Some people think every four weeks is too soon for a hair cut and beard trim.
Especially when there’s not much left on top to cut.
I visited my good friend Theresa Constantine at her place in North Syracuse, N.Y., yesterday, for my regular vanity appointment. Because there’s plenty on the bottom of my face to trim.
The happy haircut and beard trim selfie.
I like it, like it, yes I do.
And may I remind you of my Full Moon-prompted selfie, coaxed out of me by reading good blogging friend Justine at Eclectic Odds N Sodds and her question about what that lunar phase does to you.
Full beard and bristle top selfie in Syracuse, N.Y.
I am in good-clipper wielding hands at Hairy Notions, if I dare say so myself.
Theresa always asks me if I’d like gel and I always say no, thank you. Should I try gel? Should I let the top grow and then have Theresa spike it one cycle? Should I dare consider coloring for the first time ever?
Mark Bialczak 
You look great & what a difference too! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Sophie. My beard grows like wild grass!
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When it comes to colouring hair – I’m in the go for wild hair colour – purple, bright blue! but you look fine in the first photo and a little scary in the second 🙂
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Yes, well, the full moon did bring out the wild in me, you see, Rachel. Color in my hair, that would be past my wildness boundaries at this point of my life. And way past my hair limitations, too. 🙂
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I still cast my vote for braids and beads in the beard! You look very handsome, my friend! I’m sure Karen’s a happy lady. 😀
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Thank you, Rachel. 🙂 I’m pretty sure my dear wife Karen likes the cut and trim.
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😀 They do look good, too. 🙂
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You handsome devil, you!
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Thank you, Apple Pie. I need to blush to get some color in my pale winter face. 😮
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SPIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
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Spikee wants another spiker, am I right, MDB Colleen? 🙂 ❤
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Absolutely!!!!!! 🙂
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Go Wild, my friend. Gel it!!!
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Oh, how we’ve “matured” when going wild is signaled by gel in the thinning hair, Cate! Ha. I love this discovery. 🙂
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Oh my gosh! Is there any beard left? Well, you do look handsome, Chum. And gel is cool, I think. Leave the gray, I say, but color it for fun…why not! What does Karen have to say on it?
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There is some beard left, Aud. About the same length as the hair, actually. Which I think is too short for gel. To color and gel would need a grow-out. For that sort of change, you bet I’d consult my dear wife Karen. 🙂
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Great post Mark! You just crack me up! Well done! ❤
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Thank you, Colleen. My good humor sometimes is contagious! 🙂 ❤
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True! And Thank Goodness for that!
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I know you like to go to hear the news and get some one on one time at the barber shop, right? You probably get a whole bunch of exciting tidbits about local news… you should share some of it with us! smiles!
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Well, since this is a salon, with appointments, it’s not like I think you picture it, Robin. It’s more me and Theresa gossiping. 🙂
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I say skip the gel and embrace the smile 🙂 Lookin’ good, Mark!
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Thank you, Christy. Smile I will, with a nice complment like that, my friend. 🙂
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I am going to put some bangs on this picture right now.
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i like it just as it is. don’t mess with a good thing )
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Why thank you, my dear friend Beth. 🙂
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Gel it Mark! Be wild and crazy! I think Karen would like it!
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I will carefully consider your suggestion Lori, and then probably never give that a second thought. 🙂
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In our days at the big daily, Lori, you never once saw me be wild and crazy, did you? 😉
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I’m always a purist when it comes to hair so I try to do as little to it as possible. The again, it’s fun to be adventurous. Oh dear, I’ve been of no help, have I?
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Sure, you have, Marissa. I know from previous comments that I should grow it long. 🙂 But that ship has sailed. When I was in my late 30s/early 40s (can’t remember exactly) I went through a short but silly ponytail period. No, there are not photographs available. 🙂
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Not sure if I believe that ) re the no photographs) but I won’t give you too much of a hard time about that!!
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You can hard-time me if you please. I’ll take it good-naturedly … up to a point … and then … I’ll YELL BACK. No, that’s just an all-caps key. 🙂
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Uh-oh!
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I say go for the coloring. I’m trying to think if blue or purple would look best on you….
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I leave it to you to go for the razzle-dazzle, ESN. What would Evil Squirrel do? I am going to have an initial bracelet made up to sell, OK? 🙂
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I agree with the above comment – No to both, just embrace the au naturel look! 😀
P.S; I hope all is good your neck of the woods!
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Thank you so much, Amanda. I will remain Nature Man over my side of the big pond. I’m OK this winter. I hope you are maintaining on yours as well, my friend. 🙂
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Oh, this is good to hear 🙂 My pond’s looking a bit lonely, but much cleaner since daddy frog left the pond – messy he is! 🐸
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I hear he is rivet-ing nonetheless, Amanda. 🙂
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No to coloring and no to gel! 🙂 It’s perfect just as it is. You don’t want to mess with perfect. 😉
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You flatter me too much, PJ. 🙂 Or just enough to make me dance around the living room. Thank you, my dear friend. 🙂
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If I made you happy then you have made my day!! LOL!
