Opinion: I Shaved My Head So You Don’t Have To

As a junior in college, looking presentable on a daily basis is not the most important thing on my checklist. Most of the time, I roll out of bed, brush my hair and teeth, put on comfortable clothes, and go to class. Half the time, I hate how my hair looks, so I would put it in a bun.

I wanted to change how I felt about my appearance, and that started with my hair. I wanted it gone. 

I did what every mentally stable person would do and made an appointment with my hairdresser to shave my head. But, I did not want to go bald, just short.

When I told my parents, they were worried. They were afraid I would be made fun of or seen differently. But when I asked around, everyone was on board with it! 

I had hair that was longer than the average young woman, so it was going to be a lot of work for my hairdresser. She seemed more scared than me when I sat in her chair. 

But, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, I did it. I shaved my head, not because someone told me to, because I wanted to. More things than I expected changed about my daily life. 

I have noticed that my shower time has been cut in half. I use way less shampoo. I can enjoy the time in the shower, instead of being worried about washing all of my hair. 

I am more willing to take a shower right before I leave to go somewhere, because my hair is dry after I run a towel through it.

There are so many things I am newly experiencing. When the wind blows, I can feel it on my scalp, instead of just through my hair. My ears are cold all the time. There are so many factors that I did not anticipate, but all of them have been so positive. 

Everyone around me has said that I am smiling more. They see my face so much more than they used to. 

I would hide behind my hair. I cannot do that anymore, so I just smile. 

I honestly could not say the last time I have been this happy. 

Shave your head if you are debating it. Do it! The time to experiment is now, take it from me!