As someone who suffers a receding hairline since he was 19 and is now 30, shaving my head at 20 was one of the best decisions of my life. It's mostly a confidence issue, as others have already stated. Look at some bald celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Jason Statham and so forth... They own their look and they look good. If it's only a temporary thing for you, know that hair will grow back soon.

How to deal with it?

• Sunburn and skin cancer risk is a big issue. Always use sunblock, I personally prefer spray and gel over cream.
• Headwear is obviously important too for protecting your scalp. Whatever you prefer: caps, bandanas, different hats. Choose one that fits well on your bald head, that means a little smaller than those you used with a full head of hair.
• Exercise is, as someone else already pointed out, very important when you rock a smooth dome. Looking fit and improving your posture can do wonders for your self confidence.
• Accessories and jewelry play a very big role too for bald people. Bracelets, necklaces and big aviator sunglasses usually look great.
• Social: according to a study, fully bald people are usually perceived as taller, more aggressive and dominant than their counterparts. This isn't only positive as it means a lot of people could feel intimidated by you too. Smiling and a helpful, open-minded attitude do wonders there.

In general: if it's only for treating a medical issue and therefore temporary, don't worry too much. You're so much more than just your hair! And hair will grow back with enough patience.

I am deeply sorry to everyone involved. I don't know what kind of dumbfuckery is going on with DHL/Deutsche Post, I put the letters into one of their old yellow mailboxes near the end of February and it seems like no one received theirs yet, not even sahenders who's residing in Germany. Even though it's not my fault directly, I wish to apologize to you all for ruining BVWSC. 😥

As for my personal situation; I want to inform you that I had a massive load of shit happen to me recently and so, my depression is back at full force. Therefore I won't be able to participate in any shave events in the foreseeable future - atm, it's very hard to just get everything in my daily life under control and my final exams for the RN are coming up in early June. My appearances here will be sporadically at best during the whole spring and summer months, I hope everything will look better & brighter once September rolls around and I hopefully passed everything. Shit's though.

Due to some technical problems with my smartphone and certain apps, I also lost my Lemmy login info around my birthday and was just recently able to retrieve it via Windows password manager. Thanks for those who inquired about me - I'm not dead (yet), but I'm seriously struggling mentally. (Proof being that writing this took me way longer than usual and tons of edits).
Again, sorry everyone for all this mess. I seriously hate how this turned out

09.12.2024 - New Glasses celebration shave

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Derby Premium half DE
• Lather: Noble Otter - Neon Sun
• Post-Shave: Moon Soaps - Old School "balm"

-> 2 pass head shave and 1 on the neck. Very close & comfortable.

Today I could already pick up my new glasses - well, they were actually done by Thursday. Extremely fast work & great service. Blue light filter, absolutely no reflections, well-fitting. I am beyond satisfied!

To celebrate, I picked a great soap with a pleasant scent. Neon Sun is a delightful, timeless fragrance and NO knows how to produce a quality product. The otter mascot on the tub even wears glasses! Sunglasses, but it still counts.

Otherwise, today was more of a chill day to relax. Starting tomorrow, I have another bout of early shifts until the weekend. Not quite my strong suit, but I'll power through...

Here's a pic of my new glasses (the frames at least):

Congratulations! Hope your renovations will go according to plan and your child will be healthy and strong. 🍀

By popular demand:

Wholly Kaw - Cuero Oscuro Link here A dark leather blend that's really interesting.

24.05.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve - Raconteur
• Post-Shave: Benecos - 2in1 face & aftershave balm
• Fragrance: Bentley for Men Intense EdP

-> 2 passes on the head and on the face. Great shave on the dome, some minor irritation on the face but still comfortable enough. Sample kill!

Ok, I kinda need to explain the constant shift between facial hair styles: I went back to smooth cheeks and just a goatee since due to the current stress of my final exams drawing closer and closer, my facial hair is shedding a lot. Especially on the cheek area. I'm not that fond of the full goatee anymore, but atm I will use it to grow out the moustache and soul patch enough to not look weird - it's simply a bit too short right now. I don't know what causes this shedding, but I think it's the culminating stress.

