I’m shaving my hair this month for the World’s Greatest Shave (a charity organization), and I have no idea about what to do when it grows back. I think I want to keep it short for a while but don’t know how to do that without it turning into a fuzzball. Could you give me some tips or ideas for how to style it? Thanks heaps! —Clare, 17, Australia

Hey, Clare! Good for you for supporting what you believe in—it takes guts! I shaved my head pretty short back in October, and it looked like this:

I dyed it blonde and have since been letting it grow. I can confirm that sometimes when I don’t care enough to do anything like “style” it, my hair can look a little like a troll doll’s (but that’s mostly due to the fact that I fried it with bleach, oops!). With a little product, though, I can tame it into looking something like this:

Not too bad!

If “fuzzball” is a look you’re hoping to avoid, I’d recommend that you consider two things: Regular visits to a barber/hairdresser/friend with steady hands for trims, and lots of hair product.

After shaving your head, your hair will probably grow out in an even length, more or less. Without trims, you could end up with a style such as “bowl cut in the front and mullet in the back,” which is the charming state my own hair assumes after a few weeks of growth. I’d suggest keeping the stuff on the sides and back of your head shorter, and letting the top go wild as it gains some length.

In the meantime, products can help you mold your hair into the shape you want. I use different ones, depending on what’s around, but I usually come back to this sculpting paste, as well as this repairing hair oil to help keep hairs from splitting or breaking.

Everyone’s hair reacts differently to different products, of course, but as a short-haired person I’m pretty loyal to the got2b line in general because their stuff is heavy-duty enough to really move my hair around, but not so heavy that it makes my head sweat. Their products can also help you diversify your short-style portfolio, including old-school punk spikes, slicked locks, Trevor Powers–style curls or a thick pompadour. The choice is yours!

I hope this helps you out, and good luck! You are going to look killer! ♦

Hey there, stunners! Want a second opinion on any grooming/non-grooming pros/cons you’ve been considering? Send them our way! Email [email protected] with your question, plus your name, age, and city/state/country.