Coaches using their heads

The Clovis News Journal tells us about some coaches who use headshaving as a motivator.

Hair - or lack thereof - has become the perfect motivational tool for Darren Williams and Michael Thomas, coaches at Marshall Junior High School. The two men, similar in height and stature, stumbled upon an incentive for athletic teams at Marshall:

In exchange for good performances, or in preparation for a tough competition, the coaches let team members shave their heads.

"Kids come up and say to us ‘when will we get to shave your head.’ It’s that little extra incentive - being younger kids, they think it’s neat," said Williams, who also teaches science at Marshall Junior High.

I know a coach or two from my junior high and high school days that I would have enjoyed seeing bald. It probably would have been enough to get some extra effort out of me.

Shaving in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's Source has an article on a young woman who is shaving her head in memory of her friend and donating her hair to the Cancer Society's wig program. She's taking part in the Cops for Cancer fundraiser on May 7th.

Eleven-year old Elizabeth Haywood’s straightforward nature and composure didn’t falter as she talked quietly and simply about losing her friend in 2000 and why she wants to get her head shaved next weekend. At an age where many girls are preoccupied with appearances, hairstyles and clothes, it was rewarding and refreshing to meet and chat with this young lady whose modest confidence belies her tender age.

"When Andrew had cancer he started to go bald and he told me it bothered him. So I kind of felt, well, sort of sorry for him and for everybody who has cancer," Elizabeth explained. "I decided to do this because my hair is quite long and so, I just decided to cut it off."

That kind of compassion is always great to see. Way to go, Elizabeth; Andrew would be proud.

So would you?

The Omnibus Online (student newpaper of Southwest Baptist University) has a question for you:

Would you shave your head for money? How much money would it take--10 dollars, 50 dollars, 250 dollars? What if you could not keep the money for yourself? Would you still shave your head?

The article is about the Relay for Life fundraising event held in support of the American Cancer Society. So far, they've raised over $12,000 for the cause.

Guys and girls are competing for the privilege of shaving their heads. The guy and girl that raise the most funds will have their heads shaved (or had; the article is from Friday the 29th).

Legal Eagles

It's fairly clear that Schick and Gillette, the world's two largest shaving companies, like to sue each other a lot (1, 2, 3, 4). Schick has been trying to get Gillette to alter it's marketing of the M3Power.

On Gillette's side, they've been trying to prevent sales of the Quattro, claiming that the Quattro violates Gillette's patents from the Mach 3. To wit:

Gillette has argued that any razor head with a group of three blades would be covered by its patent. Its Mach3 razor and M3Power, a pulsating razor based on Mach3, as well as the women's Venus razor, each have three blades.

Energizer's Quattro and the recently launched Quattro for Women each have four blades. St. Louis-based Energizer's Schick-Wilkinson Sword is the No. 2 razor company behind Boston-based Gillette. The rivals have been waging legal battles since Schick released new products -- including Quattro -- to try to cut into Gillette's dominance of the global shaving market.

Judge Patti Saris of the District Court of Massachusetts in January 2004 rejected a bid to halt Quattro sales on the grounds the device infringes on the patent for Gillette's three-bladed Mach3 razor.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has bounced the case back down to a lower court, so the battle continues. If Gillette wins, sales of the Schick Quattro will be blocked in the US.

All I can say is, I have no sympathy for either company. It's over $3 (Cdn) per blade for the Mach 3 and Quattro, and they both sell very well. They're good razors, but the prices are ridiculous.

Shaving over the lunch hour

It's always good to see students learning the value of taking care of each other. The Arizona Republic shares the story of a school where the students shaved their heads to help their classmates.

Twenty-eight students and teachers at Sandra Day O'Connor High School went bald after they sold $2 chances to win a shot at shaving a participant's head.

Twenty-one male students, six male teachers and one female student shaved their heads during two lunch periods Friday.

The $700 raised from the ticket sales will benefit two O'Connor students in the homebound program who are battling cancer.

That's great work, folks.

Hair Cut-a-thon

RedlandsDailyFacts.com has the story of a Hair Cut-a-thon held in support of the Loma Linda-based Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of the Inland Empire.

Whenever Andrew Raad has been a patient at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, where is being treated for leukemia, his mother holds his hand and comforts him.

This weekend, the 5-year-old Upland boy returned the favor.

"He came up to me and he said I'll hold your hand so you are not scared,'" said Maria Rivera-Raad, who shaved her head during a Hair Cut-a-thon in support of her son and other children battling cancer.

It was the organizations first-ever hair-cutting event, and it successfully raised over $8,000.

Arizona Smooth

It must be the season for articles about the mainstreaming of the bald-by-choice look. ArgusLeader.com has this article about shaving in Arizona. Like yesterday's article, this one tells a number of stories. For instance:

But when T. Cook's pastry chef Pierino Jermonti opted for the bald look five years ago, it marked a complete turnaround. When he was a teenager, Jermonti worked as a hair model.

"I used to have a lot of hair," he recalls. "But the older I got, the hair just wasn't that great."Initially, he fought to keep a full head of hair. First came a hairpiece. A few years later, he opted for a hair transplant. A scar on the rear of his head is a reminder of that procedure.

After going smooth, though, he felt as if he had found himself.

"I have to shave every day," he says. "When I'm shaved, I feel stronger. Your attitude and everything else is just better."Plus, it makes a man look younger, Greene says.

Bald in Arkansas

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has an article about balding and head-shaving in the region. It ranges far and wide, but in general is about the mainstreaming of the bald-by-choice look.

By Design, the styling salon Marion visits, in the downtown Metropolitan National Bank Building, gets about 70 percent of its patrons from the male population, and about half of those males are balding. "They don’t try to camouflage it like they used to," says Susan Conde, a By Design hairdresser. "They have a different attitude; they just go with it. We don’t see the bad comb-overs and we rarely see a toupee. We probably have two customers that wear those."

It's a pretty positive article, and a decent read.

Bad hairless days

If you've watched any episodes of the Warner Brothers series Smallville, you have no doubt noticed the strikingly-handsome figure of Michael Rosenbaum, the actor who plays the role of Lex Luthor. He looks great on screen, but apparently isn't that big a fan of the hairless look.

Rosenbaum would also like to do more comedy, but apparently there aren't all that many roles for bald white dudes.

"Well, that's the thing," he says.

"A lot of directors can't see past the bald. A lot of directors say, 'Michael, I want to work with you, and I will work with you when 'Smallville' is over and you can grow your hair back.' I've had some directors who put wigs on me, but then I hate the wig. But it's only another year or two, and then I'll grow it back, God willing, and I don't all of a sudden go bald the last season.

"A nasty trick to do to me in the final season would be if I go bald. Wouldn't that be the irony of it all?

I'm biased, of course, but I think the look suits him quite well. Still, I wish him luck in retaining his hair, if that's what he wants. It's too bad that it interferes with acting jobs, though.

Still raising awareness

St. Patrick's Day may have passed a while ago, but St. Baldrick's events continue to raise money for childhood cancer research. The Western Courier has the story of a St. Baldrick's event at Western Illinois University that brought in $9000, almost double the original goal of $5000.

Bre Hoffman, freshman philosophy major, was one of the girls who chose to shave her head for the event.

"Everyone told me I shouldn't do it because I had such long hair," Hoffman said. "I did it because I wanted to help raise awareness about childhood cancer."

Though Hoffman has no personal connection to childhood cancer, she feels an obligation to help the cause. She said that since she shaved her head, she has been asked often why she did it. People then have to listen and learn about the fundraiser, which she hopes will help raise awareness.

"It's about time we found a cure for cancer, and if shaving my head helps, I'm willing to do it," Hoffman said. "If the fundraiser is still here in a few years when my hair is long again, I'll definitely get my head shaved again."

Way to go, Western Illinois!

Code of the shaved

An article in the Telegraph Online reminded me of a nugget of information that I'd learned long ago and forgotten: headshaving used to be a way to get secret messages transmitted. From the article:

“The Greeks would shave a messenger’s head, write a secret message on his scalp, and let the hair grow back before sending him,” said Bryan Higgs, whose fascination with codes and history led him to this unusual tidbit. “It makes you think: ‘OK, time wasn’t quite as critical for them.’”

