And So I Shaved My Head…
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In the spring of 2020, in the throes of COVID, I decided to shave my head. It was kind of an impulse really.
The more I thought about it the more I wanted to do it. It’s not like I had the option of going out to a hair salon to get a haircut.
Would I make a complete mess of things if I attempted to shave my head and didn’t do a decent job? Most people will try anything once. I psyched myself up as I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my image.
I remembered years ago thinking I could groom my dogs at home. And so I had ordered electric animal grooming clippers.
It was years ago, and I only tried to groom them with it a few times because they wouldn’t be still, and the results were terrible. I wondered if I’d kept the clippers and still had them somewhere. I began to dig around to see if I could find them, and I did.
And before I could talk myself out of it, I went to work.
It Was Easy & Fast:
It’s hard to hold a mirror while looking in another mirror while attempting to shave one’s head, I learned. My biggest fear was cutting my ear off. But it wasn’t all that hard. I had to scrunch up my face and squint my eyes to see what I was doing in the mirror.
Would everyone stare at me in public, I wondered? I decided it was worth it. At least I didn’t have to wait until COVID was under control to get my hair cut.
I got my handheld vacuum and vacuumed the shaved hair out of the sink.
The First Person to See My Shaved Head
I called my next-door neighbor, Ervina, and asked her to look out the window where I was standing on the sidewalk. She came to her door, at least 10 feet away from me.
She grinned and shook her head. I turned around to show her the back of my head. “Did I get it all behind my ears? What do you think?”
She’s always known that I’m a bit unorthodox, so I don’t think she was all that surprised.
Then I Contacted My Daughters
I called my youngest daughter, told her, and then sent her a photo. She said it didn’t look all that different because I keep my hair really short anyway. And she said that she might have to borrow the clippers to cut Andrew’s hair.
I emailed photos to my oldest daughter, who emailed back: “Why did you shave your head?”
“Because I can’t get a haircut,” I wrote back.
She has long, beautiful blond hair. My younger daughter has thick, shiny chestnut hair. I’m fairly certain they would never do this.
It was still a little rough around the edges. So an hour or so later, after I took photos, I went back into the bathroom and shaved off small tufts of hair that I’d missed. I had a little more confidence in what I was doing this time around.
The Outdoor Air Felt So Good On My Head
Later, I went outside, sat on my garden stool, and began doing garden chores, snipping herbs. There was a nice breeze, and it felt so good on my newly shaved head. It was a feeling I had never experienced before, and I liked it.
It was actually rather liberating to take matters into my own hands. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I felt more self-reliant. I’d ticked off another item from my list that I can do for myself during uncertain times.
Famous Women Who Shaved Their Heads:
Why Women Might Choose to Shave Their Heads:
People don’t blink an eye when they see a man with a bald head, so why seem so astonished when it’s a woman?
There is also social media buzz on Instagram under the hashtag #girlswithshavedheads, along with several other monikers.
Demi Moore shaved her head for a movie years ago, and I thought she looked beautiful. I don’t think it detracted from her femininity at all.
Natalie Portman, Cara Delevingne, Charlize Theron, and Kristen Stewart did it as well. And that’s just to name a few. I think black women look particularly pretty with their head shaved. Grace Jones is one such woman.
Then, in 2007, Britney Spears shaved her head, and everyone thought she was having a meltdown. Her tattoo artist claimed that Britney told her that she was tired of people touching her head. Maybe it was simply an act of defiance.
“I just don’t want anybody, anybody touching my head. I don’t want anyone touching my hair. I’m sick of people touching my hair,” she said.
Shaving her head did not mean she was mentally ill. But still, some people put that label on her. And I find that very sad.
6 reasons Why Women Shave Their Heads:
For many women, hair is tied to identity, tradition, and self-expression. But choosing to shave it off can be a bold and liberating decision.
It’s a Fresh Start
Hair often symbolizes change. Shaving it off can mark a new chapter. Like after a breakup, a career shift, or a personal transformation. It’s a way to shed the old and embrace the new.
