7 Women With Buzz Cuts Reveal Why Being Bald Makes Them Feel Beautiful
There’s power in hair. And in lots of hair? Well, lots of power. But imagine walking into the world without it. No sideswept bangs to hide your gaze. No long layers to pull over a shoulder. No ponytail to adjust when you need something to do with your hands. Just you. Is there anything more powerful than a woman with a naked head? A woman with nothing to hide? Maybe. But we’ve never seen it.
“I first shaved my head about a year and a half ago. I had been toying with the idea for some time, but the actual act of doing it was rather spur-of-the-moment. It felt right, and emotionally it was very liberating. At school, the reaction hasn’t been the most positive, but in the real world, I’ve only been told wonderful things. Luckily, I don’t measure my self-esteem through my physical attributes. My confidence doesn’t come from my hair — it comes from within. My opinions and thoughts are what matter, and now those are on full display because I have nothing to hide behind. The sense of freedom is unbelievable.” — Iris D., Model
“I shaved my head over two and a half years ago. It was time. I broke up with the world and its expectations of what I was meant to look like according to rules I didn’t write. This is my journey, and for that to be true, I’ve largely had to banish other people’s ideas of who I should be. Now my outsides match my insides. My disempowerment was my hair. I hid behind it. I slept. It turned me into a caricature. My power comes from refusing to hide. It’s great being free.” – Rose McGowan, actress and author
“My power is not in my hair. My power is in me. When you’re a fighter, it’s all about having a strong mind and a strong body. There’s a lot of pressure in living up to the responsibilities of being a UFC champion. I have to be visible, make appearances. But I also have to train even harder now because there’s a target on my back — everyone wants this belt. When you’re in the gym all the time, long hair just gets in the way. The more distractions I can eliminate from my life, the better. I’m happy with my decision, and everyone loves it — even my grandmother!” – Rose Namajunas, UFC strawweight champion
“I grew up in Fukui, Japan. Japanese culture is quite conservative, but my classmates thought it was cool when I first shaved my head. I did it myself when I was 16 because I wanted to feel my strongest and best, and I thought that making a change was exactly the right thing to do. I think people view me as more strong and fearless, but that’s not always the case. I also love how easy it is to get ready in the morning — no drying time!” – Manami Kinoshita, Model
In 1988, I started shaving my head on a regular basis. It represented honoring my true self. People who knew me loved it; people who didn’t thought I was either a Buddhist monk or an Asian skinhead. I honestly didn’t care either way. My decision was instinctual and political, and it changed everything for me. Some women harness their femininity through long locks, while others hide behind it. For myself, having short hair is powerful, beautiful, and without fuss.” – Jenny Shimizu, actress and model
Rihanna shaved my head on the set of her and N.E.R.D.’s music-video shoot for ‘Lemon.’ After I auditioned for the role, the creative team approached me with the concept, and I immediately said, ‘Yes! Let’s go!’ For me, power and femininity have always existed in tandem with performance. Women and their allies are constantly reimagining femininity, smashing hegemonic ideals, and bending the concept of gender. Whether I’m onstage or off, my womanhood is fluid, not fixed or confined to a certain part of my body. It can live and breathe as I do. I’m now better connected to what makes me feel happy and beautiful. I feel a bold sense of self without my curls. My body unapologetically postures itself in a new way — more fierce and feminine than ever before.” – Mette Towley, dancer
“When I first shaved my head, my mom was also bald. She was undergoing cancer treatment again after several years in remission. The second time, she cared even less what people thought of her hair loss and would walk around our Illinois hometown completely bald with beautiful earrings. I was captivated by the beauty of an elegant, confident bald woman. Today, I harness a lot of my strength and femininity through my baldness. It reminds me of my mom in those moments when she was both the strongest and most vulnerable I’d ever seen her. It’s also gorgeous. To me, a bald head with a gorgeous gown is the essence of fashion. I have learned that in drag, as in real life, the only person you should be styling yourself for is you.” – Sasha Velour, drag queen (winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 9) and illustrator
Fashion stylist, Beat Bolliger. Hair: Martin Cullen. Makeup: Hiromi Ueda. Manicure: Marian Newman. Reporting by Maxwell Losgar.
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Beyoncé Just Went Back to One of Her Most Iconic Haircuts Ever
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