head shaving

File:Monk shaves off the head gives.jpg shaving the head of a man preparing to also become a Buddhist monk; this is known as tonsure]]

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.

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.Geraldine A. Larkin, First You Shave Your Head, Celestial Arts (2001), {{ISBN|1-58761-009-4}} 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.{{cite news|last=Naar|first=Ismaeel|date=21 August 2018|title=Barbers of Mecca and why pilgrims shave their head as Hajj nears its end|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/09/01/Barbers-of-Mecca-and-why-pilgrims-shave-their-head-as-Hajj-con|work=Al Arabiya|location=Dubai, UAE|access-date=}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

As a symbol of subordination

=Enslaved peoples=

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-041-10, Paris, der Kollaboration beschuldigte Französinnen.jpgs burned on their faces in 1944]]

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.{{Cite journal |last=Brooks |first=Beatrice Allard |date=1922 |title=The Babylonian Practice of Marking Slaves |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/593615 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=42 |pages=80–90 |doi=10.2307/593615 |jstor=593615 |issn=0003-0279|url-access=subscription }}

=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.{{Cite journal |last=Okorocha |first=Okorie |date=2016 |title=Hair and Justice: Sociolegal Significance of Hair in Criminal Justice, Constitutional Law, and Public Policy by Carmen M. Cusack |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/lawsodi11&id=307&div=&collection= |journal=Journal of Law and Social Deviance |volume=11 |pages=299}} Upon the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II, some Allied soldiers shaved their heads to deny any Nazis the opportunity to grab it during hand-to-hand combat. {{cn|date=December 2023}} For the new military recruit, it can be a rite of passage, and variations of it have become a badge of honor.{{Cite journal |last=Winslow |first=Donna |date=1999 |title=Rites of Passage and Group Bonding in the Canadian Airborne |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0095327X9902500305 |journal=Armed Forces & Society |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=429–457 |doi=10.1177/0095327X9902500305 |s2cid=145604240 |issn=0095-327X|url-access=subscription }}

=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.[http://www.wluml.org/node/3908 "Article 87 ... shall be sentenced to flogging, having his head shaven, and one year of exile ..."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826193816/http://www.wluml.org/node/3908 |date=2017-08-26 }}, The Islamic Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran Nazis punished people accused of racial mixing by parading them through the streets with shaved heads and placards around their necks detailing their acts.{{cite book|author= Richard J. Evans|title= The Third Reich in Power|year= 2006|publisher= Penguin Books|isbn= 978-0-14-100976-6|page= 540}}

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."Shaved Heads and Marked Bodies: Representations From Cultures of Trauma" Kristine Stiles, Duke University (1993) [https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822390169-023 Duke.edu]{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/05/women-victims-d-day-landings-second-world-war |title="An Ugly Carnival", The Guardian |publisher=Theguardian.com |date=30 May 2018 |access-date=3 June 2019}}"Shorn Women: Gender and Punishment in Liberation France", {{ISBN|978-1-85973-584-8}} Some Finnish women also had their heads shaved for allegedly having relationships with Soviet prisoners of war during the war.[http://epublications.uef.fi/pub/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20100036/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20100036.pdf "Ryssän heilat ja pikku-Iivanat"] {{in lang|fi}}

Practicality

=Sport=

File:David Perron.png with a shaved head by choice]]

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 pattern hair loss often choose to shave their heads, which has become exponentially more common and socially acceptable since the 1990s.{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/27/john-travolta-unapologetic-debuts-bald-head-red-carpet-years-wearing-wigs-8397739/ |title=John Travolta proudly debuts bald head on red carpet after years of wearing wigs |work=Metro News |date=27 January 2019}}

Notable people

{{multiple image

| align = right

| width = 170

| direction = vertical

| image1 = Yul Brynner Anna and the King television 1972.JPG

| caption1 = Actor Yul Brynner popularized a shaved head in the 1950s...

| image2 = Jordan_Lipofsky.jpg

| caption2 = ...as did basketball player Michael Jordan in the 1990s...

