The Female Buzz Cut
Iterations of the female buzz cut have been around for years, but it’s the recent pop culture virality of hyper-trendy looks like the undercut and side shave that’s brought these short looks to mass appeal. People have even taken liberties with the look, even pushing the envelope with shades like platinum blonde. It’s the ultimate confidence-booster, the hairstyle version of being thrown into the deep end of the pool. Either you work it, or declare a hiatus till it grows out and explore the wig life in the interim.
Keep calm, and aim for the head
Another thing women probably never consider until they make the leap is the shape of their heads. Put on full display, we now have to work around our skull shape, face off with that unflattering bump known as the parietal ridge and make sure, of all things, that our scalps are in full-frontal condition. I’m pretty sure the last thing one wants to be judged for, especially in Hollywood, is a dandruff problem!
It doesn’t stop there
And then there’s the intensity of makeup, which some feel the need to dial up to offset the buzz. Then follows the clothes (very punk haute couture), then the jewelry (large, and/or multiple). I remember my mom telling me that, at the ripe tender age of one, strangers used to think I was a boy due to my lack of hair. She instantly took me to the doctor’s to get my ears pierced. Maybe things have changed since, or maybe they haven’t. If shearing off our hair is an act of liberation, is this yet another oh-so-Hollywood display of political activism, of a way of wearing our beliefs on our sleeves? Some celebs seem to think so. The visual certainly is stunning, and not for the faint of heart (or conservative of haircut). But more relevant than the look, perhaps, is the conversation that it stirs up. These celebs remove the male gaze factor, and yes, cut things down to the core: Is hair simply an accessory, an extension of your personality or quite possibly a now-outdated security blanket?
