As a woman, rocking a bald head is fierce and fearless, whether it’s by choice or necessity. While hair loss is frequently seen in men, bald women are less common — so shaving your head (or embracing your hair loss) is a bold move that’s sure to turn heads.
These 29 bald-headed women show that bald is beautiful on women, and could inspire you to create your own shaven-headed look.
It’s actually a myth that men go bald and women don’t. While hair loss is more common in men than in women, both male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss are very real conditions. By the age of 50, more than 40% of women will see symptoms of female pattern hair loss [1].
Other hair loss conditions also affect women. Alopecia areata and alopecia totalis — partial or total loss of scalp hair — rates are higher in women than in men [3]. Poor haircare and damaging styling practices can also contribute to women’s hair loss.
Because there are so many possible causes and contributing factors to female hair loss, it’s essential to seek a professional diagnosis. A trichologist can uncover what’s causing hair loss, and help you find the best hair loss treatment for women.
Here are 29 famous bald women who have either embraced their hair loss or voluntarily shaved their heads.
Actress Millie Bobby Brown chopped down her hair for her breakthrough role as Eleven in Netflix hit Stranger Things at the age of just 11. She’s spoken out about the impact of shaving her head [5]:
“Being bald was the best thing I ever did — being different changed my life. I wanted to embrace my baldness and, hopefully, inspire people. And, now, that’s become my message to the world.”
Cara Delevingne shaved her head in preparation for her role in Life In A Year. But that wasn’t the only reason she decided to go the whole hog and buzz her hair:
“Just doing it really was liberating. The kind of power and not needing hair to be beautiful, and that was the message I really thought I needed to spread [7].”
Natalie Portman shaved her head on-screen in V For Vendetta back in 2005. The shot happened in a single take — once you’ve shaved it off, there’s no growing your hair back overnight.
Actress Joey King has shaved her head three times over the years, and has said it’s something every woman should do at least once [9]:
“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.”
Like Natalie Portman in V For Vendetta, Cate Blanchett had her head shaved on camera for the 2002 film Heaven. Watch the scene in the video below:
Charlize Theron famously shaved her head for the role of Imperator Furiosa in the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, creating an unforgettable fan-favourite look.
Speaking about the character design, Charlize has said,
“There was a lot of talk when it came to the looks of these characters and creating them. And one of those things was to shave my head.”
Watch the full interview below:
Kristen Stewart exchanged her famous grungy brunette locks for a bleach blonde buzzcut in 2017. Of her dramatic look change, she said:
“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.”
Famous for her bright red locks, Scottish actress Karen Gillan has described shaving her head as “liberating.” She went bald for her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Demi Moore shaved her head in the 90s to play the lead role in G.I. Jane. While this was far from her first role, her drastic hair transformation thrust her into the spotlight.
In recent years, Demi has said that while she has taken an experimental approach to her hair in the past, she’s now much more protective of her long hair:
“I’ve done everything to my hair. I’ve shaved it. I’ve dyed it. I’ve had a bob. When I’m not working, I try to do as little to it as possible.”
Jessie J went bald to raise money on Red Nose Day 2013, getting her head shaved live on TV for the cause. She ultimately raised more than £500,000.
Known for her androgynous appearance, it’s no surprise that Tilda Swinton can pull off the bald look. She shaved her head for her role as the Ancient One in the Marvel movie Doctor Strange.
While Jada Pinkett Smith has never shied away from discussing her alopecia, it was thrust into the spotlight at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, when her husband Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock for joking about her hair.
Nonetheless, Jada has been rocking a shaved head for years now — and she still looks fabulous.
Gail Porter has alopecia universalis — the most severe form of alopecia areata. It happens when alopecia areata spreads from the scalp across the whole body.
Gail has said, “I love being bald, and I’m so used to it.” She was one of the first female celebrities with hair loss to publicly embrace her condition, and is often seen in public without a wig to raise awareness of alopecia.
Grace Jones is one of the most successful and recognisable models of all time. And she’s credited her baldness with some of this success after she shaved her hair off in the 60s to differentiate her from other models.
Speaking about her iconic hair, Grace has said, “It made me look more abstract, less tied to a specific race or sex or tribe [6].”
British celebrity chef Andi Oliver regularly sports a bald head as the presenter of the TV show Great British Menu.
While many have speculated about the reason Andi wears her hair short, she’s never revealed if her baldness is due to a health condition or a cosmetic choice — but she has said she’s happy with her look.
Guardian writer Liv Little described British actress and filmmaker Michaela Coel as having “the bone structure of a woman who was born to be bald [4].” And it’s clear to see why — she rocks her shaved head with total confidence.
