Hypothetically how different would your life be if you were bald?

[ericthegreat]

Don't worry guys this isn't my "I'm shaving my head!" freakout thread. I love my hair way too much to really part with it. :blossom:

But earlier tonight I decided to time myself to see how long my haircare routine takes. I took my waterproof stopwatch into the shower and started counting down. Tonight I first wet down my hair and I did a deep treatment with Nigelle LX. I let that sit for 10 minutes and then rinsed it out with warm water. Second step, I then applied my Nexxus Scalp Therapy conditioner and rinsed that out with cooler water to lock in the shine. After stepping out of the shower, I then sprayed my soaking wet locks with Nexxus BioNutrient Treatment spray. Its a great leave-in conditioner that is my miracle detangling all my thick hair. I stepped into the shower at exactly 7:30 PM and stepped out at 8:05. And I took another 12 minutes detangling all of my hair thoroughly with the Nexxusleave-in spray. So in total tonight my routine from start to finish took 47 minutes. I'm still waiting for my hair to completely air-dry as I type this right now, which will take around another 4 hours.

So now I'm just thinking to myself how much time I would save in my everyday and weekly routine if I didn't have all this hair to take care of. First off I would save so much more spending money. I wouldn't need any more hair products and I'd have anywhere from an extra hour to an extra 6 hours to do other activities in my life. I think of all the great restaurants I could go to :beercheer:, all the new accessories I could get like some new shades :cool: , I would be ready and out the door in 30 seconds I bet, oh and of course I would need to buy new hats and fedoras to both look fashionably cool :cool: and protect my newly exposed scalp from the sun! I'd also become a new personality, I would be the long-hair friendly stylist who is ironically bald himself! :p

[Xandergrammy]

Well, I'd save a ton of money because I'm a product junkie, but I'd have to buy extra sunscreen to protect my head! And I'd have lots of room in my bathroom because I wouldn't need any of my hair toys. :gabigrin:

[CurlAhead]

This is quite fun to think about. Well, my showers would take about 5 minutes, because I wouldn't need any conditioners or deep conditioners. I would be ready in 10 minutes, not having to worry about my hair and what to do with it. I would feel uglier, but still I would not be so obsessed with my hair (like I am now :rolleyes: )
And...I could wear new, cool wigs everyday! :D:D

[RitaCeleste]

I'd have more money and time. I'd forget where the mirror was. In fact, I might ban those from the house altogether if I were bald. I'd buy turbans in rainbow colors. God forbid, I might even get into hats. My head feels lumpy, I'm pretty sure bald would be a really idea for me.

[whitestiletto]

Um... oh my goodness the money I spend on hair! I can't even think about it.

[Rosake]

life would be so easy, hahaha ;D

[lillylonghair]

I would totally get some crazy tattoo on my head :) No seriously... I'd probaly spend more money on clothes and stuff too.

[katsrevenge]

...I'd need more sunscreen...

I don't spend much time or money on hair. (knocks on wood)

[ifthemoonsmiled]

Okay, um, I really would get a tattoo on my head. This has always been my backup plan on the slim chance I go bald someday. I'm tattooed all over my body, & while I don't want a face tattoo, really, I think a scalp tattoo would be awesome to have. All this nice new skin-space...I can't even think too hard about what type of tattoo I would get, or I become tempted to shave all my hair off.

I think I would be sad, though. I'm very vain about my hair, & I would miss it. I do spend a lot of time on my hair, but I enjoy it. I feel like I'd probably find some other grooming ritual to spend a lot of time on if I lost my hair. I'd start getting really obsessed with nail care or something...

I don't spend all that much time on my hair, though, compared to a lot of people here. Or even compared to a lot of my friends who use straighteners, hairdryers, products, &c. I also can't afford fancy hair products, & just use oils & conditioners & stuff that I can pick up for a couple bucks. Henna probably costs the most out of the hair stuff I buy, & even that is cheaper than if I used regular dyes.

