Bald Amber Rose

Q: Why is Amber Rose bald? Is it a fashion statement or did she lose her hair? My boyfriend thinks she looks cute, and he said that I could pull off the bald look too. It was quite a shock to hear this since I have long hair.

I might consider a pixie if he insists, but never a bald look. Do you think a woman can make a fashion statement with a shaved head? Could a bald head ever become a rage for women?

A: Amber Rose – model and socialite – is a woman of Italian (by way of Barbados) and Cape Verdean (an archipelago in the North Atlantic) descent.

She wears her head shaved or with her hair cut extremely close to the scalp for primarily fashionable reasons. It is a striking look and one that has made her sought-after as a model.

However, as surprising as it is when they appear on the scene, shaved-headed women are really not that uncommon in pop culture. Actually over the last several decades, a number of celebrity women have made statements by going bald. In most cases it was for work (in movies) but others have worn their hair shorn for many reasons.

Among the first women of pop culture fame to go bald was Indian-born actress Persis Khambatta who shaved her head for the role of Lt. Ilea in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Nearly a decade later, Irish singer-songwriter and Prince cover artist, Sinead O'Connor, took the stage and caused a stir with her smooth pate.

Among actresses who've gone bald for the big screen are Sigourney Weaver (Alien 3), Demi Moore (G.I. Jane), and more recently Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta). All three were heralded for the statement and commitment to their craft, and all three looked striking and still very beautiful with shaved scalps.

Amdber Rose with super short buzzed hair — Amber Rose - Photo by PR Photos

Even many average women have gone with shaved heads, mostly to show solidarity with a friend or family member who has undergone cancer treatments and lost her hair. While this is only a personal opinion, I think this last cause for women to shave their heads may be what keeps shaved scalps from becoming a major fashion trend.

In some ways, to turn a shaved head into a fashion statement seems (albeit illogically) to belittle the more serious reasons for someone to shave her head. On the other side, because of the connection to illness for some people and the pervasive existence of cancer in our global culture, I think the shaved head carries a subconscious connotation that will inhibit its widespread appeal.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

How to shave your own head

Celebrities with short and very short hair

Will shaving your hair make the hair grow back thicker?