Negative Reactions To A Shaved Skull

I've given this matter some serious thought after reading Brandon's thread "Bald Man Ahead Of Me In Line At Wegmans". I frequent my local Wegmans but never witnessed such a blatant display of rudeness. Perhaps it's the location of that store. Brandon I hope you don't take offense to what I have to say, but could it be that Jersey Boys are more accepting than Central NuYawkas. On the serious side of the matter I am posing this question to the folks on this board. Why do some people have a negative reaction to a guy with a shaved skull?

One possible reason is that the shaved head has been associated in the past with

CONFICTS,



BIKERS,



AND SKINHEADS.


To me much of the "nasty-ness" is malarchy and is media-manufactured, but unfortunately some people hang on to these images and stereotypes.

Another reason is that there may be a connection with our primitive past.



The loss of hair on top of our heads, especially when combined with the growth of facial hair, tends to emphasize our jaws and teeth, our natural weapons. This is also a possible evolutionary explanation for male pattern baldness, mentioned in an answer to a question on the Discovery Channel a while back.

A final reason is that the shaved head is still outside the norm. Though more and more people are doing it, it's still a small percentage of the overall population. Anything not completely mainstream will tend to provoke some negative reaction.

Logan wrote:
To me much of the "nasty-ness" is malarchy and is media-manufactured, but unfortunately some people hang on to these images and stereotypes.

Malarchy
It's a bunch of bull-crap.

Logan wrote:
Another reason is that there may be a connection with our primitive past.

Encino Man, now that was a great movie!

Encino Man, a classic.
I wonder whatever happened to the dude that played Link? Man did that guy have bad hair. It looked flea invested.

I've never gotten any bad reactions to my haircut of choice. Always been confident with hair and without hair.
It's the person inside that counts. Positivity transcends my outer appearance, so no one ever will confuse or asociate me with being a confict or a pirate. As for the cave man connection, you better ask my girl friend.

It is unfortunate that people are so quick to judge based on ones appearance. I don't see that changing anytime soon unfortunately.

It's been only a week since I put the razor to my scalp. Thus far there's only been positive comments about my bald head. Only been with college mates and such. Now that I'm back home I'm certain my family and friends will make their opinions known.

NJ, some fierce facial scruff you're sporting. A shaved head would certainly compliment your beard. The truth be told, I've never tried growing anything on my face. Maybe it's time for me to accessorize my newly shorn head with some scruff on my face. Maybe I'll start off with a stacheless goat. And proceed from there.

To hair is human, to bald divine.

the above is a line that I have on my gmail account.
God gave all of us hair, some he took it back and others just help Him and shave it.

God I thank-you Sir for the hair I have and I thank you for the people (alive and in memorial)I shave it for.

NHBaldBoy wrote:To hair is human, to bald divine.

the above is a line that I have on my gmail account.
God gave all of us hair, some he took it back and others just help Him and shave it.

God I thank-you Sir for the hair I have and I thank you for the people (alive and in memorial)I shave it for.

I like that a lot.

I think one thing that perpetuates negativity is when public figures make bets in which the loser has to shave his/her head.

Historically, headshaving was used as a mark of shame as punishment. There is probably some legacy still about from that.

When American Indians went on the war path and took their enemies as prisoners, they scalped them.

Hence stated the "Hair Club for Men"

Most of the victims were women.

where do you think the Hair Club gets the hair? (lol)

NHBaldBoy wrote:where do you think the Hair Club gets the hair? (lol)

From "Indo"china

It's been a non-issue since I went bald. I've received very few comments. And those few comments have been positive.

I've received only positive comments.

Those are the problems with the negative views of headshaving that have happened in the relatively recent US past. Thankfully, guys like Vin Diesel and Michael Chiklis have helped, and older stars that have started clipping it super short or shaving it like Jack Nicholson and Bruce Willis have been helping it along. Historically, it's also been associated with military and tough-guys in general, regardless of the association with something like biker gangs and skin heads. I've been asked if I was in the military because of the shaved head, as it's much more common in that community. Same goes with police and SWAT. Regardless of the negative connotations, there's the possibility of being a badass with a shaved head. Of course, wearing a suit with the shaved head heightens this, making for an aggressive, super clean business appearance. Still taken as aggressive, just in a slightly different way.

What it boils down to is what I said in the first post of this thread. The shaved head is still outside the norm. Though more and more people are doing it, it's still a small percentage of the overall population. Anything not completely mainstream will tend to provoke some negative reaction.

A bald head invites others to perceive you as whatever they want to see you as. It is a clean slate: they will see in you what they want.

Hair, once removed, becomes less of an impediment to seeing the true self underneath.

Darby wrote:A bald head invites others to perceive you as whatever they want to see you as. It is a clean slate: they will see in you what they want.

Hair, once removed, becomes less of an impediment to seeing the true self underneath.

That's a very philosophical view of headshaving.

My friends and co-workers are always asking me the same annoying question...........
When are you growing your hair back?

So it's Good Friday and I was in the park today. Some wise arse teenage girls had the audacity of saying, shave that beard and grow some hair on your ugly bald head.

Ever been stared at. I mean really stared at in a critical way. Older women have this way of staring at my bald head. I know it shouldn't, but it sometimes gets to me. They don't know anything about me and like in their own friggin' way they're "staring me down".

Geodome wrote:Ever been stared at. I mean really stared at in a critical way. Older women have this way of staring at my bald head. I know it shouldn't, but it sometimes gets to me. They don't know anything about me and like in their own friggin' way they're "staring me down".

I know what you mean. They really creep me out when they eye me.