Welcome to Beauty School, the corner of Dazed Beauty dedicated to learning. From guides to histories, this is where we shed light on past subcultural movements and educate our readers on current trends and various goings-on.
The skullet (see also: mullet extra, skinhead lite) is a more extreme version of the mullet, with the hair left long at the back, while the top and sides are shaved. Finding its place between extremes, the skullet is as likely to be spotted under the strobe lights of an industrial club as on a balding commuter during rush hour.
While predecessors include presidents and metalheads alike, the latest person to embrace the skullet style is FKA twigs. Her bold cut coincides with her new Eusexua era, inspired by the rhapsody of Prague’s underground techno scene. Louis Souvestre, the hairstylist behind the cut, says that the idea came about a few years ago on the set of The Crow. He tells Dazed, “We were inspired by 70s images of children from north-east Africa, with shaved fronts and upward braids, drawing from twigs’ heritage, as well as styles seen in Ancient Egyptian sculptures, like that of Akhenaten’s oldest daughter.”
By bringing the skullet into the spotlight, twigs’ cut has inspired a new wave of enthusiasts. These skullet sporters can be seen veiled in cyber sigilism tattoos, blasting Eusexua as they nurse iced long blacks and piercing infections. While some proudly pair their shiny skullets with white string vests and bleached brows, others aren’t convinced the world is ready for the look just yet – at least the corporate world. As one X user confessed, “I know I would look good with a skullet and no eyebrows, but I need a job.”
The skullet’s roots run deep. Whether paired with a fade, crew, lion’s mane or Afro, iterations of the skullet have endured throughout history, sometimes as a deliberate style choice and other times as a result of male balding patterns. President Benjamin Franklin allegedly used his to win over the French during diplomatic missions, Jean-Michel Basquiat embraced it as a fuck you to respectability politics, and metal singers like Devin Townsend kept the style alive during the 90s, headbanging his sweat-drenched locks onstage.
Before its was embraced by the queer community, the skullet was often associated with rugged, hyper-masculine figures like WWE’s Hulk Hogan and offbeat characters like Richard O’Brien from Rocky Horror Picture Show, contributing to its somewhat creepy reputation. Rachael Gibson, The Hair Historian, says that media portrayals of the skullet established it as an outsider look. “It’s such an unconventional cut, which doesn’t align with standard Western beauty ideals,” she explains. “It’s the ultimate creative-meets-confrontational look.”
Because of this, the skullet has always been popular within outsider communities, much like liberty spikes and rat tails; the cut came to represent an anti-establishment defiance. Its popularity surged in the 90s cyber rave scene, where FRUiTS magazine documented its influence on Japanese cyber rave styles in Harajuku. “The skullet has an appeal to anyone with a desire to appear ‘other’ and anti-establishment, be that Blitz Kids, punks, or the 90s cyber goth scene,” Gibson tells Dazed. This adoption into the outer edge parallels the path of the Chelsea cut, a signature rebellious style from the late 70s skinhead movement, born from working-class protest against socio-economic turmoil.
The skullet also bears similarities to ancient styles. “Tonsure hair (hair removed from the scalp) is something we see done in diverse communities across the globe and is done for religious or ceremonial reasons,” says Gibson. These historical practices, although sharing a conceptual similarity with the skullet, are distinct in their purpose. “These aren’t skullets,” she reminds us. “They’re cultural hairstyles done for very specific purposes, with examples in historic Mongolian societies, among the Manchus who imposed the Qing haircut in China, and among some Native American groups.”
These days, whether it’s hanging back in the shadows of sweltering club basements or shining in the spotlight of an FKA twigs performance, the skullet remains a radical hairstyle that disrupts societal understandings of beauty norms. “The skullet has definitely evolved into something slightly softer and even desirable, but it retains a shock factor because it is purposefully strange and confrontational,” says Gibson. She explains that there is an inherent aggression associated with shaved heads in Western societies, particularly when worn by women of colour. Souvestre agrees, saying this was one of the factors that contributed to twigs adopting the style.
“It challenges Western feminine beauty standards, which are typically soft and cute, something twigs wanted to stand against. She constantly seeks to bring herself closer to her inner self and to explore new forms of expression.”