To the OP, your hair is incredible...definitely worth the effort. It'd be a shame if you were bald.

[MikeGP]

I'd look freaking terrible bald. Hated my hair short when I had to go really short for NJROTC, can only imagine no hair. Though I'm sure it would be more comfortable.

[Nae]

My life would be so.....empty.

I love my hair. I love thinking about it, and talking about it, and taking care of it, and buying it pretties!

I would sit around being sad, I think that is how my life would change the most. Then I would have to get a new hobby. Ahh yes!!! I have a longhaired doggie!! Muhahaha! I could obsess over his hair. I could get him bows and everything!

Excuse me, I need to go find my dog. He saw this manical glint in my eye and has scurried off to hide somewhere. (He hates baths.)

[gthlvrmx]

I just wouldnt be Michael anymore. Life would be very empty, id miss the swing my hair had when i walked, and i think i have a bumpy head...maybe a few dents. Who knows. I wouldn't want to!

[ArienEllariel]

I would spend more money on wigs and hats (although most hats look awful on my head. I'm not sure why). I don't spend copious amounts of money on my hair really. At least I haven't noticed that I do. I wouldn't free up all that much time since I don't wash my hair but every 3 or 4 days. Unless you count the time I spend on the LHC... but even if I was bald, I'd probably hang around here so... :p

Oh, and ditto on the sunscreen. Florida sun + pale exposed scalp skin = well.. a very unhappy Arien.

I don't even want to think how ugly I would look bald. I would probably have to go on antidepressents if I ever lost all my hair. I'm pretty attatched. :'(

[spidermom]

Oh the time I'd save! Tempting .............
but not really.

[vanity_acefake]

I had a skinhead 15 years ago. I did love it at the time. Saved a fortune on shampoo.
I would miss my hair so much now though.

[Neneka]

Okay, um, I really would get a tattoo on my head. This has always been my backup plan on the slim chance I go bald someday. I'm tattooed all over my body, & while I don't want a face tattoo, really, I think a scalp tattoo would be awesome to have. All this nice new skin-space...I can't even think too hard about what type of tattoo I would get, or I become tempted to shave all my hair off.

It would be awesome! I would definitely do that if I had to go bald! It's just. Getting scalp tattooed must be quite painful. I don't know. I would still love to do that.

I think my life would be easier if I was bald. My scalp is very dry and I am constantly fighting against the dryness. If I was bald I could just apply moisturizing cream straight to my scalp. Oh, it would feel so good...

My hair is quite easy to take care of even if it's long. It doesn't tangle and I don't spend much money on it. Only my scalp causes troubles.

[pepperminttea]

I'd save a lot of money on products and hairtoys, and could probably make a bit if I sold my collection, not to mention to time saved... but I think I'd look like a giant baby if I was bald. :bigeyes: Seriously, I haven't got the bone structure for short cuts. And I do feel sexier with my hair longer, so it's staying. ;)

[Jules2910]

Just saw the thread title and shuddered!!

[jasper]

The main difference I imagine is that I would be answering questions constantly for at least 6 months about why I was bald and when I was going to grow my hair back.

I use cheap suave hair shampoo and conditioner, and I could make up the cost of that in sunscreen for my bald head. I am always mutlitasking during my hair care routine, so I don't know if it would allow me more free time. There would be shaving to add time to the routine if I was going to stay bald.

[Lippytoes]

All the time I spend playing with my hair would be spent doing something... well, else. :D I don't buy all that many expensive products (yay cheap CO).

Apart from that, I think I'd feel cold a lot at first. I've got used to having hair that can warm you up. Like today, for instance, when I had an exam and the AC in the room was way too cold.