The rest of the article is about cryptography, of course.

Close shave in the Amazing Race

Last night's episode of the Amazing Race featured a challenge where the contestants had to shave their heads to get a fast forward, so they could skip other tasks in this leg of the race. They've had this option in at least one other season of the show, but in that one, the contestants declined to shave their heads.

This season, though, the team of Uchenna and Joyce went through with it. Uchenna was already shaved bald, and his wife Joyce sacrificed her long hair to move forward in the race.

It was quite a scene. Joyce cried through much of the shaving, covered her head after the shaving, and didn't want to expose her scalp later in the show. However, it must be noted that she looked very good with her head shaved. She's a beautiful woman, with or without hair.

Uchenna and Joyce are also a great team, and one of my favourites of this season. They've already done very well and have a great shot at winning. The shaving ritual they performed is a traditional Hindu ceremony for good luck; perhaps that luck, combined with their upbeat attitude and competitive spirit, will be enough to get them the win.

Pre-shave oil a no-no?

The Sydney Star Observer has an article on shaving advice from Graham Fish (of men-u products). It's generally pretty good advice, though one thing caught my eye.

Shaving cream will also help soften a beard - and he doesn’t believe in using a pre-shave oil.

I imagine his opinion (which isn't backed with any additional information in the article) might be related to the lack of a shaving oil in men-u's product line. I tried their product and reviewed it a while back, but while I like it, it's not as good as shaving oil when it comes to protecting the skin from nicks and irritation (and it's significantly more expensive than most shaving oils).

Unfortunately, the article was brief and the line about shaving oil was a throw-away. It would be interesting to know why he doesn't believe in pre-shave oils (aside from a commercial interest).

32 Microns

Coverage of the trial on the merits of the M3Power ad campaign continues in the Connecticut Post Online. Kevin Powell, director of Gillette's Advanced Technology Center, came from England to testify at the trial.

Powell described a series of tests of oscillating razors that indicated that vibrations extended hair sometimes as much as 83 microns, depending on the type of blade used. One micron equals approximately 0.00004 inch.

The M3P, according to Powell, extends hair approximately 32 microns, but he admitted he has never tested the current model being marketed, and his figures are based on a prototype.

The Gillette lab also ran tests to see if the way people prepare to shave affects hair extension. The tests showed that just about any time moisture is added to the skin, hair exposure is decreased, most likely because skin soaks up the moisture and hides some of the hair, Powell said. However, when a person rubs his or her face for 20 seconds with a dry finger, hair extends 19.8 microns, according to the tests. But Powell noted that shaving without moisture would be "excruciating." Powell also showed off some of his lab's technology.

Of course, there's more than one expert being called to testify.

Powell wasn't the only scientist questioned Wednesday. John Thornton, an independent statistical consultant who analyzed results from tests that Schick ran on the M3P to see if it performed as Gillette claimed, testified that the data revealed that "there was no significant statistical change in hair length with power on or power off."
But Thornton admitted that his conclusion is derived only from the test data he was given, and that one couldn't conclude that the M3P doesn't extend hair.

It's amazing how much money is involved in something so small. The "hair-lengthening" effect that Gillette is advertising is measured with a microscope, but it's worth untold millions of dollars to the company.

For comparison, hair for most people tends to grow about 200 to 400 microns per day, most of the time (as an estimate).

Amazed

Phil Temples wonders about headshaving in his blog.

While dining at lunch today, one of the waiters I've come to know started chatting wtih me. He appeared different. At first, I couldn't put my finger on it. I soon realized that his normally closely-cropped hair was completely missing! He now sported a shaved head.

I've often wondered what it would be like to be completely bald. I've never worked up the courage to do the experiment.

My website (HeadShaver.org) is also quoted, along with the comment that he is amazed that there are websites like that out there. I don't know why that surprises people; there are websites for virtually everything that one can think of.

M3Power still in court

We've read before about Gillette being taken to court by Schick over it's claims that the M3Power razor's vibration feature causes hairs to stand up (1, 2). Schick won an injunction in Germany that prevented Gillette from advertising those claims. Now the two shaving giants are in court in the US, and the Connecticut Post Online has an article about the on-going trial.

Schick called several witnesses to the stand Tuesday, including its own director of marketing, Adel Mekhail, who, under cross examination, revealed that Schick was going to claim that its own vibrating razor raised hairs "before we found out it doesn't." Dr. David Leffell, a professor of dermatology and clinical surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, testified that he witnessed two tests in 2004 that indicated that vibrations from Gillette's M3P wouldn't cause hairs to be raised up.

Gillette, of course, denies Schick's claims.

Clay denied that his company made any false claims about its product and said that Gillette tests showed that hairs are elongated by 35 to 40 microns when the M3P is in use. One micron equals approximately 0.00004 inch.

I've always considered the claim that the M3Power causes the hair to stand up to be dubious at best. While I like Gillette's Mach 3 razor, I'm skeptical about their advertising claims, and disappointed in their marketing tactics in general.

Shaving satori

Dan Neil of the LA Times writes a humourous piece on shaving (registration required), both the face and below. It all starts with the need for a new razor, and the discovery of the M3Power.

I was skeptical. This language - lauding the mysterious, curative effects of electricity with the power to make whiskers erect - put me in mind of 19th century medical devices like galvanic trusses that promised instant "invigoration." But I needed a razor and, frankly, men are powerless in the face of needless technology.

Once in front of the mirror, with a Santa's beard of shaving cream on my face, I switched on the M3Power, which began to buzz in a way both familiar and disconcerting, like something you might pull from the night table. Then, shaving satori! The M3Power purred softly against my cheek like an affectionate cat. It traced the contours of my face with a sweet, gliding, electrified caress that banished not just the hair but all memory of hair.

Two minutes later, my face was smoother than a salamander. It was like shaving down to my soul.

Neil later suggests that the modern razor is over-engineered for the face, and is gearing up to shave all body hair.

Personally, I've never wanted to put in the time required to shave my entire body, but I know of people who do it. I find it challenging enough to find the time to shave my face and scalp regularly.

Bald Aunt Donna

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a beautiful story about a long-distance familial relationship.

With one e-mail, Donna Fahey went from "Great Aunt Donna" to "Mediocre Aunt Donna."

Yesterday she changed her image again, for a girl she hasn't met but loves superlatively.

Their relationship began in early 2003, when Fahey's 9-year-old third cousin, Taylor Adkins, was battling a brain tumor. The Hampton, Va., girl's ups and downs were followed by people all over the world via a Web site set up by one of her teachers.

Taylor and Donna established a long-distance relationship through the website. They bonded with humour and developed a real connection, even though they never met each other in person, or even spoke on the telephone.

Then, last April 30, Taylor died.

Fahey knew it was coming, but still was crushed. She thought, Taylor and I were having so much fun.

So dear had Taylor become to her, Fahey wanted to do something special to honor her.

When a relative called in February to ask, "How would you like to shave your head for Taylor?" Fahey said, "Sure!"

She shaved her head on March 20th at a St. Baldrick's day event, and her group managed to raise $2500 for childhood cancer research.

Mainstream

The Arizona Republic has an article on the mainstreaming of the bald-by-choice look.

A lot of guys have taken a razor to their scalp as a way to essentially thumb their nose at hair loss. The bare look has been growing in popularity, cutting across various ethnic and economic boundary lines. According to a March study by Roper Public Affairs, 86 percent of respondents say they see more men with shaved heads now than they did 10 years ago.

[...]

According to the Roper study, 10 percent of men say they have a shaved head; only 5 percent say they had one 10 years ago.

Perhaps most important to men who go hairless, 52 percent of respondents view men with shaved noggins as "confident." Forty-five percent say they're "masculine." And 24 percent opt for "sexy" - take that, Hair Club for Men.

There's quite a bit more in the article, including quotes from Todd Greene, the guy behind the HeadBlade. There are also a couple of tales of men who used to fight nature with wigs and hairplugs, but who subsequently moved to shaving and haven't gone back.

