For my husband or my sister, definitely. My husband would take things in stride, but think my sister would be upset about losing her hair, so I would definitely do it with her.
My parents would likely tell me I was just being silly if one of them lost their hair due to chemo.
I’d do it for some of my friends as well, but I doubt any of them would ask me. I’d still at least consider it, if I thought it would help.
I’ve most often heard about it with kids who have cancer and are undergoing chemo; imagine being 15 years old and on top of all the other crap suddenly you are showing up to school bald and random idiots laugh at you because of it. So a whole bunch of your friends shave their heads as well and now you don’t stick out. For a child I can really see how it would make a big difference emotionally.
Would I do it for a friend or relative? Absolutely! My hair started to thin when I was in my 20s and I now keep it buzzed to a nice neat 1/4" so going down to the skin wouldn’t be a big deal anyhow. Knowing that I was doing it to help someone through chemo would make it a very simple decision.
I have wanted to several times, but my husband would be horrified (and it’s not a hill I want to die on). So my friends and I knit and crochet a lot of hats and scarves instead…
But I think it would be an awesome thing to do (and I would love to see what I look like bald). I would color it and shave it into a Mohawk first, too- that’s what my friend Mary Jane did when the treatments started to take her hair.
I know some guys who did it, and wore t-shirts explaining why they were bald. It encouraged questions and opened discussions, even with strangers, which I thought was great.
I agree, and I say this as someone who did lose her hair due to chemo (and is in the USA). Back then, if someone showed up with a newly-shaved head and said they did it for me, my reaction would have been like: “Uhm, okay? What’s this supposed to do?”
I mean, I’d be touched that they’re trying to support me, but it wouldn’t have actually make losing my hair feel better. I’d still be bald (and scraggly, which is an effect you can’t reproduce with a shaver). Plus, if I knew the person was attached to her hair, I’d feel bad that she felt it necessary to do so, since it really wasn’t, for me. Now she has to spend 2-3 years growing her hair back from nothing, which is a real pain in the ass, believe me. There’s a period of about 6-8 months when it just looks awful and you just can’t really shape it into either a “short” style or a “long” one.
And remember, it’s not just the head, either. I lost my eyebrows, my leg hair, my pit hair, and ahem pretty much everything else, too. (And unless you’re a “Very Special Friend” I really don’t need to hear about your shaving all of that, too.)
So I guess my answer to the question is “no” since, having been there, I don’t see that it actually accomplishes anything. Volunteering to come over and clean/make dinner/keep them company would do/mean more.
I’ve had everything from a buzz to a ponytail between my shoulderblades. No mullets though. So cue ball would pose no problem at all.
But certainly not without discussing it with the person I was doing it for, no matter who brought it up.
I would, but not without discussing it with the sick person first. I’d want to make sure it was an actual act of solidarity (or fun, fun would work too - one big hurrah! day at the spa culminating in clippers for all?), and not an attention grab on my part.
I’d also use it as a solicitation tool:
“OMG! You shaved your head!”
“Yeah, Beth’s got cancer, and it seemed the least I could do.”
“Oh man, that sucks. Anything I can do…”
“Great! Can I put you down for a frozen meal next Thursday, or would you like to do a couple loads of laundry?”
I hate that I’m so shallow, but no.
I’d do it if it wasn’t for what happened to my brother: he shaved his head when he was a teen, and his straight, fine, blonde hair grew back coarse, wavy and brown. I have no idea why this is so, or if it happens to other people but it’s been about 12+ years and his hair is still, for lack of a better word, ruined.
Living with the baldness for the few weeks it lasted would be a laugh, I wouldn’t mind that at all. It’s the fear of causing a permanent change to my hair that freaks me out.
ETA: World’s Greatest Shave raises money for the Leukaemia Foundation, so it could be done as more than just an empty gesture.
Half the guys I worked with in the navy would shave their heads the first day out to sea if it was going to be 2 weeks or more… A shaved head is just so simple to maintain, and in that situation at least, you’re not really going to be chasing any women.
I personally don’t even get haircuts anymore, I just shave my head every 2 or 3 months… whenever the hair gets long enough to be annoying.
I’ve been thinking about this question myself, as I volunteer every so often w/ kids, and one of the things I learned about was the St. Baldrick’s foundation…
And I REALLY love my hair, but I’m thinking about doing this, but I’m not sure if I should or would or not, I’ve never shaved my head, and I don’t think it’s a good “look” for me, but that’s not the point. We’ll see if I go through with it or not, but I guess I’d put myself down in the “Yes, if they asked me to do it.” and we’ll see about the w/o prompting part (though this one is for charity and all).
I probably would if someone really close to me asked it. Hell, it’d be an easy way to quit coloring…no “roots” growing in a different color than the rest…
I would do it if someone I cared about asked me to. I would do it if my SO (if I had one) was going through it and I felt that she would appreciate the support.
I would suggest taking up a collection for a wig fund first.
I would absolutely shave my head for a family member or close friend, but wouldn’t do it unless they ask.
FTR, I suffer from male pattern baldness. I have been losing my hair since my mid 20s. I have never attempted to cover up my head or use Rogaine (or similar). Grass grows better with manure in the soil.
No, it isn’t. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this.
If someone I really cared about really wanted me to, I’d do it. It’s only hair. But it does seem kind of weird.
I’d be willing to do it, but I’ve already lost enough hair that the gesture would essentially be meaningless.
I wouldn’t say it’s common, but it’s not unheard of. (Nothing personal, Kyla.) For example, once in a while you’ll see an item on the news about a school basketball team where one player lost his hair to chemotherapy, and then the rest of the players shave their heads as a show of support. For the patients I think it makes the hair loss seem like less of a big deal.
I also think that most of the time it’s males who do it. 
Their hair can be nearly grown back by the time the chemo is over and the patient’s hair starts growing back in. Women are more likely to donate hair to a Locks for Love-type charity. Call it a pre-emptive show of support.
I’m also a nasty person because my first thought was that my friend with cancer would probably get a really nice wig, and I’d be stuck with scarves for months.
If enough of us say: “Attack from the Third Dimension”, maybe we can get him to come here and tell his funny head-shaving story. There is no link I can give you because he told it to me in person.
Depending on who.
My wife or grandkids asked and I thought it would help them, in less than a minute.