# Is now the time to make a Drastic Change? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102 "2001-07-28T19:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/1 "2001-07-28T19:39:50Z")
As discussed [before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=64821), I’m thinking about shaving my head. Yes, still thinking about it. But here’s the thing: September 1 will see me in a different job, different location, different co-workers. Is this my chance to forever put daily shampooing behind me? Or would that be wrong to spring on my new manager? (“Hey, where’d the guy we interviewed go?” “Here I am.” “Yikes!”) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/2 "2001-07-29T01:22:28Z")
Well, FWIW, I’d think it would be the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. After all, they didn’t hire you for your hair, did they? If they wanted “hair”, they’d have hired Cameron Diaz. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/3 "2001-07-29T01:26:51Z")
Doea the job involve a lot of customer contact? If they hired you for palatable public consumption, a shaved head may not be the best idea…depends on the job, I woul;d guess. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/4 "2001-07-29T04:11:31Z")
I was going to make some sort of wise, sagelike reply based upon my years both as a punk with tangerine hair and my years as a corporate manager but… You see, I’m currently looking for an underling. And now all I can think about is waiting for Cameron’s resume to come through the fax machine. Now what do I do? Dang! ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/5 "2001-07-29T04:21:01Z")
I think the only thing to be concerned about is finding out about the deformities in your skull. I shaved my head about two weeks ago, and found two grooves in my skull. They’re about four inches long, an inch apart, parallel, and maybe a centimeter deep. It’s not just the skin; the bone is also grooved. I asked my mother if it might have been from forceps when I was born; she said that none was used for my birth. So, I just took a photo (with a low-res digital camera, sadly) and stuffed it [here](http://www.winternet.com/~grzesiak/skull.jpg). The grooves are encircled in red, and you can admire my l33t photoshop skillz. (Erm.) ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/6 "2001-07-29T04:46:02Z")
I don’t know if you’re thinking of it in terms of “Can they fire me or not?” but (IANAL) I have been told that you _can’t_ be sacked because of this kind of thing. This kind of thing being a cosmetic change made after you were hired. Now, I have no idea how true that is. I heard it from a friend in response to my wondering if I could lose my job if I actually pierced my eyebrow, as I was once thinking of doing, or did a particularly freaky dye-job. My guess is along the lines of what **Carina** said, though. With heavy personal contact with customers, your appearance might be a bigger deal than it would otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/7 "2001-07-29T04:51:18Z")
he. Bald guys are hot. (No, I have nothing productive to share. I should be going to bed but I’m too tired.) ---
**Author:** ![National\_Kegger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c4cdca/32.png) [@National\_Kegger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/National_Kegger)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/8 "2001-07-29T09:24:36Z")
I’ve often regretted not taking the opportunity to change. And sometimes I DID make a change, and timed it with a move and really enjoyed the “anonymity” of the timing. I shaved my beard at one move. I hated the look, but didn’t mind stranger seeing me that way, only friends. The new co-workers then didn’t think I was a flake when I started to grow it back- it hadn’t gone and returned, which would require more explaining. I had a perm once, for the Art Garfunkle look, and again was happy I’d timed it at a move. No one commented, and when it slowly softened out no one noticed. Only sharp changes are targets for remarks. I currently wish I had changed my hair color before my current job. Now I will feel obliged to phase in the change (from greying to solid brown) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/9 "2001-07-29T13:15:17Z")
Welcome back to the discussion **Medea’s Child**. I’d talk about my plans to shave my head twice a week if I thought I’d get you to show up every time. BTW, I still have the beard, too. 😉 Alas, **Carina42** hit exactly on what is my underlying fear, that of freaking out patrons. As I mentioned in the first thread, I’m a big white guy (though thanks to a successful weight-loss program in progress, not as big as I was then), and I’m not blind to the fact that “big white head-shaver” says something to some people that I just don’t want to say. Well, I can see I’m left to ponder this some more. Maybe I should wait until I get my novel published and do it right after I cash my first hundred-thousand dollar advance. That’s how it happens, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/10 "2001-07-29T14:12:35Z")
I forgot to add that I like shaved heads on men! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/11 "2001-07-29T14:28:05Z")
I say DO IT, MAN! Of course, I’ve been drinking, so my advice is suspect right now (as if it weren’t when I was sober!)… But anyways, DO IT! I’ve been sort of thinking about doing the same for a while now… think of the savings in shampoo and gel! But **Astrogirl** AKA **SheWhoMUSTbeobeyed** has forbidden it… ☹ I am henpecked… HELP ME!!! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/12 "2001-07-29T15:15:15Z")
And beards? You forgot to mention beards, **Carina42** … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/13 "2001-07-29T16:24:40Z")
[sub]I’m not a big fan of beards…[/sub] They tickle. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-now-the-time-to-make-a-drastic-change/74102/14 "2001-07-29T20:58:49Z")
I did it about a year ago and I have no regrets. I wore a flattop for years (basically from the point of graduating Basic Training in May, 1987 until last year with a few periodic experiments with letting it grow out just a little bit). I always told myself that when my hairline would no longer support a flattop, it was all coming off. Well, last summer, I stater losing it on one side a teeny bit faster than the other. Not so much you’d notice it with any other hairstyle, but it sure stood out with mine. I was also about to move and start a new job so I did it. It was incredibly liberating. It is also pretty easy to care for, except when I don’t shave it at all for a week or two. Just watch the sunburn!