Taylor-Leigh
Read to the end to see the 3 month hair growth update!!
- I’ve always wanted to
It sounds simple, but for as long as I can remember, I always knew I wanted to shave my head someday. Growing up I always thought my hair had to be a certain length- long enough to fit into a ballet bun, long enough to be type-cast into a certain role for theater, and quite literally, my hair had to be be down to my “bra strap” line for show choir and dance team. This past year has really taught me that someday may never come. I do not like living with regrets, so I made someday happen, otherwise it may have never been “the right time.”
- 2. Confidence. No more hiding behind my hair.
Shaving my head did not automatically give me confidence. But it did give me the push to reveal myself in a different way, to stand up as myself, and not to hide anymore. The confidence came as a result of me looking in the mirror and facing myself.
- 3. I get to go through all the stages of hair growth and try out different styles.
I was so tired of having the same kind of hairstyles, going from chin length, to halfway down my back, to chin length again. I always thought there were certain kinds of people who boldly experimented with their hair, and I never thought I would look good with short hair. One reason to shave my head was to go through all the stages of hair growth and find out what I like that I otherwise would have never known.
- 4. To be known for my character and who I am rather than my appearance.
- 5. To be attractive based on my spirit, energy, and connection with others.
This is a HUGE one, especially with females going against the image of long hair being attractive within femininity. I wanted to find my attraction from the inside out.
- 6. To reveal my face.
- 7. To embrace femininity instead of feeling shame for it.
I used to associate long hair with femininity because many cultures do. But I wanted to express my feminine side in other ways besides my hair by default. I feel a pull to females who have goddess-like energy, regardless of how they look. Letting go of my hair was one way to push myself to express my inner sensuality.
- 8. To be more expressive in other ways and not be held back by my hair.
- 9. To feel free.
And by golly I was right. It feels so effortless not to have a hair routine, or to plan my hair washes, not to mention the relief my head feels.
- 10. To see if it will help my trichotillomania
I have heard stories of people with trich (hair pulling as a body focused repetitive behavior) related to shaving their head. Some people just keep their hair buzzed so they physically can’t pull their hair. Some people resort to pulling hair from other places on their bodies, and some move to another BFRB, like skin picking or nail biting. The desire to see the effect of having a shaved head on my own trichotillomania was definitely a reason to let my hair go. And it was definitely a relief for the first month or so of not being able to pull.
- 11. Tired of hair.
My desire to shave my hair off grew while the world was under lockdown. I was inside most of the time and not doing anything with my hair. I was getting tired of it and honestly just wanted it gone!
- 12. Regain hair health
I’ve heard different things about whether or not getting a clean shave and starting over with hair growth actually helps you regain hair growth. And this was not my main purpose for doing it, as illustrated by the other 17 points. But I was willing to try it out. In fact, I follow a Miami-based curly hairdresser on YouTube, who knows SO much about the ins & outs of hair, as well as the science and health behind it. She talked about the damage done by Diva Curl products (which she used to promote), including hair loss and thinning. As once a Diva Curl user myself, I started to notice similar damage to my hair and scalp. She shaved her hair off a year ago and documented her re-hair-growth journey, and I was inspired to do the same. I massage coconut and rosemary oil on my scalp to encourage hair density re-growth, as well as use a natural shampoo containing peppermint oil for scalp stimulation. I notice my hair growing back denser and a lot quicker than I anticipated!
- 13. Don’t want people to assume that I’m *basic*
To be honest I was tired of following the female norms of society. I’m really not a basic gal, but I was concerned that I might appear that way, so I wanted to match my personality by letting go of my basic feminine self-image.
- 14. Next step in my evolution.
Clear out the old and make way for the new! Lots of changes have happened the past 2 years. Both universal and personal. I wanted something to mark that transition for me.
- 15. Help my stuckness and move stagnant energy.
Similar to the previous point, I needed a big change. “Big” deal to me, at least. I felt stuck both physically in the house, and in my current place in life. Shaving my head wasn’t a cure-all, but it has helped shift the energy a bit.
- 16. Don’t want level of attractiveness based on what my hair looks like.
I always noticed that I could feel very pretty, or very ugly, and most of it was based on what my hair looked like. With no hair, I feel more comfortable in my skin, whether with a clean face or with makeup, and I notice myself playing more with my personal style.
- 17. Do something big that scares me and goes outside my comfort zone.
Usually I would use things like dance class or traveling to scare me and go outside my comfort zone. But since those things have been extremely limited due to the pandemic, I used something a little more attached to me, if you will.
- 18. Weed people out.
Most people in my life have shown to be supportive of my new LEWK. But beforehand, I was wanting to weed out the people who cared what I look like or the choices I made. What I’ve noticed is that people don’t really care thatttt much anyways!
- 19. I want to NGAF.
I’m a person who cares an awful lot about an awful lot of things. I’m trying not to care so much about things that don’t really matter, like hair. Sure, hair is great. People have careers and life purposes based around hair. But I want to focus more on things that matter most, like time with loved ones and doing things I enjoy, like dancing and writing this blog post.
3 Month Hair Growth Update!!!
Hi! I’m Taylor-Leigh. I’m a dance artist, caregiving, plant-eating blogger. Thanks for entertaining my musings on here.
P.S. now go shave your head 🙂 (I know you want to)