Shaving own head

Mr_Hat

Im getting a bit thin on top. Onky 18 but still. Instead of going to the barbers every four weeks and handing over the best part of two squid for a number two. Im thinking of just buying clippers and shaving my own head. Has anyone tried this efore. What do I need to look for in a clipper.

Encoder1970

Get a good trimmer and use it on the tightest setting. Get a brand you know, most are around 25 euro so pays for themselves in 2 months.
Make sure it's for hair and not just a beard trimmer.
Ever so often take it apart and clean and oil it.
Get a rechargeable cordless one so you can use it in the shower before turning on the water, throw hair in toilet.

helimachoptor

OP same as yourself, started thinning shortly after hitting puberty I'd recommend a proper head shaver it's worth spending money on.

Micky Dolenz

My mate starting thinning off at about the same age. I would shave his head every couple of weeks, after that he started doing it and ~I would check for any missed bits. After a short time he was very good at it.

unklerosco

I've been shaving my own head for over 5yrs at this stage... Saved myself a fortune, after trying a few shavers I picked up a Wahl clippers (similar to this) and its great...

LD 50

I do it the whole time these days aswell. Its cheaper and you can do it when ever you want. Started doing it in college about 2 or 3 years ago. Went out and bought a fairly cheap set of clippers. Some of the plastic length setting things that clip on are breaking, so I gotta pick up a new set even though the actual clipper works fine.

I'd recommend picking up one of the better ones. They'll pay for themselves in no time. And a hand held mirror so you can check the back easier.

G-Money

I shave my head myself as well. I have to disagree with a previous poster though and I'd advise you not to shave it as tight as possible the first time. I bought a Remington set a number of years ago, it came with various guides (black plastic bit that slides onto the blade). I started out with a long-ish setting to see what it was like, then progressively adjusted it and cut shorter and shorter until I found a length that I liked and I just use that setting all the time now.

I went to the barbers the very first time as I was a bit worried I'd f**k it up myself. But I cut my hair now about every 2 weeks. When I cut it, it's very short, no more than 1 or 2mm long. You'll be surprised how quickly it grows back.

Mrmoe

My dad bought this http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4432083/c_1/1|category_root|Health+and+personal+care|14418350/c_2/2|cat_14418350|Men%27s+beard+trimmers+and+hair+clippers|14418417/c_3/3|cat_14418417|Hair+clippers|14418426.htm a while back and it works out reasonably well for him. It will still be a bit tricky to trim the back , you might want/need someone to to this part for you.

suey71

I just Mac3 mine every 2 days or so.. I started by going down the klippers route but got tired of that scraping sensation. So now its a zero.

And smooth as a baby's b*ttom.

Be sure to moisturise your head afterwards as it can be a little tender.

fonecrusher1

Im 30 & i started getting thin on top around 10 years ago. Its just a losing battle from the out-set.:mad:
Ive been shaving my gradually disappearing hair for the last few years because i was handing out 10 euros for what i can now do myself.
Get comfy in front of a mirror & take your time shaving your head otherwise you'll have long strands of unshaven hair lurking around the back of your head where you didn't pay enough attention.
If you can get someone else to do it for you, even better.

Khannie

Been doing this for about 12 years now. :eek:

My advice: Invest in a good clippers. 50 euro or more. I spent 65 on my last one and I've had it a good 4 or 5 years now and shave my head every 2 weeks so you can see that it pays for itself.

The cheap ones require oiling and that is both a pain in the bum and ends up in them breaking after a while. What you want is a good ceramic head clippers....they will say "no lubrication required" or something similar. I have Philips ones and they've done me very nicely.

Lastly there are two other things to consider: It is much easier if you live with someone who can give you a bit of a visual inspection after you've done it yourself (mostly for the back).

Also, for a nice clean appearance it's good to have someone take a (face) razor to the bits of hair around the back of your neck that the barber would do. I'd say you only need to get that done every month or two.

Good luck. Welcome to the gang.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

It's very easy to do, I used to do it. As was said just above though, having somebody just check the back around the neck is useful!

Handsome Bob

Indeed, as Khannie said, cheap ones will require regular oiling. You may get complacent too when you get used to it and forget to oil, which can be quite dangerous.

Personally, I use a Gillette Turbo razor and give myself the once over every day, it really does decrease the annoying routine of 1) First giving yourself a once over with a clipper and then 2) Using a razor for a tighter shave.

KevR

grandmaster wrote: »

I have to disagree with a previous poster though and I'd advise you not to shave it as tight as possible the first time.

+1

I started with a 0.5 on the clippers rather than 0. Changed to a 0 after a while when I got used to it.

