Clara Perlmutter, who on TikTok goes by the name @Tinyjewishgirl, recently decided to shave her head and document it on the platform after seeing the Dyson Airwrap go viral, with people curling and styling their long locks of hair.

“I made a deal with myself that I was either going to learn how to do my hair well so I could make it a finishing touch to all my outfits or get my head buzzed,” she said. At the end of January, when Ms Perlmutter, 23, was on set for a photoshoot, she watched a hairdresser intricately style a model’s hair.

Rita Melssen, left, and Clara Pelrmutter in New York. There is plenty of evidence that a shaved head is the top trending haircut of 2022. OK MCCAUSLAND/nyt

“At that point, I realized I didn’t have the emotional energy to do everything with my hair,” she said. “I came home and said to my boyfriend, ‘I want you to shave my head.’ We went ham with the clippers and filmed the trip for my TikTok.”

Ms Perlmutter immediately embraced the look for its ease and the fact that her hair is now “one less thing to worry about”. It also suits her style. “I’m into this dystopian futuristic aesthetic of the 1990s and 2000s, and I’m really into how the bald head makes every outfit fit that vibe,” she said. Lately, she’s been wearing puffy headbands on her buzzing head.

There is plenty of evidence that the shaved head is the number one haircut trend of 2022. Iris Law, Demi Lovato and Saweetie have cut their manes. Actor Jordan Alexander, of the Gossip Girl reboot, and the Slick Woods model made it their style signature.

Rita Melssen in New York. OK MCCAUSLAND/nyt

Camille Rogers, who works in marketing and uses the pronouns they and them, also proudly wears a shaved head. “Every time I shave my head I feel like a weight has been lifted,” they said. “A new wave of confidence overwhelms me.” There’s something about that “freshly buzzed feeling”, they said, that “just hits the mark”.

Art director and stylist Rita Melssen shaved her head on a whim and now changes the color from icy white to light pink as she grows. She is also experimenting with vintage caps and scarves to change up her look.

“I walk through the world very differently with a shaved head as opposed to a head of long curly hair like I had before,” said Ms Melssen, 29. “I feel more powerful and graceful. There’s a purity and fierceness to it. It’s like I’m peeling off a layer so you can see a deeper part of me.

“Also, I can prepare so quickly now, it’s a game-changer.”

For some people who have been considering the look for a while, 2022 seemed right. “I always feel butterflies when I look in the mirror,” said Emma Fridsell, 23, a fashion influencer who swapped a pixie for a buzz cut.

“I feel stronger with my shaved head. I walk a little taller. I hope I can also inspire others not to feel the need to fit in a box. I struggled with that, and that cut of hair has finally set me free once and for all.”

Joseph Charles Viola, 26, who works in fashion, also took on the clippers. “Life was weighing me down, and I thought my hair might take some of that weight off for a while,” he said.

Turbulent times often lead to extreme self-expression through beauty.

“It’s about owning your identity and allowing you to control at least one aspect of what’s going on around you,” said Rachael Gibson, who chronicles the hair story on her Instagram account Thehairhistorian.

“I think there’s probably a sense of why not as well,” she added. “If you can’t shave your hair while we’re going through what we’ve been through, when are you going to?”

On social media, subcultures like dark academia and cottagecore have flourished during the pandemic. Such communities emerge from goth, emo and punk threads in which the shaved head appears as an aesthetic signifier.

“I think we live in a time where just about anything goes,” Ms Gibson said. “You can be a goth baby one day and some kind of year 2000 girl wearing a Juicy tracksuit the next.

“Conversely,” she continued, “perhaps there’s something to be said for a shaved head being the ultimate sign of a look’s commitment. A shaved head for a woman always has the power to shock.”

Clara Perlmutter in New York. photos: OK MCCAUSLAND/nyt

The shaved head has a history, with roots in mourning, religion, rebellion and even ostracism. This story is also what makes the cut stimulating and provoking at the same time.

“Hair shaving can also be a type of discipline and uniformity for soldiers, or purity for Hindu priests, because hair is associated with sexuality,” said Valerie Steele, museum director of the Fashion Institute of Technology.

“Now,” Ms Steele said, “a shaved head is increasingly seen as a strength and gender equality.”

Mr Viola said: “There’s something about holding my Vivienne Westwood bag with a bald head that feels like I’m gender affirming. I don’t necessarily conform to any sort of gender identity. , but I realize that with my bald head and mustache, I’ll somehow come out to the regular person.”

Holding a handbag “made for a queer Walter White fantasy that I personally thrive in,” he said, referring to the breaking Bad personage.

For others, the look allows them to experience empowerment in a new way.

“We tend to be so attached to our hair, like it’s the only thing that makes us female or femininity, and that’s far from the truth,” actress and author Samantina says. Zenon, who swapped her natural afro for a slicked head.

“Being a woman is about more than just looking like one. We have so many layers to us, and while some may proudly wear their crowns, we also carry a lot of burdens. As I get older, it becomes vital for me to forever walk in my power, regardless of my appearance.”

Joseph Charles Viola in New York. OK MCCAUSLAND/nyt

Ms Rogers feels the same: “I feel like I’ve reclaimed my relationship with my hair and my sense of myself, not only in a euphoric way, but also in terms of the importance that hair has had for me my entire life, growing up to be a black person.”

There’s a lot to be said for a fit that gives you a fresh start while still maintaining a world of expression. For some of the newer shorns, like Zenon, the cut is one they plan to keep for the long haul.

“I don’t think I want to start growing my hair again,” she said.