Head shaving is a form of body modification which involves shaving the hair from a person's head. People throughout history have shaved all or part of their heads for diverse reasons including aesthetics, convenience, culture, fashion, practicality, punishment, a rite of passage, religion, or style.
Early history
The earliest historical records describing head shaving are from ancient Mediterranean cultures such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Egyptian priest class ritualistically removed all hair from head to toe by plucking it.
As a symbol of subordination
Enslaved peoples
In many cultures throughout history, cutting or shaving the hair on men has been seen as a sign of subordination. In ancient Greece and much of Babylon, long hair was a symbol of economic and social power, while a shaved head was the sign of a slave. This was a way of the slave-owner establishing the slave's body as their property by literally removing a part of their personhood and individuality.
Military
The practice of shaving heads has been widely used in the military. Although sometimes explained as being for hygiene reasons, the image of strict and disciplined conformity is also accepted as a factor. Upon the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II, many soldiers chose to have their heads completely shaved in order to deny any Nazis the opportunity to grab it if they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. For the new military recruit, it can be a rite of passage, and variations of it have become a badge of honor.
Prison and punishment
Prisoners commonly have their heads shaven to prevent the spread of lice, but it may also be used as a demeaning measure. Having the head shaved can be a punishment prescribed in law. Nazis punished people accused of racial mixing by parading them through the streets with shaved heads and placards around their necks detailing their "crimes".
During and after World War II, thousands of French women had their heads shaved in front of cheering crowds as punishment for either collaborating with the Nazis or having sexual relationships with Nazi soldiers during the war. Some Finnish women also had their heads shaved for allegedly having relationships with Soviet prisoners of war during the war.
Religious significance
Many Buddhists and Vaisnavas, especially Hare Krishnas, shave their heads. Some Hindu and most Buddhist monks and nuns shave their heads upon entering their order, and Buddhist monks and nuns in Korea have their heads shaved every 15 days.Muslim men have the choice of shaving their heads after performing the Umrah and Hajj, following the tradition of committing to Allah, but are not required to keep it permanently shaved.
Hasidic Jewish men will occasionally shave all of their head except for the sides to emphasize their payot (sidelocks). In certain Hasidic sects, most famously Satmar, married women shave their heads every month before immersion in the mikveh (ritual bath).
When a person in India dies, it is customary for friends and family who are Hindu to shave their heads as a sign of mourning. There are a few different reasons why this tradition exists, but all of them stem from the belief that shaving one’s head is a way to show respect for the deceased. One reason why Indians shave their heads after someone dies is that it is seen as a way to symbolically cleanse the soul. Shaving the head is thought to remove any last traces of the deceased person, and it is a way to remove any negative energy that might be lingering. Another reason why Indians shave their heads after someone dies is a way to show support for the bereaved. Shaving one’s head is a sign of solidarity, and it shows that the bereaved are not alone in their grief. Finally, shaving one’s head is seen as a way to honour the deceased. Shaving one’s head is a sign of respect, and it shows that the deceased is no longer with us.
Practicality
Sport
Competitive swimmers, sprinters, and joggers sometimes seek to gain an advantage by completely removing all hair from their entire body to reduce drag while competing.
Baldness
People experiencing hair loss may shave their heads in order to look more presentable, for convenience, or to adhere to a certain style or fashion movement. Those with alopecia areata or androgenetic alopecia often choose to shave, which has rapidly become a common choice since the 1990s. It has also become more common for bald men to accessorize with small hoop or stud earrings, a look famously adopted by figures such as basketball player Michael Jordan and professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin upon shaving their heads in the 1990s.
Notable people
Real
This list includes only notable people for whom a shaved head is an important and recognizable part of their public image; it is not a list of every celebrity who has shaved their head at some point in their life.
- Andre Agassi, American tennis player
- Kurt Angle, American professional wrestler and Olympian
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, American professional wrestler
- Charles Barkley, American basketball player
- David Bateson, English actor
- Jeff Bezos, American entrepreneur
- Kobe Bryant, American basketball player
- Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor
- Bill Burr, American comedian
- Dave Chappelle, American comedian
- Michael Chiklis, American actor
- Phil Collins, English musician
- Common, American rapper
- Billy Corgan, American musician
- Terry Crews, American actor
- Chris Daughtry, American musician
- Vin Diesel, American actor
- Taye Diggs, American actor
- Domenico Dolce, Italian fashion designer
- Anthony Fantano, American music critic
- George Foreman, American boxer
- Tyson Fury, English boxer
- Peter Gabriel, English musician
- Tyrese Gibson, American actor
- Bill Goldberg, American professional wrestler and former football player.
