.
1. Force self-confidence
Without hair to hide behind, I'm kind of being forced to work on my self-confidence and not relying on looks or other's opinions of me for my self-confidence. Which is super, super hard, but I think it will be worth it in the end.
2. Because people said I couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't
I'm all about going against what people expect of me based on gender and societal norms, so the mild uproar that came with me telling some people I was going to shave my head just fueled me to do it even more. I had to do and wanted to do this for me, not for other people. I'm done with letting others' opinions and thoughts rule me and my life, and this was a step in that direction.
3. It looks cool
I've always thought girls with shaved heads looked INCREDIBLE, so I really had no worries about shaving my own head. Girls with shaved heads look phenomenal, it's just the truth.
4. It's so soft
I used to rub my brother's head every single time he got it freshly shaved, and now I can finally do it all the time with my own head! I've always loved a buzzcut, and now I have my own to feel any time I want.
5. Healthy hair again
My hair was so damaged that shaving it was genuinely a really good idea. After dyeing it since middle school, my hair needed a reset so badly. Now if/when I grow it out again, it will be healthy and less damaged than it was before.
6. Wigs!
Wigs are so much fun and can really change up a look, and not having to worry about wig caps and hiding my hair in them is great. I don't wear them to hide my shaved head, I just wear them when I want to. Now I can easily change my hairstyles without permanent damage to my real hair.
7. Save money and time
The amount of money I'm going to save on hair products is incredible, and the time saved is even more impressive. Showers are so quick now, I don't have to get up early to worry about doing my hair, it doesn't get tangled or messy throughout the day, it's just fantastic.
8. I just wanted to
Even though I gave some reasons here as to why I shaved my head, I don't think anyone really needs a reason. The reason most people get upset when women shave their heads is that it goes against gender norms, but that's just a societal problem that we all have to get over. Women should be able to shave their heads just like men do without it being a "statement" or an issue. Women can shave their heads without having a reason for it, just like many men do. Hair is such a trivial thing, really, and people care too much about looks and societal norms. I hope this is just one step in changing at least one person's mind about hair and gender norms.