Advertisement

28 female celebrities who have shaved their heads

Florence Pugh at the 2023 Met Gala
Florence Pugh at the 2023 Met Gala.Mike Coppola/Getty Images
  • Shaving your head is one of the biggest changes you can make to your look.

  • Florence Pugh debuted her newly shaved look at the Met Gala in May 2023.

  • She's not the first female celebrity who has become acquainted with a pair of clippers.

Celebrities make headlines for changing up their looks all the time, but there is perhaps nothing more dramatic than when they shave their head.

Most recently, in May 2023, Florence Pugh debuted a shaved head beneath a towering Valentino headpiece at the 2023 Met Gala.

These 28 celebrities have found that shaving their heads can be liberating, life-changing, or just plain fun.

ADVERTISEMENT

Florence Pugh debuted a newly shaved head at the 2023 Met Gala.

florence pugh shaved head
Pugh in 2023 and 2019.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; John Salangsang/Deadline/Penske Media/Getty Images

Pugh debuted her new 'do on the Met Gala red carpet in 2023, but she had actually shaved her head weeks prior and had been wearing wigs to throw people off the scent.

"I thought, what is a better way than to release it at The Met with Pierpaolo [Piccioli]," she said on the red carpet, referring to Valentino's creative director. "I've been keeping it under wraps for about three weeks now."

She did it for her role in the upcoming film "We Live in Time," in which she co-stars with Andrew Garfield. The film is already setting Twitter ablaze.

Natalie Portman shaved her head for her role in "V for Vendetta."

natalie portman shaved head
Portman in 2005 and 2018.Bo Valentine/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty Images

In fact, Portman actually shaved her head on set while filming.

"It was a one-shot deal, and that was the most stressful thing about the experience," Portman told USA Today in 2006.

The film's director, James McTeigue, added, "She knew the day was coming. I put three cameras on her, made sure the clippers weren't stuck, and then we shaved her head. She loved it and kept rubbing her head."

Amandla Stenberg shaved her head for "Where Hands Touch," a controversial movie about Nazi Germany.

amandla stenberg shaved head
Stenberg in 2017 and 2022.Brandon Williams/WireImage/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/Getty Images

"I just finished working on a film called 'Where Hands Touch,'" Stenberg wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, Teen Vogue reported in 2017. "The story is about the experience of biracial children growing up in Nazi Germany. I shaved my head for the role. Feels really good."

Stenberg also joked about feeling "aerodynamic" and reaching "ultimate speed."

The 2018 movie, which tells the story of a romance between a member of the Nazi Youth and a biracial teenager, was accused by some critics of romanticizing Nazis. But its writer and director, Amma Asante, and Stenberg defended the film, saying they wanted to spotlight children of color who lived under Nazi rule, Variety reported.

Karen Gillan buzzed off her famous red hair to play Nebula in the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film. Now, she wears a bald cap.

karen gillan shaved head
Gillan in 2013 and 2019.Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Gillan dramatically revealed her shaved head during a Comic Con appearance in 2014. She'd been walking around the convention with a wig just to surprise all the fans at the "Guardians" panel by whipping it off on stage.

Jessie J shaved her head on live TV to support Comic Relief on Red Nose Day.

jessie j shaved head
Jessie J in 2013 and 2017.Dave M. Benett/Getty Images; Jesse Grant/Getty Images for WE

You can watch the "Domino" singer debut the look in this clip from Red Nose Day in 2013.

"I want to keep it like this for a bit, yes. I look like this on my album cover. I wanted to make a statement. I feel like there's no point in shaving your head for charity if you're then going to just grow it back the next day," she told Glamour at the time.

Joey King shaved her head to play Gypsy Rose Blanchard in "The Act" — and for two other previous roles.

joey king shaved head
King in 2019 and 2020.Hulu; Rich Fury/MTV VMAs 2020/Getty Images for MTV

Overall, King has shaved her head three times for roles — and she'd do it again.

"I would absolutely do it again," she told Allure in 2022. "I think every woman should [shave their head] at least once in their life. 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," she continued.

Keke Palmer had wanted to shave her head for a while before actually doing it.

keke palmer shaved head
Palmer in 2017 and 2023.Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Back in 2017, Palmer posted a selfie of her newly shaved head on Twitter with the caption "Haters will say it's photoshopped," with a couple of emojis, Essence reported.

Speaking to Refinery 29 that same year, she said, "I cut my hair for a couple of reasons. 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!"

Almost immediately after shaving it, she decided to dye her hair purple. "I'm really excited to see how I can assist in this change with my wardrobe," she said.

Charlize Theron's shaved head was also for a role. She buzzed her head for "Mad Max: Fury Road."

charlize theron
Theron in 2013 and 2021.Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Cinema For Peace; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

In 2015, Theron shaved her head for practical reasons while playing Furiosa in the dystopian thriller "Mad Max: Fury Road." The film shot in the desert for months and long hair would have simply been too difficult to manage.

"After that, I was 20 minutes early to everything in my life," she told People in 2015. "It was unbelievable, like how much time we spend on our hair. And then also, I think I emptied two garbage bags full of hair products and brushes. There's something very freeing in that, for sure, definitely."