Still had my sample tray with Raconteur in it and it was plenty for two full shaves (face and head), so I used it. Huge thanks to @[email protected] for allowing so many of us to use this unobtainable soap. I kinda have to revise my earlier statement from Wednesday: Raconteur is much more of a sophisticated, high-class scent than VoA or Midnight Stag. While those two perfectly represent the lower to middle class work of bikers and car mechanics, Raconteur is more of the office friendly scent. And I don't mean a call center office, more like a lawyer's/attorney's office if you catch my drift. Somehow I got the lather even better today, it didn't even dry out my skin too much.

Ok, enough pointless rambling. Have a great weekend y'all ✌🏻

17.02.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: HAGS - Creatures of the Night
• Post-Shave: OAM oli del benessere toner

-> 1-pass WTG head shave to get back into the swing of things. I know I say this a lot, so you better take it with a grain of salt...

Anyways, this was a very relaxed shave with a very smooth and slick lather - mutton tallow bases seem to be universally loved and thanks to this soap, I understand why. The scent is a bit too sweet and powdery, so I use it rarely. But the lather is always cream of the crop. Of course it wasn't close at all, but good enough for WTG.

I'm currently a very stressful time for my mental health. I notice I fall back into depressive thought patterns and all the stress also takes a toll on my body (reflux and other gastrointestinal disorders). My only day off after 5 early shifts was spent running errands and catching appointments, so not much rest. Problem is, now it's another 3 early shifts starting tomorrow and they want us to get in even earlier... sometimes I hate my job, but then again I need to focus on the positive aspects harder. It's just very hard atm.

15.01.2025 - BVWSC in 2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin handle w 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop Fan hybrid knot
• Razor: RazoRock Cyber Medium
• Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
• Lather: Los Jabones de Joserra - Noir
• Post-Shave: Moon Soaps Old School "balm"

-> 2 pass head shave, 1 pass on the neck.

First Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club shave of 2025! Today we used a great european artisan in the form of LJdJ. I was already familiar with the base, as I already own Masala Connection from my exploration of european artisans last year. I know it's quite rich despite not getting a very thick and foamy lather.

Today's offering is a green scent, but without the usual "freshness" or cologne levels to smooth it out. No, this one was earthy, damp and a bit smoky. I couldn't make out any of the individual notes, but according to gcgallant's post, that might be just right. In any case, it kinda reminded me of the current times where people put their old Christmas trees on huge piles to burn them. Maybe that's an event only known around here, but I am pretty sure it's inspired by swedish traditions of the Knutfest. I certainly liked the scent, especially those smoky undertones. Plus activated charcoal is wonderful for my skin, so seeing someone use that in an actual good shaving soap is great. I can definitely see that getting more LJdJ is on the menu someday. Really great soap made by someone from the EU as a passion project.

I still have to admit though, I loaded the whole sample without any second thoughts and I don't regret it. This soap rewards heavy loading and seems to like softer water (mine's good enough to drink right from the faucet, a true luxury compared to other places).

Welcome! Glad to hear that safely razors are working well for you.

As for shaving soaps and making your own lather with a brush, there's definitely a learning curve to it but you can bet that it'll feel like a tremendous improvement over canned foam and gels! High-quality shaving soaps also don't contain any parabens, but a lot of skin-friendly ingredients. I'm a head shaver with a scalp prone to breakouts, itching and razor burn and noticed a clear improvement from switching. YouTube tutorials are your friend, it's how a lot of us used to learn the technique. Feel free to ask for recommendations here, our instance is small but pretty knowledgeable!

Hope the job interview went well!

26.10.2024 - Saturday Strathcona shenanigans

• Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: snapped KCG
• Lather: MacDuff's Soap Co. - Old Strathcona (sample)
• Post-Shave: OAM sensitive skin toner; Capanova Natural aftershave repair balm

-> 2 passes on the dome, 1 for the neck and cheek lines. A really great shave!

Hadn't posted in a while since a few shaves were boring shower shaves with a cartridge. Feels good to use something proper again! I felt in the mood for a barbershop scent, but couldn't decide - so I used a chunk of the huge sample @[email protected] graciously provided to us for BVWSC N°2. I lathered it up in a new candle coaster I got myself (the old lid I've been using has finally RIP'd). Lo and behold, it worked great. MacDuff's base is really a treat and gladly I experience no irritation from the Oak moss.