| image3 = Steve Austin by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption3 = ...and professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

| total_width =

| alt1 =

}}

=Real=

This list includes only public figures 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{{cite web |title=Andre Agassi Wants Dudes to Embrace Being Bald |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/andre-agassi-wants-dudes-to-embrace-being-bald-095415094.html |website=Yahoo! |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=1 September 2016}}
Kurt Angle, American professional wrestler and Olympic athlete{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Jon |title=The Gamer Interview: Kurt Angle comes clean |url=https://www.espn.com/videogames/news/story?id=3578108 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=9 September 2008}}
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, American professional wrestler{{cite web |title=Stone Cold Steve Austin reveals the key battle that defined him |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/stone-cold-steve-austin-reveals-the-key-battle-that-defined-him/news-story/2472ca164b548f7794c6eb5ce27f2294 |website=NewsComAu |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=16 May 2017}}
Charles Barkley, American basketball player{{cite news |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard |title=Beyond the Fringe: The Boldly Bald |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/05/garden/beyond-the-fringe-the-boldly-bald.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=5 May 1993}}
David Bateson, English actor{{cite web |last1=Langton |first1=Chris |title=Hitman: 15 Awesome Things You Didn't Know About Agent 47 |url=https://www.thegamer.com/hitman-15-awesome-things-you-didnt-know-about-agent-47/ |website=TheGamer |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=10 April 2017}}
Jeff Bezos, American businessman{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Sophie |last2=Maloney |first2=Tom |last3=Metcalf |first3=Tom |title=The global economy is crumbling—and Jeff Bezos is $24 billion richer |url=https://fortune.com/2020/04/14/jeff-bezos-net-worth-2020-billionaires-amzn-amazon-stock/ |website=Fortune |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=14 April 2020}}
Dee Dee Bridgewater, American singerhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-15-la-et-bridgewater15-2010mar15-story.html
Kobe Bryant, American basketball player{{cite web |title=Kobe Bryant shaved his head to replicate Michael Jordan because of Adidas |url=https://www.talkbasket.net/72171-kobe-bryant-shaved-his-head-to-replicate-michael-jordan-because-of-adidas |website=TalkBasket.net |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=27 February 2020}}
Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor{{cite web |title=Men who look better with a shaved head |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/style/men-look-better-shaved-head/russian-hollywood-actor-yul-brynner-made-career-playing-inscrutable/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=18 January 2018}}
Yura Borisov, Russian actorhttps://latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2024-11-26/anora-yura-borisov-mikey-madison-sean-baker
Bill Burr, American comedian{{cite web |last1=Price |first1=Robert |title=Bald Comic Bill Burr Offers Funny, Inspirational, No-BS Advice to a Balding 19-Year-Old (With Audio Clip) |url=https://www.hairlossdaily.com/bill-burr-advice-to-balding-19-year-old/ |website=Hair Loss Daily |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=15 November 2016}}
Dave Chappelle, American comedian{{cite news |last1=Zinoman |first1=Jason |title=A Comic Quits Quitting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/arts/dave-chappelle-returns-to-stand-up-with-stories-to-tell.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=15 August 2013}}
Michael Chiklis, American actor{{cite web |author1=Kate |title=Did Greasepaint Send Michael Chiklis Bald? |url=https://www.belgraviacentre.com/blog/did-greasepaint-send-michael-chiklis-bald056/ |website=The Belgravia Centre |date=20 February 2009 |access-date=8 June 2020}}
Phil Collins, English musician{{cite web |last1=Wolmuth |first1=Roger |title=Short, Pudgy and Bald, All Phil Collins Produces Is Hits |url=https://people.com/archive/short-pudgy-and-bald-all-phil-collins-produces-is-hits-vol-24-no-2/ |website=PEOPLE.com |date=8 July 1985}}
Common, American rapper{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wJlc33R49E | title=Common Rates Oprah, Halloween, and Being Produced by Kanye West | Over/Under | website=YouTube | date=18 October 2016 }}
Billy Corgan, American singer and musician{{cite web |last1=Basner |first1=Dave |title=10 Things You Might Not Know about Birthday Boy Billy Corgan |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-03-17-10-things-you-might-not-know-about-birthday-boy-billy-corgan/ |website=IHeart Radio |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=17 March 2017}}
Terry Crews, American actor{{cite web |last1=Boucher |first1=Vincent |title=Hollywood's New Power Move: Going "Full Bald" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywoods-new-power-move-going-full-bald-1149904 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=13 October 2018}}
Chris Daughtry, American musician{{cite web |title=See What Chris Daughtry Looked Like with Hair! |url=https://toofab.com/2012/11/07/chris-daughry-with-hair-yearbook-photo/ |website=Toofab |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=7 November 2012}}
Vin Diesel, American actor{{cite web |last1=Matthews |first1=Stephen |title=Is this why Vin Diesel has sex appeal? Bald men more masculine, says study |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11923060 |website=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=16 September 2017}}
Taye Diggs, American actor{{cite web |last1=Lewinski |first1=John Scott |title=4 Guys Who Went Bald Before 30 Tell You Why It Doesn't Matter |url=https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19547940/bald-doesnt-matter/ |website=Men's Health |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=23 October 2015}}
Domenico Dolce, Italian fashion designer{{cite web |last1=Marriott |first1=Hannah |title=Dolce and Gabbana are unafraid of spats, but baby spat divides fans |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/21/dolce-gabbana-ivf-row-family-italian-fashion-domenico-stefano |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=21 March 2015}}
Anthony Fantano, American music critic{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJWFu5lZOhY | title=I'm Bald | website=YouTube | date=6 July 2022 }}
George Foreman, American boxer{{cite web | url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-07-09-1991190218-story.html | title=Shaved Tyson heads for Foreman | date=9 July 1991 }}