In 2009, Solange Knowles tweeted that she shaved her head because she "wanted to be free from the bondage that Black women sometimes put on themselves with hair."

solange knowles shaved head
Knowles in 2009 and 2015.Jun Sato/WireImage/Getty Images; Mark Sullivan/WireImage/Getty Images

She elaborated during a September 2009 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," The Boombox reported.

"Realistically I was spending about $40,000 to $50,000 [on my hair]," she said, adding: "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."

Cara Delevingne's shaved head was for the film "Life in a Year" in which she played a cancer patient.

Cara Delevingne shaved head
Delevingne in 2017 and 2020.Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images; ABC/Getty Images

"When it's a part like that, especially when it's about cancer," she told Elle in 2017, "I needed to feel what it would be like to have no hair. The way you look, I think, it's so important to feel beautiful, no matter if you have hair. It doesn't matter at all."

She also called the decision "one of the most liberating things I've ever done. I really like it a lot. It's been really amazing."

Demi Moore famously shaved her head for "GI Jane" in the late '90s.

demi moore shaved head
Moore in 1996 and 2021.Frank Trapper/Corbis/Getty Images; Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea Film Festival

Moore shaved her head to play an Army recruit in "GI Jane," and it's arguably one of the reasons she's such a huge star. But 25 years later, Moore didn't think she'd ever shave her head again.

"I think now that I'm older, I also know, I don't have anything to prove. So if they really need my hair different, they can give me a wig," she told People in 2022.

 

Jada Pinkett Smith has spoken about her hair journey and her struggles with alopecia, which led to shaving her head.

jada pinkett smith shaved head
Smith in 2022 and 2014.Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage/Getty Images

Pinkett Smith revealed her alopecia diagnosis in 2018 during an episode of "Red Table Talk." Alopecia is an autoimmune condition which causes the immune system to attack hair follicles.

"It was terrifying when it first started. You know, I was in the shower one day, and then just handfuls of hair just in my hands. I was like, 'Oh my God, am I going bald?'" Pinkett Smith said.

By 2021, Pinkett Smith had shaved her head, in part due to her daughter Willow.

"Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50's are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed," she wrote on Instagram.

Halsey has frequently switched back and forth between a shaved head, her natural hair, and wigs.

halsey shaved head
Halsey in 2017 and 2019.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for BMI; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Halsey is a hair chameleon. In 2020, she once again shaved her hair off and wrote simply on Twitter: "I love be bald."

She went on to add, "I was growing it out for so long and I told myself I wouldn't shave it till I saw what it was like healthy and long and then I saw it healthy and long and said 'mm this is nice but I miss bald.' and then so I did it!"

Doja Cat also frequently changes up her hairstyle, including this platinum-blonde buzz cut.

doja cat shaved head
Doja Cat in 2022.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

"You guys have seen me wear my natural hair out. I had, like, two eras where my hair would be out. I would straighten it ... There was a moment where it was natural, and I don't even wear it natural 'cause I don't feel like it," she said during an Instagram Live in 2022, People reported.

She called having her natural hair "a nightmare" and also said she didn't even like having hair.

"I'm glad my head is a good shape. I was scared it was going to give peanut head ... I was like, 'What [does] my head look like without hair?'" she added.

Kristen Stewart shaved her head to star in "Underwater."

kristen stewart shaved head
Stewart in 2017 and 2022.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Stewart buzzed her head in 2017.

"I'm doing a movie in a couple of weeks called 'Underwater' and I play a mechanical engineer who is working on an oil rig on the bottom of the ocean floor, so for me it's practical," she said on the "Today" show.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time for novelty's sake, just because at some point in your life you want to be able to do that," she said. "It feels amazing — I just want to headbang all day!"

More people know Millie Bobby Brown with her shaved head in "Stranger Things" than without it.

millie bobby brown shaved head
Brown in 2016 and 2022.Netflix; Theo Wargo/Getty Images

In 2018, Brown called shaving her head "empowering" on Instagram.

"The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life. The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldn't hide behind my hair like I used to. The only image I had in my head about what I could possibly look like is Charlize Theron in ['Mad Max']," she wrote, according to W Magazine.

Amber Rose is also famous for her shaved head — she is almost unrecognizable with long hair.

amber rose shaved head
Rose in 2017.Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images; Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for NYLON

"I think that I'd definitely seen Sinead O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' video," Rose said in an interview for Refinery29 in 2016. "I was inspired by her. And I grew up in Philly ... Eve was really popular, and my friends said, 'Please don't do it, Amber, you're gonna look crazy.' And, of course, me being me, I rebelled against everyone and went straight down the middle at a barber shop. Fourteen years later, I still have it."

Sigourney Weaver buzzed her hair off for "Alien 3."

sigourney weaver shaved head
Weaver in 1991 and 2016.Rolf Konow/Sygma/Corbis/Getty Images; Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Weaver told The Chicago Tribune in 1992 that shaving her head for the third "Alien" film wasn't her idea, but director David Fincher's.

She went into more detail on a December 2022 episode of the podcast "Smartless."

