Q: I have quite good hair, which I look after and keep well groomed and trimmed. Though I do this naturally, I also do it for my wife who always says that my hair is one of my best features. But deep down I want to be bald. I have wanted to shave my head for a long time, but have had to be contented with my styled hair. The other day my wife suggested that I should shave my head. I was so surprised that I didn't know what to say, except to tell her that she had to be joking. Am I in denial? I want to be bald, but won't admit it to my wife. Is there a solution? A: Sure there is a solution. Shave your head. In the beginning you can pretend that it is for her. Take her to the barber shop to watch the proceedings. Then as you shave your head every day, you can tell her how much you enjoy being hairless. She will think that you have lost your hair for her love, as Sampson and Delilah, and that she has guided you to the path you always wanted to travel anyway: the path to BALDNESS! Q: I am 15 and have a question. This summer I am thinking of shaving my head for the first time, but when I do it I think I might keep it. I keep looking in the mirror and trying to imagine what I will look like with a shaved head. But I have made up my mind that I don't care what it looks like it just want to shave of all my hair.  What will it be like? A: If it's OK with your parents - and only if it is OK - then shaving your head is a great adventure. It's a bit like going on a holiday to some strange place. When you get there it's usually very different from what you imagined. The first two weeks are the hardest to be bald. You are confused and so are those around you. This is the time when family and friends will tell you they either like you as a baldie or not. You have just got to be yourself and make up your own mind. And if you do shave your head you MUST keep it shaved every day for at least two weeks (preferably two months) to really decide whether you like it or not. You may decide to stay bald permanently. I have several correspondents from 12 to 24 who have been bald for over two years, shave their heads every day, and do not intend ever to grow their hair again. Don't forget you will get called all sorts of names, Baldie, Chrome Dome, Kojak, Desert Head, and many more I don't know from your part of the world One thing is for sure. There is nothing like the feel of a freshly shaved head. Q: I am 18 and my brother is 23. I have really thick strong hair, but he is losing his fast. He is now getting thin on top. I keep telling him he should shave his head, which would look better than all the back combing that he tries to make his hair look thicker. He's good looking and I am sure a shaved head would look great on him. I offered to shave my head with him if he would just try it. This almost convinced him, but at the last minute he demanded that I have my head shaved first, and then in a couple of days be would decide. No deal. Do you have any suggestions? A: Well here's a drastic suggestion you might try "18 brother of 23". It won't be too long before your brother will be bald on top anyway if his hair is thinning as much as you say. You really can't blame him for wanting to keep it while he can. What he has got to realise is that he will look quite different with MPB (Male Pattern Baldness). So if you are serious about helping your brother, here's what to do. Get yourself to your local friendly barber (if he does HeadShaves - otherwise find one who will) and have him shave an MPB onto the top of your own head. Now that's a test of brotherly love. The theory is that when you 23 year old brother sees you with the top of your head bald he will also be able to see what he will look like in the not too distant future - not a pretty sight. Much better to be totally bald, which in itself is a confidence and a fashion statement. Of course, it might not work, but if you are brave enough, it might. Reply: Thanks for the advise. I nearly choaked when you suggested that I have an MPB cut. But after a couple of days I decided why not? When I plucked up courage and asked my barber to shave the top of my head he thought I was joking, but he said it would be a pleasure when he knew I was serious. So I ended up with an MPB. If if wasn't for a good cause I would have been too embarrassed to go into the street. When I got home and took off my cap my brother was furious and he thought I was sending him up. But he calmed down when I explained that this is what he would look like real soon unless he got rid of all his hair. Well he said I had made myself lool like Bozo the Clown for nothing, because he was not going to shave his head. But I didn't give up. I kept the MPB (top shaved every day) for over a week. I got so much comment from friends that it became fun, but I couldn't keep it forever. Just then my brother admitted that he could see his future on my shaved top and he decided to have his head shaved totally bald (not just the top) permantly. So we both went to the barbers, and now we are both smooth hairless. The interesting thing is that he really does look great with polished BALD! Mine looks good too. I haven't yet decided when I will let it grow, but now my brother is convinced that his hair is history, and his future is ShaveHead. Thanks! Q: This summer I am going to backpack through Europe. I'll be going with two friends. The trouble is now I have a shaved head, and so do the other guys. We made a pact that if we actually did buy our tickets to Europe we would all go bald, because we never thought we would be able to manage it. But with a lot of hard savings we made our budget. So the day we bought our tickets we all went to the barbers and had our heads shaved. By the way, we have to stay bald for the entire tour. The trouble is that I forgot that I already have a passport, and my picture in it has a full head of hair. (The other guys, one has short crew cut, and one has a high and tight in their photos, so the don't look too different. But I do. Do you think I will be able to get through the passport checks with a shaved head while my passport shows me with hair? I really like the shaved head and intend to keep it for quite a while. A. There really should be no problem. At least one member of the panel has had the same problem - no problem. You say that you are backpacking. Well heep yourself neat and clean and don't look like hobos, and don't carry anything that you should not, and that will be a help. Here's a suggestion. e-mail a copy of your passport photo with hiar to this BBALDOZ and we will balderize it and send it back to you so that you can print it.. So if you have any problem you will be able to shoy immigration the original picture side-by-side with the