The hair growth myth

Back in January, I addressed the question of whether shaving affects hair growth. It's a very common hair myth, and I've seen it addressed in many sources. From the Peninsula On-line (Qatar), this article:

Would shaving my head once or twice help my hair to grow thicker and stronger once again? I am 28 year old man and since coming to Qatar about four years ago, I’ve been suffering from hair fall and my hair has become thinner and brittle for some reason. I was advised by friends who have stayed here for long to have my head shaved once or twice to allow thick and strong hair to develop. Some say it is better to go bald in summer, due to the high heat and humidity and if I do so in winter, I will suffer from colds. Others tell me that summer is bad because my head will be exposed to strong sunlight and heat and can damage the brain. Which is the best season to shave my hair and does it really help? My job is indoors so sunlight is not much of a problem.

I am sorry to say, but you are totally misguided by your friends. It is a myth that shaving the head or hair in any part of the body will make it grow stronger, longer or thicker. Shaving does not have any influence on the hair growth. On the contrary, pulling the hair as in threading or waxing for removal of unwanted hair stimulates the hair from its resting phase to the growth phase. This does not mean that you should pull hair for better growth. It is ridiculous that going bald will directly affect your underlying organs such as the brain.

But exposure to extremes of temperature does have generalised effects such as heat stroke, hypothermia and frost bite, among others. There are many reasons for hair fall which I have explained in my previous articles. To summarise, they are stress, improper nutrition, inadequate sleep, irregular work hours etc. Get yourself evaluated by a dermatologist and clear your doubts. There is no particular season to shave off your head if you wish to. But do not expect any change in the hair growth after shaving.

- Dr Jameel I Sayed. MBBS. DDV. DNB. MD (Skin and VD). Specialist Dermatologist. Al Rafa Polyclinic.

I'm sure we'll see this one many times more, of course.

The old-fashioned wet shave

MSNBC has an article called How to get that perfect shave, and it's a pretty good read. It's a call to the old-fashioned wet-shave.

The key to proper wetshaving is keeping your face as wet as possible at all times during the shave. Even if you keep your current tools and routine, you’ll marvel at how much closer and more comfortable shaving can be when you keep your face hydrated at all times with lots of hot (not scalding) water.

The article goes on to recommend using expensive European shaving creams and badger-hair brushes, along with an old-fashioned double-edge razor, and goes into quite a bit of detail on how to shave the old-fashioned way. Very interesting reading.

I found the article through Metafilter, which has a thread discussing the article, and shaving in general. Insightful things are often revealed in Metafilter threads.

Old School Shaving

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has an article on shaving with old-fashioned straight razors and single-blade razors. It's an interesting piece. They have some quotes from a barber who still gives straight razor shaves, as well as comments from Ray Dupont of Classic Shaving.

In a nutshell, single-blade razors are better cutting instruments, don't clog up, are adjustable, and cheaper, he says. "A Mach 3 costs $2.50 to $3; the average guy uses two a week. A double-edge razor costs only 45 cents a week. A straight edge, virtually nothing."

Besides being cheaper, Dupont says that single-blade razors cut closer. The author of the article shares his experience, too.

I bought an old Gillette single-blade razor on an eBay auction after seeing the "Today" show.

The razor appeared new and much heavier than multiblade ones I've always used. It seems to cut slightly more closely but is much, much more comfortable. Several times I've had to check to make sure it's actually cutting.

By the way, the razor, with 10 blades, cost $25.

I've never tried shaving with an older single-blade razor, but this article definitely piques my interest in it.

Kojak's back

We had an article on the original Kojak, Telly Savalas, about a week ago. Recently, the USA Network launched a new version of Kojak, this time starring Ving Rhames as the bald, lollipop-sucking detective.

Rhames himself was not a fan of the previous series, according to an interview with the Miami Herald (registration required):

''Kojak wasn't on in my house,'' he told the Boston Sunday Globe. ``I grew up in Harlem one block away from the Apollo Theater, where a version of Kojak's show was happening every day in the neighborhood. There were thugs and criminals and detectives running around. Why would I want to watch a show about that? I think I've seen one rerun.''

While I think the idea of a Kojak re-make with Ving Rhames sounds like a neat idea, initial reviews of the series are not optimistic. From an
article in the New York Times:

"Kojak" fans do not need to worry that this remake will ever supplant the original. It seems destined to go the way of the 2003 remake of "Dragnet" - nowhere.

The Reuters review of Kojak focuses on the differences, too:

"Who loves you, baby?" was the catch phrase uttered by Telly Savalas as Kojak, the colorful, lollipop-sucking New York police detective in the 1970s. Fans loved him. He stood out as a unique character in what had largely been a bland world of police drama. Universal, which produced the hit series, loved him, too, for all the obvious reasons.

Universal, now a part of the NBC Universal leviathan, is trying to share the love again, reviving the name of the series and many of its trappings, while doing its best to ignore the fact that the new star, Ving Rhames, for all his acting chops, is about as similar to the original Kojak as Lt. Columbo is to Andy Sipowicz.

As far as I know, no Canadian networks have picked this one up yet, so I won't have a chance to watch it. Too bad; I'd be interested in watching it, even with the initial negative reviews.

Help Kim out

Kim Brown shaved her head at a St. Baldrick's event recently, as a great many other wonderful people did. She has raised over a thousand dollars for childhood cancer research, but she wants to do better than that. So she's pledged to stay bald until she can raise $19,000.

She has set up a blog where you can keep up to date on her project, and she's got a page on the St. Baldrick's site where you can donate some money to the cause.

It's a great cause, and Kim's determined to do her best. Give her a hand, and donate some money if you can.

Survive and thrive

The Smoky River Express in Alberta has an article about a cancer survivor who is shaving his head to raise funds for cancer research. Doug Coulter was given seven months to live back in 1989, but proved tougher than the doctors thought.

Colter confirmed his his participation this week as a volunteer in the upcoming cancer head shave fund-raising event hosted by Smoky River Fire & Rescue April 27.

"It’s something I wanted to be a part of back in 2003, but my health prevented me from being a participant," he says. "But I’m ready this year. Hopefully, I’ll have a reasonable amount of hair to shed for the cause at hand."

The upcoming fundraiser is part of combined charitable effort by emergency response officials in the region to help raise timely funds for cancer research.

Doug Coulter's story is inspiring; it's great to hear about people who not only survive cancer, but thrive and continue to give back to the community.

Telly Savalas

Born in 1924 to Greek immigrants, Aristotle "Telly" Savalas was a soldier and a journalist before turning to acting. His film and TV career stretches from 1961 until his death in 1994, during which time he played many interesting roles.

He first shaved his head for the role of Pontius Pilate in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and retained the look from there on out. Though he preferred comedy, he often played villains, including James Bond's most memorable foe, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

He's probably best remembered for his role in the 1970's television series Kojak, where he played the tough detective Theo Kojak. With his trademark lollipop in his mouth and the catchphrase "Who loves ya, baby?", Kojak was a unique character at a time when police dramas were getting dull.

Savalas died in 1994 due to complications of prostate & bone cancer. He will be remembered as a dynamic presence, a man of substance and style.

Links:
Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas on IMDB
TV Tome

Never shave your head?

Found an interesting blog-type item from China. It's the tale of a young student who decided he wanted to shave his head.

Touching my head, felt a bit pricky. Felt like a monk. Who knows, maybe my last incarnation was a monk.

Returning to dormitory, my dorm mates were astonished. After laughing aloud for a while, all of them couldn’t resist themselves to come up for a touch.

"Um, feels nice!"

"Go! Go! Go! Is my head a mop? Next time someone touches my head again, I’ll be pissed."

Unfortunately for this student, being bald-by-choice means that he stands out in a place where people tend to blend in.

Most of the teachers outside our department often don’t recognize us. When calling rolls, they have to look at the attendance sheet. Like winning prizes, whoever is being called upon, whoever got tough luck. Now, everything is just dandy. The teacher doesn’t bother looking at the attendance sheet anymore. Whenever there’s a question, the bald student please...

Life is awful.

The article has a few other stories where the shaver in question feels humiliated due to his shaved head. From the sounds of it, both friends and teachers contributed to his feeling uncomfortable with his hairstyle.

