Why Is Hair Such A Big Deal? These Women Find Out

Luxurious, flowing locks have long been a symbol of beauty and femininity. But for a number of women, that narrow definition of attractiveness doesn't apply. They've chosen instead, for reasons both personal and practical, to shave their heads, redefining what it means to look and feel beautiful. "What I really thought when I shaved my head was that I was going to look in the mirror and really see myself for the first time," says Megan Armstrong, a Baltimore-based artist who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis her sophomore year in college, which factored into her decision to shed her waist-length hair for a buzz cut. "I'm not hiding behind anything — I'm expressing my truest nature." Welcome to Inner Beauty, where we hear from four women who decided that taking the focus off their hair was a part of the journey toward learning to love themselves, inside and out.