It's no secret that shaving your head is a bit more dramatic for women than it is for men. A few months ago, I decided to shave my head for an awesome charity whose entire "thing" is having volunteers shave their head. It did take some years of convincing myself to shave it all off, but once I did, it was the best decision I've ever made. It sounds a bit cliché, but it was a life changing experience that I wouldn’t take back for a second. Everyone says, “It must take a lot of guts to do that.” However, I feel that every woman should really consider taking the leap and shaving their head at least once in their life. Whether you shave your head for a cause like myself, you want a fresh start with your hair or you want to try something new, here are 10 things that will happen when you shave your head.
1. People will stare at you. A lot.
Whether they realize it or not, many people will stare at your hairless head. It may be because they aren't used to a woman owning who they are and not feeling the need to hide behind their hair, but the constant eyes on you can be quite hard to ignore.
2. People will question your motives
They may not want to clarify whether you fully embraced 2007 Brittney Spears as your spirit animal or not, but curiosity will get the best of people. Be prepared to answer, "So, what happened to your hair?" quite a bit. Luckily for myself, that question stirred up conversation about the charity I backed, but a simple, "Because I wanted to," will suffice for other situations.
3. You'll get cold a lot easier
One never quite realizes how much hair affects their body temperature until it is taken away. Use this opportunity to wear that super cute hat that didn't stay on your hair longer than five minutes, or stock up on beanies since they never go out of style (might I suggest Love Your Melon?). Hey, maybe you can finally teach yourself how to knit and make yourself a bunch of kick ass, one of a kind hats.
4. Many, MANY people will pet you
Whether they decide to ask for permission or not, it is happening. You can't fight it. Your small peach fuzz is going to be way too tempting for people to resist. You might as well tough it out, and embrace the random human contact while you can.
5. Your sexuality will be called into question
It's a sad, sad truth, but if you identify as a heterosexual woman, many people will see this as you "coming out." And you know what? Screw them. If someone believes the amount of hair on your head signifies who you love, they obviously need to sit down for a bit and contemplate what society is teaching them. You keep trudging on with confidence and work your new 'do.
6. You realize the last five are no reason to ward a woman off from shaving her head
Yes, the first five points can be a bit trying the first week or so, but the benefits you gain from shedding your hair out weigh the negative aspects. A couple weeks in you might think, "Why the hell did I do this?" but give it time and you'll see why.
7. You have more time to treat yourself
Now is your perfect opportunity to catch up on your beauty sleep or perfect your contour game. Without needing to tend to bed head every morning or switch up your hair every time you go out, you have so much more time on your hands. Take the extra 10 minutes in the shower to exfoliate your body to the max or take a little longer with your makeup in the morning. It's up to you what you use the extra time for. Just make sure you treat yourself!
8. Your features become more prominent
I can't tell you how many times people have told me my eyes look brighter and my smile is more prominent now that I don't have hair to hide behind. Without hair to distract people, they focus more on your facial features, bringing to light that little sparkle your brown eyes may have or the prominent cheekbones no one really noticed before. This allows you to fully embrace your look and own it!
9. You realize your hair doesn't define who you are
Many people view long hair as feminine, so walking around with absolutely no hair must mean all your femininity is gone, right? WRONG. Having hair doesn't make you any more or less of a woman. Hair is a form of expression. Pink is considered feminine and blue masculine. Is the woman with pink hair more of a woman than the one with blue? No. Both are women and both can be feminine. Just because short hair is societally deemed "masculine" doesn't make you less of a woman. Embrace your look. Only YOU can define yourself.
10. You become you
Without worrying if your hair goes with an outfit and being forced to accept the features the world gave you, you can't help but to truly accept yourself the way you are. After constant stares, the ones you get for wearing an outfit outside of your comfort zone is a cake walk. After constantly being asked about your motives for shaving your head, you start to realize you don't always owe people an explanation. After speculation forms around what gender interests you, you start to realize that who you love shouldn't matter, especially to others. You start to dismiss other's opinions, and you start to break out of your comfort zones, becoming who you really are.
It's silly to think that something as simple as hair can have such an impact on who you are and how you feel, but take it from me, you'd be surprised. So ladies, I dare you to step up and take the challenge. You never really know who you'll become.
