Hair we go again!

To spell it out for those who haven8217;t figured it out yet, the answer is 8211; THEIR VIEW FROM THE TOP.

We are referring to the clean look8217; 8211; the shaven head, to put it rather crudely. While each has his own specific reason, the consensus is that there really is no need to have a defining hairline to demarcate your face from the top!

Getting down to the specific: Dandruff is what propels many men towards the razor8217;s edge. Interior designer Adarsh Jandial nods his head, saying it was hair problems that saw him take this step but it was his trip to Goa last December that really reinforced his decision. 8220;I saw a whole lot of shaven heads there, and followed suit. Later, when I was told the look suited me, I retained it. However, now I do not have a completely clean look, just very closely cropped hair.8221;

Many hairdressers echo Jandial8217;s no hair no hassles8217; as the motive for guys to take this way out. Manoj Pandit from the The Salon run by Gazelle at Hotel Blue Diamond says, 8220;It8217;s mainly such problems that see men do away with their hair. We even recommend it for some, as you can treat the new hair growth. Then some clearly want to go in for this look, for the sake of the look per se, as it is quite en vogue.8221;

Like Amit Wankhedkar, a BMCC student, for example. 8220;I always keep tabs on what8217;s in and what8217;s not. That8217;s why I got my head completely shaved mid-March, that was the trend. I was bald for quite a while, then let my hair grow. Now, I keep it extremely short, adhering to the style indicated by the fashion barometer.8221;

Not a part of this fashpack is Rustom Kayani aka Ross, the drummer of Agni, for whom shaving his head is his way of letting off steam! 8220;Yes, when I feel there8217;s too much going on inside, I just take off what8217;s on the outside! I feel free. It has nothing to do with cultivating an image, I8217;ve been this way for quite a while,8221; he adds. Then again the other Agni members have long hair, and he and they prefers to be sans strands. 8220;Moreover, it8217;s very convenient, taking into account the amount of travelling we do. It8217;s easier to cool off this way when you8217;re on the road.8221;The equation was very simple for D J Narain, the defence spokesperson in Pune, whose album Aryans8230;the beginning has just hit the stands 8211; it was to balance the long-haired-look that the other members sport. 8220;Now we all gel together, and have created a distinct look for our group.8221;

Once the mind is made up, the rest is simple. Or is it? How do you handle this drastic change in your persona? How do you maintain the hair style that isn8217;t?? How do you deal with others8217; reactions, their comments? And how do you know you want to let it grow back?

8220;I was horrified when I first saw myself. My wife refused to recognise me. But now it8217;s okay. But maintaining it is hard head! work; there8217;s no way escaping regular visits to the saloon,8221; says Narain. For Jandial, it8217;s less work as he prefers a stubble8217;. And his reflection did not jolt him though the change was drastic as he had indulged in extremes before 8211; long hair tied in a ponytail! 8220;When I returned from Goa, there were diverse reactions from How cool8217; to Yuck!8217; Initially, I felt uncomfortable, but not really weird. My parents thought otherwise though. Friends, on the other hand, convinced me about it. And now I feel much better. Maybe I8217;ll grow it again 8211; I like changes.8221;

That8217;s the key word 8211; change, and hairstylist Sheela Sushil feels that8217;s one of the primary reasons. Narain8217;s admission that he enjoys being different is echoed by quite a few. Pandit even adds that people try different wigs, and wearing chunky accessories really goes with the bald look 8211; hip and different! Considering the exposed skin8217;s sensitivity to heat, caps, hats and bandanas occupy lots of space in their wardrobes.

8220;There are times when people do poke fun,8221; says Ross, 8220;but if they make direct comments, they just get it back.8221; Wankhedkar rues that people even ask if there8217;s been some tragedy in the family, adding that some friends also compared him to an upturned pot! And the most common query is whether these guys have just come from Tirupathi? And whether their shaven heads have a religious connotation?

But they haven8217;t. And they don8217;t. What they have is what they want, and what they want is to do their own thing. Got that into your head?!