Tyson Fury, English boxer{{cite web |author1=Richard |title=The Bald Icons: Who is Tyson Fury? |url=https://thebaldbrothers.com/the-bald-icons-who-is-tyson-fury/ |website=The Bald Brothers |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=6 April 2020}}
Peter Gabriel, English musician{{cite web |title=Peter Gabriel: What a Difference Two Decades Make |url=https://www.genesisfan.net/peter-gabriel/articles-2012/peter-gabriel-what-a-difference-two-decades-make |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924140055/https://www.genesisfan.net/peter-gabriel/articles-2012/peter-gabriel-what-a-difference-two-decades-make |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |website=GenesisFan |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=28 August 2012}}
Tyrese Gibson, American actorhttps://facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3738115869549315&id=199633956730875&set=a.210952398932364
Bill Goldberg, American professional wrestlerhttps://givemesport.com/wwe-legend-bill-goldberg-with-hair/
Pep Guardiola, Spanish soccer manager{{cite web |title=The hairy reality of balding sportsmen – from Tiger Woods to Gareth Bale |url=https://telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/hairy-reality-balding-sportsmen-tiger-woods-gareth-bale/pep-guardiola/ |website=The Telegraph |date=22 March 2017}}
Roberto Guilherme, Brazilian actor and comedianhttps://omaringa.com.br/en/news/obituary/actor-roberto-guilherme-dies%2C-sergeant-brush-from-os-trapalhoes/
Rob Halford, English singer{{cite web |title=When rock stars go bald |url=https://nme.com/photos/when-rock-stars-go-bald-1413508 |website=NME |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=12 March 2009}}
Rick Harrison, American businessman{{cite web | url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iq9ifrwH5oA | title=Micro Touch One as Seen on TV Safety Razor Commercial Featuring Pawn Stars Rick Harrison | website=YouTube | date=19 December 2013 }}
Steve Harvey, American television hosthttps://youtube.com/watch?v=fc29G0EUFmY
Phil Heath, American bodybuilder[https://instagram.com/p/BFFJQvKpYlR/ Phil Heath on Instagram: "The attack of the bald heads lol. Always fun hanging with these guys."]
Evander Holyfield, American boxer{{cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Phil |title=BOXING; Holyfield: Looking for Respect |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/14/sports/boxing-holyfield-looking-for-respect.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=14 April 1991}}
LL Cool J, American rapper and actor{{cite web |title=CBS Sick Of Paying For Bald LL COOL J's Haircuts: EXCLUSIVE |url=https://www.naughtygossip.com/exclusive/cbs-sick-of-paying-for-bald-ll-cool-js-haircuts-exclusive |website=Naughty Gossip |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=14 December 2017 |archive-date=12 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812211722/http://www.naughtygossip.com/exclusive/cbs-sick-of-paying-for-bald-ll-cool-js-haircuts-exclusive |url-status=dead }}
Samuel L. Jackson, American actor{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Chris |title=Samuel L. Jackson's Hair Is His Best Co-Star |url=https://www.gq.com/story/samuel-l-jackson-hair-movies-pulp-fiction-tarzan |website=GQ |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=1 July 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Abramovitch |first1=Seth |title=120 Movies, $13 Billion in Box Office: How Samuel L. Jackson Became Hollywood's Most Bankable Star |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-samuel-l-jackson-became-hollywoods-bankable-star-1174613 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=9 January 2019}}
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, American actor and professional wrestler{{cite magazine |last1=Bryant |first1=Kenzie |title=Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Explains Why He's Bald |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/04/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-bald |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=3 April 2017}}
Magic Johnson, American basketball player{{cite web |last1=Martinez |first1=Jose |last2=Warner |first2=Ralph |title=20 Things You Didn't Know About Magic Johnson |url=https://www.complex.com/sports/2013/11/magic-johnson-facts/ |website=Complex |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=7 November 2013}}
Michael Jordan, American basketball player{{cite web |last1=Gaines |first1=Cork |title=Michael Jordan once turned down a huge endorsement deal because he didn't like the product's name and another one because he was going bald |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-beanee-weenee-endorsement-deal-rejected-2019-3 |website=Business Insider |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=17 April 2020}}
Keegan-Michael Key, American comedian and actor{{cite magazine |last1=Smith |first1=Zadie |title=Key and Peele's Comedy Partnership |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/brother-from-another-mother |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=16 February 2015}}
Ben Kingsley, English actor{{cite web |last1=Steele |first1=Francesca |title=Ferdinand Kingsley interview: 'Yeah, but mum's dad was totally bald too!' |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/ferdinand-kingsley-interview-yeah-but-mum-s-dad-was-totally-bald-too- |website=Spectator |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=19 April 2014}}
Anton LaVey, American author and Satanic Church founder{{cite web |last1=Gambacorta |first1=David |title=Satan, the FBI, the Mob—and the Forgotten Plot to Kill Ted Kennedy |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/01/12/fbi-satan-mobplot-kill-ted-kennedy-097180 |website=POLITICO |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=12 January 2020}}
John Malkovich, American actor{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/21/john-malkovich-i-had-a-lot-of-violence-growing-up-but-so-what | title=John Malkovich: 'I had a lot of violence growing up, but so what?' | website=TheGuardian.com | date=21 May 2020 }}
Howie Mandel, Canadian comedian and media personalityhttps://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/howie-mandel-talks-about-embracing-iconic-bald-look
Floyd Mayweather, American boxer{{cite web|last=Dator |first=James |url=https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/5/16/11683872/floyd-mayweather-3000-dollar-haircuts-bald-what-why-how-boxing-i-guess |title=Floyd Mayweather, who has no hair, spends up to $3,000 a week on haircuts |work=SBNation.com |date=16 May 2016}}
Moby, American musician{{cite news |last1=Meadley |first1=Phil |title=Moby: how rave culture made him lose his hair |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/moby-how-rave-culture-made-him-lose-his-hair-6230474.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/moby-how-rave-culture-made-him-lose-his-hair-6230474.html |archive-date=2022-05-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The Independent |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=26 October 2006}}
