The Buzzcut Movement

UK’s Female Buzzcut Movement

2019-2021

When I first moved to London (2019), my attention was caught by the buzzcut movement taking place amongst young women not only in London but around the UK.

History has shown us that this type of haircut has represented various meanings. In France during WWII, a shaved head was often a result of punishment towards a woman who had slept with the enemy. This protocol left the appearance of a buzzcut to be associated with shame and betrayal.

This haircut has also been used as an act of rebellion. In the late 70s, a small group of women started to wear this look within the punk rock music community. Towards the end of the 90s, a new punk movement formulated called ‘Riot Grrrl’, where various female punk bands such as Bikini Kill, and Brat Mobile focused their music on topics such as rebelling against the male gaze and the woman’s expected place in society. A female buzzcut occasionally resulted from the values of this movement, where women embraced a sense of visual freedom in their gender.

In today’s culture, buzzcuts have been known to be associated with assumptions such as mental breakdowns, physical illnesses and sexual orientation.

With all this said, I felt a curiosity to explore various women’s reasonings for shaving their heads in the UK. Since 2019 I have been meeting and photographing women, listening to their testimonies about how they felt led to shaving all their hair off.

Grace Latter

Grace truly lives up to her name when it comes to her body. Being a survivor of a brain tumour that has resulted in two surgeries, Grace is learning to love her body.

In 2018, she was nominated for the ‘Influencer of The Year award due to her efforts in spreading public awareness towards body positivity. Whilst being a big advocate for self-love, she explains that shaving her head allowed her to see the entirety of her surgical scar for the first time. This experience left her feeling a sense of empowerment and admiration towards her body, given what it has fought her through. Grace decided to turn the action of shaving her head into a fundraising event for ‘The Brain Tumour Charity’ which took place in March 2018 at ‘The Cake Room’ cafe in St Leonards, Hastings.

*Grace sat in her one bed flat in St Leonards (Hastings) February 2020*

Grace’s visible scar shown on the left side of her head after two brain surgeries, February 2020 — *Grace’s scar shown on the left side of her head after two brain surgeries, February 2020*

Elyssa Rider

In November 2018, Elyssa made the decision to shave her head to not only overcome a fear of a life without her long hair but with a desire to defy gender norms.

“Shaving my head felt like the gateway permission I needed to do all sorts of other things that frighten me, or that as women, we’re told we can’t do. Skating is one of those things. It’s a male-dominated sport and it can be tough to learn, but the buzz of progress is incredible.”

Elyssa explains that she has experienced regular street harassment, such as ‘wolf whistling’ and inappropriate passing comments from various men, so felt the pull to shave her head as a symbol of rejecting the male gaze.

*Elyssa stood with a freshly shaved smiley face on the back of her head, January 2020*

*Elyssa riding the concretes of Clapham Common’s skate park, January 2020*

*Elyssa Rider, Clapham Common skate park, January 2020*

River Solace (they/them)

River says, “I wanted to mirror the drastic change that has been taking place within, by reflecting that on the outside.”

In July 2019, River got involved with ‘girlswillbeboys’ who are an organisation run by a woman called Char Ellesse, a content creator and feminist. In this organisation, Char focuses on the discussion of the modern-day gender-assigned roles and created a project called ‘OMG She’s Bald’ with the aim to communicate that women can shave their heads with “no guilt, hesitation or explanation”. River found an alignment with the values of this organisation and made the decision to shave their head at an ‘OMG She’s Bald’ event that took place in July 2019. Since shaving their head, River passionately talks about the liberation they have found in accepting themselves without the long blond hair they had previously been attaching to their identity.

Read more of River’s story here: http://exhibitzee.com/why-i-shaved-my-head/

*A photograph of River with their previous long hair, January 2020*

*Post re-head shave in their flat bathroom, September 2019*

*River Solace, New Park Road bus stop, Balham, October 2019*

Becki Caitlin

After two years of pondering the idea to shave her head, Becki finally made the decision to act on this in August 2020.

“I used to have super long curly hair and a thick full fringe. I’d hide behind my hair all the time. Anxious, hide behind it. Sad, hide behind. I used my hair as a way to hide from society in a weird way”

Becki had felt fearful that others would judge her for who she is and how she looked. Since shaving her head, Becki explains that she has encountered a level of freedom and expression in herself that she had not yet experienced.