To end his tale of disillusionment with the 'baldie' hairstyle, the young student presents this warning to his peers:

My fellow students, please remember my blood-earn lesson, never shave your head! :(

Poor guy. Being a non-conformist in a very conformist culture can be a tough challenge.

Cutter's Crew

Cutter's Crew is a website devoted to shaved heads and short haircuts. It's been around for a long time, and is loaded with pics and shaving stories.

If you like men's hair shaved or in a crewcut, military cut and in any other short/shaved style, the Cutters Crew is the right place for you. And when you don't like your own long hair: Wait no longer - it takes only 5 to 10 minutes to shave your head. More and more people stepping out of the barbershops with gleaming heads. Don't forget: Bald is beautiful! I shave my head every morning after the shower. And the result is very fine.

Barbering and Balding in Oz

If you're interested in pictures of bald-by-choice folks, I can't recall any site as packed to the brim with photos as Barbering and Balding in Oz. This site is packed from end-to-end with hundreds of pictures. It's designed with broadband in mind; pages are large and take a while to load on a slow connection.

They've also got a page of balderized photos. The site's author accepts new photos through email, so if you want to see your photo 'balderized', send it on over. They can also do other virtual hairstyle changes.

Baldly Go

The website Baldly Go presents a free hair-loss solution:

Instead of.. Doing a hair replacement; transplant; spray; drugs; wearing a wig; blaming your wife; telling people that it's a temporary thing; going to the gym; trying some strange hair loss treatments; seeing a psychologist; doing a headstand; yoga; praying; crying; telling everybody that you are loaded with testosterone;paying for expansive hair loss treatment; doing a research; using creams etc...

You can simply shave your head and look better than ever!

One question I'm often asked is, "How will I look if I shave my head?" Baldly Go offers a solution for this question, as well: send the site owner your photo, and he'll remove your hair virtually. He's also got a gallery of before & after shots which is quite good.

All in all, a great site to visit if you're thinking about shaving but aren't sure if you really want to go through with it. Check it out.

Consumer watch: M3Power

I've always valued the reviews produced by Consumer Reports magazine. They tend to do their research, and they're not beholden to any commercial interests aside from their subscribers. K-Fox TV has a piece on their website discussing Consumer Reports evaluation of the M3Power

The verdict, well, the M3-Power did deliver a very close shave. But it turns out it was no better than Gillette's Mach 3 Turbo, which is $7 cheaper. So Consumer Reports says there's no need to pay more just to get a little buzz.

Not everyone agrees, of course, and I've had email from people who felt the M3Power was better for them than the regular Mach 3. For instance, this email:

I just read your review on the m3 power, and I think it doesn't do the razor justice at all. 1st off, the lubrication is way better on those blades, and there is a big difference between those blades and the regular Mach 3 blades. 2nd off, I do agree with you that the shave is about the same as far as closeness goes, but the major plus for this razor compared to any other razor I've used, is how gentle it is on the skin. I'm not sure how your skin is, but mine is very irritable and just about anything messes me up. This razor is the best I've ever had when it comes to taking care of my scalp. I've tried it with the vibration and without, and I'm confident that this is mostly due to the vibration, although I do feel that the extra lube on the blade helps a bit more as well. The other thing with this razor is that due to the vibration, I can use the blades twice as long as I could with a non-vibrating handle. As far as it costing too much, I think that's bogus, it's a whopping 7 or 8 bucks more, and it's not like you gotta buy one every week, you buy it once. It costs less than that damn headblade and it works twice as good.

The author referred to the review of the M3Power on my site, in which I recommended sticking with the regular Mach 3.

Personally, I think you can reduce irritation by using a good shaving lubricant (like shaving oil or Aveeno Positively Smooth shave gel), and it's a cheaper method for improving one's shave than the M3Power. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Changing outlooks

From the South Bend Tribune, this story that follows up on an item mentioned back in December.

Back then, Chandra Johnson shaved her head to protest the firing of a colleague at Notre Dame University.

At the time, Johnson said she would remain bald until the football team wins a national championship. Her attitude about that has changed a bit.

Johnson's scalp remains smoothly shaved. She leaves her head bare most of the time, but wears a hat or an African-style turban when outdoors or at official university functions.

"It's unlikely I will grow it back, even if we did win a national championship," she said a few days ago. The act of shaving her head "helps me to understand better what we do in living in a world that fails to see the goodness in all people," she said.

She also likes the fact that being bald saves time. "Wrapping it takes a second," she said.

Shaving in the green

St. Patrick's day has passed us by, and with it, many St. Baldrick's events have taken place. There are a lot of stories around the US about the big day.

In Alaska, firefighters went bald for the cause.

Kuiper thought the head-shaving gimmick sounded like a good idea after learning about it from Outside chapters of the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads.

"It's a new twist, something different, and we thought it would be kind of fun," Kuiper said. "It's never been done in Alaska before."

A bunch of students at St. Anthony's School went under the clippers, including some girls.

"See how inspiring this is?" Abigail's mother said as she took pictures of her daughter and others as they sat in the makeshift barber's chair in the school gym Friday morning. She said her daughter was "very excited with the choice she made and in making statements with her bald head."

She also commended her daughter's philanthropic action saying, "It is important to see our children standing up for what they believe in."

In Stevens Point, the event has been growing for several years.

The local St. Baldrick's event has grown from seven participants in its first year to 35 last year and more than 80 for 2005. Word-of-mouth has helped the event grow, organizers said.

There are too many great stories to list, of course, so I'll just add a link to Google News.

Congratulations to everyone who participated. This year's St. Baldrick's celebration has already broken some records. Way to go!

Electric shaving history

Yesterday (March 18th) was a significant day in the history of shaving. According the the US Census Bureau, it's the day that Schick began marketing the first electric shaver back in 1931.

One thing men of today have in common with those of the past is the decision to either shave or grow a beard. Until 1931, if the decision was to shave, the only choice was a wet shave with a safety razor. On this day that year, the Schick Company began marketing the first electric razor. The safety razor had been around for about 30 years and was a great improvement over the dangerous straight razor. As more homes became electrified, the market was ripe for an efficient electric razor to provide a quick, dry shave and the device proved to be an immediate hit. Today, more than 7-million electric razors are among the small, electric housewares made each year in the U.S., worth some 2.5-billion dollars.

Mailbag: Expectations

In a recent email, one gentleman was wondering what he could expect from other people if he shaved his head.

I still don't know how society, people in general, even friends would react to me, to my face, to my personality, to my look,... or to any shaved man in our society.

Somehow it seems to me that society is still biased, doubtfull and somehow "ambivalent" toward and about a bald/shaved man.

It seems that it is more natural to accept a man whose hair has receded naturally than a shaved man.

My real question is : What are the people's, men's, women's reaction to a shaved man ( Not a natural bald or semi bald man, but a shaved man).

People's reactions to a bald-by-choice person depend on the individual people in question. There is no single reaction that is consistent across a population in this regard.

Some people will think it's fantastic, and they'll absolutely love the look. These people may even take the time to compliment you on your appearance.

Some people will think it's terrible, and they'll assume negative things about you based solely on your appearance. These people will not usually tell you this; they'll make their judgements privately.

Most people won't care too much either way. They're largely indifferent to your appearance whether you have hair or not, and it won't sway their opinion of you in either direction. They may think it looks good or looks bad, but they don't really care.

And the truth is, these reactions hold no matter what your appearance. People may judge you negatively or positively for almost any aspect of your external appearance, and for the most part, you'll never know.

Based on email correspondence over many years with hundreds of head-shavers, I can say with confidence that most people who shave their heads get much more positive attention than negative attention. As I said before, people who really like it will sometimes tell you so, while people who don't like it usually keep it to themselves, so you end up with many compliments and few or no criticisms.

Does that mean that you (specifically) will get good responses? I don't know. There are never any guarantees. But by and large, I would expect you to get good responses.

Whatever choice you make, though, make it one that you are comfortable with. The opinions of others will vary and may change like the wind. You can't control what other people think of you, and it's stressful to even try to do so. Make yourself happy and it matters less what others think.

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel

I've tried a lot of different shaving products over the years, but one brand I hadn't tried before was Aveeno. I've been hearing good things about their products for a long time, but just hadn't gotten around to trying one.

