How to Shave Your Head: A Guide to Starting Over

Maybe Britney Spears had the right idea: we should start over fresh and clean. Britney shaving her head seems a bit symbolic of just letting everything go that people focus on so they can see the real you. She's not the first sex symbol to do it; Demi's done it once and so has Natalie Portman.

But can you? If you get the inkling and bravado to just do a complete start-over with your do, don't just grab any set of clippers and go to town. You'll have to cut off all the long parts with scissors first if you have lengthy hair like past your shoulders. Get yourself a good sized bathroom with a good mirror, follow the next steps and you can get your Si'nead-on!

1) Get some quality supplies and maintain them. Wahl is a pretty good brand that is fairly quiet. A good clipper kit will have all the necessary guards plus oil, a comb, and a miniature brush. A quality shaver will also have one of those adjustable levels that let you move the blade closer and farther within the guard. Dropping 40 bucks for a good set may seem like a lot at first, but if you prefer your close shave cut, you'll save more money in the end. Make sure you brush and oil your clippers every time you use them, or you'll start to lose your hearing from the loud vibration in your clippers. You'll also need a hand mirror, preferably a square-shaped one at least 6 inches long and can be easily held by one hand. I also recommend some cocoa butter for moisturizing your scalp afterwards.

2) Get the right environment. A bathroom is best. You'll need some good lighting (like a vanity mirror with exposed bulbs or fluorescent lighting) and a large

enough mirror. I also recommend three towels: one for your shoulders, one for the sink, and one for the floor for easier clean up. Also build yourself some time. Start to finish the first time around could take an hour (including clean up). Once you start maintaing the new 'do, it can be done in 15 minutes.

3) Comb all your hair out and start on the sides. Start by picking a fairly high guard like 3/8 inch if your hair is that thick. Move the level adjustor (if there is one on the shaver) all the way out. Start with the side of your head and use almost a slow, scooping motion from the top of the ear line to the top of the side of your head. Start from the side closest to your eye and work your way back until you reach the last part of your head you can see from a profile. Do the opposite side the same way. Finally, start shaving the rest from the back of your head forward. If you feel like you did that fairly well, then drop down another guard size to ¼ inch and follow the same pattern- sides first, then back to front. You'll typically have just a little more hair on top than the sides.

4) This part gets tricky. First, brush all the loose hair off your head. With your non-shaving hand, grab your hand mirror and turn around so that the back of your head is facing the main mirror. Use the hand mirror to find those spots that you missed to make it an even cut and shave accordingly. Don't forget to tilt the hand mirror up so you can see the top of your head. Most times you'll have to go over each spot twice to catch all the hairs.

5) Rinse your head out in the sink and see what's left. If you've gotten brave and want to pull a Brittney, take off the guard, pull the adjustor level all the way in, and shave the rest of your head. You should have a head of 1/16 hairs now. Rinse your head again and put on the cocoa butter. Trust me, it feels really nice. You now have a low-maintenance hairstyle!