8 Reasons to Shave your Head This Year

I've always been a person of intensity, someone who needs something new to feel like their life isn't just a combination of organs, blood, and flesh all packed into a box with four limbs. My intense spirit of urgency tended to come at the strangest times; as a soon-to-be college graduate who's had some of her best years dulled from the C-word, I hardly ever deny myself those opportunities for excitement. Waking out of my haze of boredom one day to the annoying December cold outside my window and my annoying untamed hair on my head was no different, I'd had a clear image of newness and I knew just how to get it. I needed to be on the first flight to Miami and I needed to go with a bright blue shaved head! But when you're fast-paced like me, it's good to keep practical people around to remind you to do one thing at a time. So when I consulted one of my best friends about my epiphany, they suggested I just start with the shaved head and spend a little of that Miami money on hair dye. Surprisingly, it was exactly what I needed. Since my shave, I've been engulfed in the greatest blanket of liberation and clarity. It's something I think everyone should feel at least once in their life. Still worried about the big leap? Read along for a few benefits:

Low Maintenence

As a girl who couldn't do much to her hair besides wash it, the maintenance of a shaved head has been the best part. Before my shave, I'd often wake up in the morning rushing to the bathroom to take down a twist out or refresh a protective style or lay my edges or apply tons of leave-in or--you get the point, the list is endless and exhausting. These days, I wake up and have the time to do everything I didn't do consistently before. Whether it's a good breakfast, some meditation, or even journaling. The morning should be your time to appreciate the freshness of a new day and with a shaved head you'll have time to feel present from the inside out without worrying about how you'll be presented to the world cosmetically. And those long wash days are a thing of the past, you'll spend a fraction the time lathering and tending to your tresses when there's barely any to tend to.

Color & Design Changes

Some may say it would be boring to have short hair all the time because you'd look the same every day but that's so far from the truth. I spent hours getting lost in all the opportunities on Pinterest the week I shaved my head. I was so excited thinking of all the ways to switch out my look. There's so much you can do to your hair without having to twist and manipulate strands of it. From colors to designs, or even jewels if you're feeling adventurous. With long hair, we tend to box ourselves in thinking of all the damage too many dyes or changes can do to it. But who wouldn't want their favorite shade of blue? Or a flower? or even play around with a combination of colors? And the best part is you can do it as often as you want, just shave it again or opt for a temporary dye.

"One of my favorite parts about cutting my hair is that styling it, and wash days especially are now way less time consuming!" - Mariah

Fitness

Out of the million excuses, we may make to justify not working out as often as we need to, hair can be the biggest one. I can't list all of the times I made a monthly fitness calendar that was easily thrown off because my hairstyle would be compromised. Cardio leads to sweating out a frontal or fresh flat iron, ab work on our backs makes protective style buns a challenge, and (if you're anything like I used to be) beaded hairstyles or tons of irremovable accessories can weigh you down and constantly irritate you during weight training. With a shaved head, your gym challenges are minimized immensely. So you can get back on track and actually see those abs come in, bulk up or slim your legs, or simply live a healthier life. Getting in the gym is one of the greatest ways to boost your mental health--even if it's just 30 minutes or a few days a week--so make it easier on yourself with one less reason why you can't.

Save Money

No matter how much you value beauty, the thought of $400+ wigs, $200+ protective styles, $100+ installs is enough to make anyone's head--and pockets--hurt. Even if you maintain your hair on your own, calculating the money and time spent on products and supplies could add up to nearly the same amount at the end of the month. With a shaved head, the most costly part is getting a $15 haircut every few weeks, which, depending on your desired length can be done at your own will. Some opt to invest in hair clippers to take matters into their own hands whenever they want, which pays for itself after the 10th cut. I recommend being taught how to do this as it has the potential to go bad pretty quickly!

"There are so many things I like, I can always switch it up--crazy colors and all. I'm never worried about damage and there's so much to do. I can always grow it out a little and do some protective styles if I want. I don't think about takedown because I can just shave it off! It's so easy." - Cheyenne

Face Definition

One thing that surprised me after shaving my head is how much my face started to matter to me. And not in a self-conscious and loathing way, but more in an appreciative way. I started to fall in love with my high cheekbones, my facial symmetry, and my wideset nose my braids would often distract from. A shaved head brings a focus to your facial features that can be vulnerable at first, but over time you realize how much of a gift your beauty is in its most minimal state. If you often find yourself unmotivated or down when your latest hairstyle isn't new and fresh anymore, you may struggle with a form of self-love that, ironically, a shaved head can cure.

Freedom

Many say baldness evokes a feeling so fresh and pure that goes beyond the surface of cosmetics. This newfound freedom of a shaved head can be the reason many women never go back. Since this feeling of freedom can be a bit ambiguous and vary from person to person, I can only give my own account. I vividly remember this feeling in my tummy of light and airiness the first time I showered after my haircut and ran my hands over my scalp, I was beyond liberated--it was something higher. I had never felt more connected to myself and my free will. I finally understood what people meant when they say hair holds energy--good and bad. I had just made a change that brought me back to my infancy that I couldn't remember before then; it's something I'll never forget. It was a much-needed fresh start. Think of all the new feelings waiting for you on the other side of the scissors.

"My favorite part about having short hair is how it highlights my favorite physical features about myself." - Jala

Warm Weather Activities

Finally, with the first semi-free spring around the corner, the world has seen in a while, the opportunities are endless and your hair shouldn't have to hold you back in the process. Why turn down a night swim to keep your hair intact? Or miss out on rollercoasters? Or rush to escape the joy of summer rain? A shaved head can open doors in your social life you may not have known were closed all because you have one less thing to hold you back from doing it. Not to mention a decrease in head and neck sweat!

Environmental Consciousness

It's no secret our earth is being damaged at an alarming rate due to our human desire for mass consumption. Whether it's the food we eat, the houses we blast the heat in, or the cars we drive. Nearly every action we engage in for our own convenience or satisfaction contributes to the slow demise of our planet. However, being the optimist environmentalist I am, I think small actions from everyone and faith in humanity could keep us sustained for a little while longer; which is why I do my part whenever I can. The production of wig lace and caps, the water needed to make hair products, the synthetic hair used for hair braiding all come with a cost larger than a swipe of a card. Using less and doing less to my hair by keeping it shaved is one of the small ways I thank the earth for all she does for us.