Dean Norris, American actor{{cite web |last1=Schilling |first1=Mary Kaye |title=Dean Norris on the Breaking Bad Premiere, Hank's Machismo, and Bryan Cranston's Overachiever E-mails |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/breaking-bad-dean-norris-interview.html |website=Vulture |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=11 August 2013}}
Northernlion, Canadian streamer{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/twitch-streamer-reveals-bald-people-192022432.html|title=Streamer shares 'genius' response to troll who shamed him for being bald: 'Here's what you do'|first=Jonathan|last=Lee|website=Yahoo! News|date=8 April 2021|access-date=28 January 2025}}
Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player{{cite news |last1=Boren |first1=Cindy |title=Shaq has a hilarious hairline after losing a bet to Dwyane Wade |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/03/04/shaq-hairline-dwyane-wade/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=4 March 2020}}
Pitbull, American rapper{{cite web |last1=Oswald |first1=Anjelica |title=John Travolta opened up about embracing his baldness, and says Pitbull convinced him to go for it |url=https://www.insider.com/john-travolta-talks-bald-look-credits-pitbull-2019-2 |website=Insider |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=5 February 2019}}
Ving Rhames, American actor{{cite web |last1=Bibby |first1=Patricia |title=Ving Rhames Found It Easy To Bulk Up For Role|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/jul/10/ving-rhames-found-it-easy-to-bulk-up-for-role/ |website=www.spokesman.com |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=10 July 1996}}
Flo Rida, American rapper{{cite web |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Trent |title=Flo Rida Goes Bald for His Birthday Party in Miami |url=https://popcrush.com/flo-rida-bald-birthday-party-miami/ |website=PopCrush |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=21 September 2011}}
Joe Rogan, American podcaster{{cite web |author1=Podcast Page |title=Joe Rogan on being bald |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=fJzcS5a1jqg |website=YouTube |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=24 June 2016}}
Rick Ross, American rapper{{cite web | url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rick-ross-shuts-down-rumors-that-he-wears-a-lace-front-wig-news.47153.html | title=Rick Ross Shuts Down Rumors That He Wears a Lace-Front Wig | website=HNHH | date=4 April 2018 }}
Telly Savalas, American actor{{cite web |last1=ROBERTS |first1=VIDA |title=A Clean Pate Good and bald: It's a sign of the times and maybe a sign of much more as men move beyond hair. |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-xpm-1995-10-26-1995299014-story.html |website=Baltimore Sun |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=26 October 1995 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Tupac Shakur, American rapperhttps://people.com/jada-pinkett-smith-says-tupac-shakur-had-alopecia-exclusive-8350541
Brian Shaw, American strongman[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLkV1VGqYP8 Strongmen Read Mean Comments | World's Strongest Man - YouTube]
Big Show, American professional wrestler{{cite web |last1=Parsons |first1=Jim |title=Other Superstars Who Shaved Their Heads Before Baron Corbin |url=https://www.thesportster.com/wrestling/superstars-shaved-heads-before-baron-corbin/ |website=TheSportster |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=15 June 2018}}
Johnny Sins, American pornographic actor{{Citation|title=Q&A {{!}}{{!}} Johnny Sins Vlog #5 {{!}}{{!}} SinsTV| date=5 September 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3fcuGxeb8E|language=en|access-date=May 24, 2021}}
Skin, English singerhttps://www.splinter.com/bald-black-and-british-why-skunk-anansies-skin-is-th-1793861633M
Chris Slade, Welsh drummerhttps://dmme.net/interviews/interview-with-chris-slade
Kelly Slater, American surfer{{cite web |last1=Cave |first1=James |title=Going Bald Was The Best Thing To Happen To These Guys' Heads |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/men-who-look-better-bald_n_5702894be4b0a06d58062883 |website=HuffPost |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=4 April 2016}}
Jason Statham, English actor{{cite web |last1=Huynh |first1=Mike |title=Jason Statham Is Showing Bald Men How To Look Stylishly Masculine |url=https://www.dmarge.com/2019/07/jason-statham-suit.html |website=DMARGE |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=24 July 2019}}
Patrick Stewart, English actor{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Ryan |title=Patrick Stewart's Tale of Accepting His Baldness Involves a Physical Altercation with a Judo Master |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/patrick-stewart-bald-19-his-tale-involves-a-judo-master-988531 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=24 March 2017}}
Michael Stipe, American musician{{cite web |last1=Lynskey |first1=Dorian |title=Interview: Michael Stipe |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/nov/02/popandrock1 |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=2 November 2007}}
Corey Stoll, American actor{{cite web |last1=Rapkin |first1=Mickey |title=Corey Stoll: Shaving My Head Was a Game Changer |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/interviews/a29635/corey-stoll-cherchez-la-femme/ |website=ELLE |access-date=8 June 2020 |date=4 August 2015}}
Mark Strong, English actor{{cite web |last1=Oakeley |first1=Lucas |title=The many hairstyles of Mark Strong |url=https://www.esquireme.com/content/22005-a-history-of-mark-strongs-hair |website=Esquire Middle East |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=27 July 2017}}
Stanley Tucci, American actor{{cite web |last1=Shaw |first1=Gabbi |title=11 celebrities who are now rocking the bald look |url=https://www.insider.com/celebrities-who-went-bald-2019-8 |website=Insider |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=7 August 2019}}
Dana White, American businessman{{cite web |last1=Geller |first1=Sarah |title=The 100 Most Powerful Bald Men in the World |url=https://www.gq.com/gallery/the-100-most-powerful-bald-men-in-world#slide=18 |website=GQ |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=16 July 2013}}
Bruce Willis, American actor{{cite web |last1=Friedman |first1=Michael |title=Thank You, Bruce Willis, For Making Bald Beautiful |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thank-you-bruce-willis-for-making-bald-beautiful_b_6949672 |website=HuffPost |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=27 March 2015}}
Zinedine Zidane, French soccer player{{cite web |author1=Will |title=The Bald Icons: Who is Zinedine Zidane? |url=https://thebaldbrothers.com/the-bald-icons-who-is-zinedine-zidane/ |website=The Bald Brothers |access-date=9 June 2020 |date=5 March 2020}}

