‘It was liberating’: Liverpool girlies on shaving their heads

If you have been looking for a sign to shave your head and try a buzzcut, this is it. Now that the semester is finally over and you’re free from the shackles of your dissertation, why not take the time to be bold and shave your head?

The Tab Liverpool spoke to three students in Liverpool to convince you to get a buzzcut. Whether you have always wanted a buzz, just broken up with an ex or need a post-exam glow-up, why not give it a go?

Meg, Communication and Media Graduate, UoL

Why did you decide to shave your head?

“I have always wanted to shave my head as a sort of bucket list thing, but I have never been brave enough and did not think it would suit me! My hair was pretty damaged from constantly bleaching and dying it that I finally took the plunge!

“I also figured that if I was shaving it anyway, I could try and raise some money, so I opened a fundraiser with Little Princess Trust and raised about £300 actually!”

How did you feel afterward?

“I shaved my head at pre-drinks on New Year’s Eve which meant it was the ultimate fresh start, and immediately after (it might have been the vodka), I felt amazing. I was so confident, so free and so happy! Me and my friend went into town straight after for the countdown and I got so many compliments which I was not expecting, it made me feel even better about it.

“It has been about three months now, and I love it! I am definitely going to keep it rather than grow it out again. It is so much easier to look after, showering takes five minutes and I have nice wigs for when I want to feel like I have hair again!”

Advice?

“My advice, girls would be just to do it! Do not think too much about it because it grows back and you can get a wig. If you are certain you want to do it, give yourself 3 months to try lots of different hairstyles before you do.  I shaved a mullet and died my hair lots of different colours before I finally shaved it. When I finally shaved it, I bleached cool patterns into it”.

Kira, second-year Graphic Design, LJMU

Why did you decide to shave your head?

“Because I wanted to! I had wanted to since I was about 14 but I was never brave enough in secondary school when I moved to Liverpool I just decided to do it”. 

How did you feel after?

“It was surprisingly liberating, I initially thought it would just look cool but it was really empowering to do. I now wish I had done it sooner! It has given me so much confidence in my appearance, I cannot imagine ever having long hair again”

Advice?

“I would 100 percent recommend it to anybody wanting to do the same, it is definitely a big change and not for everybody, but if you have been thinking about it I’d say go for it! Everyone looks good with a buzzcut!”

Grace, first-year English Media, and Cultural Studies, LJMU 

Why did you decide to shave your head?

“From about the age of 15, I knew that at some point in my life I would shave my head, I just did not know when. For me, I always used my hair as a mask in secondary school to be able to feel like I fit in. In year 11, I developed anorexia. I believe my hair changes mimic my recovery from anorexia and overall mental well-being, as I felt better in myself I changed my hair and expressed myself more, away from the pressure to fit in with my long, brown hair.

“I have never found that my self-worth or beauty derived from my hair, but I definitely think my hair through my teenage years reflected my self-worth”.

How did you feel afterward?

“The number of people that come up to me on daily basis complimenting my hair since getting a buzzcut overrides any negativity I have received about my hair. I feel like when people complimenting me now are complimenting my face and aura, my energy, and my eyes which means so much more to me”.

Advice?

“I think every woman should do it at some point in their life, it makes you find other ways of challenging what it means to be feminine. I would say make sure you have a supportive group around you because it can sometimes be difficult to get used to, but as long as you have those people it is so much fun!”