5 Bold Women Who Love Experimenting With Their Hair

“When I was in college, I saw a photograph of the most stunning creature ever! She was Miss India, had competed at the Miss Universe pageant, and then shaved her head for a role in Star Trek. I ain’t no Persis Khambatta, but ever since I saw her photograph, I have wanted to shave my head. In the old days, widows were made to shave their heads, and that’s why it’s considered inauspicious in our culture. My parents subscribed to that school of thought, too, so I put the idea away, thinking I’d do it once I was married. But, as it turned out, my husband was even more against the idea. This lockdown finally gave me a chance to give it a go. ‘A hair-trim experiment gone wrong’ was the perfect excuse! Letting all my hair go has been an act of self-love for me. And anything that makes you feel good also positively impacts your self-esteem. I love how I look right now, and will happily walk into any room with my head held high.”

“My hair is the extension of my spirit. I always strive to tweak and improve my sense of style...and my hair helps me achieve the same with ease. The hairstyles I sport reflect my various moods. So far, the transformations it has gone through include being curled up, made poker straight, coloured in funky shades, and the latest one: cornrows. I got inspired to get cornrows from my dance forte, and the beautiful land of Africa, where it originated. I love the African culture and its vibe. It’s filled with happiness, strength, and positivity...all of which I consistently work towards having in my own life. Like I said, my hair’s an extension of my personality, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s the strongest part of me. Whenever I’m having a good hair day, it charges me with positivity. I do feel one’s hair fuels a certain kind of confidence in you...it adds to the special recipe of being the best version of yourself. Even if there is no occasion, or no-one around, if my hair’s right, I feel like a queen!”

“For most of my life, I have been extremely insecure about my hair. I have really thin hair, and not a lot of it, so I would get anxious when anyone touched it, or got close enough to see my scalp. I tried really hard to make my hair thicker...I couldn’t accept that this was it. It took some time to realise that it’s just hair, and it doesn’t dictate how adequate I am. I believe, once you cut your hair short, it’s hard for you to stop. It was the same for me. After I sported a pixie cut for a year, I began itching to shave my head. A few years ago, I didn’t think I could be bald and feel beautiful. I was too nervous about how people would react... And once I graduated, I started modelling. Entering the industry with short hair meant I’d get less work with Indian brands, so I told myself I’d wait. I finally found the courage to shave my head before the lockdown in March this year. I wanted this to be something I did for myself, without worrying too much about what anyone else thought. I genuinely loved how it felt. I think it helped me create my own perception of myself, without having to ascribe to a certain kind of femininity. In a lot of ways, shaving my head has made me less insecure about my hair. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, ‘Okay, you’re bald. Now what?’. A part of me wanted it to feel like a big deal, but I just felt more comfortable in my skin. It was freeing to love the way I looked and felt. I think I’ve wasted too much time hating myself. And I think when I actively started to reject what I was made to believe for most of my life, I began to feel more like myself.”

“I find Indian women with long, dark hair incredibly attractive...they look like land mermaids. And I admire people who cherish their natural hair colour because I tend not to. The problem arises when one is forced to conform to a certain appearance-type just to be treated with basic respect. Most people I meet outside the artistic or queer community don’t take me seriously because of how I look. I bleach my hair often and this time, my mum cut my hair and helped me colour it. My roots had grown out, and I didn’t have enough hair dye (because of the lockdown), so I just experimented with the leftover purple dye. I am quite happy with the results, as it is something I haven’t tried before. I have struggled with alopecia in the past, and the first time I found a bald spot on my head, I was extremely anxious about it. The hair grew back, and the condition comes and goes, but would I have gotten a buzz cut during that time, making the smooth patch of skin visible to all? No! How we wear our hair is definitely a form of self-expression. And it’s something our species has been doing for centuries—braiding, dying, or refraining from cutting one’s hair to conform to a tribe, rank, or religion. But times have changed. Male-pattern baldness is so common in our society, yet it’s often worse for women...we attach so much value to this cluster of dead cells. I hope some day people, myself included, we are able to move past this and feel beautiful, hair or no hair!”

“I have been privileged enough to be brought up in two extremely different cultures—in Kuwait and in India. When I cut my hair short as a kid, it came as a shock to everyone. But the first time I shaved my head was in 2010. After a shower, I randomly decided to pick up the trimmer and shave off the left side—at that time, no-one was doing it, so it was thrilling. My relationship with my hair is the kind that doesn’t exist these days. It is one of detachment and coexistence—to live in mutual tolerance. I feel every little change liberates us in some way, which we may not see at that precise moment. But we should have the capability to take risks without hesitation. In the initial stages of self-discovery, one can say that one’s confidence is somehow tied to their hair...but then, how long will you depend on your outer shell? You need to reach a stage where you become so confident that even if someone tries to shave your head, and leaves it half way, it shouldn’t affect you—you should be able to pull it off, or work around a new possibility. At least, that’s what I am working towards.”