Why did Britney Spears shave her head Anyway?

Depression, chaos, too many altering substances, a body gone haywire after two babies born so close together they are more twins than siblings. How is a woman to survive? She starts with the most basic of all steps to recovery - a new hairdo.

Although many of us have never shaved our heads completely we have certainly done so symbolically when we bring out those shears and start whacking away on a Saturday night. As we stand before the mirror, we hope someone new, fresh and totally authentic will emerge under the vanity lights. Suddenly pounds seem to shed, brightness returns to our eyes and we are ready to begin on some bold new path.

Too many women, at one time or another, have been close to the edge like Britney - one has to wonder whether it is easier to go through the agony of metamorphosis while in the spotlight with too much help offered or to do so away from the spotlight, indeed, all alone in the silence of a tiny apartment on a Saturday night.

For a lucky bunch of us, there are a handful of dear, close friends to offer wisdom and a shoulder, a smile and a thumbs up as we fight to find the light in the dark valleys of our lives. In truth, those are the times when best friends are made.

One truly hopes that the talented and lovely Britney Spears will land on the other side of baldness with a great head of hair and a much wiser heart. And a couple of great new friends.