It’s Low Maintenance
Without daily styling, blow-drying, or expensive salon visits, life becomes simpler. A shaved head offers convenience and saves both time and money.
Health & Practicality
Some women with scalp conditions, excessive shedding, or damage from chemical treatments find relief in starting fresh. Others shave for practicality in hot climates or active lifestyles.
It’s a Statement of Individuality
Choosing to go bald can be an artistic or fashion-forward choice. It signals self-confidence, independence, and authenticity in a world that often encourages conformity.
Solidarity & Support
Women sometimes shave their heads to support loved ones facing medical treatments such as chemotherapy. It’s a powerful act of love and empathy
Rediscovering Self-Image
Shaving your head allows you to see yourself differently. Without hair as a focal point, features like eyes, smile, or bone structure stand out more. Many women rediscover beauty in simplicit
I’ve been told by many that I have a well-shaped head. I probably would never have known that had I not shaved my head.
Shaving my head gave me back some control in my life. And when I looked at my bald self in the mirror, it made me feel empowered. At first, I was a bit self-conscious, but that feeling went away fairly quickly.
There’s a sense of freedom in having a shaved head. I know I never would have done it had COVID not turned the world on its head.
Many women are horrified by the thought of shaving their heads. And that’s fine. It’s their prerogative. But it’s just hair. And like fingernails, it grows back. It’s not like it’s a permanent solution.
The Definite Pluses:
It takes about 3 minutes to shave my head. And that is a luxury that I love. I no longer have to worry about fixing my hair before going out, and I no longer need a hair dryer or a stylist.
Another plus side is that hair can be donated to certain charities for medical wigs. Such as those living with alopecia and other health conditions.
My identity and sense of self-worth do not depend on the hair on my head. I am who I am with or without hair. Walking around in public without hair is a form of self-acceptance.
Shaving my head for the last 6 years has been a sort of liberation. Having a bald head is, in some ways, a self-expression of who I feel I now am. I’m happy with how it looks.
It took a bit of courage that first time in March of 2020, but after that, it was more about self-love. Taking this one chore into my own hands meant I no longer needed to purchase shampoo or conditioner. Or go to a salon.
I know there are probably times people see me and automatically think I’m having chemotherapy.
For all of the women who have lost their hair because of cancer, I don’t want people to think that’s the only reason women would have a bald head. I don’t want to take away from their pain and suffering.
Doing What’s Right For You
“So she feels this is her time, finally, to spread her wings and fly.”
Shaving my head was an impulsive decision during COVID due to circumstances around a pandemic, and not being able to go to salons..
Will I ever let my hair grow again? I don’t know.
Why can’t we look at women with bald heads the same way we look at men? It’s not a vendetta against long hair. Some women just don’t want the hassle. And some just like the way it looks and how it simplifies their lives.
I am one of those women.
Like my nextdoor neighbor Ervina said to me that first time: “Sometimes you just have to decide that it’s time to do things just for you and no one else.”
I wholeheartedly agree.
Ok, that’s either crazy or amazing…I think it’s probably both. It’s looking pretty cute now that it’s growing out a little. Haven’t been on blogs of late…been on instagram…going to go find your kitchen makeover now. Hang in there!
We have been doing home haircuts for years. Hubby is the family barber and stylist. Because he is so meticulous, we have the proper tools and supplies to do them at home. My hair is long, so he uses shears only when I take a seat every couple months, get caped, my hair combed out, sectioned, pinned up and then each layer trimmed in increments. My two teenage boys are very picky about their hair. I have no arguments with them about their hair as they both like their hair kept short and hubby cuts their hair about every three weeks. He uses the good Wahl clippers with different attachments and the shears over the comb to blend the shorter hair with the longer hair on the top, finished up with the peanut clippers to do their neckline and sideburns. My mom has watched him do their haircuts and said it looked like too much work, she would just shave them bald. Needless to say, that would not go over well with them. Hubby gave them each a haircut last week, and he will give them haircuts while we are at home. I also know that when I send them back to school, they will be in the minority, having neatly groomed haircuts while the other teens will be looking scruffy or have wonky haircuts done with kitchen shears. The sad thing is that 70% of Americans are one paycheck away from financial ruin, and many small businesses cannot afford to keep their doors closed for a month.
