Just shaved my hair off

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

I've damaged my hair by too much relaxing, plaiting and just not looking after it. I'm going back to basics for (as far as I can remember) the third time in my life.

My mum begged me not to and I understand why. I couldn't wait to get rid of it. Shaved it last night and felt fantastic! Woke up this morning and when I remembered I felt a fleeting sense of 'omg, what have I done?!'

But on the whole I feel fine and liberated.My teens are being really sweet, but I dont know if that is pity or not 😬. I know it doesn't look amazing, and that they're not saying that because they know I have eyes 😂. I asked if they feel embarrassed of my sudden change in look and they were super-cute saying 'of course not' etc and helping me choose which wig looks the best. I think Mumsnet has made me expect teenagers to be awful (even though I've never expected that from mine and have been right til now), so I was expecting to be ridiculed for this

[Stichintime]

Your going to love the freedom and healthy hair, once you get used to it. Your teenagers sound lovely!

[Dogmum40]

I hope you don’t mind me posting as I’m white and not black but this came up on active threads, I came out of a very abusive relationship and shaved my head of hair off the next day and at the time I just felt free and as you said liberated so enjoy your new “hair” style

There is now some really great headscarves around if you ever fancy a change but we shouldn’t be shamed for going bald, blokes don’t get called out for it so neither should we!

I’m sure you look fabulous and well done for going through with it, I never regretted it!

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

Thank you @Stichintime

So far I feel really happy and liberated. I keep wondering if there's something Ive missed from the times I've shaved my head before that Ive forgotten and that I'll suddenly regret it. Will be an expensive mistake if so!

I think wearing a wig during the working day will be annoying. Tbh, once I'm used to my new look I think I will experiment with headbands/durags etc. I might be wrong and this won't work, but I've seen black women with shaved hair covering their hair and they look fine. It will be a learning curve

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

@Dogmum40

I hope you don’t mind me posting as I’m white and not black but this came up on active threads, I came out of a very abusive relationship and shaved my head of hair off the next day and at the time I just felt free and as you said liberated so enjoy your new “hair” style

There is now some really great headscarves around if you ever fancy a change but we shouldn’t be shamed for going bald, blokes don’t get called out for it so neither should we!

I’m sure you look fabulous and well done for going through with it, I never regretted it!

Hi @Dogmum40
Thanks for your message, I appreciate it!
What made you shave your hair? Yes, it's strange but I feel free and liberated. I guess I'm thinking that society doesn't approve of this, so I'm waiting for the downside. Maybe tomorrow at work will be it 😬

[Dogmum40]

My ex partner used to beat me and drag me around by my hair! So once the police and my family rescued me I felt that my hair was still chained to him if that makes sense, so I shaved it all off once I finally got released from hospital for the last time the very next day 😁 I loved it!

I now how long hair and it pisses me off 🤣 my husbands family are Asian and they have the standard gorgeous thick black perfect hair which I’m very jealous about, they don’t even need to blow dry it 😩 where mine is typically British white so means it’s like rats tails , frizzy and gets knotty! Reading your post might encourage me to chop it off again 😘 keep us posted on how your getting on with it!

I didn’t grow it back for about 3 years! I then went to a pixie cut after that time then grew it and as I said it’s driving me insane, society expects us white women to have long silky locks styled like Kate Middleton and I suspect you having black hair are encouraged to straighten it and have it glossy aren’t you? Society are a bunch of wankers, I was told that the shorter the hair the more they stare (in a good way) so it’s great to see someone else making the same decision I did (although for much better reasons) xx

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

@Dogmum40☹️ wasn't expecting that explanation

[Dogmum40]

Oh don’t worry about it, I’m happily married now! what happened was in the past, it made me stronger and in a very unusual kind of way in my head I now thank him for putting me through it as it made me who I am because of it, and I think I turned out ok, you can either move forwards in life a stronger person than previously or let it destroy you ,I chose strength and I destroyed my hair instead 🤩 but honestly shaving my head was a huge turning point for me and I still smile now when I think of my bald look so your thread just made me smile

[NurseButtercup]

How exciting! Ditch the wig have you thought about experimenting with different hair colours? I went blonde when I first cut off all my hair and loved how different I looked. Have you seen Tiffany Haddish and Toni Braxton? They have both very recently shaved off their hair and gone blonde and look great.

The blonde can be high maintenance, so other colours I've experimented with are frosted pink, blue and Auburn. My hair is jet black at the moment, but I think I'm going blonde next month.

[NurseButtercup]

I meant to say, ditch the wig and save it for cold days.

[LatteLoverLovesLattes]

It's a brave move, I think you should embrace the boldness and not wear a wig!

