Sunday, July 21, 2013

Bald Man Issues

Male-pattern baldness has gone on for centuries. About 20 years ago, many men came up with many ways to deal with thinning and disappearing hair. Rogaine came on the market, as did commercials for various men's hair clubs. We all remember the tagline "I'm not just the president, but I'm also a client."

Many guys, such as myself, opted for a different approach: shaving the remaining hair and going completely bald. Surface-wise, this doesn't seem like a bad idea. Bald heads on men have been stylish since the 70s with Isaac Hayes and Telly Salvalas.  It reached a peak in the 90s when Michael Jordan was king of the basketball world and had a bald head also. Men liked the clean look, and women found it sexy.

I will admit, since I started shaving my head in 2006, women look at me differently, and often with greater amour. I have been compared to Fat Joe, Pitbull, Goldberg, Tom Joyner, and other such bald celebrities that have skin light as myself.

However, many men shave their heads trying to fight the costs of Rogaine and hair clubs. They fail to realize the overall maintenance involved in maintaining a cleanly shaven dome.

First, buy some quality razors. I have tried clippers but many of them often do not give me the close shave I like. Also, don't use the same razor repeatedly like you would on other body parts. Bumps and such rise on your head faster.  Also, be very careful, even with a regular razor. It is so easy to cut yourself. I've been doing it for seven years and I still occassionally nick myself.

You also should shower and rinse immediately. This will make most bleeding and stray stubble disappear, and give you more of a smooth and clean look.

There is maintenance involved in maintaining even a bald head. I know guys that still go to barbershops and let them do the work. For my head, I don't shave it everyday because my skin is sensitive. I don't like to go more than 2-3 days because the remaining hair I have starts growing faster, and often in patches.

So to my fellow bald men, come on and give it a try. But be mindful it is no picnic. Any and all suggestions are always welcome.

1 comment:

  1. My hubby shaves his head because he too began to bald. Over the years he's tried different shaving creams and gels because he has sensitive skin. He recently found a system that works really well for his head and even his face. He started using a shaving brush with a shaving soap from "The Art of Shaving". He has not had any razor bumps since. It may be worth a try!

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