Sophie’s Decision with Consequences

Sophie sat on her bed, staring at her laptop screen. The ad glowed on the display as if urging her to make a decision:

“High compensation! Model wanted for a special makeover session. Full-body shave, including head hair, eyebrows, and trimming of eyelashes. Only for the brave! Compensation: €5,000. Interested? Apply now!”

Five thousand euros. That was a lot of money. Money she desperately needed for her studies. Over the past few months, she had turned every cent over twice, taken on side jobs, and worked night shifts at a café—yet it was barely enough for rent, food, and study materials.

Sophie bit her lower lip. The thought of shaving off all the hair on her body for money sent a shiver down her spine. She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length blonde hair, which cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders. She loved her hair. It was a part of her, a symbol of her femininity.

But wasn’t femininity more than just hair?

She closed her eyes and imagined walking through the streets with a bald head, feeling people’s gazes on her. Some would be curious, others perhaps pitying. And then there were her eyelashes—without them, her face would look strangely bare. How would she feel then?

Sophie jumped up and paced nervously in her small shared apartment room. She needed to weigh her options.

The advantages:

– €5,000 would be a huge relief. She could finally focus on her studies without constantly worrying about money.

– It was just hair. It would grow back. In a few months, no one would even notice what she had done.

– It would be an extreme but perhaps interesting experience. A kind of fresh start.

The disadvantages:

– The shave was irreversible. Once the hair was gone, there was no turning back.

– She had no idea how she would feel without hair. Would she still feel like herself?

– Eyelashes grew back very slowly. Her appearance would change for weeks or even months.

Sophie took a deep breath. She pictured herself in the mirror—completely hairless. Her smooth, bald face, without the eyelashes that gave depth to her gaze. It was terrifying. But at the same time, there was a tiny spark of curiosity.

What if she just did it? What if she dared? Would it change her?

She sat back down in front of her laptop, moved the mouse to the application button—and hesitated. Her heart pounded. Was she ready to take this step?

The decision was hers.

Sophie let the cursor hover over the button. Her finger twitched, but she didn’t click. Not yet.

She stood up and walked over to the mirror on her closet door. Her reflection stared back—skeptical, thoughtful, a little uncertain. She ran her fingers through her hair, letting the strands glide through her fingers. It was soft, well-kept. She had always liked it. And yet… it was just hair.

She lifted a strand to her forehead. What if she actually did it? How would she look without all of this? How would she feel?

“It grows back.”

She kept repeating this to herself as if trying to convince herself. But then she looked deeper into her own eyes. Her long eyelashes cast a soft shadow on her cheeks. She blinked, letting her gaze wander around the room. Without eyelashes, her eyes would look emptier, more open, maybe even more vulnerable.

But was that really a bad thing?

Sophie bit her lip. She thought about the past months filled with financial worries. About the nights she lay awake, wondering how she would pay her next rent. About the countless hours spent between lectures and night shifts at the café—exhausted, drained, with dark circles under her eyes.

€5,000.

With that money, she could finally take a break. At least for a while. She could fully focus on her studies instead of struggling through endless side jobs.

But was it worth it?

She imagined sitting in the chair, hearing the razor hum, watching her blonde strands fall to the floor. A shiver ran down her spine. Then the sound of scissors trimming her eyelashes. She could almost feel her face changing with every cut.

Would she still feel beautiful afterward?

Beauty.

She thought about all the times she had styled herself extra carefully before a date. About the admiring glances when she wore her hair down, when the wind played with it.

But was beauty just that?

Sophie closed her eyes. Beauty was more than hair, more than eyelashes. Beauty was confidence. The way you moved, the way you spoke, the way you looked at others.

She opened her eyes again. A new thought emerged.

Maybe this was an opportunity.

An opportunity to get to know herself in a new way. To see who she really was—without what she had always taken for granted.

She looked back at her laptop. The cursor still rested on the application button. Her heart pounded. Then—very slowly—she moved her hand and clicked.

There was no turning back.

—

The Moment of Truth

Sophie stood in front of the building where her appointment was scheduled. It was a simple studio with large windows, through which she could see the modern, minimalist interior. Her heart pounded in her chest.

“This is really happening.”

