Shirley Tubb, 60, from Queensbury, braved the shave earlier this month with her children Marc, Emma and Max, after the family decided they wanted to do something bold, visible and meaningful to support people undergoing treatment that causes hair loss.
Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus in a follow‑up call, Ms Tubb said the moment itself was nothing like the emotional ordeal she had imagined.
A Bradford mum says shaving her head has slashed her morning routine in half (Image: Mike Simmonds)
“I wasn’t initially nervous,” she said.
“But when I got there, I just felt so relaxed and wanted to get it done. The salon staff were fantastic — so supportive.”
The hairdresser closed off the salon especially for the family, who were all shaved one after another.
A family event full of humour
Ms Tubb’s son Marc volunteered to go first, something she admitted surprised her.
After staying at his partner’s the night before, he returned home with a hat on. When Ms Tubb opened the kitchen door, he simply said:“ Bloody cold, isn’t it?”
She has done it for a brilliant cause (Image: Mike Simmonds)
‘It’s only hair — it’ll grow back’
Ms Tubb said she has almost reached £1,000 in donations and expects more to come from people who promised to pledge once the shave was complete.
She said the fundraiser was about showing solidarity with people who lose their hair through illness, something that has affected several loved ones in her wider family.
She added: “The whole reason we did it is for people who’ve had to do this without any choice…whether it’s cancer, alopecia or anything else, that was the important part.”
Many people told her the shaved style suited her, with one person even saying she had a “nicely shaped head”.
Here is Shirley before and after she shaved her head (Image: Mike Simmonds)
New routines and new confidence
After braving the shave, Ms Tubb said one of the strangest parts of the experience was adjusting to everyday routines.
She said: “The first thing I did when I got in the bath was carry on with my normal routine, forgetting I didn’t have any hair – it felt really strange — but great.”
Ms Tubb told the T&A that a surprising bonus of her newly shaved head is how much faster she can now get ready in the mornings.
Shirley holding her hair (Image: Mike Simmonds)
She said: “No brushing, no drying, no straightening. No fuss, no bother. I’ll save a fortune on hairdressers and shampoo.”
The family plan to continue fundraising, and Ms Tubb says she may even keep the shaved style for the foreseeable future.
She said: “I’m 60 now, I think I’m going to keep it like this,”