Right. I have 30 minutes to...

[BertrandRussell]

...persuade ds not to shave his head. Arguments, please. Attached, with his permission, a picture of how he looks now.

I have thick curly hair like your DS (had). In weather like this I would happily shave it off.

What do you think might happen?

Hes a handsome fellow!

I see he has had it cut. Well with hair as thick as that, itll grow back quick enough.

He's young. He should do it.

My DS (21) shaved his gloriously thick hair off just before his 21st birthday🤦🏻‍♀️It really didn't suit him... he 'got away' with it to a certain extent as he's got a lovely facebiased or what... I had tried to talk him out of it but it did seem to make him more determined... thankfully he realised that it wasn't a particularly good look for him and am fairly sure he won't be doing it again

Tell him he'll look like an Alt-Right nazi egg. That should do it.

Or let him crack on, it'll be funny. Take lots of pics, never let him live it down. Whack them out at the wedding.

My DS has now gone for a 'fade' at the sides/back and kept his hair thick on top... So win-win - gets to look 'cool' and gets to almost shave some off...

Get him some spray mist sunscreen

Hair grows so if he doesn't like it he can grow it again!

As his dad pointed out-at least it’s not a tattoo.....

But who knows what lurks under that hair?

< Runs off quickly >

What I think will happen is that a reverse-image searcher could possibly find his name if he’s in so many productions and has his photo up on social media. Then they can find you on MN.

Oh well. I don’t mind. I’m pretty easy to find anyway. Mumsnetters have already done it- based on my father’s very unusual first name.

"Knowing" Bertrand Russell as I do (only from MN) I wouldn't fancy anyone's chances if they came up against her with no good on their minds... Pretty sure her lad will be fine and if anyone does do a reverse search, they'll come up with James Acaster anyway

But did he shave his head!?

Not a shave- a number 3.

reckon it would suit him, looks like he has a decent shaped head - will be a lot cooler in the heat

Thing is...

that this whole internet safety thing is getting a bit scare-mongery and illogical. You are right Mauritius that it's not a great idea to post identifying information on the www about vulnerable people, but really just knowing what BR's ds looks like on the internet is not putting him at any more risk than knowing what he looks like by seeing him in real life walking down his street. Just look at the amount of kids' photos in your local paper which all goes on line to compare. (Here's Arlo and Milly collecting their prize from St Cuthbert's primary school. Here's Ahmed Jenkins in his scouts uniform where he goes at 6pm every Thursday etc,)

Bert clearly said this is a publicity shot implying that the photo is already 'out there' probably with her ds's name and more identifying info than on here and frankly so what? If someone was weird enough to reverse search and find out his name they will know that a boy called Xanzibar Carmichael has had a hair cut.

They can then go onto MM and find out that Zanzibar’s mum has said various things believing she was doing so anonymously on a forum. Zanzibar’s mum may not mind this. The rest of the family might not either.

I think not looking like James Acaster can only be a good thing

I knew calling him Zanzibar would make him too identifiable.....

Whether or not Xanzibar (with an x to make him so easily searchable) is happy with his mum discussing his hair cut in public is a completely different issue from cyber security/ internet safety. My guess is many doting parents here on MN think nothing of posting cute pictures of their much younger children on Facebook. Even the Royal Family God love'em.