- Pep Guardiola, Spanish soccer manager
- Rob Halford, English musician
- Phil Heath, American bodybuilder
- Evander Holyfield, American boxer
- LL Cool J, American rapper and actor
- Samuel L. Jackson, American actor
- Dwayne Johnson, American actor and professional wrestler
- Magic Johnson, American basketball player
- Michael Jordan, American basketball player
- Keegan-Michael Key, American comedian
- Ben Kingsley, English actor
- Anton LaVey, American author and Satanic Church founder
- Kyle Macy, American basketball commentator
- John Malkovich, American actor
- Floyd Mayweather, American boxer
- Moby, American musician
- Dean Norris, American actor
- Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player
- Pitbull, American rapper
- Ving Rhames, American actor
- Flo Rida, American rapper
- Joe Rogan, podcast host
- Rick Ross, American rapper
- Telly Savalas, American actor
- Tupac Shakur, American rapper
- Brian Shaw, American strongman
- Big Show, American professional wrestler
- Johnny Sins, American pornographic actor
- Chris Slade, Welsh drummer known for his tenure in the rock band AC/DC.
- Kelly Slater, American surfer
- Jason Statham, English actor
- Patrick Stewart, English actor
- Michael Stipe, American musician
- Corey Stoll, American actor
- Mark Strong, English actor
- Stanley Tucci, American actor
- Matthew West, American Cop and Relationship Expert
- Dana White, American entrepreneur and UFC president
- Bruce Willis, American actor
- Zinedine Zidane, French soccer player
Fictional
In modern fiction, shaved heads are often associated with characters who display a stern and disciplined or hardcore attitude. Examples include characters played by Yul Brynner, Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Telly Savalas, Sigourney Weaver, and Bruce Willis, as well as characters such as Agent 47 (whose physical appearance was based on his actor, the aforementioned David Bateson), Mr. Clean, Kratos, Saitama, and Walter White. Baldness is sometimes an important part of these characters' biographies; for example, Saitama wanted to be a superhero and lost all of his hair in exchange for receiving superpowers. Shaved heads are also often associated with villains in fiction, such as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Colonel Kurtz, Lex Luthor, and Alex Macqueen's version of the Master. A notable exception is Daddy Warbucks.
A goatee, usually of the Van Dyke variety, is often worn to complement the look or add sophistication; this look was widely popularized in the mid-to-late 1990s by professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. For the majority of the crime drama series Breaking Bad, often regarded as one of the greatest TV series of all time, the aforementioned Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) wore a Van Dyke with a shaved head, contributing to the character's iconic status.
In futuristic settings, shaved heads are often associated with bland uniformity, especially in sterile settings such as V for Vendetta and THX 1138. In the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis, hundreds of extras had their heads shaved to represent the oppressed masses of a future dystopia.
It is less common for female characters to have shaved heads, though some actresses have shaved their heads or used bald caps for roles.
Modern subcultures
Skinheads
In the 1960s, some British working-class youths developed the skinhead subculture, whose members were distinguished by short cropped hair (although they did not shave their heads down to the scalp at the time). This look was partly influenced by the Jamaican rude boy style. It was not until the skinhead revival in the late 1970s—with the appearance of punk-influenced Oi! skinheads—that many skinheads started shaving their hair right down to the scalp. Head shaving has also appeared in other youth-oriented subcultures such as the hardcore, black metal, metalcore, nu metal, hip hop, techno, and neo-nazi scenes.
Sexuality and gender
A sexual fetish involving head shaving is called trichophilia. While a shaved head on a man is often seen as a sign of authority and virility, a shaved head on a woman typically connotes androgyny, especially when combined with traditionally feminine signifiers. Drag queens have sometimes adopted shaved heads to express a genderqueer image. In the BDSM community, shaving a submissive or slave's head is often used to demonstrate powerlessness or submission to the will of a dominant.
Fundraising and support
Cancer
Baldness is perhaps the most famous side effect of the chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and some people shave their heads before undergoing such treatment or after the hair loss starts to become apparent; some people chose to shave their heads in solidarity with cancer sufferers, especially as part of a fundraising effort.
Covhead-19 Challenge
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many countries imposed strict lockdown procedures and actively encouraged members of the public to self-isolate. Many people, particularly men, initially began to shave their heads during lockdown due to boredom and being unable to have their hair cut as barbershops were forced to stay closed. In the UK, a fundraising effort began to support its National Health Service, which suffered from the enormous pressure of the pandemic. The effort was started on Just Giving with a goal of £100,000; it encouraged people to shave their heads whilst also donating money to the NHS and was dubbed the "Covhead-19 Challenge". Various celebrities also took part.