LZ5by5 wrote: »

Indeed, as Khannie said, cheap ones will require regular oiling. You may get complacent too when you get used to it and forget to oil, which can be quite dangerous.

This may seem really stupid but what can happen if you don't oil it. I've been shaving my head with the same clippers once a week for almost 2 years now and have never oiled it :eek:. It's wasn't a cheap clippers though..

Handsome Bob

KevR wrote: »

This may seem really stupid but what can happen if you don't oil it. I've been shaving my head with the same clippers once a week for almost 2 years now and have never oiled it :eek:. It's wasn't a cheap clippers though..

In my experience the clipper would be more liable to cut you if you don't oil it. And if you're using the clipper for more than just one area besides your head, you really should oil it to ensure there are no "incidents". :pac:

KevR

Thanks! Luckily my clippers haven't cut me....yet. Must oil it soon though to be on the safe side.

G-Money

I've never oiled my clippers and I've had them for about 4 years at this stage. Although I'm pretty sure I spent about 40-50 euro on them when I bought them. They are Remington as well as I thought they'd be a good brand.

It's a Remington Precision actually and I use it with a 3mm black guide - I just checked it there now.

I do recommend taking your time and making sure you get it even and looking neat. It can be very easy to do it quickly and at a glance, it looks tidy. But it's very easy to have a few stray or longer hairs and it not be even the whole way around and it looks untidy. I'm lucky enough in that I have a moveable mirror in my bathroom so I can move it around and reflect it into the main bathroom mirror to make sure I've got the back sorted.

the_syco

Khannie wrote: »

My advice: Invest in a good clippers. 50 euro or more. I spent 65 on my last one and I've had it a good 4 or 5 years now and shave my head every 2 weeks so you can see that it pays for itself.

Have a Remington Barbershop Clippers myself, and I use the 3/4" attachment for trimming the sides of the beard. I think it cost around €30-€50 for the set at the time, which would've been around 5 years ago, maybe more.

Personally, I use a powered Mach3 to shave my head, and use the trimmer for the beard, but each to their own. The Remington Barbershop Clippers set comes with:

1 x of clippers (handy, obviously)
1 x video
1 x lubricant (for the blades…)
1 x cleaning brush (blades again)
6 x grading attachments (grades 3, 7, 9, 12, 18 and 25mm)
1 x pair scissors (for those styles the clippers can’t handle)
2 x ear trimming attachments (for around the ears, not inside!)

The video was informative if you've never trimmed anyones hair before.

D.R cowboy

You guys make one laugh .....hahaha........A hair cut only costs 20 euro at the most.... have you not all realised that medium long hair is in fashion .......a shaved head will make you look like one of those scumbags

suey71

I shave my head with a Mach3.

Its smoooooooth and I love it.

If I were to let my hair grow, (whats left) that is, long enough to get a medium to long hairstyle, I'd look like a throwback to the 70's.

And I'd rather look like a scumbag than look like a feckin eejit any day.

Anyway, I don't look like a scumbag. To be honest with you I'm sickingly goodlooking, 6 foot in bare feet.

Oh and I have a 6 pack too.

And come the summertime I'll have a tan too.... on my Bald head(I'll use suncream just to be safe though).

Pure Bald Perfection, thats me.:D.

D.R cowboy

suey71 wrote: »

I shave my head with a Mach3.

Its smoooooooth and I love it.

If I were to let my hair grow, (whats left) that is, long enough to get a medium to long hairstyle, I'd look like a throwback to the 70's.

And I'd rather look like a scumbag than look like a feckin eejit any day.

Anyway, I don't look like a scumbag. To be honest with you I'm sickingly goodlooking, 6 foot in bare feet.

Oh and I have a 6 pack too.

And come the summertime I'll have a tan too.... on my Bald head(I'll use suncream just to be safe though).

Pure Bald Perfection, thats me.:D.

yah .......Good man whatever you think :rolleyes: Society is really good to the foxes. I cringe as I write this to you ...ahhh

the_syco

D.R cowboy wrote: »

A hair cut only costs 20 euro at the most....

You make me laugh. You spend €40 on a hair trimmer, you never have to goto the barber again.

Personally, I use a mach3 to shave my head, and the trimmer to trim the side of my beard.

Do I look like a scumbag? Don't know, don't care. 6 foot something, shaved head, a beard that the taliban would deem acceptable, and a full trenchcoat: I don't get any trouble (bar one incident with a polish speaking ex-military-soviet-bloc-built fcuker high on coke) when walking through Dublin.