=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,{{Cite web |title=Bald Villains: Why Are So Many Bad Guys Bald? |url=https://www.myfreebird.com/a/blog/posts/bald-bad-guys |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Freebird {{!}} The Bald Truth |language=en-US}} such as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Colonel Kurtz, Lex Luthor, Thanos, Bullseye, portrayed by Colin Farrell, 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 popularized in the 1990s by professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. For most of the crime drama series Breaking Bad,Sources that refer to Breaking Bad being praised as one of the greatest television shows of all time include:

{{cite web |last=Moore |first=Frazier |title=2013 brought surprises, good and bad, to viewers |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2013-brought-surprises-good-and-bad-viewers |agency=Associated Press |date=18 December 2013 |access-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224145338/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2013-brought-surprises-good-and-bad-viewers |archive-date=24 December 2013 }}
{{cite web |last=St. John |first=Allen |title=Why 'Breaking Bad' Is The Best Show Ever And Why That Matters |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/allenstjohn/2013/09/16/why-breaking-bad-is-the-best-show-ever-and-why-that-matters/ |work=Forbes |date=16 September 2013 |access-date=24 December 2013 }}
{{cite web |last=Bianculli |first=David |title=Great New DVD Box Sets: Blasts From The Past And 'Breaking Bad' |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/12/23/255740346/2013s-best-dvd-box-sets-blasts-from-the-past-and-breaking-bad |publisher=NPR |date=23 December 2013 |access-date=24 December 2013 }}
{{cite web |title=2013′s 10 Best and Worst TV Shows, From Good 'Breaking Bad' to Bad 'Broke Girls' |url=https://tv.yahoo.com/news/2013-10-best-worst-tv-shows-good-breaking-213235107.html |work=Yahoo TV |date=19 December 2013 |access-date=24 December 2013 }}
{{cite web |last=Hickey |first=Walter |title=Breaking Bad Is The Greatest Show Ever Made |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-breaking-bad-is-the-greatest-show-ever-made-2013-9 |work=Business Insider |date=29 September 2013 |access-date=24 December 2013 }}
{{cite web |last=Lawson |first=Richard |title=The Case for 'Breaking Bad' as Television's Best Show |url=http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2012/07/case-breaking-bad-televisions-best-show/54565/ |work=The Wire |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=24 December 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105403/http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2012/07/case-breaking-bad-televisions-best-show/54565/ |url-status=dead }}
{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |title='Breaking Bad': Five Reasons It's One of TV's All-Time Greats |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/maureen-ryan/breaking-bad-greatest-show_b_1665640.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=11 July 2012 |access-date=15 July 2013 }} Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) wore a Van Dyke with a shaved head.{{cite web|work=Slate|title=Gateway Episodes: Breaking Bad|date=27 September 2013|first=Jeremy|last=Stahl|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/09/27/breaking_bad_finale_catch_up_by_starting_with_is_crazy_handful_of_nothin.html}}

