shadowplay Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I almost never see balding men who let their hair grow anymore. This used to be the norm, and now all you see is buzzed/totally shaven guys. When did the shift happen? It seems like it was pretty recent and sudden. I prefer this look, but wonder what caused the sudden shift.
carhill Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 IMO, it was when celebrity men, whom many women deemed attractive, decided to handle their hair loss by buzzing/shaving it off. Andre Agassi is a great example. His MPB is a lot like mine and we both started losing our hair at about the same age. My first real experience with the 'buzz' was after meeting stbx about 11 years ago and she, being a stylist, buzzed me up because she liked it better that way. It didn't matter to me and the haircuts were free Now I just buzz and shave myself; it's not hard and it's free.
phineas Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Bruce Willis also did the buzz. I don't do the buzz but I still get it fairly short.
xpaperxcutx Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 When did Bruce Willis started getting bald? I think he was the progenitor of this trend.
carhill Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I recall him being buzzed/shaven in 'Pulp Fiction', so mid-90's anyway... here's a picture with the cast
reservoirdog1 Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I think I read somewhere that Bruce Willis was given a hairpiece in the mid-90s (after Pulp Fiction) to play John McClane again in the third Die Hard movie. The hairpiece he was given was designed to replicate McClane's receding hairline from the first two movies, but it was a hairpiece nonetheless. I agree with the above poster, I think the trend started with Andre Agassi and then Bruce Willis, at least in terms of popular acceptance. I had lots of hair until my mid-20s, and then started to lose it. First noticeable thin spot up top appeared about ten years ago. I always had what I now call a "fringe" in the front that made it look, to my eyes, like I still had some semblance of hair up top; when I finally saw some photos of myself about a year ago taken from other angles, it was clear that I didn't. Buzzing it was hard to do at first, until one day earlier this year I bought a trimmer and just did it one day. With an appropriate nod to Bob Dylan or whoever said it first, "when you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose." Glad I did it -- it's basically become "my look". Plus, it's incredibly easy to maintain, I don't have to worry about bed head or hat head, or buy shampoo, or pay for haircuts. My sunscreen expense has gone up a bit, tho...
Serenitynow Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I started shaving my head in the early 90's. And now everyone assumes I'm just another jerkwad trying to fit in with the fad now. .
K'aycie Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I almost never see balding men who let their hair grow anymore. This used to be the norm, and now all you see is buzzed/totally shaven guys. When did the shift happen? It seems like it was pretty recent and sudden. I prefer this look, but wonder what caused the sudden shift. The environment and genetics.
threebyfate Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Don't know what started the trend but it's one of THE best trends to have happened in the history of mankind. Both the Dominican Friar and the aging hippie look are so not sexy. You will not look bad-ass if you wear a queue below a shiny pate. You will look stupid.
witabix Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 I'm not aware of a sudden shift, not on the 'street' so to speak. I went to close crop when my hair demanded it. Now I shave because what is left looks ridiculous if I let it grow. I haven't seen any comb-overs for a long time, my Dad used to do that. Maybe thats why I decided to go bald 'gracefully'. But I do see plenty of people with bald top and long sides. Even some ponytails! Oh dear. A comedienne once said, "What do you see when you lift a pony tail, a horses ass" made me cry laughing, and abandon any thought of attempting some tonsorial sleight of hair moves, just accept it. Look at Yul Brynner in the King and I, and Telly Savalas, I think they were a good while ago.
Gallaxia Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Yeah I wanna say the early 90s as well. I like it.
carhill Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Traditional vs new wave John had and still has significant hair, but his hairline is receding in typical Irish fashion, a lot like my dad's did. I can say single and married women alike seem to enjoy stroking the overall smoothness of my head versus the old days when I had partial hair. No explanation of that. Stbx says I have a good head shape for bald. Ok, whatever
K'aycie Posted August 23, 2010 Posted August 23, 2010 Attraction has been known to adapt on it's own. A couple years back, I never found the baldies attractive. But, I have to say, I have seen a few out in public that were bald and very attractive.
skydiveaddict Posted August 24, 2010 Posted August 24, 2010 It's always been around in the army. ( at least in the Natl Guard) Whoever fails to meet regs gets shaved . That's where I think it came from.
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