I Have Alopecia: Should I Shave My Head?

If you have alopecia, shaving your head might be something that you have considered. In this post, we’ll take a look at why some people choose to shave and how you might go about shaving to make the experience less upsetting, or even fun.

Should I Shave My Head?

There is no wrong answer to this question – choosing whether or not to shave your head with alopecia areata is a deeply personal decision. There are many videos online of people who have had a positive experience with shaving their head but for other people, it can be upsetting or traumatic.

The important thing is that you feel comfortable and do whatever feels the best for you, and that you don’t feel pressured or rushed into choosing. For more information on how to decide if you should shave your head, please check out our blog.

Why Do Some People with Alopecia Areata Shave Their Heads?

There are many different reasons that people might choose to shave their head. Some include:

Going through hair loss can make you feel vulnerable, or like you’re at the mercy of your hair follicles. Some people with alopecia find that shaving their head allows them to feel like they are back in control of their body and helps boost their confidence.

Few types of alopecia involve losing all of the hair over your head at the same time – instead, many will lead to thinning or patchy loss across different areas of the head. This can be difficult to deal with, so for alopecia areata, shaving your head is a way of keeping everything short and uniform.

Some people might find that when they notice hair loss starting, they would rather get it all over with at once rather than letting it fall out by itself over time. Where it can be upsetting to see hair on your pillow when you wake up, or pulling out clumps of hair in the shower, shaving at the start of hair loss avoids dragging it out.

When dealing with patchy or thin hair, styling it can become a chore, especially if you’re trying to disguise the hair loss. Shaving eliminates the need for that, and if you still want to have long hair or try out different looks, you can always use wigs to have any hairstyle you want!

Check out our guide to changing your wig style with confidence for inspiration.

Make Shaving Your Head Positive

Every experience of hair loss and the decision to shave or not is different. Some people find the experience empowering, while others find it very difficult. It’s important to know that there is no ‘wrong’ reaction to hair loss, and no definitive answer on how to deal with it.

However, if you do decide to shave your head, here a few options of different ways to make it work for you.

Keep it intimate

For some people with alopecia, shaving their head is a deeply personal or upsetting thing. If that’s the case, you might prefer to keep your shave intimate.

This might mean having just one or two people with you when you do it and focusing on self-care – for example, you might invite a friend over for the evening, do a face mask together, eat fancy chocolates, have them help you shave, and then share a bottle of wine. They’ll be there for you if you’re upset or want to have a cry, and they can help lift you up or make you laugh too.

Do something crazy first!

Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to try on your hair but been too worried about how it might turn out? One way to keep your shave positive is to try something new first, like dying it a bright colour or seeing how a daring new cut looks. You could even pick up some props and do a crazy-hair photoshoot!

This option is great if you want to keep it light-hearted and have some fun.

Raise money for charity

If you have alopecia and decide to shave your head, you might want to make a fundraising event of it. There are endless ways to organise this – you might do the shave in public, or even let people donate to shave a bit of your hair! 

This option allows you to be surrounded by people who love and support you and raise some money for a good cause, too.

Additionally, if you don’t want people to know about your hair loss, you can tell people that you’re just doing it for charity. And, even better, if you do a public sponsored shave, then you won’t have to have answer all those awkward questions about your hair.

Make a keepsake

For many people, losing your hair can be a kind of grief, so you might like to snip some off for a keepsake. There are lots of independent craft businesses online that will be able to add your hair into some jewellery, like a necklace or ring, so that you can keep it with you.

Things to be aware of:

Even if you have alopecia, shaving your head is not the best option for everyone. However, for those who decide to go for the shave, it can be an empowering experience and help you feel more in tune with your body. It isn’t a decision you have make immediately; many people consider shaving for a long time before they feel comfortable doing it, and that’s okay, too!

Whether you’ve shaved your head or not, if you’re looking for a new style, Simply Wigs can help you find it. Check out our vast collection of ladies’ wigs, or check out We, That Wear Wigs on our blog to see other customers’ experiences of hair loss and wig-wearing.