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I don’t trust anyone else to trim my beard, which is why I trim it myself — weekly. And I don’t have enough growth on the top of my head to justify paying someone else to cut it, which is why I use my beard trimmer at least every other week to give myself a close buzz cut.
FWIW, I like you when you smile much better than when you scowl, regardless of the length of your hair or beard.
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It’s worth a lot, Doobster. Thank you. 🙂
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haha very good you do look a lot neater now, but somehow the hairy not so happy face suits the full moon in an odd way..hehe
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Yes, I can put on the puss for special occasions, Justine! Thank you. Now if a Hollywood agent would sign me up for my first film. 🙂
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hah, well I will be your manager ok? 😀
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Deal! That was easy, wasn’t it? 🙂 We’re on our way, Justine.
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it’s just a natural morphing of celebrity status coming on lol
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Big time here we come, Justine. 🙂
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oh i hope the Big Apple are ready for us Mark
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I dare you to do the gel thing and then show us Mark! On another note, you clean up real good Mark – Theresa does a great job! ❤
Diana xo
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I personally don’t think I have enough to gel, Diana! Plus in my past, the stiff hair as I ran my hand up their trying to puzzle through a problem made me jump in the air in surprise. It reminded me of when I was a little kid and the barber poured this goop called Wild Root on my hair … Listen to me try to talk my way out of it. Your vote is registered. And thank you for your kind word, my friend! ❤
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You’re good, Mark. No gel, no color. Sounds like way too much work. I am still attempting to get a blue streak, but it’s never quite what I’m going for. Don’t suppose you or DWKaren have any advice there 😉
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Not I on the blue streak, though I have talked a blue streak, Liz. 😮 Dear wife Karen, not that I’ve ever seen, but I will ask!
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Don’t color it! Grey hair is great in it’s own state. I only color my hair out of boredom, if I could color the red and keep the grey I would do that. When I get a little more grey then I plan to stop coloring again. 🙂
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I like your plan. I am not going to color it I’m pretty sure, Sheena, because that would be going done a never-ending path of beard-hair-beard-hair match-not-match that would frustrate me to no end. Among other reasons.
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As my mother used to say, she earned every single one of those greys, so why not show them off! If my natural color was dark like my fake color, I would let the grey come through, if that makes any sense at all. I like the salt-and-pepper look vs. the fading that happens with natural red over time.
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I understand. 🙂
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If you dye your hair brown, Mark, then your beard won’t match. Then you’ll have to dye the beard. You will then be all fake brown and weird looking. Then a wise guy will mistake you for a rival Mafioso and you will be thrown into the trunk of a car. They’ll find you in a landfill two weeks later. Don’t do it, my friend!!
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What a convincing argument against, Barbara! Thank you for saving me in so many ways with your wisegirl ways. 🙂
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Sorry for that terrifying glimpse into how my mind actually works!! LOL! You are such a good sport.
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Fun, fun, fun, Barbara. Not terrifying. I suspended belief like a movie.
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I’ve found that the balder I get, the more often I need a haircut. Those wayward strands no longer have a crowd to hide amidst. But I have my hair cut at home, by my wife. Just another great thing she does for me. I trim my facial hair myself, which is why it always looks rough cut.
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I went through a period where I did my beard myself with an electric clipper, Snoozer, and it always ended up looking like rogue crap if I left the guard on and with too many bald spots if I took the guard off. Unsteady me.
You are right about the wildness up top as the, ahem, “thinness” advances, my friend.
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Looking Good.
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Thank you, Benson!
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I like both pictures – very handsome.
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Thank you, my friend. We need to get you a new photo to go along with your guest posts. I think you should have a different photo for my blog, Willow’s blog, Cordelia’s mom’s blog and Doobster’s blog. (Did I miss any?) Wouldn’t that be fun? Wow, I am demanding this morning. The one you hae for all of us now is nice and you are handsome, too, but we could still do better! OK, off to post my second blog of the morning, first at waer.org and then the companion piece here. 🙂 More coffee, too.
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Yikes! A fashion initiative. I have very few pics of myself and don’t have the means to take a selfie right now – actually I have a camera in my phone but don’t have the connector to the laptop. Let me see what i can come up with. Have a great day!
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Take it as a mild suggestion, Paul. No stress. Here’s another mild idea for you. The nicest people you meet in your weekly travels, one of them must have a smart phone. Ask the very nicest to take a few pictures of you, and email them to me at markbialczak.com. I’ll keep the best for myself for the next guest blog you post here, selfish bastard I can be. Hahaha. I’ll email one to Willow and one to Doobster and one to cordelia’s mom. Mild suggestion.
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