It always irks me that people refer to shaving as both, Vin Diesel razor to scalp and simply buzzing it really short, because it's hard to tell what really constitutes shaving. I personally am the most extreme version of the type bombscience describes. I'm like 6'3", 160 lbs., not too pale, but was also worried about ears sticking out. Anyway my thinning in the back was starting to bother me to the point where I figured I'd just buzz it down for a peace of mind of not having to look at, and think about it constantly. I was almost certain it'd look bad, and although it definitely looks worse than my previous style it's not nearly as bad as I had expected. Most of my friends just shrugged and said it looked okay. That was down to about a quarter of an inch though, and I'm not sure how far you'd want to take it.