This was Shauna's first real Christmas in 1973 (she was born just in time for Christmas in 1972). I was 26 years old with plenty of hair, but you can see that I was already beginning to lose it.
Thankfully, the balding process was slow. I was 40 or close to it in this photo. I am on the right with my brother-in-law of the same age, who departed these shores a couple of years ago.
Strands reamined for a long time, and I could even grow a few now for I have still have stubble. I was in my later forties in this photo with my favourite cat, Rocky, on my bum. He was Shauna's cat, in theory, but lived more with us than with her. He passed away 10 years ago, and, sometimes, I still miss him.
When I was 54, I gave up on keeping those few strands. I was 57 in this photo. and had been shaving those strands for a few years. I went to a goatee-style beard for a few years before returning to a fuller beard, but I always kept my beard pretty trim. This shot was taken during the winter that we spent quite a lot of time at the cottage and became friends with the chickadees. That was so much fun.
For a few months after Danica was born, I shaved my whole head although I kept the goatee.
I didn't really mind the skinhead look, but I soon went back to pattern baldness. I had thought that I returned to the fuller beard quite soon too, but I have been surprised to see that I still had the reduced beard a few years later when JJ was still a baby in 2010.
By that Christmas, my fuller beard had returned, so I had kept the goatee style for maybe 5 years in all. This surprises me. Also note that in my early to mid sixties, neither my hair nor beard showed much grey.
Even now, at almost 73, neither beard nor hair are completely grey, and I am not sure if they ever will be. I am pretty sure that it won't ever be white, which I think I would prefer. However, hair and I haven't usually been on good terms. (This was taken not long before the pandemic struck.)
I certainly didn't intend to delve into this hair and beard subject when I posted the selfie. Even then, I thought to just post the first photo of me with lots of hair, but some blog posts take on a life of their own.
I certainly enjoyed seeing your journey, since I've only "known" you for a short time. I am not sure exactly when or how my hair turned white, but it started in my fifties, I think. A good idea for a blog post. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of a life centered around family. Great life!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting...all the different faces of you! Or hairs anyway. When I was almost completely white headed, there were 2 darker patches of grey left...one at front and one at back of my head...always looked kind of dirty there. Now at 77 I'm totally white, and being a woman with very thin hair now means pink scalp shows usually.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how we start out a blog post one way, and then head off into a rabbit trail. We change our look without necessarily even realizing it. I love that randomness about blogging, and reading blogs. I am very gray (possibly even white) but I color it. I started graying in my 30s which seems quite young. Unfair!
ReplyDeleteNice images! For much of your life you kept your beard and mustache fuller (even with much of the goatee) that currently. I kind of went the opposite route with have been mostly short (like yours now) until the last 3-4 years where I have grown much more full. For me, it was at first to see how it would be... but then I also noticed for me that as my grey became predominate, it looked more “even” when fuller for me.
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Well, when all is said and done, you have aged well. You look good.
ReplyDeleteYou look great with and without as much follicle, John. Art has always had a LOT of hair and it's disconcerting for him to suddenly be losing much of it. I'm sure he'll get used to it eventually.
ReplyDeleteMy husband fired his barber of 46 years (me) just in January and went with the shaved head look. It's easier to care for.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo with the chickadees!
ReplyDeleteI'm 77, and will never by white like my parents and younger brother. The whole back of my hair remains brown.
ReplyDeleteYou two looked like young Justin Biebers!
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting follicle journey. I just turned 69 in March and don't have any grey yet...only in my eyebrows! My om and dad were late to turn grey, too. I think you look good in the full beard like you have now. :)
I have so been enjoying these selfies. Now the hair and beard. I applaud you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice hairy journey, I enjoyed the read and the photos. I stopped dying my hair to let it turn gray/white in 2008. I'm 73 now and only the front edges have turned white. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteLast February I started taking a selfie on or around the first of the month, which I will put in a separate folder (through the years) to see how I change. The only change so far is the lack of hairdressing right now due to Corona! But not much grey showing yet, mainly thanks to the light colour of my hair.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever gone without beard at all in adulthood?
Hairs to you, John or hair today, gone tomorrow. Sorry, but it was such a fun post and these came to my sick mind. Thanks for a fun post showing the advancement of your hairline to its present stage.
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