Is A Shaved Head Professional? A Complete Guide With Pics

Style choices in the workplace can be tricky. Hairstyles are no different. But what about baldness? Does a shaved head look professional?

A shaved head often looks professional when it’s neatly finished and combined with work-appropriate attire. Avoiding facial accessories is also usually a good idea when trying to keep the shaved head looking acceptable. 

So, in order to make it work – there are some general rules and principles to follow. 

Let’s discuss them in more detail. 

4 Ways To Make A Shaved Head Look Professional 

Bear these in mind and you can’t go too far wrong. 

Although every workplace is different and you should always consider the specific dress code you’re working with, these factors should see you through most of them. 

1. Shave Or Trim It To Perfection

The neater the finish, the more professional it’ll look. 

This is probably the most important factor. An uneven finish with missed patches of stubble isn’t appealing. 

You’ve got two main options. 

One is simply using a pair of hair clippers with no attachments to trim an extremely short buzz cut. 

The buzz cut with no guard will usually trim down to around 0.4mm, depending on the specific size of the blade. 

While this is technically “trimmed” as opposed to fully shaved, it’ll probably give you a close enough cut. 

Using a clipper is going to be quicker than using a razor (even an electric one). Plus, when you’re trimming as opposed to shaving, you’ll most likely find that you’ll do it less often. 

You can leave a bit more time in between trims because you aren’t aiming for a fully clean shave every day. 

Considering the fact that you’ll probably want a consistent look when you’re going to work, the fewer the necessary trims – the better. You’re more likely to stick with trimming than you would be with regularly shaving all the way down. 

Using a clipper is also more comfortable than shaving right down to the skin with a razor, although the finish won’t close. 

Plus, you’ll usually be left with less soreness and irritation when compared to using a razor. 

You’ll still be left with very short stubble. Most men won’t mind this, considering it’s usually barely noticeable. 

But if you did want a very clean finish (no stubble), you’ll need to shave. 

The quickest and most popular option would be an electric shaver, although some men do prefer the longer and more meditative experience of using a cartridge or safety razor. 

Either way, given the fact that shaving cuts closer to the skin than trimming with a clipper does, you’ll be left with a little more soreness. 

A sore scalp doesn’t look professional and can be noticeable, so you’ll want to make sure you’re using a well-maintained razor without dull blades. 

You’ll also want to make sure you’re moisturizing properly afterward as well. 

But whether you’re trimming down or shaving down, you’ll want a tidy and even finish. 

No missed patches. 

That’s the key to making the shaved (or trimmed) head look professional in almost any instance you can think of. 

2. Avoid Accessories 

Men’s accessories definitely have their place, but it’s important to be tactful about when and where they should be worn. 

When you’ve chosen a shaved head for work, you want to keep things as simple as possible. 

A fully shaved head is likely to turn heads and draw at least a little bit of attention. 

Ultimately, style choices that get attention at work are the most likely to be considered unprofessional. 

While a shaved head on its own will probably be absolutely fine, you don’t want to wear anything that’ll draw even more attention. 

Examples include earrings, nose rings, chains, and other eye-catching accessories. 

Employers don’t want their workers wearing distracting accessories and items of clothing and being more concerned about style than the actual work itself. 

So, you have to be more cautious. 

It does partly depend on the workplace – some are likely to have much stricter dress codes than others. 

For example, there’s a good chance that corporate offices and settings may not take too kindly to such accessories. 

But when you’ve got a shaved head, you’ve got to be even more careful. Keep things as simple as possible – let the fully shaved head be the most attention-grabbing thing you’ve got. 

Nothing else.

If that’s all there is, you’ll probably be fine in any workplace setting. 

3. Groom The Beard 

First things first – if your work doesn’t allow you to even grow a beard, ignore this. There are some professions that straight up forbid beards for the sake of safety (eg. where protective face wear is necessary). 

But if you can grow a beard, strongly consider growing one as they often complement a shaved head extremely well. 

The reason for this is that a shaved head can often make the face look rounder and shorter than before. 

This is because you no longer have hair on top to add length or height to the face. 

To combat this problem, consider growing a beard. What this will do is add length to the face from the bottom end. 

It’ll give more structure, shape, and definition to the face. It’ll add balance to the roundness of the shaved head. 

You don’t necessarily need a long or even a medium-length beard to pull this off. 

In fact, beards of this length are often riskier when it comes to keeping things professional. They require more grooming and are tougher to keep tidy in the workplace. 

Even a heavy stubble beard or a short beard (less than 12mm long) is enough to add balance and just a small amount of length to the bottom half of the face. 

But it’s crucially important to maintain it, no matter how short it is. 

A poorly groomed beard will never look professional and will end up causing you more trouble. 

