A Shaved Head Woman Shares Her Radical Journey of Self-Acceptance

Have y'all ever had a fiery want to shave your head? It's surprisingly still a radical thing to do. Despite shaved caput women such every bit Angelina Jolie, Halsey, and Keke Palmer existence among the famous celebrities who have opted for a buzz cut at one point or another, it's nonetheless a fleck taboo. However, I am proud to be among the women who have joined the "shaved hair society"!

Why Did I Shave My Caput?

My name is Cricket Guest, I am creative person, model, extra, filmmaker and writer who is passionate nearly activism. There were many reasons equally to why I decided to shave my head. It was largely based on my issues with a lack of representation, specifically in the dazzler pageant world.

My Early on Pageant Years

I began competing in beauty pageants at 14 years sometime. I started my journey at a local charity beauty pageant in my hometown in which all the proceeds become to babyhood cancer. From there, 1 thing led to another until just weeks after turning xviii I won the championship "Top Model of Canada" which means the opportunity to represent Canada and compete internationally in 2017. Immediately after being crowned, I thanked the judges and coordinators for the opportunity. Earlier even starting "congratulations" they begin list off things I need to change about myself – including, only not limited to comments about body weight and hair.

Photograph by Chau Tran

These comments immediately struck a nerve. Fortunately at this point in my pageant journey I had the confidence and awareness to separate that their comments weren't directed at me equally a person, they were directed at me every bit their new commodity. However, their comments left me thinking of the hundreds of young girls these same people piece of work with, some of the girls existence as young equally I was when I get-go started. My journey with pageantry and modelling in itself had been riddled with various unhealthy habits. I became fixated on winning a crown, to my younger cocky winning the crown would bring me happiness.

Or so I thought.

I Wasn't Being True to Myself

Before long after entering into these industries I developed an eating disorder, with a want to change myself to embody what they wanted, looking at the girls who they would crown and condign that. Desperately hiding the aspects of my life that weren't pretty enough for a polished beauty queen. I won the crown for that 14 year girl who just wanted to love herself. Multiple crowns. And yet instead of loving myself, I lost myself.

Reclaim, and Rebirth

After winning the Canadian title I began to be chosen a "role model". And it did non sit well with me, who felt undeserving of the label. I couldn't cease thinking of the girls who were less secure with themselves being told the aforementioned things. I did not want anyone looking up to me and thinking their success should be defined by how closely they fit this archaic mold of what beingness a "beautiful woman" is and what it'south like to await practiced. And these beauty standard enforcements go beyond the beauty pageant stage. Why are young black girls getting suspended from school for wearing their protective hairstyles? Why do WOC need to fight so much harder in the workforce, particularly if they practise non suit to western ideals? Why are women being verbally and physically abused, fifty-fifty murdered for expressing their organized religion with a hijab? Why should the children struggling with cancer, the reason I entered my commencement dazzler pageant, non be shown that they can be beautiful and feminine in a gown too? We are more than this toxic, eurocentric version of what beautiful is.

And so I needed to reclaim myself. If not for my 14 year self, I needed to employ my privilege and platform to directly the attention on issues that truly matter.

I shaved my caput iii days before flying to Arab republic of egypt to correspond Canada at Top Model of the Earth. I represented Canada, and did it my way. Here are the before and after pictures:

Left photo past Chau Tran, Right photograph by Magued Youssef

Pinnacle 5 Benefits of Shaving Your Head

Here are some of the benefits of being a shaved head adult female:

#one: Yous Weed Out Superficial People

Fortunately nosotros exist in a gild where we as women can express ourselves by shaving our heads. Even so it'due south still far from the norm, and often times people will let you know if they don't agree with it. The reaction to my statement was very split. There are a handful of people who chose not be in my life anymore after it. Nonetheless, the love overshadowed the absence and I was able to encounter who was in my life to support me and not merely my prototype.

#2: You lot Gain Confidence!

You have no option but to be confident in your raw accurate self. Before, I was able to suit and alter myself to fit into whatever environs I was in (ex; abandoning my "artsy" manner for pageant events and following fashion standards), still when your head is shaved you are forced to show up as you lot are, and beloved it!

#3: Your Features Stand up Out

You really find a new cocky dear for your face when you shave your caput. Suddenly in that location isn't hair and the styling of it distracting from your facial features. Fifty-fifty if you don't believe you have particularly striking features, believe me, they will be with a buzzcut!

#4: You Get Try Out All the Hairstyles Along the Style!

Before shaving my head I never had pilus shorter than my collarbones. I was ever far too afraid of what other people would remember or regretting it. And so I kept my hair long, despite always being curious about shorter hairstyles and bald head girls. Well, at present that I've shaved my caput and grown it out I've had and so much fun experimenting with the extremely curt Jean Seberg pixie cut, as well as the slightly longer Audrey Hepburn pixie cut I always wanted but what too agape to attempt! I've now kept the latter haircut for over six months, and I'm eager to experiment with the bob after growing out the pixie.

Photos by Cricket Guest

#five: Y'all Begin to Rid the Ego

We all accept this rather prominent aspect of our consciousness called the "ego". The ego is something I know very well I am ruled by, but I was ruled by the ego more so whilst I was wrapped up in the dazzler pageant world. To be ruled by the ego is not always to suggest you have an inflated conviction, it can mean the opposite. The ego isn't our truthful selves, merely rather our paradigm of self. Often times nosotros grow obsessed with this imitation image, especially in a earth very driven by ego, with the overflux of advertisements we absorb. Shaving my head assisted me in realizing the unimportance and impermanence of ego. Having long hair was only one aspect of my physical form I relied on to attempt and proceeds self-love. My pilus was long during the entire life considering I thought without information technology I wouldn't be beautiful. However, as I literally stripped myself of that idea in the physical realm past cutting my hair something happen within myself also. I was even so me, despite losing a lot of what had been defined as me for so long.

Should You Shave Your Head?

I believe that if you lot've clicked on the commodity with a spark of a desire to shave your head, and fabricated it this far through the article that it's no coincidence. I'thou non a laic in coincidences. I remember exactly where I was when the universe planted the bulb of an idea in my mind to shave my head to protest dazzler standards. I thought I was crazy. Merely I knew the universe would not plant an thought in my head to damage me. Seeds are only planted to grow. I came out the other end blooming with self love. Take the time to reflect inward and ask if this is a soul desire of yours. And if y'all're waiting for a sign, this is it.

Photograph by Magued Youssef

Dearest yourself at where you lot are, trust that you are where yous need to be, your journeying and your process are beautiful. I am wishing all the readers luck and abundance on their path to self dear and acceptance.

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Source: https://therighthairstyles.com/shaved-head-woman/

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