NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - Ms Clara Perlmutter, who on TikTok goes by @Tinyjewishgirl, decided recently to shave her head and document it on the platform after seeing the Dyson Airwrap go viral, with people curling and coiffing their long shocks of hair.

"I made a deal with myself that I was going to either learn how to do hair really well so I could make it a final touch to all my outfits, or buzz my head," she said.

In late January, when Ms Perlmutter, 23, was on set at a photo shoot, she watched as a hairdresser intricately styled a model's hair.

"At that moment, I realised I didn't have the emotional energy to go all-out with my hair," she said. "I went home and told my boyfriend, 'I want you to shave my head.' We went ham with the clippers and filmed the journey for my TikTok."

Ms Perlmutter instantly 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 that 1990s and 2000s dystopian-future aesthetic, and I'm really into the way the bald head makes every outfit fit that vibe," she said. Lately, she has been wearing puffy headbands over her buzzed head.

There is plenty of evidence that the shaved head is the first trendy cut of 2022. Model Iris Law, singer Demi Lovato and rapper Saweetie have lopped off their manes. Actor Jordan Alexander, of the Gossip Girl reboot (2021 to present), and model Slick Woods have made it their style signatures.

Ms Camille Rogers, who works in marketing and uses the pronouns they and them, proudly wears a shaved head too. "Every time I shave my head, I feel like a weight has been lifted," they said. "A new wave of confidence washes over me."

There is something about that "freshly buzzed feeling", they said, that "just hits".

Ms Rita Melssen, an art director and stylist, shaved her head on a whim and now changes the colour from icy white to light pink as it grows out. She also experiments with vintage caps and scarves to change up the 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," the 29-year-old said. "I feel more powerful and graceful. There is a purity and a fierceness to it. It's like I am peeling back a layer so that you can see a deeper part of me.

"Also, I can get ready so fast now, it's a game changer."

For some people who have been contemplating the look for a while, 2022 felt right.

"I still feel butterflies when I look into the mirror," said Ms Emma Fridsell, 23, a fashion influencer who traded a pixie for a buzz cut.

"I feel stronger with my head shaved. I walk a little bit taller. I hope that I can also inspire others to not feel the need to fit into a box. I have struggled with that, and this haircut finally allowed me to break free once and for all."

Mr Joseph Charles Viola, 26, who works in fashion, also took to the clippers. "Life was weighing me down, and I thought my hair could take some of that weight off for a bit," he said.

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

"It's about taking ownership of your identity and allowing you to control at least one aspect of what's going on around you," said Ms Rachael Gibson, who charts the history of hair on her Instagram account Thehairhistorian.

"I think there's probably also a sense of why the hell not," she added. "If you can't shave your hair off while we're living through what we've lived through, when are you going to do it?"

The shaved head has history, with roots in mourning, religion, rebellion and even ostracism. That history is also what makes the cut empowering and provoking all at once.

"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 Ms Valerie Steele, director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

"Now a shaved head is increasingly perceived as strength and gender equality," she added.

"We tend to be so attached to our hair, as if that's the only thing that makes us a woman or feminine, and that's far from the truth," said actor and author Samantina Zenon, who swopped her natural Afro for a smoothed head.

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

Ms Rogers feels similarly. "I feel like I've reclaimed my relationship with my hair and sense of self - not only in a gender-euphoric way, but also in relation to how significant hair has been to me my whole life, growing up as a black person."

There is a lot to be said about a cut that gives you a fresh start and still maintains a world of expression. For some of the newly shorn, like Zenon, the cut is one they plan to keep for the long run. "I don't think I will ever want to go back to growing my hair again," she said.