How and when do we stop caring what others think of us? Our elder says not to rush. You do you when you’re ready.

Dear EWC:

Hello, I have a small dilemma. I want to shave my head, but I can’t stir up the confidence to do so. I am a teenage girl in high school, so the idea of what others think of me is constantly in my head. I have had bright green hair with a pixie cut before, but I just can’t seem to convince myself to ignore my insecurities and do it.
To put it simply, how do I stop caring what others think and just shave my head?

Hildegard responds:

I respect your boldness. You’re going to be one very interesting woman, whatever you decide to do. At your age, it’s normal to be concerned with what other people think. The need to be the same as everyone else is just a phase in human development. Don’t drive yourself to distraction worrying about forcing yourself to shave your head. People do judge one another based on appearance and it’s not easy for anyone, no matter their age, to ignore that. But if it’s not something you can do easily then I suggest maybe you’re not ready to do it. And that’s OK.

If you’ve had a bright green pixie cut before, I’m guessing you’re not overly concerned about what others think. Don’t beat yourself up over this decision. You can always do it later when and if the choice is more obvious to you. In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways to assert your originality. Decide what’s important in your life and be the best at it that you can possibly be. Then it won’t matter whether you have hair or not. After all, it’s not the length of your hair that’s important. It’s all about being confident and comfortable with who you are.

I wish you all the best!

Letter #: 464010
Category: Other