Earlier this year, J.B. Bryant sent me a review of Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel (which is posted at my site) which was very positive. A while back, I was shopping at a nearby supermarket and decided to pick up a can and give it a try.

I've been using it for about 6 weeks now, and I'm very impressed. It's the best shaving gel I've tried, and it's quality is right there with shaving oil. It washes out of the blade very easily, provides great lubrication, and provides excellent protection against nicks and irritation.

The reviews on Epinions.com are all pretty positive as well. Aveeno products are usually pretty widely available, so finding it should be fairly easy.

I'll be posting a full review to my site soon, with any luck.

Letting your hair down

New Age Media Concepts has this bit and a bit more related to St. Baldrick's Day:

Last year in Los Angeles, 250 shavees raised over $200,000 for the cause and Woerner found herself asking why more women had not been involved in the head shaving. This year, St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s national "Women Who Really Let Their Hair Down" campaign was what she was hoping for. "I’ve supported St. Baldrick’s Day celebrations for several years", states Woerner, "and last year there were no female "shavees" at the event I attended in Los Angeles. I want to "represent" for my gender! I’m not at a point in my life where I can write giant checks to charity, but I can certainly give up my hair."

Congratulations to Anita Woerner and all the other women who are giving up their hair for a good cause.

In praise of bald men

The website Stop Hairloss Now has an article entitled "In Praise Of Bald Men". The article is a bit of a rambler, moving from bald-by-choice to the causes of baldness, to transplantation options. The tone of the article is all over the place, too, and includes lines like this:

"Some men, like Michael Jordan, look good with completely bald heads," said Kiley. "Unfortunately, most mens' heads are too lumpy or oddly shaped to look good with no hair."

Of course, that line comes from a doctor who performs hair transplants. It's not like he's got a particular motive for slamming the bald-by-choice look, right?

But the article ends on a solid note:

Whether baldness improves performance, makes a man sexier, wealthier, or gives a sense of convenience, lightness or freedom, "It's hard to tell anymore," said Cheryl Hartman, "whether a man is bald by nature or bald by choice.

"I prefer baldness," she said, "and, yes, I think my husband is sexy. And what's more ...

"We don't fight over the hair dryer anymore."

Half-way to smooth

From Pennsylvania, this story:

As Matt Cooper sat down to dinner with his wife last Wednesday to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, she might have noticed that he was missing something - half a head of hair.

No, it was not the quick grip of male pattern baldness. The last time Cooper visited a barber was July, and he had boasted locks that dangled to his shoulders.

Rather, Cooper, an earth science teacher at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, had co-organized a fund-raiser for children with cancer.

Cooper and 21 other teachers at his school shaved their heads to raise money for the Four Diamonds fund. Students at the school raised over $25,000 to see their teachers go bald and to help kids with cancer at the Penn State Children’s Hospital.

Fighting fire with...

From Central Pennsylvania comes this story about firefighters who are shaving for a cause:

Ever wonder what it would be like to be bald - or maybe you’re sick and tired of your current hairdo?

If this is the case, the crew at Gratz Fire Department has the perfect solution for those suffering with a hairdo crisis. On March 19, the firemen and anyone else from the public who would like to get involved will have their heads shaved. Gratz Fire Company will hold the "St. Baldrick’s" event at the station.

The men aren’t too concerned about their hairdos, they are going bald to help raise money for children with cancer.

This is the month for St. Baldrick's stories, of course (1, 2, 3), since the event's coming up very shortly. You can check the St. Baldrick's website to see if the event's being held in your area. If it isn't, you can always start one.

Vanity

The Chicago Tribune has an article about the Police Department's St. Baldrick's event. It's a good story, but something at the end of it really caught my eye.

Nancy O'Dacre of Naperville is one of three women who volunteered to shave her head. O'Dacre said she decided to participate because her own two sons are "medically fragile."

Neither has cancer, but P.J., 5, was born prematurely and required extensive hospitalization. Eighteen-month-old Patrick was born with a congenital heart defect that was treated with open-heart surgery and daily medication.

O'Dacre hoped to raise $1,015 in honor of Patrick's Oct. 15 birthday but has already received more than $3,000 in pledges. She has also received a lot of grief from people who can't understand why a woman would shave her head.

"At the end of this, I'm going to write a book about vanity," she joked.

I'm not certain why anyone would give this woman grief about shaving her head for a charity event. I can understand people not wanting to shave their own heads, but is it really a problem when someone else has the nerve to do something like this, especially when it's for a good cause?

World's Greatest Shave

Friday, March 11th, 2005 will be a busy day in barbershops across Australia, as the World's Greatest Shave gets underway. The Daily Liberal has an article about some student efforts in this event:

Colouring your hair bright orange and then shaving it off a week later is a "small price to pay" for a good cause, says local student Darren Oen.

The Charles Sturt University residential advisor is among a group of the university's students who have jumped at the chance to raise money and support those affected by cancer.

Leg, back and stomach waxing, head shaving, hair colouring and face painting are all part of the mini makeovers that local residents are invited to undergo this Friday at the leukemia foundation's World's Greatest Shave, organised by student residents at the university.

The Northern Daily Leader has an article about the Tamworth Regional Council buzzing their hair down too. This group includes a couple of law enforcement officers.

You could also put your own neck on the chopping block and go bald for cancer. Senior compliance officer Ross Briggs heads up the council challenge for the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave.

"We had decided that one of our rangers, Nathan Peacock, had had too much hair for too long and he needed to leave the 80s behind," Mr Briggs said.

"This is a great cause and we're hoping we can get plenty of people to join us. We'll be glad to take people's money from them. They can donate to the cause, or get shaved or just go a mad colour, or just come down and watch and cheer us all on, anything to help."

The World's Greatest Shave has been mentioned before, too.

Everything2

Some ideas of what to do with your shaved head from a user on Everything2:

Stand out in the rain. This will feel and sound funny. PLAP!

Lie down on your bed and roll your head back and forth against the pillow. This will feel very odd, but very slinky.

If at all possible, 'get freaky' with your S.O. while you're bald, and get them to rub it. Sounds stupid, but don't knock it til you try it. Skin that hasn't felt human touch for decades can be very sensitive. Yum!

Everything2 is a sort of freewheeling online encyclopedia to which anyone can contribute. Sort of like Wikipedia (which also has an article on head shaving) but with a different style. It makes for interesting reading at times.

The Bald Chick

MJ has been shaving her head for 3 years, and she likes it. She likes it enough that she's put up a website called The Bald Chick. She likes it enough that she's written a book (currently unpublished). She even likes it enough to put it on a t-shirt. After all, what's not to like?

Whatever their initial gut reaction is, though, I'd bet cash money that what they all want to know, perhaps despite themselves, is this one simple thing: why the #$&@! did I shave my head? Why in the world would a seemingly intelligent, relatively rational young woman shave her head? It's a valid question. While seeing a man with a proudly shaven head strolling down the street has become quite common, a woman is another matter entirely. My shiny pate seems to cause not only questions, but also incredulity, alarm, and sometimes even anger.

Women who shave their heads are often judged negatively, which is unfortunate. If more people take pride in it, as MJ does, perhaps that will change. Good luck, MJ.

More St. Baldrick's Hype

St. Baldrick's Day just gets more and more attention. Here's a story from Covington, Kentucky:

Writer Will Rogers once said the only thing that can prevent hair loss is the floor, but for those who are ready to sacrifice their vanity to support a good cause, the upcoming St. Baldrick's Day celebration could be the place to be.

Volunteers who participate in the St. Baldrick's Day celebration exist to recruit those willing to shave their heads in public in return for donations to fight children's cancer.

The event will take place March 20 on the second floor of Jack Quinn's Irish Pub in Covington, where the stage will buzz as participant's heads are shaved in front of a crowd of cheering friends and supporters.

Inco Shines

Here's a good story from the mining town of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada:

Ryan Harris’ friends, family and co-workers are willing to pay a lot to see him lose his long, blond mane of hair.

So far, the 25-year-old Inco transportation operator has collected almost $800 in pledges to have his head shaved during the Inco Shines fundraiser, which is raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society to invest in prostate cancer research.