PrettyBoy

D.R cowboy wrote: »

You guys make one laugh .....hahaha........A hair cut only costs 20 euro at the most.... have you not all realised that medium long hair is in fashion .......a shaved head will make you look like one of those scumbags

Yeah, but most of the guys in this thread have mentioned that the reason they do shave it is because their hair is thinning.

I've often thought about shaving it all myself, especially at times when it's fairly long, but then I remember the time I got it cut really short when I was 13 or 14. I got a 2 all over and let me tell you my hair couldn't grow back quick enough. It happened again last year when I tried a new hairdresser and she left a bit of length at the top but then went mad with the thinning scissors. There were literally strands of hair so, that same day, I had to shave it. A bald/shaved head just doesn't suit me at all but I sometimes think about a 3 or 4 all over...maybe one of these days I'll actually do it :pac:

KevR

D.R cowboy wrote: »

You guys make one laugh .....hahaha........A hair cut only costs 20 euro at the most.... have you not all realised that medium long hair is in fashion .......a shaved head will make you look like one of those scumbags

The fashion police are here and we've made them laugh.

You seem to think that people with medium long hair can't be or look like scumbags because they have a haircut which is supposedly in fashion. That's actually pretty funny.

A shaved head suits some men, it doesn't make them look like a scumbag and it's not as out of fashion as you seem to think.

Medium long hair doesn't suit me, I'd look like a twat. At least I'm not delusional and have a haircut which doesn't suit me just because I think that haircut is in fashion.

questioner

unklerosco wrote: »

I've been shaving my own head for over 5yrs at this stage... Saved myself a fortune, after trying a few shavers I picked up a Wahl clippers (similar to this) and its great...

i bought the earlier model (white plastic handle )ten years ago this year and it still works - my clipper of choice. cordless ones are crap in my experience.


I used to wet shave my head about once every two weeks, quick once over with the clippers and then shave it off with a disposable - gillete mach whatevers are gods way of telling you you have too much money and not enough sense.

I find it quicker to wet shave as you are shaving off all the hair thus its easier to know when its finished right and your not feeling around the back of your head with a clippers for the bits that may be a little long. the gf doesnt like the shiny head look so its clippers once a fort now. I actually clippers my face too, id let it grow only its ginger.

questioner

looking at some of the daft haircuts about now makes me glad im bald, anyone for the faux hawk? im guessing cowboy may have had one of these particular doozies what with him being up on "de fashion" and all.

did those cowboys in breakback mountain have "fashionable " haircuts?

OldGoat

questioner wrote: »

did those cowboys in breakback mountain have "fashionable " haircuts?

And just what are you trying to imply with this messed up little statement?
That care of your appearence is perhaps a gay trait?
That cowboys herd sheep?
Or that you simply forgot the name of the film?

Handsome Bob

OldGoat wrote: »

And just what are you trying to imply with this messed up little statement?
That care of your appearence is perhaps a gay trait?
That cowboys herd sheep?
Or that you simply forgot the name of the film?

It was a joke. Our cowboy friend implied that all bald people are scumbags, why didn't you feel the need to jump on that statement? Or is that okay in your eyes?

OldGoat

LZ5by5 wrote: »

It was a joke. Our cowboy friend implied that all bald people are scumbags, why didn't you feel the need to jump on that statement? Or is that okay in your eyes?

D.R Cowboys thread (trollish as they were) are on topic and he implied that shaven heads make people look like what he conciders to ba a scumbag, NOT that baldies are scumbags.
The questioner on the other hand attacked the poster rather then the post by assigning a fictious 'doozie' haircut and then using that breakback(sic) mountain analogy.

It's the implied 'fashionable = gay' theme of the statment that triggered my response. It's a huge bugbear with me. If he made that statment in the F&A forum (where this thread belongs) I'd have banned him - as per charter.
I fail to see the humour in using 'Gay' as a jibe or a barb. "It's a joke" is no excuse. It offends my sensibalities and that was reason enough for me to point out what I concider to be a personal attack on another poster.


Back on topic: Bald is beautiful. Buy a clipper and don't forget to use suncream and/or a hat.

Star Lord

I've been shaving my own head off and on since 1996. Started off a 2/1 and now shave it a 0 all the time with the clippers. I don't shave it with a razor though, time enough to 'Kojack' myself when nature decides that it wants rid of my hair...

D.R cowboy

OldGoat wrote: »

D.R Cowboys thread (trollish as they were) are on topic and he implied that shaven heads make people look like what he conciders to ba a scumbag, NOT that baldies are scumbags.
The questioner on the other hand attacked the poster rather then the post by assigning a fictious 'doozie' haircut and then using that breakback(sic) mountain analogy.

