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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: September 29th, 2023

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  • As I live in Germany, my product recommendations might not be as helpful for anyone outside the EU. I usually get something for sensitive skin by one of our two biggest drugstore chains, ‘Rossmann’ or ‘dm’. They have their own brands which are basically the same stuff for both, just under different names. One is “sun ozon”, the other is “sundance”. Weird names, but both have a “sensitive skin SPF 50+ face fluid” that does the job. Sadly it isn’t a 100% reef friendly sunscreen. Since it also is similar to other sunscreen in that it makes your skin shiny, this sucks for baldies if you don’t want to blind everyone when the sun hits your dome. I usually combat this by applying the sunscreen together with a mattifying moisturizer (there are a lot of good ones for oily/combination skin).

    Two general recommendations I can give though: one, avoid special “bald guys” cosmetics. Those are usually way more expensive than others and offer nothing more in return. Good face moisturizers are usually better. Two, witch hazel toners can really make a difference on your scalp. I feel like it helps to keep your skin smooth and bump-free and it will also help to close micro cuts from shaving.


  • 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.


  • First week of the internship at the neurological station at the rehabilitation center in Bad Liebenstein is over. Not gonna lie, the first 3 days were hard. I felt like a complete idiot there. Lots of tracheostoma, wounds, blood tests and other profound medical work. Since yesterday, I worked at something called the “Überwachungsraum” where the patients are constantly monitored 24/7. There’s lots of information there and I already had lots of impressions crammed into the first week… I’m really exhausted but I know that I can learn a lot there.

    There’s downsides too. A few of the nurses over there have a holier than thou attitude and think everyone who works in a nursing home is a failure. There are others however who are really helpful and explain lots of things, including a few of the doctors. Our room we got over there is the same size as the patients rooms are, with the exception that we live as two people over there instead of having a room for each of us. On the other hand, this prevents us from feeling lonely as we always have someone to talk about what we experienced throughout the day. And the beds are awful… I never thought that I’d already sleep in a care bed (similar to a hospital bed) that creaks every time when I turn around at age 29, but here we are. My back and neck will be really grateful for my own bed for two nights now, but this helps me to appreciate what I have.

    All in all, my shaves are quite uninspired and disappointing during the week. I had to buy a tub of Speick cream and will bring my Proraso Wood&Spice cream when I return on Sunday evening to not become crazy due to the monotony. Fancy SOTDs will be reserved for the weekends now. But I’ll do everything for my future career 💪🏻


  • SOTD 13.02.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
    • Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
    • Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Flattop/Fan hybrid
    • Lather: Speick shaving cream
    • Post Shave: Dick Johnson’s God Spray; Phytorelax Headshave ASB

    Haven’t posted in a while, although I did a few mediocre shaves since we’ve arrived at Liebenstein. The internship is so-so; tons of interesting medical stuff but not much to do for me. It was only the second day though, I have hope that I’ll become better accustomed to everything.

    1 pass head shave, nice smooth dome. I brought the brush, black plastic Wilkinson Classic razor and the blades with me, but only bought the Speick cream today. I had an awful brushless cream before and it just didn’t do anything justice. Today was much better and way more comfortable…


  • Thank you for all those tips and the kind words! It’s really great to feel how supportive the wetshaving community is.

    I’m already on the list (and checking it twice). Otherwise, I’d forget so much important stuff. As for the exams, our school/teachers really tried their best to prepare us well and I promised my classmate that we’d practice together. United we are strong, somehow. I’m kinda glad we have midterms this time, as we didn’t have them when I became an OT and that made final exams so much worse in terms of stress. Re-reading all the important knowledge will definitely pay off in the end.


  • So right now I need to pack my stuff for one of my final long internships of my retraining to become an RN - tomorrow, me and a classmate will be traveling to Bad Liebenstein, where we do our hospital internship at a neurological clinic/rehabilitation centre. We’ll stay there during the week and only leave on the weekends. It’s nice to not be alone during this internship and despite my classmate being almost 9 years younger than me, he and I get along well. It’s 10 weeks in total - first 6 weeks, then 2 weeks at our actual employer, then the “Zwischenprüfung” (midterm exams?) and a few weeks of school before the final 4 weeks are concluded in summer around June.

    Speaking of the mid-term exams, I’m kinda nervous about everything… actually, nervous is quite the understatement. I already had trouble sleeping tonight due to waking up from weird dreams. Packing up stuff also isn’t my strong suit so everything is very stressful for me atm. I’m looking forward to learning some interesting new things, but at the same time I’m unsure how we’ll be accepted there, since a few people there didn’t seem very welcoming…

    Nevertheless, I hope for the best possible outcome. Have a nice weekend, everyone!