Seventy-five other Inco employees are also having their "domes chromed" Saturday at 11 am in the centre court of the New Sudbury Shopping Centre. The workers are hoping to raise $50,000 for the cause.

The male-dominated mining company is raising money for prostate cancer because it's the number one cancer among men, but it often doesn't get talked about.

M3Power comments

WCPO's Don't Waste Your Money has a short bit on the Gillette M3Power:

But is it really better than Gillette's top selling Mach 3 Turbo?

A half dozen men who work for our partner, Consumer Reports magazine, checked this one out.

After one week, most announced it shaved well... but was not noticeably better than the Mach 3, which has no battery.

They give it a B, and say that the Mach 3's a better buy. I tend to agree.

At least these guys shaved themselves and not fruit.

Speaking of the M3Power, it's still having legal problems around the world. I mentioned previously that Wilkonson Sword (owner of the Schick brand) had filed suit against certain claims made by Gillette, specifically the claim that the M3Power's vibrations caused the hair to stand up. In that case an injunction was granted in Germany preventing the claim from being aired in ads. Problems continue in Australia.

In that case and the subsequent Australian one, Energizer submitted the results of tests conducted by it and "observed" by Yale University dermatology professor, David Leffell.

According to Justice Hely, a special apparatus was used to demonstrate "a fully automated and controlled shaving stroke", yet Dr Leffell observed "no hair-raising or hair directional change effect". The Yale professor gave evidence to the Australian court by video link, as did Gillette experts, who disputed the findings, and maintained that the M3Power did create a "hair-extension effect".

In his judgement, Justice Hely said Energizer was developing, or at least investigating, a battery-powered oscillating razor of its own. That could lead to an inference that Energizer believed that such a razor would provide "enhanced shaving performance", the judge said, adding: "This matter was not disclosed on the application for an ex parte injunction. It should have been disclosed."

It will be interesting to see what happens with these cases.

Bald at the Robin Hood

As St. Baldrick's day approaches, here's a story from Bermuda:

His wife’s fight with cancer has led one leading reinsurance executive to take it all off to raise funds for research benefiting children suffering from the disease.

Andrew Cook, chief financial officer for Bermuda-based AXIS Capital, is going bald on March 18 along with, so far, nine other locals taking part in the St. Baldrick’s fundraising event.

The popular head-shaving event - which dates back five years and has raised nearly $7 million by now - gets staged both here at the Robin Hood Pub and across the US every year.
It all started out when several US-based reinsurance executives came up with the idea to recruit 17 colleagues in an attempt to raise $17,000 to benefit children with cancer.

In case you missed it, there was a previous post about St. Baldrick's as well.

New Hotness

The Jamaica Observer has an article titled "Bald, Sexy & Hot" talking about the bald-by-choice look.

Losing hair is no longer a fear many men harbour.
In fact, once that starts to happen some males are known to help the process along by shaving off what's left, then wearing their bald crown proudly.

Others, young and old alike, are embracing the eye-catching look while calling it their own - with attitude to match. Quite a liberating experience for many, which allows them to sport a confidence that only an ultra modern and sexy shaved head could give.

The article includes comments from several women who find shaved heads very appealing on men.

Shaving controversy

A lot of people worry that shaving their head will lead to a lot of negative reactions. For most people, reactions are positive, but sometimes people do hear negative reactions. Consider the tale of Chancellor Donald Mash of the Univeristy of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and the reactions to him shaving off just his moustache.

Although the mustache had held its ground atop Mash's upper lip for a long 33 years, he returned to work after the summer of 2003 whisker-less.

Susie Johnson, the program assistant to the chancellor, said the entire office was stunned to see Mash without his 'stache.

Articles were written in the student paper, and the subject was debated by many. Despite a large furor over a small bit of hair, Chancellor Mash was clearly able to maintain a good perspective.

"As I look ahead to retirement I can see myself with my head completely shaved and wearing an earring. Of course I wouldn't go for that look while I'm the chancellor, given the reaction to simply shaving off a mustache. I don't think the campus nor Madison is ready for that."

Most people don't get this much attention paid to their shaving habits, of course.

Principal-ly shaved

Assistant Principal Joseph Amaral knows how to provide his students with incentives. When the Student Activities club wanted to raise some money for Tsunami relief, he gave them some items for motivation.

"He promised $1,000 would get us a night off from homework and it was $2,000 for Mr. Amaral to get his head shaved," said seventh-grade student Andrew Gomes.

The students pulled through and raised $7,000 for Tsunami relief, and Mr. Amaral followed through on his promise and got his hair shaved. I'm sure you're wondering how the new look suited the Assistant Principal.

Eighth-grade student Marcus Veyera said the new style looks OK on Mr. Amaral but that he isn't crazy enough to ever let someone shave his hair off.

Fellow student Kelsea Graves disagreed. "I think it kind of looks worse," she said with a shrug.

Others simply said Mr. Amaral looked "different."

But at least the school's assistant principal has options - a hat presented by colleagues that reads: "Got Hair?"

Good work, Mr. Amaral.

Bald for all?

Jennifer Banks doesn't think the bald-by-choice look is for everyone.

Let me explain. On Yul Bryner it’s beautiful. On Charles Barkley it’s super sexy. On Michael Jordan, it’s stylish. It’s a no-go on Dennis Rodman, Peabo Bryson and Hosea Saunders. The culprit is symmetry and head shape.

No harm intended, but fellows with cranial shapes like the Cone Heads on Saturday Night Live should not dare to go bare! The same holds true with guys with foreheads that enter the room before they do. Or those with features like E.T..

So how is one to know whether the bald look is for them or not? Alas, the author doesn't say.

Personally, I think that if you like it, it's good for you. But then, my opinion is that one's appearance is most important to them; you're the only person who has to be happy with your own appearance.

Shaving fruit

First, the M-3 razor, a single razor and a double-edged razor were tested on the outside of a kiwi fruit.

"The M-3 was the only one that didn't break the skin," Schumacher said.

"Problem Solver" Mark Schumacher of Local 6 in Florida decided that the way to test the quality of a razor was to use it to shave fruit. Aside from the kiwi fruit, he also tested it on an orange. He recommended the M3Power based on this rigorous and exacting test.

Unfortunately, the brief item on their website didn't tell us how long it took for the kiwi fruit's hair to grow back, or whether the orange suffered razor bumps. It also didn't specify the shaving lubricant employed by the fruits.

Personally, I'm stunned that they didn't use a melon: it would seem like a natural choice, wouldn't it?

Next up: deciding what brand of refrigerator you should buy based on how well magnets stick to the door.

Call her Kojak

On her website, Mary Ellen Foster writes about shaving her head in 1996.

With some who shave, it starts with a bad haircut. In Mary Ellen's case, it started with a dye-job that she wanted gone. After living with very short hair for a while, she decided to take the plunge and go all the way.

Actually, I did it the day before Halloween, the 30th, because it had just been an all-around bad day and I needed something to make me feel happy and in control of my life. So I went over the hairdressers and told them to shave it bald.

And once again, they did.

Not without asking me if I was absolutely certain I wanted to do this, mind you. And I did feel a bit of a twinge in my gut when the razor started going across my skull -- no turning back now, Foster...

I first shaved my head on a bad day, too. It worked; shaving brightened my day.

St. Baldrick and the Nurse

From Portland, Oregon, the story of a nursing student who is shaving her head to raise funds for childhood cancer research:

Nursing student Christina Cameli is going bald to help conquer childhood cancer. Her head will be shaved as part of this year’s "St. Baldrick’s day" celebration on April 3rd.

[...]

"I heard about St. Baldrick’s last year and stopped cutting my hair," Cameli says. Now it reaches past the middle of her back. She says most people are shocked that she is willing to shave it all off. She encourages turning that shock into a donation for St. Baldricks. Cameli has a personal goal of raising $5000 in donations for the charity; a goal she feels can be easily reached as news of her imminent baldness spreads. "I’m asking everyone to donate $10 and tell a friend," says Cameli. "If we can reach 500 people we’ll meet that goal, and children with cancer will have a better chance."

