My rule has always been that when I grow my hair out, I would shave it off by May to avoid any weird tan lines. This year I broke that rule. I waited until July. I let my hair grow all winter and spring. A buddy saw me earlier in the year and commented on how long it was getting and how white it looked. I honestly thought it was a silvery grey.
By the time I finally paid attention, I probably had about an inch and a half on top. Maybe 2 inches. I knew it was thinning, but I convinced myself it looked good. I was styling it, buying hair paste, pretending I was pulling off some kind of look. I was kidding myself. I?d either cut it myself or force myself to go to the barber, which I actually hated going.
Then I came across a picture of myself sitting in my living room from early spring, maybe late winter. My first reaction was, ?Who is that old guy?? And then it hit me. It was me. I couldn?t believe how delusional I?d been, thinking my hair looked great. It wasn?t grey or silvery. it was basically Anderson Cooper white and the thinnng was obvious.
So I decided to go shorter. I started with #2 buzzcuts. Still wasn?t happy. Tried a 1.5, then a #1. Still unhappy. It wasn?t the length. It was the color, the old man downiness of it. Two days ago I clipper shaved it. Still wasn?t satisfied. That?s when I realized it was simply time to shave it clean.
I broke out the razor, lathered up, and shaved it all off.
It felt great. The smoothness was back. The naked dome. Hair free again and relieved.
There?s something about a shaved head. It?s not just the smoothness or the look. It?s the feeling of being liberated from a crappy head of hair. I?m happy to be done with it. And with the 100 degree days, it felt amazing to rest my bald head on a cool pillow.
I?m back to being me.
Twenty years of shaving the noggin on and off, and at this point, I?m staying switched on. 20 years ago, I stared out as BBC and now I?ve succumbed to old man hair.
Happy Fourth. Celebrate by being hair free.
