“Should I Shave My Head?”
I would! And I have been since 1995.
But this isn’t about me, it’s about you. You might consider shaving your head because it’s thinning and you’re looking for a new look.
Or your hair is thinning (my story) and you want to take charge.
If are thinking about shaving your head, here are some thoughts before you cut it off.
And these comments are referring to actually shaving your hair off 100%.
Shaving your head means actually shaving it off
I’ve seen a number of people online using clippers with a #1 attachment, giving themselves a buzzcut and declaring that they shaved their head. They didn’t. They gave themselves a buzzcut. Shaving your head means shaving it off completely. With a razor because that’s the closest shave you’re going to get.
Buzzcuts are cool too. It’s just not shaving your head.
Trim Your Hair First
Depending on how much hair you have currently, you will probably want to trim it first with clippers. You won’t be very effective at shaving long hair with a manual razor or electric shaver. Speaking of which….
Razor or Electric Shaver?
I shave my head with a manual razor – think something from Gillette, Bic, Schick, etc – but I’ve used an electric shaver from time to time too.
Most of the time I use the razor though. I find a razor to give a closer cut, it’s quicker and more efficient.
Shave With or Against The Grain?
This is an interesting one because the experts tell you to shave with the grain which is what I’ll also do. This means you shave in the direction of the hair growth. So on the back on my head for example, it means shaving from top to bottom only.
Having said that, I shave both with and against the grain. I generally shave with the grain everywhere on my head except at the aforementioned back of my head. Shaving against the grain produces a closer shave, that’s why.
Shaving against the grain can also cause irritation and can also increase nicks, cuts and possibly ingrown hairs. I generally don’t experience this so I’ve been shaving with and against the grain for years but to start with, I’d shave with the grain only to be safe.
Shaving your head means you spend less on some items
When you shave your head, obviously your shampoo, gel, hairbrush and haircut expenses go to zero.
Shaving your head means you (might) spend more on some items
Summertime and hot sunny weather in general does things to your bald head. Think sunburn. The top of your head doesn’t have a lot of meat and tends to burn quite quickly depending on your skin tone and propensity to tan/burn.
Shaving your head means you will have never forget to take this into account during the times of the year when you experience more sun.
Sunblock. Moisturizer. A nice hat.
The sunblock is definitely important. Even during sunny days in the spring, I’ve had occasions where I neglected to apply sunscreen and ended up with a slight sunburn on my scalp. Not only do you experience the short term side effect of the sunburn but you also run the risk of longer term damage like skin cancer, sunspots and other skin damage to overexposure.
Remember, you no longer have hair to protect your skin from the sun so don’t forget to do so.
Hats are nice too.
Should I Shave My Head? Summary
So if you’re asking yourself should I shave my head, you have a few things to think about before you do.
The good news is it’ll grow back if you don’t like it.
Of course I used to think the same thing until it didn’t grow back but that’s another story.