To let my 8 year old daughter shave half her head

[Missymini]

My daughter currently has a bob and she has decided she wants her hair cut shorter. We have looked together at pictures online and she likes the type were half the head is shaved and the remaining hair has a undercut. It feels quite drastic but I am tempted to let her as it is her hair we have discussed once it is done if she doesn't like it she will have to wait for it to grow out and she is adamant that is fine.

Come on OP. She’s 8, not 18. Head shaving aside.. is she willing and competent to spend a significant amount of time styling it each day if this is really what she’s going for? That model definitely didn’t roll out of bed with her hair looking like that!

That's a gorgeous cut, my dd had one very similar at a similar age.

Hope she loves it.

It’s fine. I’m not sure I’d let mine actually shave half of it off, but it’s not shaved, more like a buzz cut on that bit. I couldn’t get too het up about it, it’s not extreme.

It looks lovely on the model.

Really can't imagine it on a little 8 year old girl.

What harm would it do?

No no no no no no

Looks striking on a model. Will look chavvy on an 8 year old and I don’t know how fast people on here think hair grows but there’s no growing that out before school. If a shaved side isn’t allowed at school, she’ll either look ridiculous with inch long hair on one side or have to have it all cut off and have a pixie cut.

That's just a pixie cut. Let her go for it.

Pixies absolutely don't need loads of styling. I didn't own a brush, much less a hairdryer, for years.

Why not … it grows back

People need to unclench - it's hair... which grows... all the time! Totally let her!

Lovely hairstyle! It’s only hair and it’ll grow back. But I had a bleach blonde mohican by the time I was 13 so possibly am not the best person to advise.

Oh yes, I like it. And no, an 8yo probably won’t take any time styling but who cares. Looks like she will be able to flip the hair over/ shift the parting to cover the shaved area if she wanted. Versatile!

My own issue would be that it’s unlikely to grow back in time for school, and most school wouldn’t allow it!

What nonsense. Haircuts are inherently appearanced-focused. If an 8 year-old wanted a French plait or a fringe or pink bows in her hair, would that be 'too appearance-focused'? Should she also be blindfolded so that she can't see actual people in real life with undercuts? And banned from all media?

I’ve had many different undercuts before and they can be cut so that they are easily hidden if needed for school. Even when the majority of my hair was shaved off it could be styled as a short bob.

Out of interest - those that are at schools where ‘extreme’ haircuts are banned - how do they determine what’s extreme and what do they do about it? With this style I can’t imagine they’d be able to do anything except tell you to cut the other side to the same length as the short side. But would they call that extreme too?

id check the school policy first incase it doesnt grow back in time

Most schools wouldn't allow girls to have short hair? Well that's a sexist rule I'd be more than happy to challenge!

The picture on the model is lovely OP, I've seen children with that style and think it looks good. Depends on the hair type though, probably wouldn't work with fine hair.

That should be long enough by September for school not to be concerned. My dd had a pixie cut from age 8 and certainly never spent any time styling it!

It's hair, it grows. Summer holidays are the time for playing around a bit if she wants!
Some people should be less judgemental about "chavvy" 8 year olds, that's not classy at all.

Picture looks lovely. I personally think it's less chavvy than lots of other hairstyles but I try not to attach that sort of judgement to small children anyway.

My kids have always been allowed to do whatever they want with their hair.

It's totally harmless and temporary so I can't see any reason not to let them have a bit of autonomy over their bodies.

Drugs. Largely crack cocaine and/or LSD (depends how soon until they’re 9) and piercings, I would say tongues and eyebrows, not nipples yet of course
And if there’s still time for after school activities, underground raves

My DD wanted the same. We said no purely because she was 9 and I don't really think she had realised how drastically different it would look. I think in reality it would shock and upset her once she realised exactly how short it was and how relatively permanent it was (i.e. it wouldn't grow back the next day but would take months and months)

Brand her 8yo dd as butch?

Wtf