dry washcloth will work too.  =)

What, no shampoo?  Oh well, I still have soap.

Only real work to remember is to use moisturizer, which is important.

I pity all the ****ing around women have to do with their hair, at times.  Glad I don't have to mess with all that!

[BeyondTheGrave]

I have been shaving me head for a couple of years now since freshmen year in college. My hair was just so thin I knew I was losing it. Luck for me never had really long hair were I was freaking out over losing it and most people say it looks good on me anyway.

[Trevor]

 

We have a yearly Cancer South Africa Shavathon and for that, you pay about US$5 to have your head shaved or spraypainted. I've done each one twice and much prefer the head shaving as it's quicker and your shirt doesn't get ruined by the spray as mine did this year. 

Next year: definitely a shaved head for me, which is great because I get a cheap haircut, it's for a good cause and the people involved can make wigs out of the hair. 

[Mofo Rising]

I've got a noticeable bald spot on the top of my head, the "Friar Tuck," but I don't really care about it too much. Yes, it is obvious when you're balding, but it's not new to people, so most don't care. I wouldn't worry about what the ladies think, since any woman that would not be interested solely for the reason that you're balding is not a woman you want to be with.

The only thing that bugs me is that you are limited with what you can do with your hair. Longer hair on a balding man seldom works. Also, I'm prevented from ever giving myself a really cool mohawk or emulating Mr. T. But I've kept my hair no longer than an inch for the better part of a decade, so it doesn't affect me too much. I also have a noticeable monobrow, which I don't shave (or God forbid pluck) for the same reason. I tried shaving it once, but immediately realized it would take constant maintenance and I really don't care enough to do that.

In answer to your question, I did shave my head to about a #1 when I was in high school, when I had plenty of hair. Like the onion on my belt, it was the style at the time. I wouldn't do it now, but it has more to do with the constant maintenance. I don't even like shaving my face.

Oh, I've also got numerous white hairs on my head. I just assume the bitter old man I have on the inside is finally making himself known to the outside world.