She had received confirmation, scheduled the appointment—and yet it still felt surreal. A mix of nervousness and excitement coursed through her. She knew there was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

A friendly woman in a white coat greeted her. “Sophie? Welcome. I hope you’re ready.”

Sophie nodded slowly. Ready? She wasn’t sure. But she was here, and that meant she would go through with it.

She was led into a bright, clinically clean room. In the center stood a large chair with a headrest, next to it a small table with various razors and foam bottles. Her stomach tightened.

“You can remove your clothes here. We’ll begin shortly,” the woman said calmly.

Sophie hesitated. Then she took a deep breath and slowly undressed. Each piece of clothing she took off made her feel more vulnerable. Finally, she stood there, feeling the cool air on her skin.

She carefully sat down in the chair. The woman placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Take a deep breath. It’s a change, but you’ll see—it can be liberating.”

Sophie swallowed. Liberating? She wasn’t sure she could see it that way.

Then she heard the hum of the electric razor. The first touch on her scalp made her flinch. She felt the machine glide gently over her head, watched as thick strands of hair fell to the floor.

With each pass, her head felt lighter. She observed in the mirror how her familiar hairstyle disappeared, how her face changed. Her breathing was shallow.

“It’s still me.”

But it felt different. She looked unfamiliar—more vulnerable, unfamiliar.

When the razor stopped, she carefully ran her hand over her head. Short stubble remained, rough shadows of what had once been her signature look.

Then her head was moistened with warm water. A layer of shaving foam was applied, and she felt the gentle yet thorough blade glide over her skin. It was a strange sensation—smooth, foreign, final.

As the last trace of hair was removed, Sophie cautiously lifted her hand and touched her bare scalp. A mix of amazement and shock washed over her.

Then came the rest of her body. Arms, legs, armpits—every area was carefully shaved. The soft scraping of the blade was almost meditative, yet Sophie couldn’t stop thinking.

“How will I feel afterward?”

Finally, her eyelashes were next. The scissors came closer, and with each small snip, she lost another familiar part of her face.

When it was over, she looked in the mirror. Her skin was smooth, her head gleamed under the light. Her eyes looked larger without eyelashes.

A quiet smile played on her lips.

“This is me. Still me.”

Maybe it really was liberating.

But did she still feel like herself?

The First Hours After

As she left the studio, she pulled her hood over her head. The cool air brushed against her skin, sending an unfamiliar tingling sensation through her body. Every glance she caught of herself in a shop window made her heart race.

On her way home, she felt the eyes of people on her. Maybe she was imagining it, but she had the impression that everyone was looking at her. A man studied her briefly before turning away. A woman slightly furrowed her brow. No one said anything, but Sophie felt watched.

When she got home, she went straight to the bathroom. Once again, she stood in front of a mirror—this time in a familiar setting. She tilted her head slightly, observing the smooth curve of her bald scalp. Her forehead seemed higher without eyebrows, her expression somehow… unfamiliar.

She experimented with different facial expressions—smiling, frowning, looking thoughtful. It felt different, but not necessarily bad.

“Maybe this is a chance to rediscover myself.”

The First Reactions

The next day, when she went to university, she left her hood down. She didn’t want to hide. Still, she felt uncertain.

Her best friend Mia stopped in her tracks when she saw Sophie. Her eyes widened.

“Oh my God, Sophie… you actually did it?”

Sophie forced a smile. “Yeah.”

Mia studied her for a moment, then grinned. “You look completely different. But you know what? It kind of suits you.”

Sophie let out a relieved breath. The fear of people’s reactions had been worse than the reactions themselves.

Throughout the day, more comments followed. Some classmates asked curiously about her reasons, others gave her compliments. Of course, there were also skeptical glances, but no one said anything hurtful.

The Inner Change

Days passed, and Sophie began to grow accustomed to her new reflection. She experimented with makeup, using eyeliner to emphasize her eyes and compensate for the missing frame of her lashes. She realized she could still feel beautiful—just in a different way.

And then, there was this feeling of freedom. No more constant brushing, no more styling. Her skin felt unusually fresh. It was a radical change, but she had gone through with it.

And with each passing day, it became clearer to her: She didn’t need her hair to be herself.

She was Sophie. With or without hair.