Has anybody shaved / buzzed their head to get a fresh start?

[YinYang]

Geez, if it hadn't been for Britney, I'd be all over this ha ha ha.

Just curious. I've highlighted and bleached my hair to pieces... it is nice and long but I did just cut off a good 5-6 inches to make it healthier.... My natural hair color is a bit mousy (I don't care for it) but it has been years/decades? since I have seen it without color or bleach on it (other than the roots). I've been thinking about just buzzing it all off and getting a great new, healthy start.

I'm not some rebellious mom or anything. I don't work in an office where it would matter so much ... I guess my big concern is what I don't even know I don't know -

If you ever either shaved it all off or buzzed it (talking #1 or #2 clipper to whole head), what regrets did you have or what did you not even think about that ended up being a BIG deal?

I'm thinking it would be liberating and a fresh start -- I've tried dying my hair back to my natural color and letting it grow but it gets mousy... and fried....

Thanks for any input--

[Jelinifer]

I have never done it, but a good friend of mine did in college years ago (shaved completely bald with a razor and shaving cream after having long dark hair...a few years before the Britney fiasco) for a cancer fundraiser of sorts. She's really outspoken and bold, but she had alot of negative attention and people staring at her when out in public... maybe because she was hairless while having eyebrows of Brooke Sheilds' magnitude. I know she got really self conscious about that. Her hair also was really hard to style in short styles while growing back because of her hair type (not sure about other people's hair types) and she went for a few months with some really bad hairstyles while it was growing back.

[Sihaya]

I was planning on doing this for months and months and months. I had done it before, in high school and in college and really love that "fresh start" feeling. I was just waiting to be done with my nannying job because the family I worked for were a very conservative Indian/Hindu family and I thought they would disapprove of it a lot. So, a couple of weeks before my job ended, Britney did it I did it anyway a few months later. I kept it cut close (my husband did it with an electric razor meant for cutting hair and trimming beards) until just before my son was born in 12/07. I have only had one trim since then.

I plan on shaving it all off again before each baby is born and then growing it out until the next one. I find it just works nicely that way (no upkeep during the newborn days, close-cut during the hair-pulling stage, and once it's long they're old enough to understand not to pull it or are done nursing altogether).

Regrets - none, really. There were some things they may have seemed like a big deal at the time, but nothing that matters now, 2-3 years later. The biggest issue was when DH's cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to go through chemo. I felt a bit silly keeping my hair that way on purpose when she didn't have a choice. They are not at all the type of family to shave their heads as a sign of solidarity or anything like that. But that was the only awkward thing. I got a knit beanie that I wore whenever I didn't want to deal with the stares or questions, or if I was going somewhere that a shaved head might be seen as disrespectful or too informal. Obviously, the benefits outweigh the risks for me, since I have done it multiple times and plan to do it over and over again.

[2xand2y]

ME!!!!! I kept bangs and short side burns but the rest was buzzed. My DH suggested it (he is a licensed cosmotologist) and I said "sure". It's only hair and it's growing as we speak. I kept it buzzed for a summer then let it grow out to shoulder length. Please factor in lots of maintenance cuts during the growing out period or else you will feel like a mop top (not very pleasant). Three years later I decided to buzz it again. We buzzed it in late April and maintained it every 4 weeks until the beginning of August. It is currently about an 1 1/2" long, for awhile I used sculpting wax to make it spikey but its past that stage now. I'll probably buzz it again in the spring.

I love the compliments that I get, being unique, simpicity, speed in getting ready, etc-. I only got one Britney comment and it was quickly laughed off. I think the bangs and side burns keep it looking more intentional and more or a style.

[carrotstick]

Yep! I've probably done it close to 10 times. I love it. It has always been when I've dyed my hair too dark or too often and the work of fixing it or regrowing it has not been worth it to me. I go back and forth between short and *really* short hair, so it's never been a big deal for me. It's a change at first, but I love the way it looks when it's really soft and growing out, and I have mousy brown hair, too. Let us know what you decide! I'd love to see a before and after pic

[YinYang]

Oh thank you so much, ladies, I really am looking for some encouragement! Will any of you share pics??? I'm curious to see what it looks like on you---
that would be great....

Yes, I'm a bit nervous about the chemo aspect - I didn't know how to state that in my original post, felt like I might sound bad for mentioning it or ignorant for thinking it or who knows.

In any event, I too feel that it is JUST hair and it grows... Thing is, I'm slowly embracing simplicity in my life and I realize that, even grown out, my hair is still quite high maintenance (and costly)......

I just need some guts....

I've had some short hair cuts before and I don't like that my face is round and seems "fatter" when my hair is short but the last time I had short short hair was about 4 years ago and man oh man am I ever a whole other person now. I'm thinking I could truly embrace it now..............

Would love to see pics!

[Sihaya]

Here are some pics of me:
Without the beanie
With the beanie

[YinYang]

Thanks! I have an appt today at 2pm! Let's see! I'll get close to completely shaved off but maybe not quite.
I generally grow my hair out and then chop it off short, then grow, then chop - but this time, I'm thinking more drastic. I may just go for the shaved all around but a blop of hair on the very top thing.... that way I can still wear it down-ish and covered the shaved parts a little bit if I want or I can punk it out and quasi mohawk it.....
Let's see!
Either way, hopefully this will end my dependence on color.

Now to find all natural pomade or hair fixers............. suggestions?

[oiseau]

As someone who is in the middle of chemo, I'd like to share my thoughts, if you don't mind.
As soon as I got my cancer diagnosis, I got a ton of comments to the effect of "Oh, don't worry about your hair! Short hair is in style right now/popular for people your age!" I'm 26 btw. I (mostly) had no issues with losing my hair, and I think it was partly for that reason. Chemo patients aren't the only ones walking around with short short hair, so it doesn't feel so strange. My hair is really thinned out, so when I have a hat off, it's pretty obvious that it's not just short hair, but with a hat or scarf on, I don't know that many people would even look twice.
Also, since it's not uncommon for friends of cancer patients to shave/buzz their heads in solidarity, if I saw someone my age who was bald or had short hair, I might assume that they're a really awesome friend to a cancer patient.
Anyway, though, I say do what you want with your hair. If someone is offended by it, that's they problem. I've generally always had really long hair and I will say that my buzz is a billion times easier to take care of. It doesn't need washed, it doesn't get in the way, I don't have to worry about what to do with it everyday. Also, I had always assumed I'd look really bad with short hair because I thought my face was too, uh, chubby. Like I didn't have the bone structure for it or something. When I cut it off, I was surprised to find that it looks fine short. Who knows, I might leave it short for awhile after I'm done with treatment. My head gets cold sometimes, but then I just put on a hat. Good luck!

Also, there's a pic at the end of this post of my short hair: http://atleastilikehats.blogspot.com.../fish-hat.html