Our society is obsessed with appearances. Sayings like “It’s the first impression that counts” or “It was love at first sight”, are hardly based on personality. Many people associate their personal pride and beauty with their hair. If that’s so, have you ever wondered why completely shaving one’s hair is often practiced in society in one form or another?
In this day and age, we tend to go the extra length to improve the look and feel of our hair. Women with straight hair want to curl it, those with curly hair spend ages straightening it. Men wear toupees to cover bald patches. Both men and women dye their hair to hide the signs of ageing. If I have a dollar for every woman who complained to me that their hair has gone “flat”, or asked to use my brush for the fifth time in one night, I won’t be rich but definitely well off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as vain as the rest of them. The amount of money spent on my hair each year will pay for a weekend holiday in Europe.
You are more likely to spend more time thinking about what your hair looks like than on what you will have for dinner. It is not surprising then that shaving heads is a practice used as a sign of religious devotion or humility. (more…)