  • SOTD 08.02.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: RazoRock Hawk V2
    • Blade: KAI Captain Pink
    • Brush: AP Shave Co. 30 mm Tuxedo Fan w/ black & clear handle
    • Lather: Noble Otter - Neon Sun
    • Post Shave: Thayer’s Cucumber facial spray; Natura Siberica ASB gel
    • Fragrance: Coach Platinum EdP

    I realised that I forgot to log yesterday’s shave, so I gave the same soap and brush a spin again…

    1 pass head shave, no nicks or irritation. Noble Otter always treats my skin well. The KAI blades aren’t really my favourite, but they work way better than the Feather AC blades I used to have. My real champions are the guarded KAI Protouch though.

    So today we had a little carnival party at our nursing/therapist school… And my class had to organise it. Despite me absolutely hating anything related to carnival (“Fasching” over here), some fun was had and we did well.

    In other news, the moustache is back. At least in some capacity - yesterday I trimmed everything else down with the 1/2 guard of my Gamma+ Absolute Hitter (perhaps the best trimmer I ever had) and only went over my upper lip with the 1 guard. So it’s about 2 mm longer than the other stubble, barely noticeable but still a start. I really didn’t like myself with just stubble - it was making me look like a nobody, like someone just blending in with the masses. One of the most important things I learnt in my twenties: don’t let anybody else dictate what you should like. You have to feel comfortable with yourself, not all the others. And if you prefer something that’s niche, so be it! It’s the same with music and wetshaving to an extent - sure, a Gillette cartridge razor would also do the job on my dome and perhaps in less time. But do I want that? Nope. I like taking my time, enjoying the process and paying attention to what feels good.


  • SOTD 06.02.2024

    • Prep: CeraVe anti-blemish cleanser, warm water
    • Razor: Stando Perun
    • Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
    • Brush: RazoRock 400 Noir SE 24 mm
    • Lather: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist
    • Post Shave: Thayer’s Cucumber facial spray; Phytorelax Headshave ASB

    Tobacco Tuesday head shave, 2 passes, slick dome. This is my only other Mammoth soap and like Indigo, it gives me a superb lather. It was a bit hard to shave today since I did an intense upper body workout earlier, but still manageable somehow.

    The Perun might be almost too mild for me - it’s great to have it, it’s a wonderful piece of an european wetshaving artisan. But a really mild shaver compared to the Gamechanger or Greencult IV.

    I didn’t list my fragrance today as I only sprayed on a sample by Brooklyn Soap Company that was gone in like the first two hours and simply not worth it.

    I’m beginning to think that near the end of my 20s, I seem to make the most improvements in my life. I lost a good amount of weight, I’m back to semi-regular workouts since this year, my retraining is going very well, I finally have some real friends again… Everything seems to be on the right path now.





  • SOTD 05.02.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: RazoRock Gamechanger 0.84 OC
    • Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
    • Brush: AP Shave Co. 30 mm Tuxedo Fan w/ black & clear handle
    • Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo
    • Post Shave: Natura Siberica ASB gel

    Mammoth Monday head shave. 2 passes: I did the most part with the Gamechanger, then some cleanup with a disposable. 3 tiny blood spots due to not shaving for a few days and longer stubble on my dome, but overall a very comfortable shave nonetheless.

    I currently have a lot to handle and on top I prepare a little celebration for my 30th birthday on the 1st of March. Originally, I wanted to throw a small party on the following Saturday, but since all my friends are parents who work, we’ll see how I can organise everything…

    Actually, I never imagined it but turning 30 is hard for me. Sure, I know life doesn’t end there, I can still do lots of stuff, most of my friends and current classmates are older and since I’m a bald dude with facial hair I already look thirty for a few years… But seeing how I haven’t really achieved anything like my parents or friends did in their 30s (no family/kids, no marriage, no house) kinda pulls me down. Birthday blues is real and I hate it…
    (I normally would have written about this in the Free Talk Thread, but since we didn’t have one and I forgot to make one too I’ll just tack it onto my SOTD. Feel free to laugh about my first world problems.)


  • SOTD 01.02.2024

    • Prep: warm water + CeraVe anti-blemish cleanser
    • Razor: Stando Perun
    • Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
    • Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
    • Lather: Barrister & Mann - Le Grand Chypre
    • Post Shave: Thayer’s Cucumber facial spray; Phytorelax Headshave ASB
    • Fragrance: Bentley for Men Intense EdP

    First head shave of February. Oh, and a bit of WTG neck shaving to contour the “beard”. I kinda have the feeling that I look like a budget Jason Statham with the new look… despite him being one of my favourite actors, I feel like it’s not such a great look for me. 🤔

    Just one pass, but good enough to clear the stubble. One weeper behind my right ear, otherwise a good comfortable shave.

    Like a true wetshaver, I’m gonna list my fragrance again despite that I applied it in the morning and usually shave late evening/early night. Bentley for Men Intense is kinda growing on me. It’s a clean, warm and sophisticated scent. Unfortunately the performance isn’t really great, but I guess that’s why it’s so cheap. Sorta reminds me of whisky, more precisely the Scottish ones I tried when I was over there in 2019. Not too heavy though, suitable for everyday wear.


