Head shaving
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
Head shaving is the practice of shaving the hair from a person's head, either completely or nearly.
Head shaving can be performed by most standard razors or electric hair clippers. Several companies produce razors designed specifically for head shaving. Because it is generally hard to shave long pieces of hair, people with longer hair cut their hair short using scissors before shaving it. Incidents of cutting one's scalp with a razor blade are common, but generally are avoidable if precautions are taken. Using an electric shaver generally results in fewer cuts.
Head shaving has been done for practical, religious, cultural, or aesthetic reasons. Practical reasons include work safety or comfort, lice prevention, grooming simplicity and preparation for surgery. Competitive swimmers will sometimes shave their heads to reduce drag while swimming. Cultural reasons may include an emphasis on conformity and solidarity as identical haircuts can make diverse crowds look very similar, or as part of hazing rituals. Many Buddhists, Hajj pilgrims, skinheads and Vaisnavas, especially members of the Hare Krishna movement, shave their heads.