Bald is beautiful, and interestingly, men and women throughout the ages have believed this and chosen to wear their hair shaved close to the skull.

Going bald is a male rite of passage for at least half the population, and very handsome bald men look, too, I've always thought. But baldness for women is usually a matter of choice.

Bald females made the headlines recently when Britney Spears shaved her head. Pictures shown of her afterwards show that even without her tresses, she is still a most beautiful young woman.

In ancient Egypt, among the Upper Egyptians, baldness for women was most desirable. A shaven pate was regarded as an object of beauty and the heads of the women of that time were as smooth as marble. In fact, to enhance them and achieve a high gloss, they rubbed them with olive, almond or castor oil.

Another very popular Egyptian style was the full shave with the exception of a lock or two. The lock or curl would be strategically positioned somewhere on the head and adorned with ornaments, metal discs or even flowers.

Nubian women, in particular, loved the bald look with the tuft or curl and the placing of the curl became a fashion statement.

In the time of the New Kingdom, trendy kids wore their heads shaven with a long S-shaped lock left on the side of the head. Apparently, the S-shape was the hieroglyphic symbol for child or youth and was worn until the kids reached adolescence.

Greek, Carthaginian and Etruscan women are also believed to have shaved their heads in early times and the balder and shinier the head, the greater the beauty of the possessor. Eyes and cheekbones assumed great importance and were highlighted with vegetable paints and dyes.

For a change, a woman of ancient times might have donned a wig, but in the heat these were heavy and so not terribly popular.

In Renaissance times, high foreheads were considered a sign of great beauty and women plucked or shaved their hairs until their foreheads resembled high domes.

Of course, it's all in the eye of the beholder, but even today, different cultures have different norms.

Take the women of the Mediterranean who wear their hairy legs and bushy armpits with pride and think that American and British women are mad shaving, waxing and plucking their hairs.

Personally, I think change is exciting.

I mentioned the fact that I was thinking of shaving my head at breakfast.

"Great idea," said my husband, "what's more, you can rub a coloured cream into your scalp and then I'll be able to find you when I lose you at the supermarket. You'll shine like a beacon."

Was he serious?

"What's more," he added, "olive oil is excellent for the skin of the head . Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and you'll look good enough to eat."

No. He was not serious.

My mother was philosophical. "In ancient times women shaved their heads," she said, "for reasons of hygiene and practicality such as lice and heat. We don't have these problems today. But actually, it's your choice. It might suit you to shave your hair, bring out the colour of your eyes. I think you'd look quite cute."

"And very different," muttered my spouse and changed the subject.

Then, last night, my husband cornered me in the bedroom.

"Carol, I have to talk seriously to you," he said. "This house is not big enough for you, me and your shaved head. So you have to make a decision..."

It's a difficult one.

• This is Carol Lazar's column, published in The Star.