5 Iconic Celebrity Buzzcuts That Will Convince You To Shave Your Hair

We live in a culture where feminity traditionally demands long hair. So when someone who identifies as a woman chops it all off, or takes it a step further and shaves it, no matter the reason for it, that same culture loses it and doesn't know what to do. It can be an unexpected curve ball that people are unsure if they should try to catch or run from. But as much as societal expectations dictate the length of a woman's hair, many women have willingly shaved their heads — both celebrities and non-celebrities — and most of those people speak highly of the empowerment that comes from doing so.

"It's about taking ownership of your identity and allowing you to control at least one aspect of what's going on around you," hair historian Rachael Gibson told The New York Times. "I think we're living in a time where pretty much anything goes ... 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."

If you're wondering what to do next with your hair, maybe a bold buzzcut is the beauty reset you need. Not only will it make heads turn, but the empowerment that comes with it is one-of-a-kind.

When Florence Pugh showed up to the 2023 Met Gala in head-to-toe Valentino Haute Couture, she was rocking something else: a shaved head. When she was interviewed at the gala about her new 'do, she called the experience of shaving it "unbelievable," then went on to explain that it was actually required for her upcoming film, "We Live In Time," which she stars in opposite Andrew Garfield. "I thought, what is a better way than to release it at The Met with Pierpaolo," Pugh added about Valentino's creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. "I've been keeping it under wraps for about three weeks now."

Back in 2006, Natalie Portman shaved her head for her film "V for Vendetta." According to Today, Portman told reporters at the Berlin International Film Festival that she was happy to get rid of her locks. "I was really excited to get to shave my head — it's something I'd wanted to do for a while and now I had a good excuse," Portman said. "It was nice to shed that level of vanity for a girl." But as much as she loved doing it and as fantastic as she looked with a super-short buzzcut, she said it was difficult to blend in. "I wasn't used to being looked at so much," she said. "Walking down the street, I can usually blend in, and people really stare at you when you're a girl with a shaved head."

In May 2017, Keke Palmer took to Instagram to reveal her newly shaved head with a photo that proved she could totally pull off the look. "I cut my hair for a couple of reasons," Palmer told Refinery 29 that same month. "The first being, I wanted to start over. My texture has changed quite a bit over the years from all the things I've done to it. I really want to be able to let my hair rest and become its own thing. I also really wanted to be bald!"

During her "bald" era, Palmer's hair was a multitude of different colors, as she explained that her style is directly connected to her need to express herself. "I'm in a place in my life where I realized I don't have anything stopping me from expressing myself in any facet, and that makes me happy," Palmer said. 

Unlike some actors, Joey King is no stranger to shaving her head, having done it three times for three different roles. The first time she did it was for "The Dark Knight Rises" when she was just 11 years old. The second time she did it was for the 2014 film "Wish I Was Here," and then, of course, she did it again to play Gypsy Rose Blanchard in "The Act."

During an interview with Allure in July 2022, King said she'd definitely shave her head again, adding that she thinks every woman should give it a try. "I think every woman should [shave their head] at least once in their life," King said. "I've never felt more free or more in tune with my beauty. I couldn't hide behind my hair... A lot of people made fun of me when I had my head shaved. A lot of people said really mean things. But when I had short hair, I actually felt more confident; I felt very powerful."

When Solange Knowles shaved her head in 2009, it was all about simplifying her life. She needed a break from the time and money that was involved in maintaining longer hair. "Realistically I was spending about $40,000-$50,000 [on hair]," Knowles told Oprah on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," adding that she'd spent so much of her adult life in salons having her hair done. "This phase in my life I want to spend the time the energy and the money on something else and not in the hair salon," Knowles told Oprah.

When she initially buzzed her hair, her decision became a trending topic on Twitter almost immediately. So she took to the social media platform to further explain her decision. "I just wanted to be free from the bondage that black women sometimes put on themselves with hair," she wrote. "I'm not mad at all of you that have made your opinions known and have sent negative energy my way. I expected this of you."

Feeling inspired? Great! Now grab the shears and go for it! Or, better yet, hit up your favorite salon and have them do it for you. You don't want to end up accidentally giving yourself a bald spot or buzzing too close to the skin.