Today's aftershave balm is a new one I bought on Friday, it's by a natural cosmetics brand that seems to be on clearance sale. The balm has a gel-like texture and absorbed very quickly. It unfortunately contains alcohol, but also lots of skin food ingredients to balance that out. Only downside is that it makes my dome shine like I polished it, so it's only getting used for late shaves 😅

12.02.2025

• Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
• Razor: RazoRock Gamechanger 0.84 OC w/ Superknurl handle
• Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
• Lather: Barrister & Mann- Le Grand Chypre
• Post-Shave: Osma alum block; OAM witch hazel & cucumber toner

-> 1 pass head shave. Was the OC razor way more eager to cut than the Cyber? Yeah! Was it too eager? Unfortunately yeah too. Had a big weeper on the right side of my scalp, but alum and witch hazel fixed that.

I wanted to join in on the LGC fun, somehow this Citrus Cola scent wasn't what I was expecting reading those scent notes, but it is a damn fine soap. It's in Omnibus already, so this shave was ultra slick despite me overhydrating the lather yet again.

Two things that should probably go down the drain: today's brush and the OC plate. While the handle is my all-time fav, I simply don't like or need anything that aggressive anymore. Perhaps I can find a nice replacement head somewhere? The brush was used so much by me and it had a good run. Now, from all the swirling I do when lathering on my head, the inside fibers somehow developed splits and became tangled. Since I really love the Rubberset style handle, I should probably try to drill/steam the old knot out and replace it with something better. Also, I really want to get away from too much RazoRock stuff in my den. It's very affordable at a good quality, but it sure has its shortcomings. Anyway, have a nice day/evening!

19.02.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Ethos - Dragonsbeard
• Post-Shave: OAM oli del benessere toner; Alterra men natural ASB

-> 2-pass head shave, very smooth sailing all around.

Dragonsbeard is rather interesting. Warm oud meets florals is what my nose thought of it at first. However, this didn't change much once it was lathered. I was really grateful that it's not one of the very animalistic/barnyard ouds and the overall scent strength wasn't very high - I suppose this is good for some use cases. Judging by the high price point of Ethos though (over here at least), this wouldn't be a soap high on my buy list. However, I am really grateful for the opportunity to try it! Thanks gcgallant for the sample.

Btw, I kinda had trouble to get the lather right. First pass was very sloppy and wet, the second - after some new loading and starting from scratch - much better. The base has good glide and doesn't irritate my skin, so bonus point for that. Not as great as a mutton tallow base or something by WK, B+M or ZM, but perfectly serviceable.

Now it's time for bed for me since I have another early shift tomorrow. Last one this week though, on the weekend it's late shifts!

First off, massive respect for helping your wife with such a sensitive issue. 👍🏻

Now, if she actually wants to shave with a DE or SE razor, it's generally recommended to start with a less sensitive area than the groin for body shaving. The legs are a really good starting point, alternatively the armpits are also rather tough.

However, in your/her case, if it's just to get a close shave before a laser hair removal... I seriously wouldn't bother with a DE. A basic electric body shaver should be mild enough to get rid of the hair but don't hurt the follicles. Alternatively, there are disposable razors by Wilkinson Sword (Schick in the USA) with a flexible head - means it doesn't only pivot, but actually adapts to the contours of your body. These here are what I mean. Don't let her pay the "lady razor tax" though.

As for lather, I'd recommend a brushless cream, shaving oil or a transparent gel to see better. It might also come in handy to use (shower) mirrors. Best of luck!

Wholly Kaw - Cuero Oscuro

A masterful blend of leather, vetiver, cedarwood, tobacco, patchouli, oakmoss and coffee to top it off. Think of rawhide leather scent or boots.

This one's dank, but a good one. For fans of Midnight Stag, Gearhead, Valley of Ashes and the like. We need some darkness to appreciate the light more. More info by the artisan themself under this link right here

I personally got myself a no-name round fogless shower mirror from amazon. It is shatter-proof and has a twist-action suction cup, making it suitable for a lot of different surfaces. Since you seem to be based in the US, this one here seems to be like the one I got. I personally like that you can twist it 360°, personally I use it regularly to trim my beard and occasionally to shave my head.

28.01.2025 - Tuesday Bourbon Mood

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin handle w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop Fan hybrid knot
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - King of Bourbon
• Post-Shave: Moon Soaps Old School "balm"

-> single pass head and face shave. Rather good, some minor irritation on the face but nothing serious.

King of Bourbon is a great soap, but as I rarely use WK I had a bit of trouble building a good lather at first. However once I got it right, it was great.