But a regularly trimmed, well-shaped beard can really go well together with a shaved head. 

4. The Clothes Make The Man 

No matter how glorious that shaved head looks or how well-groomed that beard is, if the clothes you wear don’t ooze professionalism – it’s all for nothing. 

While it’s definitely possible to pull off a shaved head in the workplace, it’s no secret that they sometimes don’t get the best of reputations. 

Although a lot of men pull it off with grace and subtle masculinity, some shaved heads do come across as more intimidating. 

One way of ensuring you always come across as looking appropriate for work regardless of whether you’ve got a shaved head or not is to dress the part. 

If you’ve got any concerns over how your shaved head may be perceived in your work setting, be extra cautious with your attire. 

Be more conservative and edge toward the more formal end of the spectrum if you want to play it safe. 

Don’t overdo it – wearing a full suit won’t be appropriate in every context. 

But just aim to be one of the sharpest dressed men in your workplace. Pay attention to color matching and ensuring everything is fitting. 

You don’t need to spend a lot to do this. Fit and color matching matter a whole lot more than the price tag or the brand. 

But anyway, before we get carried away here – let’s move on. 

3 Benefits Of Shaved Heads For Professionals

If you feel as though a shaved head may be worth trying out in your workplace, here are some benefits you may not have thought of. 

1. It’s More Impressive

If you’re a balding man, a fully shaved head will often look more impressive than the bald on top with hair on the sides look that you may be drifting toward. 

Even men that are simply receding may want to try out the intensely liberating experience of a short buzz cut or shaved head. 

Buzz cuts are great for men with receding hairlines. Click here to learn more about this. 

The concept of head-shaving oozes confidence. It’s the ultimate form of accepting baldness and embracing it emphatically. 

No more hiding it. 

This speaks volumes. It says something to employers and colleagues. You’re confident, you look after yourself, and you aren’t too self-conscious. 

If you use the tips listed earlier in this article to make sure you pull it off in the best way possible, it really does have its benefits. 

2. The Morning Routine Is Simple 

Setting aside the time required to shave or buzz the hair down, your grooming routine is actually pretty simple. 

Washing and drying that smooth dome is going to be a piece of cake. After this, you don’t have to spend any time styling hair. 

In the mornings before you head off to work, you can focus all of your time and attention on dressing impeccably and grooming that beard (if you’ve got one). 

This ease of maintenance is incredibly appealing to some men, especially those that are often in a hurry in the mornings. 

Again, you’ll need to factor in the time to actually trim down or shave the head in the first place. But there’s a good chance you won’t be doing this in the mornings before work in any case. 

In the mornings, you’ll probably just be washing, drying, and moisturizing it. 

That’s it. 

Overall, I’d say that was a win. 

3. It’s Unlikely To Conflict With Dress Codes 

Let’s face it. It’s highly unlikely that a work dress code is going to explicitly say “no shaved heads”. 

The stricter dress codes may mention something specific about hairstyles. But shaved heads? 

Unlikely. 

At the end of the day, there’s nothing truly unprofessional about shaved heads. They’re really just too plain and simple to be considered “unprofessional”. 

That doesn’t mean that some of them don’t look more professional than others, as I explained using the tips earlier in this article. 

But it’s just unlikely that a shaved head will conflict with a specific rule stated in a dress code. 

Don’t take my word for it though – find out for yourself. There are literally millions of workplaces out there and each of them will have its own rules and regulations. 

But overall, a shaved head is unlikely to cause much trouble. 

Is A Shaved Head OK For An Interview? 

A shaved head with a tidy finish, complemented by appropriate professional clothing and ideally minimal facial accessories should be fine for an interview. Consider the strictness of the dress code in the workplace you’re applying to work in and craft the overall look accordingly. 

But overall, a shaved head is unlikely to cause any trouble in an interview. 

In fact, as I explained earlier, it can often portray self-confidence and a lack of self-consciousness. 

That’s appealing in many ways. 

It’s the other aspects of the look that could let you down – mainly, the clothing. 

It can be tough to gauge what’s “appropriate” for an interview given the fact that you haven’t worked for them yet. You may not actually know what people who work there actually wear. 

Corporate settings will usually require a suit and tie – always lean toward the more formal end of the spectrum. 

If you simply aren’t sure, it’s worth trying to get some information from people that work there. Also, check out their website to get a glimpse of how they dress. 

But a well-maintained shaved head shouldn’t be the sole cause of trouble in an interview. 

Conclusion 

There you have it. 

The shaved life may not be for everyone, but many who try it never choose to go back. 

Choosing to rock it in the workplace may be daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Hopefully, the tips in this article should see you through. 

Enjoy.