[PianoPlaye]

Blimey. I do not put in the hours, don't have a wild range of hairtoys, all my conditioners have been bought on special offer - and I'd still hate being bald. I might have the bone structure, but I'ld need to lose about 30 kilos before any judgement could be reached & anyway, my ears stick out. A length of hair fore & aft minimises the visual disturbance.
I'd probably get the knitting needles & the carding combs out & knit myself a wig. (There's a fibre place does silk fibre by the 100g for summer wear & I could go a stunning Ryland brunette in winter - there's a natural colour range that's been around a few hundred years! :D)

[ericthegreat]

I'd like to also add that without having any hair to obsess about, I know I would fill that void with yet other hobbies :D . Without having to wait 4 to 6 hours for my hair to air-dry on a wash day, I could use those extra hours to go see more movies. I love both mainstream blockbusters and artsy indie films. I'd also be outside walking the streets a lot more, doing even more window shopping than I already do.

[Islandgrrl]

Hmmm. Interesting to think about.

I wouldn't save much time, honestly. If I take a long shower, I'm in there for 10 minutes, tops. My hair care is ridiculously simple and doesn't take but a couple of minutes. Hair drying could take a whole day, but that's not really time actively spent on hair. I'm not much of a product junkie. I use a grand total of two. I'm not counting coconut or jojoba oils, because I use those on my body, too (in fact mostly).

I would have some money in my pocket from the sale of all the hair toys I would never wear again (assuming the baldness to be permanent). And with that money I would buy a very fabulous wig or two. Long, of course. I wonder how I'd look as a blonde?

I already have all manner of scarves and things to cover my hair with, so I'm set there.

Even though I'm all about the lazy when it comes to my hair care routine, I would miss my hair if it were to suddenly vanish.

[RitaCeleste]

Oh, I leave the house with wet hair. If my hair is wet, I'm still doing housework or going where I need to go. I was using Suave Colorcare for ages and not doing anything special. A hair scare sent me running for Kera Care Humecto, Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstuctor, Trader Joe's Nourish Spa conditioner, Aubrey Organic's Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, Vatika Coconut oil, Meadowfoam seed oil. I also tried another big bottle of conditioner and wouldn't use it. I just ordered more of those products, kinda in bulk. I feel guilty about the money I spend on my hair. My daughter has fine dry hair so I love doing treatments on her hair now too. I don't feel guilty at all when its for the kids. My products really aren't super expensive, but I still feel guilty about it. Then again if I had all that money back I'd probably just buy beads to string!

[QMacrocarpa]

Hmm, I'd wear big girly earrings more (and perhaps more makeup) in a probably futile attempt not to constantly be mistaken for a boy. I don't think it would really save me much time-- I wash my hair once a week, don't have a very time-consuming routine, and having wet hair doesn't keep me at home. My hair toys, etc. are inexpensive so it wouldn't save much money either. My husband would really miss my hair, he was not an enthusiast of my chin-length cut.

[jujube]

I'd be hotter :eyebrows:

[Saeth]

I'd end up with a sunburned head because I'd forget the sun block and the hat and my skin doesn't understand the concept of 'tanning'. Oh wait. No. I'd not be going outside if I were bald because I'd be hiding behind a chair bemoaning the fact I'd feel ugly.

IF the positive side of me came out: I'd not save any money or time at all, I'd play with head scarves of all different designs, colours, and spend hours figuring out new ways to tie, pin and generally poking about on the net looking for hats, clips and god knows what else.

All in all I don't think I would save that much time or money at all!

[Dr. Girlfriend]

Hmmmm... Well, my head would be a lot cooler, for sure. I would save an enormous amount of time every morning and evening because I would not have to wash, oil, treat, or style my hair. It would definitely curtail my current hair toy obsession, and I would probably have a more plump piggy bank even after buying sunscreen.


As practical as this sounds, I think I'll keep my hair. :)

[Joliebaby]

I can give you a real, not hypothetical answer ;) since I was bald in 2005.

And it's, not much.

I would save perhaps 10 minutes a week in washing and conditioning time, but then I'd have to shave and that takes time too. I don't spend that much on products either and I'm not crazy with the accessories, so not a huge money saver either.

The biggest difference would be in the way I feel, and how other people would react to me.