Growing up as black girls, most of us dreamt of growing long straight hair like the foreign women we saw on magazine covers and television. We were obsessed with the idea for a long time, but of course, it was a disappointing journey for most of us and we eventually had to shave our heads.
Times have changed, thankfully, and we are in an era where natural afro-textured hair is highly appreciated and positively represented in the media.
This positive representation has not only taught us to love our hair but has also made us realize how versatile and beautiful our afro hair is. It can be styled in a thousand different ways to create beautiful unique looks that make heads turn.
Some of the trendiest natural hairstyles for black women right now are shaved hairstyles. There are dozens of different beautiful shaved hairstyles for black women currently and more styles keep popping up every day.
Here are a few of our top favourite picks of shaved hairstyles for black women that you can rock this year and look like royalty.
The Clean Shave.
Also known as the “Jordan” haircut, the barber leaves no strand of hair standing with this hairstyle and the result is a clean, bald, and shining scalp.
This shaved hairstyle is bold, edgy and versatile, as you can wear anything and look absolutely amazing. It requires zero maintenance save for an occasional visit to the barbershop when the hair starts to grow.
Kenyan-born supermodel Ajuma Nasenyana often rocks this hairstyle even on big runways and we’ve never seen her look anything other than gorgeous.
The Short Shave.
The super short shave is a popular hairstyle for women of all ages who are on the move and have no time for the salon or simply enjoy being natural.
With this style, the barber typically leaves a few centimetres of hair all around the head. It’s a clean and easy-to-maintain effortless look that fits all face shapes.
This hairstyle is the former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s signature hairstyle. It is also the current First Lady Rachel Ruto’s style of choice, although she sometimes has a subtle side part. Even though we may not all agree on everything as a country, we can all agree that these two powerful women are absolutely beautiful.
Internationally acclaimed actress, Lupita Nyong’o also occasionally rocks this hairstyle and she looks stunning, but again, Lupita Nyong’o always looks beautiful in whatever hairstyle and clothes she wears.
Short Shave With A Side Part.
This hairstyle is basically just a short shave with a fun twist. The fun is in the details where a clean line or two is added on the side of the head. The barber then proceeds to gradually “fade” the hair after the side part.
The Mohawk.
The mohawk is a fun and edgy hairstyle that is achieved by closely shaving the sides of the head and leaving a strip of longer hair in the middle that is often styled upright.
Renowned musician, Wahu Kagwi, has been rocking this hairstyle for a few years now and we can’t get enough of how gorgeous she looks with this style.
The Tapered Curly Afro.
This is one of the latest shaved hairstyles for black women, especially those who have naturally curly hair.
The hairdresser starts with long hair in the middle of the head, then gradually shortens it as they go back to the neck and behind the ears. The hair is then washed to bring out its bouncy curls.
It’s a chic, effortless, and modern look that can be made bold by dying the hair with bright colours.
Braids With Shaved Sides.
After shaving the sides of the head as with the mohawk, one might go an extra step and have the remaining hair braided with extensions into a style of their choice.
It’s a beautiful, bold, edgy, and fun hairstyle to try as it merges traditional braids with modern haircuts.
Shaved Hairstyles With Bold Designs.
For women who hate being conservative, including bold artistic designs in any of the shaved hairstyles named above is the right move.
Some barbers are skilled artists who can draw anything you want on your head with their shaving machine as their pen and your hair as the ink.
If the designs are just not enough, you can also dye your hair with the colour of your choice.