  • SOTD 30.01.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: Wilkinson Eco disposable
    • Blade: disposable
    • Brush: AP Shave Co. 30 mm Tuxedo Fan w/ black & clear handle
    • Lather: Declaration Grooming - Unscented soap
    • Post Shave: Thayer’s Original toner; Natura Siberica ASB

    Hungover head shave. Normally I wouldn’t shave in such a state, but I need to look presentable tomorrow. Took the easy approach and used a disposable razor for just one pass.

    The surprise farewell party for my friend yesterday was a blast. What a great evening… Unfortunately, I had a bit too much alcohol. Slept at another friend’s place on a pretty uncomfortable bed. So it was a day of sitting in nursing school with sunglasses today. And pretty terrible neck pain. But that’s worth it for the best colleague we ever had! I’m still a bit overwhelmed with a mix of emotions, but overall it was a huge success.

    In other news, I trimmed off my moustache today. I made it the same length as the stubble I usually wear, so I sport a very short stubble beard now. Kinda want to look younger, but I guess I’ll grow everything a bit longer to contrast my bald dome… It feels pretty unusual to look in a mirror now. Then again, that was also the feeling I had when I first shaved my receding hair off. I’ll see what others will say about this new look and how I feel and go from there.


  • SOTD 28.01.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: RazoRock Gamechanger 0.84 OC; Wilkinson Eco disposable
    • Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum; disposable
    • Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
    • Lather: Declaration Grooming - Unscented soap
    • Post Shave: Thayers Cucumber facial mist; Natura Siberica ASB gel
    • Fragrance: Bentley for Men Intense EdP

    Late AF experimental head shave. I wanted to test how nicely the disposable razors from recycled materials work for head shaving, I actually got them for travel and body shaving.

    First pass WTG with the Gamechanger, smooth as usual with a fresh BIC. Second ATG with the disposable… It wasn’t bad, but not really exceptional either. I guess I’ll always prefer safety razors, but for short trips it’s a good travel option that wouldn’t hurt to lose.

    Notino now stocks Thayers, a great thing for me. The facial mist also works great for applying it on the dome.

    The other thing I got was this Bentley EdP. It’s a nice masculine fragrance, slightly similar to Bay Rum but a bit more suited for everyday wear. It’s definitely different than the usual mainstream scents of Sauvage, 1 Million and Le Male and I totally appreciate it for that. Not a sillage bomb or performance beast, but nice for work or everyday activities.



  • So today was a pretty good day… I drove to the TÜV (weird german thing were they approve that your car is safe for traffic for two years) and I actually got another two years out of my old Opel Astra J… I just had a lot of repairs done, about 1300€ in total. But now it will carry me through my whole retraining and I can get a new car once I have my RN exams done.

    Then I called the next place where me and my classmate will do our hospital internship, a neurological clinic/stroke unit. We’ll have rooms there for under the week and drive home only on the weekends. He and I get along really well and it should work out nicely. We’ll visit there next Wednesday, should be interesting.

    I also prepare a speech and some gifts for my favourite ex-colleague/friend who’ll have her last day and farewell party next Monday. I tend to get pretty emotional during such times, especially since we’ve grown really close. It’s the best that she also leaves the place I already left, but it’s sad to think about all the great times we had there which will never come back… Nevertheless, I firmly believe we’ll organise a great surprise party for her and she’ll have an unforgettable evening.

    Next, a new colleague from my new nursing home texted me today. She’s also a re-trainee and wants to transfer to my nursing school. They didn’t have a lot of the topics we’ve already covered, so I’ll need to send her a lot of PDFs. However, I’m still happy to help wherever I can. Guess it’s just in my DNA, that’s probably why nursing is the perfect profession for me!



  • SOTD 24.01.2024

    • Prep: warm water
    • Razor: Greencult GC 2.0 II plate
    • Blade: Voskhod
    • Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
    • Lather: A&E - Ouddiction (K2e)
    • Post Shave: Thayer’s Aloe Vera toner; Natura Siberica ASB gel

    Despite being the late post, I actually shaved my head about an hour earlier today; just forgot to post here. Seems like my subconscious likes me sleep-deprived.

    So today’s shave could’ve been wonderful… Ouddiction is a great scent, K2e is nice and slick… But the blade. I forgot the MFing dulling blade in there. You get the idea. The shave was rough and I actually got caught up a bit on the back of my head and gave myself a tiny little cut there. This hasn’t happened in ages and it’s especially annoying that it yet again happens with the Greencult. All of my worst shaving accidents happened with that razor, so I kinda have a love-hate relationship with it. It’s damn efficient but it seems like I have lots of bad luck with it, even though today it was definitely due to me forgetting to change blades.