# Combovers, for your viewing pleasure! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 27, 2008, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825 "2008-12-27T07:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/21 "2008-12-29T18:16:05Z")
And I love how the same self-denial that causes combovers also causes the shaved-head-disclaimer. Yeah, right. I’m sure _you_ believe it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/22 "2008-12-29T18:27:19Z")
> [@Monstera\_deliciosa](#): > > He just looks more handsome totally bald than with his remaining hair grown out, and isn’t trying to fool anyone. I didn’t know there was anything wrong, lame or dishonest about trying to look your best. There _is_ nothing wrong with trying to look your best, and if someone looks better with a shaved head than with thinning hair, they should feel free to shave their head. **Alice The Goon** , as far as i can tell, was simply attempting to rebut **Kalhoun** ’s assertion that the fully-shaved head is a sign of confidence, in contrast to the comb-over. And i tend to agree with her that, like the comb-over, it’s more of a sign of denial than a sign of confidence, even though it undoubtedly looks better than the comb-over. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/23 "2008-12-29T18:55:00Z")
I agree with those who prefer a tight buzz over a full shave. Much lower maintenance. As much as guys bitch about shaving their beards, it surprises me that anyone would want to shave their entire head every day. Still have a full head at 48, so I don’t expect to have to face the decision any time soon. But if and when I do, I hope I am graceful enough to just slap on a #1 and buzz it tight every week or so. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/24 "2008-12-29T20:01:58Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > And I love how the same self-denial that causes combovers also causes the shaved-head-disclaimer. > > Yeah, right. I’m sure _you_ believe it. Look, I’m talking about a man in his mid-fifties who went mostly bald in his mid-thirties. He first shaved his head in his mid-forties, when the shaved head look became particularly fashionable among black men. He knows he is bald. Everyone who knows him knows that he is bald. I don’t see how shaving is self-denial in his case. He is choosing what he, and those who know and like him well enough to care one way or another, thinks is a better look. And this is not a particularly vain man, by the way. You should see how he dresses! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/25 "2008-12-30T01:45:05Z")
> [@Monstera\_deliciosa](#): > > Look, I’m talking about a man in his mid-fifties who went mostly bald in his mid-thirties. He first shaved his head in his mid-forties, when the shaved head look became particularly fashionable among black men. He knows he is bald. Everyone who knows him knows that he is bald. I don’t see how shaving is self-denial in his case. He is choosing what he, and those who know and like him well enough to care one way or another, thinks is a better look. And this is not a particularly vain man, by the way. You should see how he dresses! Yes, I know. For some guys it is a fashion choice. And it has gained a popularity outside of necessity. But hey, it has taken the place of the comb-over. Guys who would have gotten the C-O now choose the shaved look. And it IS a better option, over all. As a guy who went bald in his mid-to-late 20’s, I know what it’s like and I went with the #1 guard on the clippers. Like **Dinsdale** says: it’s virtually maintenance free. But when a guy suddenly decides that he likes the cueball look at that certain age, we know what’s going on. And I think we’re right more often than not. ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/26 "2008-12-30T01:47:56Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > In case you haven’t already seen it, here’s a [truly impressive combover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHm_1116f_Q). As with Avarie’s link, what a massive amount of work. The results appear to be worth it to the folks doing it. I couldn’t do it, I’d be tuckered out before I got to work. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/27 "2008-12-30T06:41:00Z")
> [@Monstera\_deliciosa](#): > > Look, I’m talking about a man in his mid-fifties who went mostly bald in his mid-thirties. He first shaved his head in his mid-forties, when the shaved head look became particularly fashionable among black men. He knows he is bald. Everyone who knows him knows that he is bald. I don’t see how shaving is self-denial in his case. He is choosing what he, and those who know and like him well enough to care one way or another, thinks is a better look. And this is not a particularly vain man, by the way. You should see how he dresses! I think we may have a cultural thing, here. Young black men are known to shave their heads. When I was a teenager, it was all the rage. The popular rap group Onyx made [songs about it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-onVffkthSY), but it had been popular in the hip-hop community long before then. My husband did it when he wasn’t balding at all long before he grew his dreadlocks, and afterward, shaved it bald again. It never even occured to me someone would think he shaved it to pretend he isn’t balding or something. That said, I would like to take time to applaud guys on the way they deal with their male pattern balding. Whether they comb over, shave or just rock it straight up, they haven’t made an entire social ordeal of whining about it in a shrill and insecure tone. It is not like, “Oh, I’m fat, I have cellulite, my boobs are too small, waaah!”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/28 "2008-12-30T06:51:36Z")
I’m trying to decide what to do with my impending baldness. Hair restoration stuff is too damn expensive. I figure I’m going to wind up shaving at some point, I’m just trying to figure out when. Right now I’ve got what I suppose is a combover, but only because I’ve been lazy about getting my hair cut. I’ve been trying to comb it in the way I always have, but lately in a high wind I can feel it just sorta lifting up. Embarassing as hell. I’m thinking shaved head, keep the beard, get a hat. That or will myself to look like [Obadiah Stane](http://squareeyes.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/iron-man-site-obadiah-stane.jpg). Edit: The problem with the third option between a combover and shaving, leaving it natural and short, is that it just doesn’t seem too attractive with the big ol’ literal skullcap right there. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825/29 "2008-12-30T06:58:05Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I’m thinking shaved head, keep the beard, get a hat. I think a beard with baldhead looks nice. I popped back into this thread to say that I see Monstera already mentioned that the look is popular with black men. I usually read her posts much more carefully than that. My mistake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combovers-for-your-viewing-pleasure/478825.md?page=1)