Answers to your nosy questions about my buzz-cut

Story | Hannah Davis

I have a buzzed head. I am a woman. Here are some questions I have been asked as a woman with a buzzed head. Some of them are more invasive than others, but all of them are nosy and prying.

My intent in writing this is to relay my own thoughts on these particular questions as well as to remind others that a question which may appear harmless, can do unseen damage, or simply may make another person uncomfortable. So in the hopes that this will lessen the chance of these occurrences in the future, I am answering these questions for you, so you don’t ask a woman, or femme presenting individual, about their own shaved head.

1. Do you miss having long hair?

Not really. Do I miss being able to style it? Sure. Do I miss having to deal with wind-blown hair or the tangles that come with it? Absolutely not.

2. Do you shave it yourself?

I do! Occasionally, others want to help me buzz it, which can be a fun bonding experience. However, most of the time I take care of it myself.

3. Are you transitioning?

You should never assume a person’s gender based on appearance. I feel more in touch with my femininity with a buzzed head, however I know others who prefer this look because it makes them feel more in touch with their masculinity. Whatever the reason, in no instance should you risk making another person feel uncomfortable or potentially outing them merely for the sake of curiosity.

4. Will you ever grow it out?

Undecided. Right now, I am loving my buzzed head. It’s been this length for two and a half years and will probably stay many more.

5. Do you regret it?

Absolutely not. The word regret is tinged with guilt and the feeling of having done something wrong. I am so glad I took the plunge. I feel more confident and happy with myself than I ever have before.

6. Is there extra care involved?

There can be. Before buzzing my head I never worried about a dry scalp. Now, it’s prevalent. My scalp is much more exposed than it was with longer hair. I first shaved my head during a harsh January winter. Tip: use shea butter to keep it moisturized.

7. Why did you do it?

This has got to be the most common question I get asked. To put it simply, it was because I wanted to. I even created a ​short documentary​ to let people know more about what this process looked like for me and my original reasons for deciding to shave my head the very first time.

8. Are you sick?

In case it were not obvious, this is not something you should go around asking every single person you see with a shaved head. Just think to yourself, what if they were actually sick and you just singled them out? You would feel like an a**hole. Don’t be an a**hole. Also a person does not need to be sick in order to shave their head.

9.Do people really ask you these questions?

All of these questions are based on real experiences I have had. Some were asked by family and friends, while others were asked by complete strangers. For me, there is a range of acceptable questions to ask, but that will vary from person to person. Bottom line, if you don’t know someone very well​— ​don’t ask. Shaving one’s head can be an extremely intimate decision, and what you think is a simple question, can feel like grilling.

10. Is your head cold?

Yes. Yes it is.