Experts needed: to bald or not?

[Stratocaster]

Hey guys! just signed in the forum, here's my introduction: http://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/index.php?topic=15270.0

I'm thinkin' in going sly soon, but i'm a little scared about the big change. Theres a couple of things: first, i have a kinda rounded face and always sported the medium long hair look, i don't know how my head will look naked, so many people told me that i should'nt go sly. 2) i have big black circles under my eyes, and i dont know if that would help, plus i have really pale looking skin.

A couple of pictures of myself:





Don't get fooled about my hair, everyday i lose more and i'm tired of it. Really tired. But people always told me that i can't pull of the short hair/baldish look.

So, what do you think guys?  i would like to hear your opinions on this subject.

Thanks and sorry about my english, it's not my main lang.

[Jason66]

Your hair doesn't seem to look thin at all.. It might be the picture, you would know best. I think you would look fine with the buzzed look, nothing wrong with shape of face or skin tone. Like most of us, you're a bit more critical on yourself, and put far too much importance on things others don't see or realize.

If it was me and I had as much hair as it seems from your picture, I would sport it for a while. Wait until it actually does start to show signs of thinning. I know most on here will say.. yeah, shave it off..!! But once it's actually gone, IT'S GONE,,,! So have fun with it for as long as you can... you look young, so you'll have plenty of time to sport the Bald look later on...

In short.... you'll look fine with the sly. But in my opinion as long as it look the way it does, prolong it as long as possible (unless you actually wanted to) ..!

[The Noggin]

There's no way to find out how you'll look sly without shaving it all off. Don't be scared, try it and you'll know if you like it or not. Can you pull it off? That depends on your mind, not your head shape or skin tone.

[Laser Man]

Going sly is a big change, but it is not permanent.  If you don't like it, your hair will grow back fairly quickly.   Most of us have been nervous about shaving off our hair.  We worry that our heads are the wrong shape or that we'll look bad or that people won't like us.  Once you shave your head, those concerns go away.  The longer you stay sly, the more you like it and the less you even think about those other things.  And the longer you stay sly, the harder it is to remember what it was like to have hair.  (This morning, I opened the drawer and saw one of my old combs.  I picked it up and held it near my head and thought how strange it would be to comb hair again!)

If you want to do a gradual change, take the advice offered on other places on the forum: have your hair cut short and then keep going shorter until you have just a little stubble.  You can adjust to the look of shorter hair and then decide if you want to shave smooth.  One warning: once you get very short, it will be hard to resist going all the way.  The curiousity will get to you.  And once you are fully sly, you will find the look and feel to be addicting!

Good luck!

[Daven]

AS was and wil be said, raise your hand if you knew your head shape before you went sly.  --- anyone?  None of us knew. Many of use found new scars and moles we never knew we had. Most of us stayed sly.

The bottom line is, above all, it's JUST a haircut/ hairstyle. If you don't like it, wear a cap while it grows back. 

Good luck, I think also that you will look great sly.  IF you do it, keep to the 30 day rule and keep it sly.  Yeah, in the photo's you look like you have a full head, but we probably can't tell by the pic's if it's thin.

Let us know how it goes.

[Harleyman]

Welcome to the forum,I agree with Jason why would you want to go sly now,I would wait till you absolutely have to like he said once it's gone it's gone,try a different hairstyle before going sly.

[philp]

Because you are used to having longer hair, it may take longer for you to adjust to the look and you may also initially be critical, but there is good reason everyone references the 30 day rule - it works. You'll look good sly, it just might take a little time for YOU to realize that.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Okay--you're still looking like hair, so here's my suggestion.  Below is a chart, the Norwood Hamilton Chart of male pattern baldness.  Although you can try a shaved head at any time, after your hair gets much beyond a 3 or 3A in my opinion, and everyone has there own on this subject, you probably will look better shaved.  So, tell us, where are you on this scale?

[Stratocaster]

Thank you very much for your answers guys! good replies   

saintc: i don't have MPB, but some form of Diffuse alopecia/Chronic Telogen Effluvium caused by Accutane (three years ago), this could be permanent or not, but i do know that since y used this drug, my hair thinned a LOT. I would say that i lost 50 % of my overall hair density. I decided to go Sly just because i don't want to worry anymore about all the hair i shed daily (a lot, really, it's falling in face, hands, etc.), taking that poison was the biggest mistake i made in my life (i was younger and desesperated, that's the reason i feel like a fool today), there's no historial of MPB in my family (my uncle is 42 and have something like Norwood 3). In those 3 years i lost a lot of hair and i'm really afraid that i'll continue with the shed.

[Laser Man]

Sorry to hear that your hair loss was caused by a treatment.  Don't get down on yourself because of that.  If you decide to try the sly look, you may find it gives you some confidence back since you won't be shedding and you will look neat with a smooth, clean head. 

Good luck!

[Daven]

Good chart, I am like 3A, but a bit more pronounced. I maintain that if he feels like he would like it better shaved, GO FOR IT!

[Stratocaster]

Not sly, but almost there 

What do you think?

[Laser Man]

You look good! The question is how do you feel about having short hair?  If you like it, stick with it for a while before deciding whether to shave fully. 

[Razor X]

Looks good.  I don't think you "need" to shave it completely at this point -- unless you really want to.

[Oto]

I think you should try sly. Your cropped look fits you well, and you know more or less your face shape by now. It's worth the experience. 
If you shave your head smooth today, your hair will be like those pics in a mere 10 days if you let it grow back...
Maybe it will take you a few days to get accostumed to the new look when you  see yourself in the mirror but as you may have already noted, most of the other people simply don't care.
And the smooth sensation is fantastic.