I Want to go BALD....

[Ulvashi]

So A few days ago.....I had a dream in which i insist to go bald and everyone is telling me not to cut my hairs.... blah blah...... then i woke up with a strong urge to shave my head....I have no idea why....maybe cuz i just want to experience the feeling of shaved head then spikes then a bob etc......I had classic+ hairs almost all my life and no one here in pakistan have a shaved head (talking abt grown girls only).....so its exotic to me......or maybe cuz i m kind of jealous of my hairs......they always get all the compliments :(.......I hope I m making my self clear....cuz english isnt my native language......

I just want to start it all over again.....i want to grow them super long again after shaving......so i want your guys help...are there anything i should consider before shaving my head.......you know the after care or anything else?

[Annibelle]

If you want to do it, then do! But I would definitely think on it for about a month before doing anything so drastic! Or maybe just cutting to hip, then waist, then armpit length, etc, and working your way to shaven. I'm sure it would be a fun experience to re-grow all your hair, but definitely don't do anything too hasty! <3 :flower:

[battles]

You should wait at least 2 weeks to make sure this is something you really want to do, and not just a spur of the moment thing. It would be awful if you ended up shaving your head and then regretting losing all of the time and work you've put into caring for your hair.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you make. :)

[krissykins]

I would institute the two week rule for this. Going bald is really drastic. If after two weeks of waiting, you still want to shave your hair, then by all means, do it! :)

I know it's been a few days since your dream, but I'd say start the two weeks at today.

[silverjen]

If you do go for it, make sure to protect your scalp from the sun until your hair is thick enough to do the job for you. Scalp sunburn = no fun.

[Ulvashi]

Yeah two weeks wait is good.....Me and my young bro are planing to shave together and then see whose hairs going to grow faster......I m sure he is going to win...

So is there any special care one needs to take of a bald head.....i read some where that razor causes ingrown hairs????.....also i am told that i wont be able to grow them this long again cause mostly when people chop very long hairs they are unable to grow it all back again????....are there any complications like that?

[krissykins]

Ulvashi, we had a member here, Igor, who shaved her head and is currently at below mid-thigh length. I don't know if there are any special things to do to bald hair, but it is possible to grow long hair after shaving it off :D

[Elainehali]

I've thought about that too! Mostly because I want to start over fresh with no dyes. I would love to have my natural color back. Anyways let us know what you do.

[Chetanlaiho]

There's two excellent articles on growing out from bald in the articles section:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=58
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=76

Both are written by the aforementioned Igor and make quite a good read ^^

[PraiseCheeses]

I thought of Igor too! Ulvashi, here are a few things she wrote that you might find interesting:

Her article about growing from bald (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=58)
Her old LHC hair journal (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=4852)
Her journal now (http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/)

Hope that helps. Best of luck with your decision, whatever it may be. :)

[ratgirldjh]

I used to do this. I would grow my hair out to like waist and then cut it off again with the clippers to 1/2 inch and then start over. I quite enjoyed the various stages of hair growth!

Be careful shaving your head is as addictive as growing it long!!!

Now days I am so accustomed to wearing my hair up and feel too old to have such obvious hair... but it was fun back when I was younger :)

I'd say go for it if you feel you would enjoy it.

And yes like they've mentioned above - make sure you have a hat or something to wear in the sun! You will be surprised how much hair protects your scalp from the sun!

[spidermom]

Are you sure this won't cause serious problems in your culture or with your family?

[Mesmerise]

I have never heard about anyone getting ingrown hairs from shaving their head... but I suppose it might be a possibility. However, most people who shave their heads (errm well most women I guess... at least those I know of) use clippers and just cut it really really short (a few mm long at most) rather than actually using a razor to go bald bald. So if you are worried about ingrown hairs you could do it that way. Unless of course you want to go completely bald, which is okay too!

At the very least, it's a good way of seeing your scalp and taking good care of it for awhile! Oh and yes, as others have said, your hair will be able to grow long again. There's no reason why shaving off long hair would prevent that hair from being able to get to the same length again!

[Ulvashi]

Thanks everyone for the support, tips and links....i searched her name in the member's list but didnt find her......and thanks for the warning about the sunburns going to keep my head covered ( I hate using sunscreen)....

Spidermom. I think it might but its okay I m used to deal with such stuff ;)....

I m thinking of shaving it on the summer solstice....so i still got some time to change my mind :D....but I m sure i m going to do it.....

I hope i dont end up looking exceptionally bad :fingers crossed:.....its summer vactions right now and school will start in august....I will have some stubble by then :hmmmm:.....

I was wondering if you guys get a fresh start without any damage....what kind of care would you exercise to keep them as healthy as possible.....going all natural? regular oiling?

[Stub]

I've shaved with a razor a few times in the past. I did not get ingrown hairs on my scalp. I think scalp skin is tight enough for that not to be a worry. I wouldn't use any oil until your hair is longer again, your natural scalp oil will be plenty. My current hair length is three years growth from being shaved to the skin, I did not know about LHC when I did it so it has some damage but since you are already here you know how to care for your hair already as it grows out fresh. I thoroughly enjoy hair less than an inch in length but the growing out is HARD when it hits the various awkward stages! Enjoy your adventure. :)

[KatiSasha]

I think you should do whatever makes you happy, but just like other mentioned it - consider doing it in stages, not for the shock factor, but more of "growth in reverse", so you could enjoy the mid stages too. I would even try some crazy hair colors, styling, etc. Why not! You're gonna shave it off anyway! Might as well enjoy it without consequences :)

[Blondschopf]

I know your're based in PAKISTAN, NOT INDIA, but bear with me here :)

In India I know that people sometimes go an get their head shaved as a spiritual thing. Most do it because they are thankful for something, I'm sure you've heard of it.

