I have to say, this post has been long overdue. However, I am finally talking about the reason behind my haircut. Also this post will include my parents' and friends reactions to my haircut. In addition, I will give some personal advice and my overall thoughts about this journey I have embarked on.
Alright let us get started with the most common question I get.
"Morin why did you cut your hair?"
This is going to be more like a written story, so grab your popcorn or pounded yam and stew and keep reading. My journey began with my photoshoots; I haven't spoken much on this but I bulk shot last summer with my sister (who was my photographer), This meant most of my shoots were done back to back and as a result, my hair was in constant manipulation due to trying out different styles to suit each shoot. At this point, I was tired and somewhat frustrated. In addition, I had no energy or time to visit my hairdresser for my usual protective styles i.e braids or cornrows. I have to be honest and say I had been avoiding my hairdresser at the time; because I hadn't visited her shop in over 6 months and I was just maintaining my natural hair myself.
This was due to the fact she was damaging my edges; lawd she really wanted to snatch my damn edges off.
Alright let's jump back to my photoshoots, I was coming to the end of my planned photoshoots; I had 4 outfits left to shoot but my soul was truly tired. To be honest, I think Instagram knew this and kept showing me pictures of beautiful ladies who were bald and rocking it.
Also it was a coincidence that during this period, @alissa.ashley who was also bald at the time announced on Instagram that she will be growing her hair out after a long period of shaving her hair.
Initially I laughed because in the past she has said this; but never seemed to last and shaves it again. She was really rocking the hair cut and she still looks amazing with her braids. In addition, I also followed a blogger @sweetlikeoyin who is a baldie. The next thing you know, I found myself informing my siblings that I will be shaving my hair off; it didn't come as a surprise to them seeing as I am the crazy sibling. The following day, I ended up in a barber shop and requested for all my hair to be gone.
"How did your parents react to your haircut?"
Well, both of my parents were on holiday when I decided to cut my hair. This was going to be a surprise of their life! I am just kidding, it wasn't due to the fact my mother had been cutting her hair since her pregnancy of me. My parents thought I would still be at university when they arrived but you guys should've seen the look on my mum's face when she saw me, she was shocked and looked at me in disbelief but was still smiling.
Her first statement was "You had a really long hair, who helped you cut it?" in which I replied "Your barber".
My mum also shook her head and laughed saying "you also dyed it, I think you should've left it". My mum just rubbed my head saying"you're lucky it suits you"
You might be thinking my dad's reaction would've been so dramatic but here's the thing; at the ages of 5-9 my dad had always cut my hair, This just led me to feel no attachment to hair. My Dad just smiled and said "I love it, you look really good".
"How did friends react and how do other people react?"
To be honest, my friends were just as surprised however complimented on the fact I looked great with my new style. As for other people, I mean I do get occasional stares but not often because I live in such a diverse area that it is almost impossible for you to go a day without seeing a baldie. Also, at my previous workplace there were too many that I couldn't count and boy did they rock the look. As a result, I didn't feel like I was odd or seemingly going through a breakdown phase.
My advice to people who are looking into shaving their hair?
I have to say it takes a lot of confidence to be able to do what I did, for some people they have never thought about shaving their hair and they just know it isn't for them and this is fine. However, if anyone out there is thinking about doing this; I will say go for it due to the fact it is liberating. It might help if you cut your hair gradually to have the experience of having short hair before you jump the gun and go low.
There are always wigs if things do not go as planned; girls, never forget that.
Also I do understand the fact that not everyone's family will be as supportive as mine was, which can be a huge blow to one's self esteem; but if cutting your hair will make you happy then do it. They will get used to it.
How do I feel after 8 months of a shaved hair and do I regret it?
I have to say the feeling of going to my barber every 3 weeks to get my hair cut makes me feel like I have left all negativity behind and embarked on a new set of journey. The feeling is like liberation and peace combined. Shaving my hair has made me realise how much I hid behind my hair and it has also forced me to be more proactive with my skincare routine seeing as my face is now the centre of attention.
My brother is fond of rubbing my head and my sister occasionally taps it; life couldn't get any better with my siblings. Ultimately I don't regret shaving my hair; I don't even see myself with hair for a very long period of time. I do get the occasional "omg I would love to try that braided hairstyle" but this is quite rare.
That's all from me my lovely readers, I hope this has answered all your questions.
In addition to this, make sure you follow me on Instagram for daily updates and I will see you soon.