bald version. That will convince them. But don't worry too much. You certainly won;t end up in jail  - unless you do something naughty. Enjoy the European summer sum on your BALD! Head. Q. This is a fairly strange question for the panel. But here goes. I am holiday resort barber; and I do quite a few shaved heads. You probably know that most barbers won't do head shaves these days, but I still like to keep my hand in. Naturally my shaved customers are always asking me why I don't shave my own head. I just tell them that it would be a turn-off to my regular customers to have a totally hairless hairdresser. Trouble is, the more I shave other heads, the more I want to shave mine. So, I am a barber asking advise about my own hairstyle. Would a bald barber scare off my conservative clientele? A. It's the old story of an employer interfering with the private wishes of the employee. But in this case, you are both. But that doesn't help does it? Try this. You can shave yourself bald and do some good at the same time. Since you sent an e-mail, you must have a computer. Make yourself a sign for the shop, saying something like this. "I have been challenged to shave my head. The only way I will do this is to raise money for charity. All my loyal customers are invited to sponsor me to go bald. The charity goal is $1,000. All proceeds will go to our Community Chest." You can bet that your conservative clients will contribute to your embarrass, so they think, not knowing that you really get what you want, and so will the local charities. Q. My teenage son is conning his old man, he thinks. Since he started high school I have been giving him a hair allowance for a two-weekly haircut, shampoos, gels and all that stuff. In the last couple of years he has been getting $50 a month for this. Sure that is way too much, but at least he kept himself well groomed (and I must say, well behaved). Then he shaved his head. It was a bit of a surprise to his mother and me, though we have no real problem with it. But he is still drawing his hair allowance, thinking I have forgotten he no longer has hair. Who is he kidding? He even uses my razor and shave cream. Should I let him get away with it? A. Go on admit it. The joke's on you. You knew all along you were being taken for a ride; probably thinking how clever your son is. You were quite happy as long as he was 'well groomed'. Now hair cannot be better groomed if it is not there. It could be said that the ultimate hair grooming is its total removal. OK, charge him for blades and cream, but keep up the allowance as long as he keeps his head `well groomed' - that is, shaved smooth EVERY day. Q.   I haven't had a haircut for three months because I really want to shave my head. This is really important, and I want to stay bald. I have never taken my hair off before, but I seriously know that I want to be hairless for as long as I can see into the future. The trouble is my very close girlfriend doesn't like the idea of me being bald. A barber friend has offered to cut my hair in different styles and than shave it all off. He suggests that we take a series of pictures of the styles and shaving. This is a great idea and I would seriously like to have these photographs to look at in the future. I have pretty good hair that's red and straight. But I want to get rid of it, but my girlfriend does not. Should I go bald anyway. A. You have a problem. It depends on how much you want to please your girl friend, and is it a strong relationship? On the other hand you seem to have a deep desire to be bald. You didn't say so, but you appear to want to stay smooth headed no matter what it looks like - when you do it. AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT! Even though you love your girlfriend, you have to convince her that going bald is greatly important to you. To get  get her on your side is the trick. Tell her how fantastic it will be to stroke you smooth shaved head. and how individual you will look when you are out together; andthing you can think of. But when it's all said and done, you have to take control of your life, while still being considerate of others. So the answer is "Shave your head", and then work out the problems in a mature way. Q. I have been shaving my head for about a year. Not only do I like it but my friends and family like it. Now I am being transferred to a bigger branch of our supermarket, to a higher responsible position. The manager of the new branch told me that I have to let my hair grow. I know that he does not have the authority to do this. But if I stay bald he could make things difficuly for me. Any suggestions A. Of course this is a kind of freedom harrassment. You're right that he could make things difficult for you, but shaved heads are more or less acceptable these days. If you are determined to continue shaving your head, you have to cover your tracks as much as possible. Before you go to the new branch write to the Human Rescources (or Personnel) Manager at head office. Ask for official permission to retain the right to continue shaving you head, as you have done for the past year while in the employment of the company. Don't mentioning your new boss. Say in the letter that you know from friends that some employers have strict rules about hair and personal appearance - with which you agree - and for the record, you would like confirmation that a shaved head is OK with the company. Since you seem to already know this is so, there should be no problem. If they don't give you this assurance, well, there is nothing for it but to let your hair grow, or take the consequences from the upcoming manager, or leave the company and find a job where baldness is permitted. But remember, you are on the ladder to progress, and when you are in a position of authority you will be able to be as bald as you want, and maybe your example will influence juniors to follow your example Q. I am thinking about shaving my head this weekend. I just started a job as a computer consultant and I travel all over the country. My concern is that my customers will think that I would appear  too radical - with my head totally smooth bald. My barber agrees that shaving my head would look great .... A. Look, I really believe your customers will NOT be turned off by a Chrome Dome. There are many people who don't fit into our own personal preferences, but that doesn't mean that we won't deal with them.... ....There is no point having a shaved head if you don't want people to know about it. So don't wear a cap or hat unless you have to (except in the supermanket with all those open feezers). Never be embarrassed to talk about yout hairless preference ... but don't make excuses. Just say that you like it. Be honest! Be positive!