I am 16 and very scared as my neurosurgeon has finally come to the conclusion that with my sinking chiari, severe symptoms, and syrinx that I need surgery. This will be my first. I am so scared out of my mind and for the next few weeks I have to somehow balance out school and focus on finals while a BRAIN SURGERY is looming over me. Not to mention I have worked SO hard to get a bunch of internships (ironically one at the hospital I will have surgery) and classes at a college and it was so hard and I was so happy, now I have to cancel them all. Not to mention the mission trip to Bolivia I have been looking forward to since I was 12 is now cancelled even though I already bought the plane ticket. Obviously, I am in freak out mode since my life just tipped over roughly four hours ago. Back to the initial question, should I shave my head for surgery? I want your personal opinion and if you have any medical research to back it I would appreciate if you included that too (like less infection rates). I am sixteen and a girl so that would be a big deal, however this is possibly(hopefully) the only time in my life where I can shave my head without judgment. AKA if people dont like it, I can pull the whole "thats so insensitive, I had to have brain surgery" ;), but would u honestly recommend it? My hair is a few inches past my collar bone right now and hasnt been short since I was six. And how did you guys cope in the crazy scary days leading up to surgery? I'm so afraid I wont wake up, and I have A LOT of allergies to food and medications so I'm afraid that might kill me too. I'm just really scared and need to talk to someone who understands.