Short Natural Hairstyles for Black Women: Celeb Looks

Simone, who sits two desks from me, went home on a Friday with braids down past her shoulders and came back Monday with maybe two inches of hair. I actually walked past her once before I clocked it was her. She’d had it done at her cousin’s barbershop on Sunday afternoon, cost her $25, and she said the first thing she did after was stand in the shower for twenty minutes because she could finally feel the water on her scalp.

By lunch, two women from accounting had asked for the cousin’s number. I’m not kidding.

I’ve been a little obsessed with short natural hair ever since, so I went down a rabbit hole of red carpet photos and barbershop Instagram accounts. Below is what I found. Some of it is celebrity inspiration, some of it is just cuts I’d show a stylist, and a bit at the end is practical stuff Simone told me that I wouldn’t have thought of.

Celebrities With Short Natural Hair

Lupita Nyong’o

She’s the one everyone mentions first, and fair enough. Lupita has kept her hair cropped close for most of her career, and her stylist does these sculpted shapes and patterns with it for big events that I could stare at for ages. She’s talked in interviews about growing up wishing her skin and hair were different, which makes it hit a bit harder when you see how much she owns the look now.

Cynthia Erivo

Platinum buzz cut, giant earrings, nails done. That’s the Cynthia formula and I don’t think it’s ever missed. I once saw a photo of her on a red carpet next to a row of women with long blowouts, and she was the only one I remembered afterwards.

Michaela Coel

Michaela goes even shorter, and she’s done it bleached and in brighter colors too. It suits the whole sharp, slightly unpredictable vibe she has in her work.

Viola Davis

Hers is softer, a short tapered crop that just looks polished without trying. Good one to save if you’re worried short hair will feel too “edgy” for formal stuff. It won’t.

Willow Smith

Willow shaved her head when she was still a kid pop star and people lost their minds about it at the time. She’s gone back to short and shaved styles plenty of times since. If you like your hair with a bit of attitude, follow her.

Short Natural Hairstyles to Try

The TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro)

TWA stands for teeny weeny afro, which I think is the cutest name for a haircut ever. It’s basically what you have right after the big chop, an inch or two of even curls all over. Simone’s routine for hers takes about five minutes: spray of water, leave-in, a bit of curl cream scrunched in with her hands. Done. Once it grows past that stage you can start shaping it into something rounder, and our afro hairstyles roundup has loads of ideas for that.

The Tapered Cut

This is the one I’d probably go for. Shorter at the back and sides, more length on top so the curls have room to do their thing. It grows out really well, which matters, because nobody wants an awkward in-between month.

Don’t get it done by someone who doesn’t regularly cut coily hair. Simone’s very firm on this.

The Buzz Cut

Really short all over. If you’re nervous, ask for a 3 or 4 guard on the clippers first. You can always go shorter next time, but you can’t exactly go back.

A buzz is also the cheapest hair you’ll ever have. No products, basically, apart from a bit of oil so your scalp doesn’t get dry.

A Bleached or Colored Buzz

Honestly this is where short hair gets fun. Platinum, honey, copper, pink, whatever. If you hate it, it’s gone in a few weeks anyway. I’d just let a colorist do the bleaching rather than trying it with a box kit, because coily hair can get dry and brittle quickly.

Finger Coils

You take a small section of wet hair with gel or curl cream, wrap it round your finger, and slide it off. Then repeat. A lot. It takes a while the first time (Simone said nearly an hour) but the definition lasts for days and it looks so neat, especially on a tapered cut.

A Short Twist-Out

Two-strand twists on damp hair, leave them to dry fully, then untwist gently and fluff with your fingers. You get more volume than with a wash-and-go and the curls look a bit softer and stretched. On short hair the whole thing is maybe twenty minutes.

A Curly Pixie

Bit longer on top so the curls fall forward a little, shorter round the sides. It’s softer than a buzz and kind of flirty. We’ve got a whole post on the curly pixie cut if you want more examples.

The Frohawk and Shaved Designs

Two different things, but they go together. A frohawk keeps a strip of curls down the middle with the sides cut very short. Shaved designs are lines or patterns a barber cuts into the sides. Both are great if you want something a bit louder. Designs grow out in a couple of weeks, so they’re low commitment.

Mini Bantu Knots

On short hair you can only do little ones, which looks really sweet. Leave them in overnight and take them out in the morning for a curly knot-out.

A Few Things Simone Told Me

She moisturizes every single day, even when she’s in a rush. Water-based leave-in first, then a little oil or butter to seal it. She mentioned the “LOC method,” which is liquid, oil, cream in that order, and said it changed everything for her.

She barely shampoos. A gentle, sulfate-free one once a week, and co-wash in between if she’s been to the gym.

Satin bonnet at night, no exceptions. She said she skipped it once on holiday and her hair felt like a sponge for three days.

And she sees her cousin every three weeks for a tidy-up. Short hair loses its shape faster than you’d think, so if you’re used to going months between appointments, that’s the biggest adjustment.

Thinking About the Big Chop?

It’s scary, I get it. Plenty of people don’t cut it all at once. They let their natural texture grow out over months and snip the relaxed or damaged ends a bit at a time until it’s all natural. Others, like Simone, just go for it on a Sunday afternoon. There isn’t a right answer. Take photos with you, be honest with your stylist about how much effort you want to put in each morning, and pick something that fits your actual life, not just your Pinterest board.

Final Thoughts

I really think short natural hair is one of those looks that makes people seem more confident, even on days they don’t feel it. Lupita’s crop, Cynthia’s platinum buzz, a tapered cut with a bit of curl on top, any of them puts your face first.

Simone’s now trying to talk me into a pixie. I’m considering it.