So, whatever the reason you really want to go bald, just do it and say you've been in one of those temples ^^I guess people will not really shut up then, but maybe it helps a little ;)

[Blondschopf]

I know your're based in PAKISTAN, NOT INDIA, but bear with me here :)

In India I know that people sometimes go an get their head shaved as a spiritual thing. Most do it because they are thankful for something, I'm sure you've heard of it.

So, whatever the reason you really want to go bald, just do it and say you've been in one of those temples ^^I guess people will not really shut up then, but maybe it helps a little ;)

[Catladyintown]

Hi Ulvashi I went totally bald in May 2010 I loved it.:joy: I also shaved my scalp too. But the thing you must remember is you get awfully cold when you are totally bald. Think Yul Brynner bald. So you must always were something on your head like a cap. I live in Tucson AZ it is a desert place usually around 100 degrees or higher and I still was freezing cold. How I prevented pimple or ingrown hair was oiling my scalp with Camellia oil every other day. Also if you don't were a hat you could get easily sun burned. After the two month period I stop getting so cold. I had to sit outside during the two month period and try to get warm, it was about 105 degrees and I was still cold. HTH

[Bene]

I know your're based in PAKISTAN, NOT INDIA, but bear with me here :)

In India I know that people sometimes go an get their head shaved as a spiritual thing. Most do it because they are thankful for something, I'm sure you've heard of it.

So, whatever the reason you really want to go bald, just do it and say you've been in one of those temples ^^I guess people will not really shut up then, but maybe it helps a little ;)


Pakistan and India, while they share a common root, are two very different places, not to mention they've been doing the whole conflict and hostility thing for some 50 odd years.


*breathes... bites tongue... trying to behave...*


Tonsure in India is a specific religious ritual, a very particular sacrifice, not some random "I'm shaving my head for an arbitrary spiritual reason". It's a ritual dedicated to the specific god(s) the person goes to the temple to visit.


Without going into the long and bloody history concerning Pakistan and India, you can't hope for something like a shaved head to fly without knowing more details.


Not to mention there are a variety of reasons why a woman may have a shaved head in India. Punishment for a crime, widowhood, death of a parent, etc.



And considering that Pakistan is mostly Muslim, you can't really expect anyone to go "Oh, yeah tonsure, cool" since, in this reference, it's culturally a Hindu practice.



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ANYWAY



OP:

Two week rule, and you might want to mention it (in advance) to friends and family to gauge what kind of reactions you'll be facing if you decide to go bald. It's YOUR head, but there's no sense in going into uncharted territory without some understanding of what you'll be encountering.


And if you do decide to go bald, a simple "I felt like doing it" and a subject change should take care of anyone with a problem about it. Good luck.

[Ulvashi]

Let me confess something when i decided or say wanted to go bald i wasnt coming to lhc for a long time..... but coming here often kind of makes one hair addicted....which made me more unsure about my decision :D........

I had a major hair fall last year lost abt an inch circum of ponytail.....its not technically thin right now (3") but it is far less than i used to have sooo it kind of makes me unhappy...when i think of going bald i think that I will be able to take very good care of them from start...and also able to experience various short lengths.....

my brother said that i m doing it only cuz im unhappy with the thinness and insted of going bald i rather maintain it at certain length for a while till it thckens up.....maybe he is right... I dot knw...I think i m bipolar :D....i m always swaying like that....anyway i will tell you guys what i end up doing......and thanks again for all your support and tips.....u guys are the sweetest

PS: my family thinks i m doing this so they couldnt marry me as soon as they want to :D....

[tanya97]

let me get the clippers and the shaving cream at it if you do go bald.

[kwaniesiam]

Growing out a buzzcut sucks. I'm currently doing this, I have almost 2" of hair all over. You'll go through many many awkward stages, especially if you don't get frequent trims to shape it up as it grows. Just be prepared if you decide to do this.

[LunaMoon]

Thanks everyone for the support, tips and links....i searched her name in the member's list but didnt find her......and thanks for the warning about the sunburns going to keep my head covered ( I hate using sunscreen)....

Spidermom. I think it might but its okay I m used to deal with such stuff ;)....

I m thinking of shaving it on the summer solstice....so i still got some time to change my mind :D....but I m sure i m going to do it.....

I hope i dont end up looking exceptionally bad :fingers crossed:.....its summer vactions right now and school will start in august....I will have some stubble by then :hmmmm:.....

I was wondering if you guys get a fresh start without any damage....what kind of care would you exercise to keep them as healthy as possible.....going all natural? regular oiling?

Ulvashi, I can see you are very young. Do you live with your parents? Do they agree with this? How about your culture? It is OK to shave your head in your City/Country/Family?
Just some question not to you answer me, but to you answer to yourself.
If everything is fine and you are not going to get in troubles about that, so go ahead!

[vindo]

I'm not so sure going bald will be as easy as expected. My boyfriend grew out from bald and it gives you a very uneven overall mullet like length and it will be years before he has an even long length (also because the wispy hairs at the side and top grow less fast).
Have you thought about playing with different lengths and cuts, maybe even dye before you do that? You can still always do it, but you might also decide you like something else.

[IanB]

Think very carefully before taking such a drastic step, it's a steep climb back to long hair

[Johan]

My wife shaved her head and wore the bald look for awhile as a fashion statement, she actually looked great bald, but she has the feminine features and head shape for the bald look.
You need to wear makeup, earrings and an attractive feminine dress with your bald look if you are going to wear that style.

[Bedhead]

I know plenty of people who went bald for various reasons, and I was as close to being bald without being bald a few years ago. In growing your hair back, it's easiest if you do go for frequent reshaping as suggested before. It will make all the difference.

The exciting part of this is you can choose a new hair care method if you so choose!