…even if you didn’t want to?
If someone dear to you had cancer and was going to lose his/her hair, would you shave your head:
If they asked you to?
Without prompting?
Even if you really didn’t want to do it?
I’m a girl, and the only person I would even consider it for would be my SO. Who would be positively appalled and horrified if I shaved my head for him.
Besides, it would take a lot for me to shave it anyway. I love my hair, but didn’t always, and now it’s an appalling thought.
To say the truth, I can’t see the point of shaving your head in solidarity. I can’t see how it makes things any better.
My first thought was “Of course I would! It’s just hair.”
I’m not sure it is that simple though. I have long hair for a reason. My partner wouldn’t like it, and it would embarrass the hell out of my teenager, so that part’s a draw.
I think I would offer to solidarity shave, for a best girlfriend or immediate relative. It might be hard getting the boyfriend on board, but I’d like to think I’d make the effort.
A good friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and lost her hair due to chemo. I considered it for a moment but decided against it as it seemed to be a rather “oh look at me” gesture and a bit silly.
I would in a heartbeat, but I’ve done it for fashion reasons alone and would do so again.
At another time in my life, probably not.
Yes. If it was a gesture that would make what my friend was going through even a little easier, out comes the buzzer.
Without prompting - from a third party, another family member or someone? Absolutely. Without finding out whether it was what the person in treatment wanted, no. I wouldn’t assume and would try to be as sure as possible that she would see it as a gesture of support, not something awkward or humiliating. But if I had a green light from her, bye bye hair!
Even if I didn’t want to do it - hell yeah. I have an unappealing skin condition that is worst on my scalp. Me with a shaved head would probably scare children. And it still wouldn’t matter because if someone important to me is fighting cancer I would do anything I could to help her, especially something as temporary and cosmetic (to me) as shaving my head.
Hair grows back and the emotional boost to someone fighting a disease who knows that his family is behind him all the way? Way more important.
I’m a guy (duh) and keep my hair really short anyway, but this summer when the local police had a fundraiser that involved raising funds for Leukemia, I shaved mine. Inside of two weeks it looked normal again, but it was neat to do.
(You might know I’ve got this going on in real life, so I had to think about this a few months ago.) I think I would’ve done it, if asked. I have short hair anyway and I’ve shaved my head before, so I wouldn’t feel like an alien.
Definitely not, because the person might not want it, and then I’m not helping.*
No.
*Another recent thread on this topic, so you can see some more opinions.
Male with decently shaped melon. I did this when my nephew was diagnosed with ALL in 2006. While it did draw some attention to me, those instances can easily be transformed into “teachable moments”. He hated it at first when he lost his hair.
RIP Austin
I would if someone close to me asked me to. And I would like to do it! But I don’t think anyone would ask.
Doubtful because I look really bad with no hair. I would cut it shorter than usual though.
Sure. 
About a year ago one of my co-workers was diagnosed with an arterio-venus malformation in the her brain. She was going to be out for six weeks and have surgery to correct it.
I launched a no-pressure, do it if you want to head shaving drive at the office. About 8 out of 30 of us, all males but with varying hair, took part.
We took pictures and emailed them to her husband the day before surgery. She howled with laughter and it was a real mood brightener for her.
Of course, it turns out that they didn’t shave her head for the surgery, just a small patch that was obscured by the rest of her hair.
That’s awful; you have my condolences. 
It would be hard – I’m a woman with long hair, and while I’m not generally happy with my physical features, I am proud of my beautiful hair. I have terrible nightmares about looking in the mirror to discover that my hair is falling out. That said, I would do it if asked. It will grow back, and my dealing with not having hair would be nothing compared to my friend/relative battling cancer. I’m sure my boyfriend wouldn’t like it, but I’m also sure he’d understand and be supportive.
No. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to do so, before I read this thread. Then again, my friend and I could have fun picking out wigs together, and it might be an opportunity to finally get rid of this damn dandruff. So… maybe, but not without talking to my friend first.
Well, yes. (See question 1.) The only circumstance I can think of where my desire to keep my hair would override my desire to support someone close to me who had cancer, would be if I was getting married within the next few months.
I would do it with one of my children.
I don’t know if I’d do it, but it seems to me that shaving your head when you don’t want to is kind of the opposite of solidarity.
The only person who is close enough for me to show that sort of “Solidarity” is my husband, and he loves stroking my hair when he’s feeling down or poorly (and I love him doing it), so that’d be a big ole’ no, because I don’t think he’d get the same joy from stroking my stubbly, kinda lumpy, scalp.
I’d do it in a heartbeat if anyone I was close to asked me - relative or friend.
Doing it on my own, as a show of support…I’d only do it for female friends or relatives. I don’t think any of the guys would care. But I think the women in my life would be pretty upset if they lost my hair and would find it kind if I lost mine too.
Ok, reading this thread, I assume shaving one’s head in solidarity for a cancer patient is a relatively common concept in the USA?
Just seemed a completely weird idea to me.