Perhaps the most defining factor of a woman’s femininity is her hair. It’s length, texture, style, and overall appearance has the power to affect how a woman perceives herself and how she believes the world perceives her. The second I felt the clippers hit my neck, I knew that my life would never be the same. As I watched my long curly hair fall to the floor, I realized that I was finally free to appreciate me.
Many women often say they could never be as “brave” as I was and cut their hair. Ironically, the absence of hair makes you feel brave. Not having hair to hold me back each day reassures me that I’m this beautiful person I see in the mirror. It’s as if I have no choice but to accept and appreciate all that I am because that’s all that I see starting back at me.
While I feel great about my decision to be hairless, it’s not always easy. People often become perplexed at the sight of woman with no hair and become curious. This usually means they bombard me with a bunch of questions: Are you doing the big chop? Did you go through a break up? or Awww your hair was so pretty why did u cut it? No one ever stops to think that maybe the choice to go without hair goes deeper than a break up or having too much damaged hair. After the initial questions, people ask to touch my head. Even though I understand that my choice of hair style can confuse people, it’s a little disconcerting that people feel the urge to rub my head back and forth like a dog. A woman who willingly shaves her head is seen as modern-day taboo because many people can’t fathom why I, a straight woman, would choose to remove something that solidifies societies definition of beauty.
Society has made most woman believe that good hair or long hair equals beauty and expectance, when in fact it does the exact opposite. We spend so much time worrying about what our hair looks like that we forget to stop and appreciate other things that we like about ourselves. Many women spend hundreds of dollars on weaves and wigs, just to conform to what they feel is beautiful. The best feeling about not having any hair is that I finally noticed how gorgeous I really was. There is not a single day that I leave my dorm and feel anything less than spectacular.
My hair was holding me back from letting go and accepting that it’s okay to not be perfect. A shaved head is not only a bold fashion statement, but a journey of self-discovery that yields unexpected results. I’ve come to love myself in a multitude of ways, without the need to be like every other girl who has hair. It’s not a decision that everyone may choose to make, but it’s definitely a decision that will positively impact me for the rest of my life.