18, full head of thick hair but hate it, social anxiety of shaving it

• 18, full head of thick hair but hate it, social anxiety of shaving it by run2explore99 on 20 Feb, 2018 10:54
• I'm 18 and nearing the end of high school. At the moment, I have a very thick head of hair and style it with products and a blow dryer EVERY DAY. It takes way too much time and I've become consumed by how I look. Constantly checking myself in the mirror or on my phone. My self esteem is actually lower because of it. I feel like like I'm somebody kind of slave. Don't get me wrong, there are times when my hair looks great and I get compliments too but it's not me. About a year ago I buzzed my head to a 3mm on top and a 2mm on the sides. I can't remember if my head actually looked good at the time except for two pictures that I took. TBH I looked good but maybe it's just the angle. What I remember for sure was all the nazi, Jew, and serial killer jokes I got from my XC team. Not to mention my mother hated the look of it. My dad doesn't care (both have served in the military. Anyways I get bad anxiety about how people, including my mom who will judge my buzzcut. I really just want to shave it off with no guard but I'm on the fence. I love the idea of not having to worry about my hair at all and it helped keep me cool when it was buzzed during my races. I have two main friends. One says shave it cause he thinks it's funny and the other doesn't care. I also worry that girls will think I'm crazy or some old guy. One of the cross country guys who is actually balding says he hates balding but I think he looks hella cool. He hated it last time I buzzed my hair cause he feels I'm just wasting my only opportunity of having it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• #1 by Magoo on 20 Feb, 2018 18:55
• You are 18 years old , and by all accounts should have the right to have your hair cut the way you prefer. The buzz cut in your pictures looks real good ,easy to maintain and neat looking. If I was you I would not go for the  real close cut or shave. At least let yourself and other get accustomed to the shorter style first. But the short cut looked great.
  
• #2 by Semi-Sly on 20 Feb, 2018 21:39
• You are 18 but you live in your parents home.  but as long as they haven"t
  t forbidden you from doing this you should follow your own heart.
  
  And just becuase you have very short hair doesn't mean thatyou cannot also have STYLE.
  
  I am a professional barber and I think that yhou would look better buzzed even SHORTER on top and then "bald faded" up the back and sides. 
  
  Just find a barber shop that hs some some latino clientelle and ask for a bald fade with #1.5 or #2 on top.  It is very short, very cool, super easy care and very stylish right now.
• #3 by bennett11 on 21 Feb, 2018 05:27
• keep it buzzed looks much better but the key thing is what you like\.  at your age i kept mine very short buzz.
• #4 by slybeard on 23 Feb, 2018 12:44
• Talk with your barber about cuts that would be easy to care for and look good/trendy.  Semi-Sly gave you some good advice, but there may be other options you may want to try as well.  Your cut in the last photo looks good, but I understand that you may not want to go through what it takes to style it every day.
  
  And a side note, it is common to get comments with a buzz cut or a shaved head.  But if you stick with it, the comments will stop in time, once everyone is accustomed to see you with it.
• #5 by Razorhead on 25 Feb, 2018 06:21
• I felt the same way as a teen and when in college. Styling hair hair takes time. It can be fun or a total pain or both. I found the best haircut to be a Princeton also known as an Ivy League. It can be short or a longer variation. Think of it as a buzzcut with more length on top just barely sticking above your fingers. Crown is shorter and the front can be longer. This gives you styling options to do a sidepart or or to create a bit of a pompadour effect. I keep my head shaved in the summer and wear an Ivy in the colder months.
  
  But I have to say when I first shaved my head I was in bliss. It's was the best haircut I ever had. Why? For one reason no one talked about my hair anymore. My family didn't like my buzzcuts and my friends didn't like my longer hair. Shaving cut out all the commentary. Others reasons I like a shaved head....awesome clean look, its easy to do, you look the same everyday, and ahhh the feelings of smoothness and liberation from hair.
  
  My advice try a shorter styled cut and then a good shin fade then try the razor. Take the best of all worlds.
  
  Good luck with XC...it's an awesome sport.
  
  
• #6 by Oto on 25 Feb, 2018 07:49
• Give yourself a no-guard or a smooth shave tryout. You'll love it! If you don't like it, in a couple week you'll be as the crewcut pic. Don't worry about other people's opinion.
• #7 by reddog on 25 Feb, 2018 08:10
• Very true Razorhead, the ivy league is a good haircut. It's actually very easy to cut yourself. I tried a variation of it by keeping the sides and back shaved.
• #8 by DoberDaddy on 25 Feb, 2018 09:49
• I shaved a full head of hair, at the age of 30. I had a full, dark beard, and the look was pretty awesome. Go for it!
  
  You can always grow it back.
• #9 by run2explore99 on 26 Feb, 2018 10:02
• Quote from: Razorhead on 25 Feb, 2018 06:21

  I felt the same way as a teen and when in college. Styling hair hair takes time. It can be fun or a total pain or both. I found the best haircut to be a Princeton also known as an Ivy League. It can be short or a longer variation. Think of it as a buzzcut with more length on top just barely sticking above your fingers. Crown is shorter and the front can be longer. This gives you styling options to do a sidepart or or to create a bit of a pompadour effect. I keep my head shaved in the summer and wear an Ivy in the colder months.
  
  But I have to say when I first shaved my head I was in bliss. It's was the best haircut I ever had. Why? For one reason no one talked about my hair anymore. My family didn't like my buzzcuts and my friends didn't like my longer hair. Shaving cut out all the commentary. Others reasons I like a shaved head....awesome clean look, its easy to do, you look the same everyday, and ahhh the feelings of smoothness and liberation from hair.
  
  My advice try a shorter styled cut and then a good shin fade then try the razor. Take the best of all worlds.
  
  Good luck with XC...it's an awesome sport.
  

  
  
  I was thinking of trying out the crew cut or the princeton the next time I get a haircut. I really just want to cut my own hair which is why shaved/buzzed looks  are  the easiest to do. I have my own clippers but I wouldn't know how to self cut a princeton/crew cut. The closest I ever did was a number 3 guard on top with a 2 on the sides. Its one of the pictures I posted.
  
  Thank you and to everyone else for the replies