I’m a natural blonde and I’ve always had healthy, long hair. It lightens itself in the summer sunshine, I’ve perfected many variations of the French braid and can loop + tie my hair up with a few bobby pins. It gives my whole look versatility – I can be an unwashed hippy with a buff, a polished professional with a bun or a just a normal happy blonde. About a year and a half ago I mixed things up by adding a wide band of purple/blue/green colors, which was a lot of fun but subtle.

Apparently I was itching to do something a little less subtle. A few weeks ago I audible groaned “gawd, I wish I could just shave my head” when faced with the task of making my hair look presentable for another day in the office. And then it hit me…I suddenly realized there was no reason I couldn’t do just that. Why couldn’t I shave my head?! So…I did, a week later.


These photos were taken exactly one week apart!

The last week of being bald has been pretty incredible for me…and rather entertaining for everyone else. Only a handful of people knew what I had planned so I’ve spent the last week getting double takes. It’s been weird and kind of awesome! The reactions have been hilarious!

A few people have done the simple “wait, what?!” look without saying a word. Others have been incredibly supportive of my streak of crazy. A few have seriously questioned my sanity and purpose. One comment on my first day in the office sans-hair was “well, at least you have a good face” which pretty much made my day! At the dentist the hygienist asked me if she could ask about my hair and we chatted about it for a bit.

Before you aske I pinky promise this was not a completely irrational “Britney Spears went off the deep end” decision – I thought it through, I talked it out and…I am not having razor regret! It turns out not having hair is kind of awesome, in a lot of ways!

- Getting ready for work is so much faster than it used to be! No messing with my hair…just a swipe of mascara and I’m ready to go!
- If I didn’t have legs to shave my showers would literally take 4 minutes. I like showers + hot water so I’m kind of okay with shaving my legs.
- Being bald is…empowering! It sounds silly, but if I can pull this off…well, then maybe I can also do XYZ or ABC. And guess what?! I can!
- My head gets cold…but beanies are fun and I own a lot of them! Maybe too many of them…until now!
- Luckily my head isn’t too oddly shaped and I can stop being self-conscious about my large forehead because it now goes on forever!


super shiny on day one…fuzzy mcgee on day seven

The entire process of growing out my hair will be…interesting, to say the least. Even going from clean-shaven to fuzzy teddy bear was an experience. Everything slid off my head the first day, but by the second day my hair had grown just enough to velcro itself to everything! Putting on a beanie was difficult because my head prickles stuck to it! Even now, over a week later, I still touch my head non-stop!

But I’m not quite ready to grow out my hair, I kind of like it this way! I’ve actually shaved with an electric razor once already. I think I’ll keep it “electric buzz” short for a while. It’s so easy to maintain, it’s fun to have and the random stages of growing it out are not going to go away, I’ll always have that opportunity! Plus, I’m going to have some fun being nearly bald before I have to adjust to the idea of a pixie cut and high maintenance hair styles! So there you have it…what I consider to be my best drastically reversible decision to date!


44 Comments

Laura · January 28, 2021 at 6:49 am

You look GORGEOUS - such an exciting change 🙂

Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table · January 28, 2021 at 8:17 am

This is awesome! Iv’e been threatening since high school to do it… I bet it is really empowering! My little sister did it once and she looked fabulous. You look fabulous too! Cheers!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 9:51 am

    Go for it! You already know you can rock the pixie cut… 😉

    And thank you! I don’t hate the look nearly as much as I feared. I actually kind of love it!

Colorado Gal · January 28, 2021 at 8:41 am

Holy hell! If I hadn’t known this before I see you on Saturday, I may have peed my pants at the trailhead. Just saying 🙂 Way to go you for being so daring!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 9:53 am

    Ha. I was going to hold out but then Chris got me the photos and I just couldn’t wait! 🙂

Brenda @ Don't Lose the Trail · January 28, 2021 at 8:01 am

Wow, you look amazing! I’ve always wanted to do this, but I’m not as brave as you…I don’t think I’ll be taking the plunge any time soon!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 9:49 am

    Thanks! It’s definitely a bit of a commitment and I might hate myself for this when it’s at the super awkward growing out stage, but until then… 🙂

Kier · January 28, 2021 at 9:44 am

You are crazy. And bold. But crazy. 🙂

Terry Miller · January 28, 2021 at 10:19 am

Looks great Heidi. I’d probably have to restrain myself from rubbing it! Hope I get to see you before you grow it back out!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 11:03 am

    Thanks! It feels so weird! I touched it so much in the first week, but I’m getting better now! It’ll be a while before I let it really grow out so your chances are good!

eric · January 28, 2021 at 9:23 am

Holy cow - Bold! Way to own it!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 9:54 am

    Thanks! It’s fun…guys definitely have it easy in the hair department!

Becki @ Bites 'n Brews · January 28, 2021 at 10:39 am

Absolutely crazy, but something I’ve always wanted to do! Brave, beautiful donut lady.