"We finished a meeting with the suits at Fox and all got up and someone, probably the head of Fox, said, 'So David, how do you see Ripley?' And we were on our way out the door and he said to me, 'How do you feel about bald?' And I said, 'Sounds great to me,'" she said.

Cynthia Nixon went totally bald to play a cancer patient in a play called "Wit."

cynthia nixon shaved head
Nixon in 2012 and 2019.Michael Stewart/WireImage/Getty Images; Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival

"I thought it was kind of going to be no muss-no fuss, but I have to shave it every day," Nixon said in 2012, Insider reported. "I was always kind of curious to see what it would be like," added Nixon. "I like it, but I don't think I'm gonna keep it forever."

Cate Blanchett called shaving her head "so liberating."

cate blanchett shaved head
Blanchett in 2000 and 2022.Online USA/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

"Shaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but I've done it periodically too. At school it was probably to rebel, but I cut my hair short a few years ago and I'm thinking about doing it again," Blanchett told Marie Claire in 2013, Yahoo reported.

Lupita Nyong'o shaved her head after cutting off her locks.

lupita nyongo shaved head
Nyong'o in 2023 and 2022.Christopher Polk/Variety/Getty Images; Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Getty Images

In April 2023, Nyong'o posted a video of herself cutting off her sisterlocks on Instagram. The next month, she shared a photo of herself taking it a step further by completely shaving her head.

"Happy without hair," she wrote, adding that her application to the Dora Milaje, the all-female security team in "Black Panther," had been submitted.

Toni Collette had to shave her head five times in order to play a cancer patient in "Miss You Already."

toni collette shaved head
Collette in 2014 and 2023.David M. Benett/Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

"Everybody else was concerned about how intense it would be for me. I was given a bottle of vodka beforehand but I'd shaved my head five times so it feels quite wonderful," she said during a 2015 appearance on the British TV show "Lorraine," Metro reported. "I would have done anything for this movie I loved it so much."

Sinead O'Connor's signature look is her buzzed head.

sinead o'connor shaved head
O'Connor in 1990 and 1998.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Lionel FLUSIN/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

In 2017, O'Connor shared the heartbreaking reason behind her buzz cut during an episode of "Dr. Phil."

She said that her mother would introduce O'Connor and her sister as the pretty daughter and the ugly daughter, respectively, because of their different hair.

"That's why I cut my hair off. I didn't want to be pretty," she said. "It was dangerous to be pretty because I was getting raped and molested everywhere I went."

She added, "I was asked one day would I grow my hair long and wear short skirts because they wanted to sell me on my sexuality. I didn't want to be sold on that. If I was going to be successful, I wanted it to be because I was a good musician."

Evangeline Lilly shaved her head "just for fun."

evangeline lilly shaved head
Lilly in 2023 and 2019.Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images; George Pimentel/Getty Images

Lilly has actually shaved her head multiple times, first in 2019 and again in 2023.

"About four years ago I shaved my head, just for fun," she told Yahoo Entertainment in 2023. That led to her shorter pixie cut in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

She debuted her newest bleached buzz cut on the red carpet for "Quantumania" just a few days later.

Willow Smith called shaving her head "maybe the most radical thing I've done in the name of beauty."

willow smith shaved head
Smith in 2022.Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

"I like to see a glare on my scalp, a bounce of light," she told Glamour in 2022. She added, "Shaving my head is maybe the most radical thing I've done in the name of beauty."

"As a Black woman there were a lot of layers to my relationship with my hair and skin growing up; it was definitely a learning curve," she continued.

Kate Hudson was nervous about the shape of her head after shaving her head for "Music."

kate hudson shaved head
Hudson in 2017 and 2022.Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images; Dave Benett/Getty Images for Netflix

She remembered thinking, "'Oh! What is the shape of my head going to look like?'" during an episode of "Jimmy Kimmel" in 2017. "I really started to panic," she said.

By 2018, she was already nostalgic for the look.

"The shaved head was awesome," she told Harper's Bazaar. "I didn't think I'd love it so much. The connection to it was powerful and I wasn't prepared for that. It's so liberating."

Danai Gurira rocks a shaved head to play Okoye in "Black Panther."

danai gurira shaved head
Gurira in 2018 and 2023.John Shearer/Getty Images; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Gucci

Gurira wasn't sure about her shaved look at first, but soon, she was proud of her decision.

"Like I was the first one to get my head shaved and in theory it sounded amazing. Then the day came and we're doing it today and I was like, 'Today?' Then it happened," she said in 2018, according to HelloGiggles.

"Then you go into the restroom to wash your hands, and you look up and you're like, 'What the?' So that took a few days, and then all the girls start coming in. We'd all been bald'ed, one by one," she continued. "You don't have to have hair to be beautiful."

Kellie Pickler shaved her head to show solidarity with her friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

kellie pickler shaved head
Pickler in 2012 and 2017.Frederick Breedon IV/Getty Images for ACM; Mike Coppola/WireImage/Getty Images

The "American Idol" alum shaved her head in 2012 in solidarity with her childhood friend Summer Holt Miller, who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Read the original article on Insider