Shaving off the hair is a big mistake... I've done it several times (stupidly of course), for various reasons. Each time I've horribly regretted it.
When I was a teenager, it was to my belt, but very feathered, very 80's hair metal. I had it cut off completely. Then in my early twenties, Joined the Army... hair to the middle of my back, tapered and lightly feathered, shaved off completely. Now it's 2/3 down my back, the first time it's all one length, and I'm NEVER cutting it all off again.
Too much grief to grow it all back again, and it doesn't grow quite as fast as it used to.