Head Shave 101 – My Head is Bald!
The shaved head is becoming quite stylish. Heck, even female head shaving has taken off among celebrities like Britney Spears and Natalie Portman.
If you’re looking to shave your own head, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll explain the best way to get a shaved head, and you won’t even need a trip to the barber shop.
I shaved my head
 (click to enlarge) |
I’m really into simple living, especially when it comes to personal hygiene. I’ve been sporting a buzz cut for a couple years, and I decided to try out the complete headshave.
Here’s a quick picture of my finished, bald head. Needless to say, I’m letting the hair grow back.
This article details my experience, so you can learn how to shave your head bald. Just be careful, and remember that razors are sharp. 🙂
Head shaving tools
Before you get bald, you’re going to need some basic equipment. I happened to have everything already, but it can also be purchased for a reasonable price.
- Hair clippers – Just get a basic at-home hair cutting set. This Wahl 11-piece kit is more than enough.
- Razor – You don’t need a fancy electric razor for this operation. I wouldn’t even seek out the best razor for shaving your head. Use what works for your face. I love this Merkur classic razor.
- Shaving cream – Don’t waste your money on special head shaving cream. But don’t skimp in this area. I’m a fan of old fashioned shaving soap and a nice badger shaving brush.
- Lotion – Your scalp will need a little protection from the elements. Any decent hand lotion should suffice.
Update – The HeadBlade seems to be a popular option, but I haven’t personally tried it (displayed at right). This company has a full line of products, including HeadSlick and HeadLube.
How to shave your head
Once you have everything gathered up, it’s time to shave. It’s an intimidating thing to do, but it’s really quite simple. Relax, and have fun!
- Buzz your hair off with the clippers. If you have long hair, you might need to make a couple passes. Get as much hair off as possible, and buzz it right up to your scalp (no guard).
- Warm your scalp with water. You want to open up the pores and soften the bristly hair. Run warm water all over your scalp and rub it in with your hands.
- Lather your head with shaving cream. Don’t miss any area, especially the back. Apply this stuff liberally; you’ll be glad you did.
- Shave one area at a time. Your scalp is a lot of surface area, so just focus on one spot at a time. I start with the sides, then the top, and save the back for last.
- Re-apply shaving cream as you shave. Before you shave each area, apply more shaving cream. This helps further soften your skin and guard against razor burn.
- Rinse your scalp and apply lotion. I put lotion on a few times a day, since it’s the hot summer. Just don’t neglect your scalp.
- Enjoy your new look!
Why would anyone shave his head?
That’s a darn good question. I shaved my head out of curiosity. Plus, I thought it might be a good, low-maintenance hair style. Some people do it for looks, since it can be a cool, sexy non-hair style for guys.
Other people shave their head for public reasons. There are charity head shaves to rally support and awareness of different causes. People even throw head shaving parties. I’ve even heard of people shaving their heads out of shear boredom.
Questions, tips, or comments?
This article just scratches the surface of shaved heads. I’m sure other people have tips and ideas on the subject. You’re all welcome to contribute in the comment form below!
In case you’re curious
 (click to enlarge) |
My head is shaped oddly because my anterior fontanelle (“soft spot”) closed too early. I underwent two surgeries as an infant, so my skull could grow. I’ve got a nice battle scar.
From what I’ve read, this happens in 1 out of 2,000-3,000 babies. I’m unique!
[tags]shave head, shaving, razor, bald, fashion, style[/tags]
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21 Responses to “Head Shave 101 – My Head is Bald!”
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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June 19th, 2007
DH also shaves his head. I used to cut his hair every week with a #1 blade. Once he left the military and had more freedom, he decided to take it all off. He looks good bald.
He just heard about a new blade system for heads…www.headblade.com but we haven’t done anything other than look at the site. It may be an option in the future. In the meantime DH uses M*ch 4 blades and a women’s shave gel. He gets a great shave without any nicks!
June 19th, 2007
I can’t believe you just made a post about how to shave your head. I loved your “related posts”… it said, “Don’t Make These Mistakes While Job Hunting”. What do you have to say about that Andrew?
June 19th, 2007
Hi Alberta,
I’ve heard that a lot of people like the Mach 4 razor. And I’ve run across Head Blade before as well.