Michaela has openly criticised the perceived link between hair and beauty, ditching wigs in favour of her preferred buzzcut.
Willow Smith has shaved her head several times over the years. She first shaved it during her Whip My Hair tour as an act of rebellion, reportedly after asking to stop touring.
She has also shaved her head as part of a performance art installation, and even onstage. Willow has also been credited with convincing her mum, Jada Pinkett Smith, to take the plunge and shave her own head following her battle with alopecia.
Erykah Badu stepped into the spotlight in 1997, but around this time her signature style involved wrapping her locs in a tall headwrap. Then, in 2001, Erykah revealed her now-iconic look: a shaved head.
Danai Gurira is famous for her role in The Walking Dead, where her hair is worn in long dreadlocks.
But Danai also starred alongside Florence Kasumba in Marvel’s Black Panther, playing a fellow Dora Milaje and sporting a dramatically different hairstyle: a fully shaved head.
Known for her signature red bob, Sex And The City star Cynthia Nixon shaved her head for Broadway play Wit back in 2012. She stepped out several times as a bald woman, saying,
“I was always kind of curious to see what it would be like. I like it, but I don’t think I’m gonna keep it forever.”
Back in 2009, singer (and younger sister to Beyoncé) Solange Knowles shaved off most of her hair. Despite being known for her experimental style, Solange’s bold haircut caught global media attention.
While some said it was a publicity stunt, Solange has stated she “just wanted to be free from the bondage that black women sometimes put on themselves with hair.”
After keeping her hair loss struggles quiet for many years, Ricki Lake has opened up about her experiences with alopecia:
“I have been struggling with hair loss for most of my adult life. It has been debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things.”
Ricki has also attributed her hair loss to a combination of factors, including dieting, birth control pills, pregnancy, genetics, stress, and hair extensions. In fact, all of these can contribute to hair loss in women. That’s why it’s so important to get a professional diagnosis to uncover the underlying factors.
Model Adwoa Aboah experienced anxiety around her hair for several years, before eventually cropping her hair into her now-famous buzzcut. “You couldn’t possibly explain to someone the embarrassment of sitting in a chair at a modelling job and having 10 people around your head, struggling with your hair,” she said [8].
Adwoa’s unique look has now made her one of the most successful supermodels in the world.
Indian model and actress Persis Khambatta was one of the first actresses to shave her head for a role. She agreed to go bald way back in 1979 to play Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Persis reportedly had her head freshly shaved every day, followed by scalp make-up which took up to two hours each day.
Actress Florence Kasumba is bald for her role in Marvel’s Black Panther. Florence’s character, Ayo, is the General of the Dora Milaje, an all-female warrior force.
However, unlike many actresses, Florence didn’t shave her hair specifically for the role — she wears her hair in a closely cropped buzzcut full-time.
Ex On The Beach star ZaraLena Jackson has battled with alopecia since 2020. Her hair fell out within six weeks, followed by an eyelash and eyebrow hair loss, leaving ZaraLena distraught.
Since then she has documented her alopecia journey on social media, helping her cope with and even embrace her condition.
Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell has alopecia areata. While she often wears a wig to disguise her condition, she has been candid about her hair loss experience:
“Everyone does their hair in the morning. I put a wig on. That’s just what I do. It’s not something that enters my day-to-day thoughts. The more I get asked about it, the more I think maybe I should be worried about it, maybe I look awful.”
Many bald women are questioned about their styling choices, but it’s important to choose a look that makes you feel your most confident.
In May 2023, Lupita Nyong’o debuted her bald look, posting a photo on Instagram captioned “Happy without hair”.
A few weeks later, she showcased a bold new way to wear a shaved head: henna tattoos. Decorating her scalp for an Indian wedding, Lupita styled her intricate henna with a sari and large gold earrings.
US politician Ayanna Pressley revealed she has alopecia in 2020 in an emotional video posted to Twitter. Revealing her bald head to the world for the first time, she said:
“I am ready now, because I want to be freed from the secret and the shame that that secret carries with it. And because I’m not here just to occupy space; I’m here to create it. And I want to be free.”
Watch the full video:
These celebrities prove that bald women can lead full, confident lives. So they could inspire you to embrace your hair loss and rock your own bald look.
However, it’s not always easy to accept hair loss, especially when hair is heavily linked with modern beauty standards. If you’re struggling to come to terms with your own hair loss, the Wimpole Clinic can help.
First, it’s essential to find out why your hair is falling out. Getting a diagnosis from a professional trichologist will help you find the right treatment, allowing you to start your hair restoration journey.
Book a consultation at one of our hair restoration clinic locations to get started.
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