It's the implied 'fashionable = gay' theme of the statment that triggered my response. It's a huge bugbear with me. If he made that statment in the F&A forum (where this thread belongs) I'd have banned him - as per charter.
I fail to see the humour in using 'Gay' as a jibe or a barb. "It's a joke" is no excuse. It offends my sensibalities and that was reason enough for me to point out what I concider to be a personal attack on another poster.


Back on topic: Bald is beautiful. Buy a clipper and don't forget to use suncream and/or a hat.

Well said .......
I would never attack someone for who they are, being gay has nothing to do with this.......there is another thread for that.......

We are speaking about hair ........and bald men don't fit into the character of scumbags just for the record

My point has been made and acknowledged .........I don't see a number 1 or 2 hair cut as professional for a white collar worker

Nephilim Wolf

I've been shaving my head now for 15 years:eek: and believe me it saves a you a lot of money. I don't even know how much it costs for a mens haircut these days, maybe it's just as well. I bought a Nicky Clarke razor a few years back and it's really fantastic. As another post said, just make sure you take off the blades to clean them and oil them as well.;)

jimmyw

I have been doing it for years now. Always hated going to the barbers (akin to going to the dentist )I seem to break somethings on the clippers though. First one it fell on the bathroom tiles, the next one the lowest cut guide just popped off the clippers one day and broke.Now I just use it without any guide on. Would prefer to have the hair a little longer, but what the heck. I also use a mirror behind another mirror to check the back too, great and saving money.



tight arse:)

DevilsBreath

Ye, it's cery easy to shave your own head. One sugestion though is to have someone take a look after you do it the first few times :P.

The fun part is when you start getting the back of your neck with the perfect shave. Bladed razor and shaving foam after using the clipper.

C_Dawg

I use a Gillette Mach 3 and King of Shaves shaving gel, every second day against the grain. It's very smooth and looks very clean and smart if you're anyway thinning on top :-)

Khannie

Hmmm. All this mach 3 talk has me considering going back to that. The only thing I dislike about it is that 2 days in you're like flippin' velcro on the pillow.

Dr Galen

questioner wrote: »

looking at some of the daft haircuts about now makes me glad im bald, anyone for the faux hawk? im guessing cowboy may have had one of these particular doozies what with him being up on "de fashion" and all.

did those cowboys in breakback mountain have "fashionable " haircuts?

OldGoat wrote: »

And just what are you trying to imply with this messed up little statement?
That care of your appearence is perhaps a gay trait?
That cowboys herd sheep?
Or that you simply forgot the name of the film?

LZ5by5 wrote: »

It was a joke. Our cowboy friend implied that all bald people are scumbags, why didn't you feel the need to jump on that statement? Or is that okay in your eyes?

OldGoat wrote: »

D.R Cowboys thread (trollish as they were) are on topic and he implied that shaven heads make people look like what he conciders to ba a scumbag, NOT that baldies are scumbags.
The questioner on the other hand attacked the poster rather then the post by assigning a fictious 'doozie' haircut and then using that breakback(sic) mountain analogy.

It's the implied 'fashionable = gay' theme of the statment that triggered my response. It's a huge bugbear with me. If he made that statment in the F&A forum (where this thread belongs) I'd have banned him - as per charter.
I fail to see the humour in using 'Gay' as a jibe or a barb. "It's a joke" is no excuse. It offends my sensibalities and that was reason enough for me to point out what I concider to be a personal attack on another poster.


Back on topic: Bald is beautiful. Buy a clipper and don't forget to use suncream and/or a hat.

I'm only seeing all this now.....

Ok, firstly.......handbags at dawn not welcome. If people have an issue with a post, report it please, and we'll take a look.

OG, I can see where your coming from. In fact, I share your thought if I'm honest. I'm not a fan of "the ghey" nonsense that goes along with people who take an interest in their appearance etc etc. I do think that not all people share this, and many make jokes along this line, with no malice intended, its unfortunately an element of social conditioning. Nuff said, in future, hit report and we'll deal.

Theres an element of semantics and wording going on with the rest of it. Again, the same message, hit report and state what your concern is. We'll look into it.

On a final note, regarding a home for this thread. Yes, the argument exists that a good place would be FaP. I'd think there wil always be a crossover though between the fora. To my mind thats a good thing. I've moved threads before, and I will again. In this case, I'm thinking its a suitable thread for the tGC, mostly because its a "man" thing. Maybe it'll cross a line or something in the sand and be deemed necessary to move it. For now, lets leave it be and see what happens.

Cheers

MM

G-Money

Also, it might seem obvious but you probably won't realise it until it's too late, but your head will feel colder or feel the cold air a lot more after you shave your head for the first time. So beware.

The good thing is though, it allows you to buy a range of beanie/skull caps