St. Baldrick's is an annual charity event that normally takes place sometime near St. Patrick's Day (March 17th). The actual date varies depending on location. Last year, they raised $3.5 million, most of which goes to CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Shaving down under

From Australia's Bayside Bulletin:

When Dr John Golder was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia last November, raising funds for leukaemia research and support got personal for fellow doctor Karen Barry.

Dr Barry, who works with Dr Golder at the Redlands Clinic, said she had been thinking of shaving her head in support of leukaemia research for a few years but Dr Golder's diagnosis prompted her to go ahead.

"I've never done anything that drastic before. But when it touches someone who is close to you, you stop and think," she said.

Doctor Barry is shaving her head on March 11th, during the World's Greatest Shave event in which 60,000 people in Australia will pledge to shave (or colour) their hair.

It sounds like a great event. They've got a list of celebrity participants in the event on their site. If you feel like donating, they've got a secure donation form, too.

Melissa Etheridge

On Sunday, February 13th, Melissa Etheridge surprised the audience at the Grammy's by coming out with a shaved bald head. It was her first public appearance since she was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. It was the most memorable part of the awards show this year.

MSNBC has a transcript of Etheridge's interview on Dateline NBC from a couple of days ago.

Phillips: "Are you surprised by the impact it had? How it moved people?"

Etheridge: "Yes. Yes, I'm definitely taken aback. I remember when I finally made the choice. Yeah, I'm going to do it bald. And you know what? Maybe this'll help somebody who's sitting on chemo laying in bed and going, God, I'm bald. Isn't this weird? Maybe it'll help them feel a little better. I didn't know to what extent that would happen. But I'm honored."

Etheridge's performance at the Grammy's got a lot of attention in the news, and has inspired a lot of people.

Doctors and nurses shave heads for patient

Doctors and hospitals can be quite intimidating for some people. It's bad enough when you're there to visit sometimes, but when you're in for serious surgery, the whole experience can be overwhelming. It can be even worse when you're a kid. That's why it's nice to read a story of the lengths some medical staff will go to to make a patient feel better. Here's the story from Salinas, California:

About 20 Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System employees shaved their heads Friday in a fund-raising drive for a 12-year-old Salinas girl with cancer.

About a month ago, Haley Baxter, 12, a sixth-grader at Salinas Christian School, had a 6-pound tumor the size of a volleyball removed at Stanford Medical Center.

The doctors and nurses shaved their heads in solidarity with Haley, who is undergoing chemotherapy and losing her hair. They're also helping raise money for her medical expenses.

Good luck, Haley. I trust all will go well.

Bald as a basketball

The Greensburg Salem Golden Lions basketball team decided that the way to stay united as a team was to shave their heads together.

"We really are like a family," said Manley, the lone senior in the starting lineup and the unquestioned emotional leader for Greensburg Salem. "We really care about each other. [Shaving the heads] gave us more unity.

"Most of the guys were for it, but a couple of the ones with long, shaggy hair were shaky on it and needed to be talked into it."

It seems to be helping, as the team has been doing very well. Good luck in the playoffs, guys.

Gob's Bad Hair Day

From the West Roxbury & Roslindale Transcript, this upbeat story:

Gobnait Conneely will soon begin chemotherapy at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Hospital to treat her breast cancer. But instead of waiting for her hair to fall out, Conneely is taking charge of her own destiny and helping others at the same time. The West Roxbury woman shaved her head bald last week to raise money for breast cancer patients and immigrants.

"Well, they say bald is beautiful," an upbeat Conneely told a crowd of friends gathered at Phil's Hair Salon in Brighton.

[...]
Even Conneely's hair became a source of charity last week. Conneely donated her hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hair prosthetics to children with long-term medical hair loss. "She decided two months ago to donate her hair to Locks of Love, and we just decided to do it with her as a friendship thing," said Sioban McHugh of Brighton, displaying her bald head in solidarity.

Locks of Love is a great organization, and it's always good to hear about people donating hair to them.

I shaved the sheriff

A previous post to this blog described how police in the United States can shave the heads of civilians without a warrant. If you're in Marysville, Kansas, you can shave the head of a law enforcement officer, according to the Marysville Advocate.

The Shave a Police Officer event to raise funds for a Marysville 4-year-old who has leukemia gets better and better.
Organizers of the Karlee Rockwell fund-raiser said this week that participants who bid big bucks will have a chance to shave the sheriff.
Marshall County’s finest have added their names to the list already inhabited by Marysville’s finest. Sheriff Kenny Coggins, undersheriff John Ralph and deputy Todd Heath said this week that they would join the corps of law enforcement officers who will have their heads shaved by the highest bidders in a silent auction.

There's not much time left to get in on the fun: bidding closes at 4pm on Sunday, and the shaving starts at 6. An opportunity to shave a law enforcement officer's head, and the money's going to charity? It's a great opportunity.

Musings on hair (and no hair)

In a journal entry from 2000, Adam Tow muses about hair, including some thoughts about having no hair. He's tried a few different styles, and his comments are interesting.

Everyone should at least shave their heads once in their lifetime. It might look strange at first, but it eventually grows on you. Plus, it’s soooo easy to take care of your hair when you don’t have any! Shower right before going to sleep, and you won’t have to worry about waking up with your hair sticking up in all directions!

The latest update to his article mentions that he got cornrows in 2002.

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes was one of the most influential musical influences of the 1960's and 1970's. Hayes laid the groundwork for the 'Memphis Soul' sound and paved the way for many artists. His music speaks for itself, but his look is a part of the mystique as well.

The cover for his 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul featured Hayes' silky smooth cranium. According to Hayes' website:

In a new emerging age of Afro-centrism and Black Power, devoting the entire LP cover to Hayes' shaven head was a revolutionary statement.

One thing's certain: Isaac Hayes definitely helped make bald sexy.

Links:
Isaac Hayes' official site
Rolling Stone's profile
AllMusic's profile

Advice for a flaking scalp

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has an advice column that recently got this question from a bald-by-choice reader:

I'm a guy in my 30s who shaves his head -- first because I thought it looked cool, now because I'm starting to thin out on top. The constant shaving in the cold weather is making me pretty flaky -- and I don't mean goofy. I've noticed this for the first time this winter; what should I be doing to prevent the snowman effect?

It's the first time I've seen a BBC question in an advice column, so I thought it was neat. The columnist offers some suggestions, too.

Using a humidifier at home will help, as will your choice of shaving foam. Some contain agents that dry out your scalp, so stay away from those that contain alcohol, peppermint and laurel sulfate. One foam that comes highly recommended from my shave-down friends is Aveda Shave Cream for Men.

Moisturizers and skin care creams are often a good idea. When my scalp gets itchy and flaky, I generally turn to Vaseline Intensive Care skin lotion. I haven't had that problem for many years, though, and I suspect it's due to the moisturizing powers of shaving oil.

Playing Warbucks

Thirteen-year-old Tommy Foy decided to take the 'method acting' approach for his school production of Little Orphan Annie. Foy was playing the role of Daddy Warbucks, and felt that the only way to do the role justice was to shave his head.

"I got a bald cap but it looked fake, so I said I would shave my head," he said. "I thought why not. It's just hair, it'll grow back."

His mother was initially uncertain, fearing that he might be teased by classmates, but that ended up not being a concern.

"At first I was a bit hesitant...but afterward I was really happy because my head was in pretty good shape. There weren't any big dents or anything like that," Tommy said. "At school, a lot of my classmates loved it. Everybody was feeling my head (Thursday)."

Congratulations on the success of your play, Tommy.

Mailbag: Shampoo as a shaving lubricant

I got this email from Todd:

I've been shaving my head for about 4 years now. The other day I took my son to the barber and after telling him I get terrible irritation if I shave more than once a week he said to use shampoo instead of shaving cream. Shaving cream has alcohol and dries out your scalp, shampoo doesn't. I just bought a Headblade and with shampoo have shaved my head twice in three days and I look great. Thanks for listening.

I hadn't thought of using shampoo as a shaving lubricant; that's quite an interesting idea, and an ironic use for the product. I agree with the barber's comments about alcohol, of course, and it's generally considered a good idea to avoid aftershaves with alcohol as well.