I have long hair. It's so much of 'me' I'm nervous of chopping it off. If I wasn't so fat I'd be tempted by a pixie cut as it would go with the type of clothes I'd wear if I could. But with my weight (health issues) my head would look weird 'pimple on an elephant type thing'. Plus I'm sure it would look like a box!!!🤣 i have corners in my head where smooth curves should be!!

[workshy44]

I hope you don't mind me posting either as I am white. I have/had massive hair issues too for about twenty years similar to what you describe and I was v close to cutting it all off too and starting over. The reason I didn't was that I wasn't sure it would grow back at all as hair loss and growth had been absolutely terrible

This person was recommended to me ( it is for black women ) but I follow it all and just exclude the henna but I cannot tell you what a difference this recipe and her other advice has made

She is also brilliant on what supplements to increase and speed up hair growth (MSM being the main one). Advice and recipes on tea rinsing (which stops you loosing any hair in the shower)
I am on course to not have to use extensions for the first time in 20 years. My hairdresser said my roots and hair is so so much thicker now where as before the actual hair strand was so fine.

[SkedaddIe]

Well done @HmmmmmmInteresting doing the big chop and raising such great supportive children!

I can feel the pride from here lol you're definitely winning.

[NurseButtercup]

@workshy44

I hope you don't mind me posting either as I am white. I have/had massive hair issues too for about twenty years similar to what you describe and I was v close to cutting it all off too and starting over. The reason I didn't was that I wasn't sure it would grow back at all as hair loss and growth had been absolutely terrible

This person was recommended to me ( it is for black women ) but I follow it all and just exclude the henna but I cannot tell you what a difference this recipe and her other advice has made



She is also brilliant on what supplements to increase and speed up hair growth (MSM being the main one). Advice and recipes on tea rinsing (which stops you loosing any hair in the shower)
I am on course to not have to use extensions for the first time in 20 years. My hairdresser said my roots and hair is so so much thicker now where as before the actual hair strand was so fine.

I've never seen this hair oil concoction before. I might give it a try.

Thanks for sharing.

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

Thanks @SkedaddIe

@NurseButtercup I think it can look awesome when women with shaved hair wear bold colours. I don't think it would suit me though, and I'm not brave enough! Wish I had the confidence (and the features!)

Don't be silly @LatteLoverLovesLattes - I'm sure you don't

Thanks for the link@workshy44,- I'll have a look!

[AlmostSummer21]

@workshy44. Thanks fir the link, I'll have a watch later. My hair has always been very fine, but lots of it, but not now. It's thinned out loads. I'd live to get more volume back.

[LatteLoverLovesLattes]

@HmmmmmmInteresting

When I say to people about my 'box' head, people always kindly say 'I bet you don't' until they feel it 😂😂

I think I must have been put to bed in a very small drawer to sleep as a tiny baby!! Square head, not quite 5ft

Are you feeling brave enough to share photos?

[HmmmmmmInteresting]

Are you feeling brave enough to share photos?

Of course not 😂

[PonDeReplay]

Get some nice earrings and rock the new look! Also think about what you want in the future. Teeny weeny Afro? Locs? So many good options!

[Denzelstowel]

I did this after a very stressful period. My mother looked at me like I was mad. My father asked my mother if I was ok My son couldn't believe it too. I don't have a very elegant shaped head. But..... like you I felt liberated. Felt fantastic having a shower and letting the water on my head. Touching my head abs minimal maintenance, however I did not feel attractive though. I quickly grew it with the help of cane rows and extensions. I then moved onto sister-locs and have never looked back!

[NurseButtercup]

I forgot to say, I think when you go almost skin bald natural, it's important to ensure your eyebrows are groomed & maintained.

[Denzelstowel]

Just to add this was many years before Lupita Nyongo was known. But I actually deluded myself into thinking this was How I would look with the short natural style and I really didn't and never have!

[patcarmichaelenergy]

@Denzelstowel I have been wanting sister or micro locs for years now but never committed!!

How do you find the maintenance of your sisterlocs? And did you start off super short?

[Denzelstowel]

[quote patcarmichaelenergy]@Denzelstowel I have been wanting sister or micro locs for years now but never committed!!

How do you find the maintenance of your sisterlocs? And did you start off super short?[/quote]
To be honest I am low maintenance with it and think you can do as much or as little as you like. Retwist about every 6-8 weeks and a couple of washes in between. I started with about 2 inches of natural hair but kept about 3 inches of relaxed
Hair which I would trim Every time I went for a retwist. Within 6
Months it was All natural hair. Best decision I ever made.