Brenda, you crack me up! Not bad. I keep my hair long so I don’t have to get it cut very often. Great post!
Fun! I’ve often thought how freeing that would be! I shave my husband like that and I started cutting my own hair a couple of years ago. I keep it a shoulder length bob with layered sides, so it’s pretty easy to do myself!
Brenda, you look fabulous and I think this makes you the true queen of DIY. Amazing.
This made me think back to the mid 1950s when my dad bought clippers to do home hair cuts . At that time there were only 5 or 6 of us kids (eventually there would be 7) only 2 were boys, but when dad took out the clippers none of us were safe. Thinking back, I don’t believe he ever did his own hair and to tell the truth, he was no good at playing barber. We girls all had long hair, but dad would shave the back of our necks and remove our “M” shaped hair line we all had. I can still remember how it burned afterward, but it was worse for our brothers. He made my youngest brother bleed on the side of his head. Maybe that’s when our mother made dad give up his Barber chair? To this day, and I’m 72, I will sit perfectly still in a salon chair or a dentist chair and not move an inch. (I’ve had comments on my stillness from dentists and beauticians.) If you moved in dad’s barber chair you could lose an ear. I see a dentist at least twice a year, but only go to a salon once a year or less and my father is probably why I hate to go to salons. Just now, writting this comment made me realize this. Wow! I feel like I owe you for an office visit to a shrink’s office. But if you had those clippers in your office it would have made me very nervous.
I have long hair and only visit a beauty salon maybe a few times a year – and I am thinking of just letting my hair gray naturally, so at least that particular thing isn’t bothering me. If your hair grows real fast, you’ll have a super cute short hair style within weeks. For super cheap. Good for you.
Love love love it!!! My daughter shaves her head quite often. She loves not having to deal with fixing her hair. LOL
I have never liked messing with hair. Seems to take so much time when I could be doing other things like be out in my garden. You don’t have to buy shampoo or conditioner. You don’t have to go somewhere to get it cut. Lots of pluses for me.
Brenda, I love it. I’ve been contemplating shaving my hair off for months now. You have given me courage. I have the clippers already as I used to cut my late husband’s hair and I still cut my son’s hair. Wish me luck. Thanks for the inspiration. Sandra
Go for it! I may never have my old hair again. It is just so freeing. And in these times of uncertainty it is something I’ve found I can do myself.
Karen here again…I went on Amazon today to order a Wahl clipper set and the availability of most kits is low while costs are far higher. I’m thinking people are ordering the kits to do their own hair now that barbers and salons are closed. Anyway, I found a new Wahl kit on ebay for $25 and it will be here in a week, but it may take me longer to get the courage to use it! (Not only do I wear glasses, but have behind the ear hearing aids, so not a “clean” look for buzz cuts?
I had a similar experience when I went to Amazon to buy texturing scissors. All but one brand were “on order” with a late-April or into-May delivery date. The in-stock ones I ordered had a Prime delivery date of one month from now. I placed my order, looked around the site at a few other things, then noticed within that 15 minutes of browsing the brand of scissors I’d ordered had sold out. I’m glad I ordered when I did. So then I had my husband clipper my hair super short…by the time the texturing scissors get here I should have enough length on top to be able to use the texturing scissors in combination with the clippers to somewhat mimic my usual super short pixie cut. I was sure taken aback about the wait time on those scissors though!! Guess there are and will be lots of home haircuts happening.
