Period German haircuts for the balding...

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Trench_Raider
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Period German haircuts for the balding...

#1

Post by Trench_Raider » 06 Feb 2009, 05:58

Hullo everyone!

The recent discussion on period haircuts in the photos thread has prompted me to ask a question that has been puzzling me for a while: what's the balding reenactor to do about his hair?

I'm only 38, but like all the men in my family I've got male pattern baldness ina big way. I'm not going to scare you with a photo, but suffice to say I've got a fore-head that extends all the way past the center of the dome of my head! :lol: I simply do not have enough hair on top to pull off the traditional German cut of the period. In my normal non-reenactment life I tend to hide this (along with my grey) by keeping my head either in a very close "buzz cut" or an actual shave depending on how lazy I am. The day before a reenactment I tend to just put a fresh shave on my head and be done with it.

But that's not really a good solution is it? From what I gather shaved heads were actually quite uncommon in the German army of the period, and I tend to associate it more with the Soviet military than anyting else. So what is the folicle-challenged reenactor to do?

TR

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Kristian S.
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#2

Post by Kristian S. » 06 Feb 2009, 09:01

Shaved heads were not that uncommon at this time. My balding grandfather simply did shaved the remaining of his hair too. I also came across several photos showing soldiers with very shot hairs or no hairs at all.


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Schnert
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#3

Post by Schnert » 06 Feb 2009, 14:30

The total removal of hair was often a public health measure according to one of my friends who is a German veteran.

cpittman
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#4

Post by cpittman » 06 Feb 2009, 15:37

I have also seen a lot of photos of German soldiers with extremely short hair, even in portrait photos of some older soldiers. Look at the close-cropped hair on some of the more mature guys in this group.
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#5

Post by Grabenkater » 06 Feb 2009, 16:52

It seems the stereotypical "bowl cut" is more popular on the younger guys. I still sport one as a everyday haircut, but I believe I might be getting on the upper edge of age where it was fashionable for soldiers.

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#6

Post by pzrwest » 06 Feb 2009, 19:45

Dispite the fact the picture is backwards it must be an early war photo as none of the men don't appear to be wearing Y straps

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#7

Post by Brendan Hunt » 06 Feb 2009, 23:12

Most of these guys seem to have the period haircut with alot of hair on top, but there's at least one guy with a really short cut if not shaved:
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#8

Post by Brendan Hunt » 06 Feb 2009, 23:15

I'm sorry if these shots are going to be huge on the thread...

Most of these guys have the standard military cut. Soldier on the far left with out the helmet looking to the right:
Image

Both these guys look like they have receding hairlines:
Image

Shot of the guy from the previous photo on the right:
Image
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Kristian S.
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#9

Post by Kristian S. » 06 Feb 2009, 23:18

pzrwest wrote:Dispite the fact the picture is backwards it must be an early war photo as none of the men don't appear to be wearing Y straps
Actually this was the photo I had in mind. It was taken during the initial stage of Barbarossa if I remember correctly...

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#10

Post by cpittman » 06 Feb 2009, 23:48

Possibly a health measure for these guys.
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#11

Post by TotenRot » 07 Feb 2009, 00:15

Image

Guy on the far left of the photo has a receding hairline and looks to be completely bald on top, but has it long on the sides. This is what I usually see in pictures, and this is what I would tell one of my guys to do if he asked me.

PS Himmler himself had a bald spot on the back of his head, you usually don't see it because he covered it up so much. You can do the same!

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#12

Post by Brendan Hunt » 07 Feb 2009, 00:16

Is that soldier in the entrance shaving the other soldier's head? Nice photo!
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El Shane
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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#13

Post by El Shane » 07 Feb 2009, 02:19

TotenRot wrote:Guy on the far left of the photo has a receding hairline and looks to be completely bald on top, but has it long on the sides. This is what I usually see in pictures, and this is what I would tell one of my guys to do if he asked me.
As was written in An Army at Dawn, Kesselring had a hairline in full retreat... but it looks like he still grew what he could and slicked it back, adapting to the style, like TotenRot said to do. He was the first person that came to my mind when I saw this post.

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#14

Post by Trench_Raider » 08 Feb 2009, 17:42

Thanks for the imput and the photos, guys.

I don't feel so bad about having a severe haircut at events now!

TR

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Re: Period German haircuts for the balding...

#15

Post by Sarge » 10 Feb 2009, 10:46

Yes, the guy in the box car door is getting his head shaved.
These guys are a Lw Flak or Nachtrichten unit from the colar tabs. No badges or sleve insignia so can't say for sure.
Looks like the shaved head was a unit or section thing as well as all of them are smoking pipes.
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