Personally, I got fed up with all those fancy razors and super-duper quadruple-bladed gadgets. That’s why I went to the classic safety razor and badger brush. But I’m weird. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
June 19th, 2007
Hey DM,
That’s some funny irony, isn’t it? I have no idea why the plugin decided that the job mistakes post is “related.”
Lucky for me, I’m no longer job hunting. That’s one reason I shaved my head this summer. I’m just studying for the bar, and my books don’t mind if I look a bit freaky.
Also, some people can really pull off the bald look. I found out that it’s not for me, but some people can do it. So it could actually be fine for job hunting, who knows?
Thanks for your comment,
Andrew
June 19th, 2007
Andrew, I can understand your love of the badger brush and a cake type shaving formula. Both my Dad & DH used these. Unfortunately these seem to have disappeared from the CDN retail shelves. Another case of not enough demand to justify its production and sale. Too bad for the environment – so little packaging and such a long lasting ‘friendly’ product.
June 19th, 2007
Great article. If anyone is looking for more in depth head shaving tips, check out SlyBaldGuys.com
We have thousands of head shavers that visit and contribute to the site.
June 20th, 2007
Alberta,
I haven’t found any classic shaving supplies at the retail stores around me. However, ClassicShaving.com has anything a guy could need, with pretty good prices and speedy shipping.
June 20th, 2007
Tyler,
Thanks for stopping by. It looks like you guys have a great community over there. Keep up the awesome work!
Andrew
June 20th, 2007
Quite a bold move really. Not sure if I woud go that way .. though I’m balding, so probably noone would know the different 😉
So Andrew, the question is .. are you going to change the header picture on the blog?
June 20th, 2007
Owen,
No, I don’t think I’ll change the header image. I thought about it, but I’m growing the hair back. So I’ll keep that image, since it’s really more my style. 🙂
June 22nd, 2007
Thanks for the article. I haven’t got a hair cut in 9 months. I shaved my head for the first time a few days ago and its one of the best things I’ve ever done.
You inspired me!
Thanks a bunch.
June 22nd, 2007
Hi Curtis,
I’m glad you’re enjoying a slick new look. You’ve definitely made my day with your great comment. 🙂
Andrew
June 22nd, 2007
I shaved my head twice and I enjoyed it but my wife didn’t like it. I’ll post a pic to Flickr, hold on…..posted at http://farm2.static.flickr.com.....adb2_m.jpg
I think your problem is called Craniosynostosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosynostosis
December 17th, 2007
I shaved my head also because I was thinning. It looks really cool though I wish I did it earlier.
April 17th, 2008
Shaving is a great look. It looks authoritative, yet artistic. Just remember the sunscreen. Sun care info at http://www.gobold.com/article-details.php?aid=48
July 9th, 2008
I’ve been maintaining shaved head for about 3 years now. I recently spent six months in SE Asia and paid barbers to shave me almost all the time (Paying about $2 on average).
I found that regardless what kind of razor they used, the majority of barbers didn’t use shaving cream at all.
Since then I stopped using shaving cream for my scalp. Just make sure your head is thoroughly moist and you don’t need it.
Oh… and make sure you rinse your head and blade often.
July 24th, 2008
glad to see you took the plunge. like Geordinary, i have been doing it for a few years now also.
The Chinese say its good luck, and I feel that it may be true 🙂
I havent tried the headblade yet, but hoping to soon. I never see it in the local pharmacy.
and like Esthetician says, sun care is a must. I get sunburn on my head all the time now.
June 1st, 2009
i recently shaved my head about a week ago and i think its pretty qute,
June 14th, 2009
I think you should try long hairs once or release any long hair picture of your. I am imagining how you would look in long hairs. I might try photoshop to figure this out.
There is lots of quallity intoformation hidden in that bald head. I never shaved my head like that.
September 8th, 2009
I’ve been shaving my head since I was about 23. (16 years ago) It had started receeding and I got sick of the view. My motto is, if its gonna go, its going on my terms! Anyway, I still love it, especially when it rains……
October 15th, 2009
You might get a kick out of a video that was shot at my work….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qwfo1zWAkE