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 11:17 am

    I was going to pop into the brewery just for fun…but alas, the internet had to tell you! 🙂

Lynn · January 28, 2021 at 10:42 am

I love it! It looks great.

Logan @ Mountains and Miles · January 28, 2021 at 10:48 am

Obviously you know I LOVE it. Can’t wait to follow your shiny head down more trails 😉

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 11:21 am

    Thank you! There will be lots of shiny trail running! Summer is going to be fun! 🙂

Heidi @BananaBuzzbomb · January 28, 2021 at 11:58 am

I’ve said I am going to do this for years…yet have not. Some day. So excited for you!

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Hey…you know you can rock the short pixie-like cuts so you’re close to committing! I’ll just keep telling you good things about no-maintenance hair! 🙂

Natalie @ Free Range Human · January 28, 2021 at 12:34 pm

I knew it before, but now it’s official-you are just one of the coolest people I know. Now you absolutely have to come visit me so I can show off my crazy Colorado friend to all these uptight Southerners.

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 12:44 pm

    Haha, careful…that’s a lot of coolness to live up to! I should come visit before Frontier discontinues service to OKC, uptight Southerners sound entertaining!

Beth · January 28, 2021 at 4:23 pm

Wow, you really do have a nice head! =) You can really pull off bald, love the bold new look.

    Heidi Nicole · January 28, 2021 at 5:17 pm

    Ha. Thank you so much! I’m kind of excited to keep it for a while!

Brooke @ wreckingroutine · January 28, 2021 at 7:19 pm

You look beautiful! Very happy and carefree. Love it!

    Heidi Nicole · January 29, 2021 at 9:16 am

    Thank you very much! I like the idea of being carefree! 🙂

GiGi Eats · January 28, 2021 at 10:20 pm

YOU HAVE BALLS!!!!!!!!! OMFG! I am so impressed and you look phenomenal! 😀

    Heidi Nicole · January 29, 2021 at 9:21 am

    Haha! It was a lot more fun to do than I expected it to be! And thank you, so much!

Cassie @ Rural Running Redhead · January 29, 2021 at 9:17 pm

You’re probably the coolest person I know. Seriously. And I can’t believe how good it looks! Don’t forget sunscreen up there on all your sunny trail runs!

    Heidi Nicole · January 29, 2021 at 11:27 pm

    Wow — thank you, so much! Truly, it means a ton!

    I sunscreened before my last long run…and then I wore a hat for 3 hours and sweat it all off. Oops. Luckily there was minimal peeling!

Ron · January 29, 2021 at 10:44 pm

We Wisconsinites are an odd bunch.
I did the same thing a few years back and I’ve continued it and I love it.
it was quite a change but for a guy probably not as extreme as yours was.

    Heidi Nicole · January 29, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    We are weird! And I’m mostly okay with that! 🙂

Heather @ FITaspire · January 31, 2021 at 8:29 am

WOW! I know I’m not brave enough to do this, but I’m impressed you did. So fun & why not?! 🙂

    Heidi Nicole · February 2, 2021 at 9:21 pm

    Thank you! Once I got in my head that it was a good idea there was no turning back. I really love it — awesome for snowboard helmets!

Michelle · February 2, 2021 at 5:06 pm

Well if I didn’t already think you were the cutest before I sure do now. Man, this makes me miss you and wish we could see eachother more often because well, you rock. Love you xoxo

    Heidi Nicole · February 2, 2021 at 9:51 pm

    Aw, thank you!

    And, gah! I know! Especially with SO MUCH change! I’m super pumped for you tho — hello cute toes and spit bubbles! [btw, referring to baby…just in case that needed clarifying!]

Alvin Tay · October 17, 2021 at 4:30 am

Hey,

Just happened to chance upon some of your blog post and I’m quite impressed by the fact that you actually have the guts to shave your head totally skin bald. (Even though it was like more than 1/2 year ago)

In fact, I myself had been wanting to it for quite some time but I’m like afraid how others would judge me and stuffs so it had been holding me back. Anyways, I’m just curious how do you shave it clean and shiny? Thanks 🙂

Regards,
Alvin

    Heidi Nicole · October 17, 2021 at 11:18 am

    Thank you — I wasn’t sure how people would react but then I just decided I didn’t care anymore. People were surprisingly receptive to it and it really changed how I interacted with people when I met them. I became more outgoing, by default.

    I cut it really short with a scissors, then electric razor. After that I got help from a friend to lather it up and shave it with a bic-style razor [same thing I’d use to shave my legs!]. Eventually I learned how to shave it on my own and somehow never cut myself! It’s more grown out now but I may very well go back to bald — I really liked it!

RJ · January 4, 2021 at 1:46 pm

Well, I am a huge fan of LONG hair on women, but I respect your decision. You shouldn’t live your life to please others only.

    Heidi Nicole · January 4, 2021 at 1:47 pm

    Thank you! 🙂 I grew up in a family where long hair was the only option [think, waist length] so this has been a huge change — but the positive affects it has had on my life has been worth it. It’s kind of silly to think hair could change so much, but people definitely treat you differently!

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