Brenda, you are so funny–and I don’t mean odd. I mean ha ha funny. I love that you shaved your head–that’s called resourceful! And ditto to all the other positive comments. If I hadn’t had some experience cutting hair, including my own, I would have had to shave my head, too! Sorry I don’t live next door, I could have cut yours for you–free! I hope all this virus business is over before your hair grows out enough to have to be shaved again. But, oh, well, you do what you gotta do!
Stay safe and well.
If you like the look, I’m glad you went ahead and did it. It will certainly be less upkeep
My head and neck would freeze at this time of year here if I shaved my head.. It is still chilly and windy here. I wear a scarf on my head when I go outside because the wind makes my ears ache. At night time when (if) I put rollers in my hair so it will have some pouf the next day, I have to put a a scarf on because my neck and head gets cold then, too. I don’t worry about hair pouf these days, because I don’t leave the house with this virus going on.
The week before we had more than one known case of the virus in our area my husband and I both went to Great Clips and got our hair cut. My hair was looking like Poor Pitiful Pearl, And my husband who has a lot of thick hair and a beard was starting to look a little bit caveman-ish. Now I have my normal bob with slightly curved in the middle bangs and my husband has a nice cut. About a week and a half after our cuts the distancing order went into effect. If we wouldn’t have gotten it done we did we would be walking around like Poor Pitiful Pearl and the cave man for a very long time.
Brenda, you look beautiful. It suits you.
Bravo to you! I have extremely short hair as well, and although I do prefer that it’s done in a salon, there was a period of about three months or so last year when I was so ticked off that I was being charged almost double the price of my husband’s cut (whose hair is longer than mine and takes more time to do!), that I looked up videos on YouTube and tackled the job with his clippers myself. It actually looked pretty good. I got a cut right before our stay at home order went into place, so I’m good for a bit, but I’m fully prepared to do it again if need be.
My hair is curly and I have two and a half cow licks. When I was four a friend thought I was a cat going by a fence and, hit me with a flower pot. I never knew what happened to the cat. Seventeen years later I was in a car accident in which I was thrown through the back window. That was before seatbelts. I landed on my head and that caused another indentation on the top of my head. I splurge on my haircuts.
Do what ever makes YOU happy. It’s not doing any harm to anyone.
I can’t believe someone was rude enough to tell you to wear a hat.
My husband shaved my head completely 18 months ago when it started falling out when I was going through cancer treatment. I found it rather liberating!
I only wore hats when my head got cold. It was winter and you really lose heat through your head.
It will grow back, I promise.
I think she meant so my head wouldn’t get sunburned.
You are one brave and practical lady! There’s this gizmo called a Flowbee that you can use to cut your own hair in case you decide to start DIYing your hair in the future. Take care and stay safe!
Well, I am glad you went back and did some clean up because the picture did show some random tufts here and there. I do cut my husband’s hair and I do not do a very good job.He is pretty bald so I can’t do much damage. I am glad you are happy with the results. I am vain even at 72 and would never willing go too short.
You are brave, Brenda!! Ha…but you know, though I have talked about shaving mine off (due to the fact it is getting ever thinner)…I do not have good ears for such…you have nice flat ears…and that helps. Well, an old friend of my mom’s who came to her for haircuts…always told her to do whatever because in 2 weeks time it would not be seen anyway as his hair grew really fast. I would think that you might feel cold however…might need a hat if outside for long. Hubby and I both need haircuts…I think it has been 3 months…I have trimmed around my face, but cannot do the back…we were waiting for warmer weather…and now? Who knows when the salons will be back in business…heh, we are learning more and more how to do our own things aren’t we? My experiment using old thin washcloths cut into rectangles for wipes (#1 only) has gone well…I no longer intend to go back to using TP for that part…so that saves us about half the expense of TP…stupid merchants…heh!! It is not their fault that this problem is here…but IT IS their fault making it so hard for older people not wanting to run a race in a store when they put it out….STUPID and obviously not nice. Does no one care anymore about older folks? Not in our area anyway!! Wonder what else we will learn to do for ourselves??