Sporting a shaved head… when you have a full head of hair

Ask A Woman:  Buzzing your head when you still have hair

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Beth,

I believe you’ve written about the different strategies for balding men before, and you’ve endorsed the buzzed head look.  But here’s my issue.  I’m not losing my hair.  At least not yet.  I’ve just never been happy with it.  Haircuts can be a pain.  Sometimes I really like them, more often than not I can’t stand the way it looks and I spend a few weeks waiting for it to grow out.

What are your thoughts on guys who have hair, but chose to do away with it anyway?  I’m not talking about taking a razor to my head, just a really really short clippers.  When a guy has thinning hair it’s almost expected.  But what if he still has a full head of hair? Does that just look unprofessional?  I work in an office and I’m not sure how it’d go over.

– Ben

 

Hi Ben,

We’re back to hair again, are we?  Fine, fine.  Or should I say…coarse, coarse?  Thick, thick?  Thin, thin?  Eh?  Eh?  No?  Fine.  Or should I say…bah, never mind.

I like a closely buzzed ‘do, (or even a Bic-ed ‘do), regardless of whether the guy’s follicle situation “recommends” it.  Let’s take a look at some men who have a lot of hair, but have chosen, at various points, to wear it short anyway: Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, and Colin Farrell. They look good, right?

Timberlake, Gyllenhaal, Farrell, Pitt, and Beckham.

Take note of several important facts here.  First, all of these guys have really nicely shaped noggins.  Very round, very symmetrical; no lumps, no dents.  Let your own head shape inform whether or not you choose to keep a shaved head.  Second, and this is more relevant for those going really short, like Colin Farrell pictured in a shorter ‘do here, the skin on the head is not irritated.  No red bumps, pimples, razor burn, etc.  If you have sensitive skin and you’re likely to break out from a close shave, stay away from a shorn scalp.  It’s just kind of gross for other people to look at, and you won’t be comfortable, either, with such inflamed skin.

I don’t think there’s anything inherently unprofessional about a buzzed haircut. After all, someone who is bald from natural hair loss doesn’t look unprofessional simply from lack of hair.  Double plus bonus–if you shave your head and your boss gives you grief about it, you can always grow it back.

Good lock on this very important decision.  Lock…you know like lock of hair?  Right?  Meh, tough room.

-Beth

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