I have shaved my head during the Christmas season for the past three years. The first time was because I wanted to know what I looked like, and my hair was already a short pixie so what was the harm? Then I let it grow back, and was told by a male teacher in the department I worked for that “I look better with hair.” The second time was after I got my wisdom teeth pulled. By then my hair was almost shoulder length, but it was seriously pissing me off. So I sat down on a stool in the kitchen and my dad went to work with the clippers.
Then I let it grow back again. This time I just wanted to see the look on my mom’s face when I came off the plane. Not because she doesn’t like it, she loves it and always rubs my head when I sit next to her. And it feels good and I wanted to suprise her, but this year it felt a little different. I had previously been at a small community college, so I was the only girl with no hair. I brandished my bald head like a sword. It made me feel really powerful, and more beautiful. Because I didn’t have hair to hide behind, my other features stood out more. I already knew all of that this year when I walked into the salon underneath the union and asked them to shave my head. The lady at the desk looked at me weird. “All of it?” Yes. I was asked the same thing by the hair dresser. “Wait, all of it??” YES. GET IT OFF ME HOLY COW JUST TAKE THE DAMN CLIPPERS AND DO IT. I always feel like a badass getting out of the chair. It was different this time though, because I would see other girls with shaved heads. I wasn’t a weird anomaly.
A lot of things happen when you shave your head.
1. You can’t hide
I’ve already kind of explained this, but I’m stressing it again. No more, “Oh wow there’s a pimple on my forehead. That’s ok I can just move my bangs around a little!” Nope. You get out there and you own that pimple. It’s not all bad though. People compliment your eyes more, and it kind of feels like they look at you more when you’re talking. I mean, everyone looks at you more anyway. “A girl with no hair? That’s not right.” That’s all it takes to get the heads turning. You get used to it, just stare them down when you’re walking and then jump out of the way pretty quick.
2. You take faster showers
Okay, so the whole washing your hair part doesn’t take as long. There literally isn’t any, but you still gotta wash it so your scalp stays healthy. However, all the time you would have spent washing your hair can now be spent just standing under the warm water not thinking about anything, which is always great.
3. You can stay in bed longer
Bedhead is a thing of the past! Well, until it starts to get longer. Then you have to get it wet every morning. Anyway, no hair to style means more time to do makeup. Now that your hair isn’t in the way you can work on making yourself look otherworldly and terrifying.
4. If you’re in the dating game, all the guess work is taken out
Not having hair makes things really peaceful. Guys who are really shallow won’t talk to you, because you have no hair and they are confused by it, which is great because then you don’t have to sort out all of the players from the nice guys. When guys come up to talk to you it’s because they have a genuine interest in you and not how you look. The guys that do this are amazing people.
5. Self confidence
As women we are told that we are only beautiful when we have hair. Screw that. Women without hair are the most amazing looking creatures I have ever laid eyes on. They walk different and have a powerful aura around them. This confidence continues after my hair has grown back as well. Should I wear this crop top? Um, hell yes because if I can rock a bald head I can rock anything. Highwasted shorts? Get them on my body. Chacos and socks? Say no more I’m sold!
The reason I shave my head now is because I want to see more people do it and have the same realization as me. The world won’t explode. It’s just hair, it grows back. That’s kind of what makes it hair.