Clara Perlmutter (@Tinyjewishgirl) uses TikTok to go by @Tinyjewishgirl. She decided to shave and document her experience after seeing the Dyson Airwrap go mainstream. Everyone was curling and coifing long hairs.
“I made a deal with myself that I was going to either learn how to do hair really well so I could make it a final touch to all my outfits or buzz my head,” she said. In late January, when Ms. Perlmutter, 23, was on set at a photo shoot, she watched as a hairdresser intricately styled a model’s hair. “At that moment, I realized I didn’t have the emotional energy to go all out with my hair,” she said. “I went home and told my boyfriend, ‘I want you to shave my head.’ We went ham with the clippers and filmed the journey for my TikTok.”
Ms. Perlmutter instantly embraced the look for its ease and the fact that her hair is now “one less thing to worry about.” It also suits her style. “I’m into that 1990s and 2000s dystopian-future aesthetic, and I’m really into the way the bald head makes every outfit fit that vibe,” she said. She has been wearing puffy headbands on her buzzed head lately.
There’s plenty of evidence that the shaved head is the first trendy cut of 2022. Saweetie and Demi Lovato have shaved off their manes. The actress Jordan Alexander, of the “Gossip Girl” The model Slick Woods has made reboot their style signatures.
“We have so many layers, and while some may wear their crown proudly, we also carry a lot of burdens.”
Camille Rogers works in marketing and proudly sports a shaved hair. “Every time I shave my head, I feel like a weight has been lifted,” they said. “A new wave of confidence washes over me becauseI feel like a badass when I’m bald.” There is something about that “freshly buzzed feeling,” they said, that “just hits.”
Rita Melssen, an artist director and stylist, shaved her hair on a whim. She now changes the color of her hair from icy white, to light pink, as it grows out. To change the look, she also experimented with vintage scarves and caps.
“I walk through the world very differently with a shaved head as opposed to a head of long curly hair like I had before,” Ms. Melssen, 29, said. “I feel more powerful and graceful. It has a purity that is also fierce. It’s like I am peeling back a layer so that you can see a deeper part of me.
“Also, I can get ready so fast now, it’s a game changer.”
Some people have been considering the look for a while. 2022 felt right to them. “I still feel butterflies when I look into the mirror,” said Emma Fridsell, 23, a fashion influencer who traded a pixie for a buzz cut. “I feel stronger with my head shaved. I feel a little taller. I hope to inspire others not to feel pressured to fit in a box. I have struggled with that, and this haircut finally allowed me to break free once and for all.”
Joseph Charles Viola (26), who works in fashion took to the clippers. “Life was weighing me down, and I thought my hair could take some of that weight off for a bit,” he said.
Why not shave it now?
Sometimes, difficult times can lead to extreme self-expression through the use of beauty. “It’s about taking ownership of your identity and allowing you to control at least one aspect of what’s going on around you,” said Rachael Gibson, who charts the history of hair on her popular Instagram account Thehairhistorian.
“I think there’s probably also a sense of why the hell not,” she added. “If you can’t shave your hair off while we’re living through what we’ve lived through, when are you going to do it?”
“It’s like I am peeling back a layer so that you can see a deeper part of me.”
Subcultures like cottagecore and dark academia thrived during the pandemic. There are threads of gothic, emo, and punk emerging from these communities. The shaved head is an aesthetic symbol.
“I think we’re living in a time where pretty much anything goes,” Ms. Gibson said. “You can be a baby goth one day and some kind of Y2K babe wearing a Juicy tracksuit the next.”
“Conversely,” she continued, “perhaps there’s something to be said for a shaved head being the ultimate sign of commitment to a look. A shaved head for a woman still has the power to shock.”
The history of the shaved-head shaver includes roots in mourning and rebellion as well as ostracism. The history of the cut is also what makes it both inspiring and motivating.
“Hair shaving can also be a type of discipline and uniformity for soldiers, or purity for Hindu priests, because hair is associated with sexuality,” said Valerie Steele, the director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
“Now,” Ms. Steele said, “a shaved head is increasingly perceived as strength and gender equality.”
“There’s something about holding my Vivienne Westwood bag with a bald head that feels gender affirming,” Mr. Viola said. “I don’t conform to any sort of gender identity necessarily, but I do realize that with my bald head and mustache, I’ll come off a certain way to the everyday person.”
Holding a purse “makes for a Walter White queer fantasy that I’m personally thriving in,” he said, referring to the “Breaking Bad” character.
“I’m into that 1990s and 2000s dystopian-future aesthetic, and I’m really into the way the bald head makes every outfit fit that vibe.”
Others feel empowered by the look. “We tend to be so attached to our hair, as if that’s the only thing that makes us a woman or feminine, and that’s far from the truth,” said the actress and author Samantina Zenon, who swapped her natural Afro for a smoothed head. “Being a woman is more than just looking like one. There are many layers to women. While some may be proud of their crown, others carry many burdens. As I grow older, it becomes vital for me to always walk in my power regardless of my appearance.”
Mx. Rogers feels similarly: “I feel like I’ve reclaimed my relationship with my hair and sense of self. Not only in a gender euphoric way, but also in relation to how significant hair has been to me my whole life, growing up as a Black person.”
A Shaved Head: There are many sides to it
The shaved head is naked, but it has many options. You can either shave it using a razor or clip it to a short stubble. Or you can leave some length so that it looks more like a pixie.
“When you clipper it down to a short stubble, it will allow your face to retain its shape,” said Devin Toth, a hairstylist at Salon SCK in Manhattan. “In other words, your head won’t become an extension of your forehead. When there’s a little stubble, you can also do bright geometric hair color.”
The trend toward DIY. Beauty that emerged during the pandemic was, of course that this is a cut you can do at home. You’ll need a good set of clippers and a friend on standby to get the bits at the back.
“Life was weighing me down, and I thought my hair could take some of that weight off for a bit.”
Toth suggests cutting it short first with scissors, then buzzing it on long guards, then on short guards, and finally using a razor. “This is for two reasons,” he said. “First, you can always decide mid-process not to go any shorter, especially once you start seeing your head shape. Second, You don’t want to hurt yourself. Doing a short guard on long hair will cause your hair to get tangled and pulled inside of the buzzer.”
There’s a lot to be said about a cut that gives you a fresh start and still maintains a world of expression. Some, like Ms. Zenon are planning to keep the cut for the longer term.
“I don’t think I will ever want to go back to growing my hair again,” she said.
Source: NY Times