I recently got another email suggesting shampoo as well.

By recommendation of a friend of mine that is a hairdresser, I began using "Hairseptic" in lieu of shaving cream. She recommended it to me because she has been using this product to shave the back of her client's necks with no irritation. It is a clear liquid, highly concentrated shampoo. I pour into a spray bottle and just spray a light film over my head and start shaving. I love it! I shave much faster with absolutely no irritation. What I don't like is that if it gets in your eyes....OWWW! Burns like the devil. Other than that, a great product. The name of the company is Aristocrat Hairseptic Company from Columbus, Ohio. It can be ordered at 1-800-783-0636 and can be found in beauty supply stores as well.

After the shaving

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has a great article about aftershave that any shaver would find interesting. They discuss changes in aftershaves, from the 'bracing' alcohol-based aftershaves to the newer soothing creams. The article also specifically mentions the head-shaving market and the new line of grooming products from Michael Jordan.

"The aftershaves of the past were mostly alcohol with a small amount of fragrance. The net effect was a lot of stinging and burning, and not much healing or soothing characteristics," Berard says.

Michael Jordan aftershave, for example, contains triple-distilled peppermint oil to seal pores and pro-vitamin B-5 to soothe irritation, Berard says.

"And since more men than ever before are shaving their heads, we designed the Michael Jordan aftershave to minimize oil for a shine-free finish eliminating the ‘chrome dome’ effect," he says.

The Gillette Man

Bryan Curtis of Slate gives us a take on the Gillette Man and Proctor & Gamble. P&G recently purchased Gillette for $57 Billion (USD). The article goes into the history of the Gillette Man, and it's pretty entertaining.

The Procter & Gamble sale may pose a threat to the Gillette man. It's a shotgun wedding of the grooming categories. Just as Gillette dominates men's shaving products, Procter & Gamble provides the top toiletry brands for women: Tampax, Olay, Cover Girl, and Max Factor. Will P&G's femininity nag the machismo out of the Gillette man?

Voting for a change (of hairstyle)

At Auburn University, the Dean's willing to shave his head to get his students to vote.

In an attempt to persuade students to vote in Auburn University's Student Government Association elections Feb. 9, Dean of Students Kent Smith said he will shave his head if 7,200 students turn out for the elections.

Smith said in the last election 6,400 students voted. His goal is to raise the number 12 percent.

"I'm trying to find ways to motivate students to be part of the political process," Smith said.

It sounds like something of a sacrifice for the Dean, too.

"I've never had a shaved head, and I'm not sure how interested I am in that. However, if the students come through, I'll do it," he said.

I wonder if there's any way to convince politicians to shave their heads for votes?

Always the unexpected

College basketball player Ted Rosendahl likes to surprise people.

"Our coach (Donnie Danklessen) thought it was a little too long," Rosendahl said. "My mother also didn't like it that long."

But instead of getting just a regular hair cut, Rosendahl returned to practice one day with a mohawk.

"That won't cut it," Danklessen said, recalling the moment he saw Rosendahl. "The next day Ted came back with a shaved head. I have to admit he looks good that way."

A new haircut can often be a welcome way to change things around. Sometimes a change is as good as a break.

Mailbag: Tom's of Maine Natural Conditioning Shave Cream

People occasionally send me reviews of shaving products that they've tried. If the review is substantial enough, I generally post it to my reviews page, but sometimes I'm sent a review that's not really long enough to get a page of it's own. Here's a review that was sent to me by J. Maxwell.

I would like to submit to fellow head shavers a review Tom's of Maine Natural Conditioning Shave Cream. It is available at natural food stores such as Whole Foods Market. I have found Tom's to be the best shave cream I have yet tried. It is slick, and the Fresh Mint (Honeysuckle is also available) soothes the scalp during the shave. It comes in a tube and a little of this product goes a long way. I shave every other day and find that a tube will last me a month or more.

I haven't tried this product myself, and haven't seen it available for sale in Canada, but perhaps this will interest someone.

Related link:
Amazon.com - with one short review

Stone Cold Steve Austin

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Swimmer styles

The Daily Evergreen carries this story of a swimming team's pre-meet hairstyles. Swimmers often shave their heads to reduce drag in the water. These guys decided to try a variety of interesting hairstyles before the big event, though.

So how the heck will having a mohawk or mullet help a swimmer go faster?

Actually, the Greyhounds’ new cuts are a way of having a little fun together the week before districts begin.

By the time Saturday’s district finals begin, most of the swimmers will finish their haircut by shaving the rest of their head.

From the sounds of it, the team considers this a great way to bond.

Besides their heads, the swimmers shave pretty much everything else their swimsuit doesn’t cover.

"A bunch of guys shaving their legs together sounds kind of weird, but it brings them closer as a team," Fort said. "But you should see all the cuts they have on their legs after."

I've often thought it would be neat to experiment with some wild and crazy hairstyles. I just don't have the patience to let my hair grow out long enough anymore.

Krazy Kevin

DJ Krazy Kevin of Radio Bahrain is drawing a lot of attention in this small country in the Persian Gulf. Kevin has decided to shave his trademark long hair to raise money for victims of the asian tsunami.

He's getting a lot of support from the local news. The Gulf Daily News has mentioned it several times (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and the response is quite strong.

Krazy Kevin, whose full name is Kevin Howarth, has invited others to follow his example and raise money for tsunami victims by shaving their heads. [*]

Good luck to Krazy Kevin and everyone associated with fund-raising efforts for the disaster.

Bald buddies

From the Citizen Online, the story of friends helping friends by shaving their heads.

Nathan Babcock’s cancer battle has inspired his friends to come together to support him by shaving their heads, showing solidarity with their friend and promising not to let him fight alone.

Five of his high school friends shaved their heads at the same time with him to help him deal with the disease he’s facing. They said they did it so he would not stand out as someone different.

As they say later in the article, perhaps they'll start a trend at their school.

Good luck to Nathan. With the support of your family and friends, you'll do well.

Exfoliation

The Sacremento Bee has some advice on taking care of your skin. It includes some stuff for us guys, including some tips on shaving.

Shaving every day is a man's way of exfoliating his face. That's good, but shaving should be done after a shower rather than before, and with shaving gel, not soap. A sharp razor is important to avoid shaving the same place multiple times, which can irritate the skin.

If after-shave is used, check the ingredients to make sure there's no alcohol. It dries the skin. Everyone, including men, should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day. This could double as your moisturizer.

The article mentions that Michael Jordan will launch a line of grooming products for men this year.

Shaving for literacy

There are many examples of people shaving their heads to support a good cause. People shave to raise money for friends and family, or for a charity. People shave their heads to support people in different circumstances. From the Clarion News comes this story of a State Trooper who shaved his head to motivate young kids to read.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Dan Kamerer is sporting a "cooler" look this week. Kamerer challenged students at North Clarion Elementary School if they could increase their accelerated reading scores by 15 percent he would shave off all the hair on head. Students not only reached that goal, they increased it by 42 percent, that’s an increase of 5,535 to 7,575 in a nine-week period. Becky Delaney’s second-grade class had the top percentage increase and will receive a pizza party. Bobbie Cyphert from the Hair Studio in Tylersburg entertained students by shaving designs while she cut Kamerer’s hair.

Keep reading, kids.

Oops! I'm bald!

There's a fun story from the Globe and Mail (registration is probably required). Bryan Tenenhouse tells the story of how he came to have his head shaved.

It all started with a bad haircut. You know, the kind where the barber hands back your glasses and you put them on only to see -- your scalp!

My first frantic thought was, "Where's my hair?!"

Then suddenly I heard myself say, "Take it all off, just shave it all off."

Tenenhouse then describes various reactions to his haircut from the people in his life (which seems to have primarily consisted of surprise and concern). Like most people who shave their heads on the spur of the moment, it took a while for him to get used to the new look. But it ends well, of course.

As for me, I have to admit that I feel younger now without hair. I think everybody should have something about them that makes them feel unique, even if they aren't. And although you do see more shaved heads today than ever before, not everybody can carry them off.

I don't know if I really can. But I feel like I can and that's made all the difference.

Way to go, Bryan.