Those Perma-Sharp are new. I thought they were made in Turkey, but wrong - it's Russia again. Granted, either country is run by a dictator, but it seems like I can't find something made in the EU that doesn't suck. These here are really good and tbh, I don't think the russian people are to blame for their shitty government. The blades did a very solid job in the Thorn, that's for sure.

Still only one pass on the face. It has healed for the most part. There was some slight irritation right next to the left side of the goatee, but nothing extreme. Kinda what I expected. The pseudo-balm takes good care of it, but I suspect it slowly starts to go rancid... granted, with that awful consistency it's probably a given thing.

20.11.2024 - BVWSC: Travel Edition

• Brush: Omega Roma Colosseo 31 mm
• Razor: Headblade S2 Lunar Eclipse
• Blade: HB 2 cartridge
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Oro Valley sample
• Post-Shave: Capanova Natural aftershave repair balm
• Fragrance: Tom Ford Ombré Leather EdP

2 pass head shave with the Headblade. A very luxurious shave to end a great day for me.

For today's edition of Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club, we use Oro Valley by Stirling - a very faithful dupe of Tom Ford Ombré Leather . I was really looking forward to this, as the original TF fragrance is one of my absolute favourites (together with its sibling Tuscan Leather ). OL is more unisex than TL though: it's the smell of luxurious new car seats made from the finest italian leather. It's the new leather jacket fresh out of its packaging. In general, it's a scent of fresh, new luxury items made from leather.

Stirling's dupe is very faithful and that's very great. Of course, the base is one of the most often recommended starting points in the hobby and it works fantastic. My only gripe is that Oro Valley is one of the few Stirling Soaps who aren't available in the EU. Otherwise, it would be totally great to combine with the little travel decant I have of the original TF.

Very busy vacation day for me, first a visit at the Kyffhäuser-Denkmal and then the Panorama museum with a huge 360° painting. This shave topped off a very successful time. Hope you're all well, happy Hump Day and all that jazz... I'm off to the hotel bar now ✌🏻

22.09.2024 - bloody Strathcona

• Prep: warm water
• Brush: vintage yellow bakelite handle w/ 22 mm SynBad knot
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb MMOC
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: MacDuff's Soap Co. - Old Strathcona
• Post-Shave: alum block; Thayer's Original toner; Pacific Shaving Co. Caffeinated ASB

-> 1-pass head and face shave. A bit too rough thanks to a fresh GEM blade...

So today I also wanted to try Old Strathcona again. @[email protected] was so generous and sent enough of a sample for 5+ shaves, I reckon. I still had a good bit left in my old wooden lid.

However, I wanted to give the Leaf a well deserved break and use another razor today - so I had to put a fresh blade into my MMOC, as the old one caught rust. Needless to say, when the alum block is listed in my Post-Shave routine - you know that it didn't went well. 🫤

I usually have a blast using the MMOC, but some of the fresh GEM blades have an edge that makes them feel like shaving with a carpet knife. In total, one big weeper and five blood spots on the scalp. Six blood spots around the face. Bless the french shaving heavens for Osma alum, as without it I'd look like I got into a fight with a cheese grater. The Thayer's toner and the PSC balm handled the rest. To say it with a meme-ified movie quote: "I shaved... but at what cost?!" 🤔

Memo to myself for the future: don't use a razor you haven't used in a while with a soap that's unfamiliar to you, especially not with a fresh blade. Don't think you can manage a full head and face shave with just a tiny amount of a soap sample. Also, get yourself a proper small shaving mug or bowl for your sample shenanigans.

Now I really look forward to tomorrow's shave. Hope you fine folks had a great weekend!

SOTD 28.12.2023

• Prep: warm water
• Razor: Stando Perun
• Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cuir et Epices
• Post Shave: Thayer's Aloe Vera toner; Natura Siberica ASB gel
• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Ombre Leather EdP

Almost forgot to log this shave in all the trouble...

1-pass head shave, very comfortable and warm scents all around. No nicks or any irritation whatsoever. I needed some comfort scents to keep my feelings somehow balanced...

Today I had my final late shift at the old nursing home. It was a very emotional day for me... For 5 years, this was my place of work. First as an OT, now during the retraining to become an RN. I had a lot of good times there, but lately a lot has turned to shit so quitting is the right thing to do. I will miss my favourite colleagues very much; but at least I will keep them as friends and remember the good things we had together.