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Making the Decision For a Head Shave

Giving yourself a head shave is not the easiest decision that you may face in your life. Its also not going to be the hardest - if it is, I envy your life! Seriously though, not many people are going to face this decision, but those that will have a few things to consider.

Common Concerns

How Short to Cut It?

When we hear about a "head shave" we can all come up with a different image in our minds. To me, that means getting out a razor and shaving it right down to the skin so there is nothing left, but commonly, a job done with a set of clippers down to a number 1, 2, 3 or even 4 can be considered as shaving your head.

How short you want to have it depends on you, but can also depend on how much upkeep you are OK with.

How Will You Look?

Its hard to imagine what you might look like with your hair all gone. Especially if you have long hair. If you have a good imagination you might be able to feel your scalp and visualise what yours might look like without any hair on it. Some people have unusually shaped scalps which do not look good without any hair.

Will It Grow Back?

Unless you have something wrong with your hair like male pattern baldness or something that causes your hair to grow irregularly, I would say that your hair will simply grow back to its current length, time permitting.

If you are going bald, this is an excellent way for you to embrace the new look that nature is forcing upon you. If you want to say no to a cul-de-sac of skin surrounded by a horse-shoe of hair, then get rid of it! All or none I say, and since I can't have all, I choose none.

What Will People Think?

Depending on how drastic the change is will determine how big a reaction you get. If you were walking around with a total birds nest like Brian May from Queen and then you shave it down to the skin, people will probably be shocked no matter who they are. Then again if you have it short already people may not be so surprised.

It also largely depends on who you are as well as where you live. If you look and act rather menacingly, and you live in the suburbs of Birmingham then a head shave will only add to this menacing perception that people may have. But if you are on your way to Mecca for Hajj, then people around might praise Allah that you are making your pilgrimage and that you have shaved your head for the occasion.

It really depends on the surrounding circumstances.

When I first did it, I had people telling me that I looked quite rough and some of the reactions I got from people seemed to back that up. But that was years ago when I was 18 and I had an eyebrow piercing and loved to wear black clothes.

Nowadays the piercing is gone and the black clothes replaced with a decent wardrobe. Suddenly I don't look like such a thug anymore (although I do sometimes when I want to).