In futuristic settings, shaved heads are often associated with bland uniformity, especially in sterile settings such as V for Vendetta and THX 1138.{{cite news|title=THX 1138|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/48303/THX-1138/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301012931/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/48303/THX-1138/overview|url-status=dead|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|author=Lucia Bozzola|date=2014|archive-date=2014-03-01}} 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{{Cite web |title=22 Actresses Who Shaved Their Heads For a Role |url=https://www.myfreebird.com/a/blog/posts/actresses-who-shaved-their-head-for-a-role |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Freebird {{!}} The Bald Truth |language=en-US}} or used bald caps{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/230124/Christine-Taylor/biography |title=Christine Taylor - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com |website=www.nytimes.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208025143/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/230124/Christine-Taylor/biography |archive-date=8 February 2015 |url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite book |last=Old Skool Jim |title=Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set liner notes |publisher=Trojan Records |location=London |id=TJETD169}}{{cite book |last=Marshall |first=George |title=Spirit of '69 – A Skinhead Bible |publisher=S.T. Publishing |year=1991}} 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 haircut fetishism. 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=

File:46_mommas_shave.jpg

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, began to shave their heads during lockdown due to boredom and/or being unable to have their hair cut as barbershops were forced to stay closed.[https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-why-are-so-many-people-shaving-their-heads-11968023 "Why are so many people shaving their heads?"] 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coronavirus-covhead-challenge-what-is-it-charity-raise-money-nhs-a9433241.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coronavirus-covhead-challenge-what-is-it-charity-raise-money-nhs-a9433241.html |archive-date=2022-05-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Coronavirus: What is the 'Covhead challenge' and which celebrities have taken part? |work=The Independent |date=30 March 2020}}

References

Category:Shaving

Category:Human hair

Category:Hairstyles