For almost two months now, I’ve been living with a shaved head. I must say that I’ve gotten to like it. Car windows don’t affect me any more, I never have bed-head when I wake up. It’s also nice to have it smooth; just like after shaving your face, it’s nice to feel it smooth. Since I have a beard still, that’s the only way I can get that feeling.

Here are some tips for anyone contemplating shaving their head. These are based on my personal experiences, so your mileage may vary. And maybe you’ll find something helpful, since I didn’t have much to go on when I made the jump, apart from a couple of thoughts from a friend who’d been shaven for years.

  • You should probably try using clippers and a #1 edge-guard-thing on it. That’s 1/4-inch and will give you a basic idea of how you’ll look if it’s all gone.
  • I actually progressed from a #4 down to a #1 over the course of several months, so it was a gradual change that was easier to make.
  • When I first did it, I started with clippers with no edge guards, so it was just the clipper part, which got it down to 1/8-inch or so. Then I used my regular 3-head rotary razor to shave everything. It worked pretty well, but couldn’t get totally smooth. Just like shaving your face. Rotary doesn’t quite shave as close as a regular razor.
  • After several weeks of just using the electric razor for keeping my head clean, I decided to make the jump and get a razor. I recommend something with several blades and a pivoting head. The pivoting function is more important for shaving your head than it even is for your face. You can’t see your head. And you may not always be holding the razor at the best angle for each part of the curves on your head. The pivoting function of the razor overcomes that.
  • You can use a shaving cream or even shampoo to be the lubricant.
  • The shower seems to be the best place for shaving your head. It helps if you have a shower head that is adjustable, so you can turn the flow down to a minimum while shaving.
  • I’ve found that long strokes shave cleaner than short ones. Short ones are safer, but once you get the knack, longer strokes seem to be more efficient and effective. I typically use short-to-medium strokes for the first pass, then, as I’m feeling around for parts that weren’t totally removed, I use longer strokes, going around the curves of the head.
  • Most of the time, you’ll probably shave toward the top back part of your head, so front-to-back and bottom-to-top, in the opposite direction that the hair grows. You may need to go at angles to get everything feeling smooth.
  • If your skin gets irritated, you can shave with the hair, in the direction it grows, but it won’t get as close.
  • After shaving, you can spread the remaining shaving cream around while you’re feeling for any parts that aren’t totally smooth. That’s when you’ll want to shave sideways or use angles more, since your hair doesn’t usually all grow in the exact same direction.
  • Oh, and you’ll need to make sure you wear a hat. Especially in the winter, but also when you’ll be out in the sun for a while. Without even short hair to protect your scalp, it’s easier to get burned, get headaches, or even develop skin cancer.

There. I hope that helps any of you thinking about shaving your head. WikiHow has some more tips, especially about just cutting the hair really short. And they make a good point that some guys just don’t have a head shape that looks good shaven. And if you’re starting to go bald, it’s better to just shave it all. Saves money on haircuts, too. And, of course, since it’s a wiki, you can add your own thoughts and comments to the list.