How To Do Your Own Buzz Cut | Hair Refresh Pt 1

15 surprising things that happened after shaving my hair

 

The first few paragraphs from this inspiring blog post:

About a year ago, I finally took the plunge and shaved my hair. What a life-changing decision that was.

I cannot even begin to describe how much shaving my hair has impacted my life since doing it, but I thought I’d try. And no, I’m not just talking about a “look” thing. It also has to do with learning and practicing self-respect (and self-love) every day.

Back to last year. When I was debating whether or not I had what it takes to rock a bald head, there weren’t that many articles on the internet to guide me in my decision. There were a couple (ok, maybe more than that) of YouTube videos here and there of girls filming the process of shaving their head, and boy, am I grateful for them.

And so, today I thought I would write about my own experience with shaving my hair, especially as a black woman with (former) big, naturally curly hair. I know we struggle a lot with our hair and we grow up with cultural hair bias so ingrained in us, it can be difficult to remain sane while trying to navigate it all.

That’s why I decided to compile a list of 15 surprising things that happened after shaving my head.

If you are wondering if you should get a buzzcut or why you should get one, then this post might be just the inspiration you needed to at least consider shaving your head.

BUZZING ALL MY HAIR OFF

i shaved my head | a fresh start

Yes, I’m Bald. No, I Don’t Have Cancer

 

After a decade dealing with—and trying to hide—hair loss, writer Penny Musco decided to stop fighting it.

Should I Shave My Head? 5 Reasons You’ll Be Glad You Did

From the article:

The new year is a time to start fresh, set goals for what’s ahead, and let go of the past. That could be career-, health-, or finance-related, but it’s always fun to dream and find ways to improve. I also like to use this time of year to jot down what I’m most appreciative of: family, loved ones, good health, career success. But would you ever expect a hairstyle to make that list? It may sound ridiculous, but I can honestly say that shaving my head 11 years ago was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Recently, Doja Cat, Blac Chyna, Dixie D’Amelio, and Maisie Williams all shaved their heads and are loving the bold, new look. That’s not to say you should follow a trend because celebrities are doing it. But maybe seeing their oozing confidence on display after shaving their heads has you wondering if this confidence is a side effect, and whether you should just buzz off all of your hair too.

You should! What better way to give yourself the gift of renewal and a fresh beginning than by making an especially cool alteration to your appearance (remember, it’s just hair) that will impact your life in ways you never thought possible.

 Check out the article for more.

My Big Sis Shaves my Head! Two Alopecia Queens [Life of Randy]

redhead goes bald | shaving my head

This video is from several years ago, but the message is timeless.

yolo #1: SHAVING MY HEAD because i can

SHAVING MY HEAD WITH A RAZOR! | HOW I SHAVE MY HEAD

WATCH THIS BEFORE YOU SHAVE YOUR HEAD!!!

A very encouraging video.

Shaving my long hair because YOLO

The Future

This blog has been around for a long time. The first post was published on 5 August 2008, which means we're several months away from this blog's 15th anniversary. Blogging was still a common medium back then, and we were in an era when YouTube was fairly new and "peak YouTube" was just about to happen. Compared to today's videos (not just on YouTube, but Instagram and TikTok as well), those early videos were raw. But what they lacked in production values they typically more than made up for in terms of realness. 

I've shared plenty of videos and articles since that first post. I've looked for content that is positive, thought-provoking, and entertaining. If this blog got you rethinking some of our gender norms, that's great. That was and is the goal all along.

Bloggers have lives and get burned out. I've taken a few breaks here and there, including long year and a half break between October 2017 and May 2019. Posts and updates have been very consistent since then. When I logged on in May 2019 for the first time in ages, I decided I'd at least keep this blog going through its 15th anniversary. After that, I'll have to make a few decisions.

A lot will depend on whether I believe that there's enough of an audience for this blog to make it worth the time and effort to maintain it. We may be at a point where many are more jaded by social media, but I am not sure that means that blogs will make a comeback. This blog might get about one tenth of the visitors per month compared to its peak. For a while in late 2021, it looked as if traffic was going to return to what it had once been. Then last year happened. So, for now the plan is to keep this blog updated until its 15th anniversary. I will probably take another long break after that. Then I'll decide if this is worth continuing or if it's better to say "so long" to those who still do visit. 

Regardless, I don't worry at all about the influence of females on various social media who shave their heads and challenge some outdated social conventions about gender. There's far more content out there than I could ever keep up with or find time to signal boost. Fashion sites and blogs have been better at portraying females with shaved heads or who are very open about baldness (due to alopecia, etc.) in a positive light and as a more mainstream fashion statement. There has been a lot of progress since 2008, and I think there is good reason to be optimistic. I may simply conclude that a blog like this is no longer necessary and that our society is more accepting of bald females than it used to be. If so, I will probably quietly bid you all adieu. We'll see.