Creating beauty content is her job. However, in December 2025, Erika Titus, one of TikTok's rising stars, decided to do something for herself—not for the algorithm. At 23, the Hawaiian content creator with 4 million followers chose to shave her head. She saw this decision as a personal liberation and an act of redefining beauty in the age of filters and "skinny content."
A sudden... and symbolic desire
It all started with a persistent idea. "I don't know why I thought of it, maybe I was watching 'Stranger Things' and I saw Eleven's shaved head," she told Teen Vogue . For several days, the young woman couldn't shake the desire, until she finally took the plunge. Beneath her impulsive appearance, her action was actually the result of long deliberation.
Behind the clippers: a questioning of her self-image, shaped by years of exposure on social media. For Erika Titus (@erikatitus), hairstyles had become a symbol of control, of conforming beauty, and shaving her head, a way to erase everything and start from scratch.
@erikatitus I forgot I filmed this back when I had hair hshdshhshs ♬ original sound - Lyrical Lemonade
The fatigue of "looking beautiful" online
Since starting out at 18, Erika Titus (@erikatitus) has built her reputation on creative makeup tutorials and infectious energy. Over time, however, the pressure of online scrutiny became a burden. "I was getting comments about my personality, so I hid behind my beauty. As long as I looked good, I thought people would be more forgiving," she says.
From there, a downward spiral began: retouching, cosmetic procedures, constant image control… without ever finding the desired satisfaction. “It was like putting a bandage on a deeper wound.” By shaving her head, Erika wanted to end this dependence on external validation and try to see herself differently.
A collective rebirth
Her "Bald Series," published on TikTok, quickly garnered millions of views. Erika Titus (@erikatitus) read it all, from admiring comments to harsh judgments. What struck her most was the wave of people who imitated her: "Many posted videos of themselves shaving their heads too. It was beautiful to see that this gesture could become a movement."
Since then, Erika has been rediscovering her image. She's daring, experimenting, feeling her way—sometimes even hating it. "I bleached my hair and hated the result, but I was glad I tried it," she says humorously. This new, freer, and more relaxed relationship with her appearance encourages her to explore other aspects of herself: "I talk more, I say no, I assert myself. Shaving my head helped me set boundaries—with others, but especially with myself."
Ultimately, for Erika Titus (@erikatitus), shaving her head wasn't "a crisis," but rather a form of feminist rebirth. In a world where appearance is omnipresent, she chose to lighten her load—of her image, her masks, and the pressure to be beautiful at all costs. A powerful gesture: that of a young woman learning to love herself again, in a different way.
