I have had my fair share of drastic haircuts. From dark, blunt bobs with bangs to long, bleached ombrés, I have just about tried it all. Since my senior year of high school, however, I consistently grew out my hair to a fairly long length, only to cut it above my shoulders and then repeat the process. At the start of the second semester, I was in the “growing” phase until one night I decided: it was time to go short.
Let me preface this story with the fact that I worked as a receptionist at a hair salon for two years, and was often exposed to transformative haircuts in addition to the basic process of cutting hair. I’d had short haircuts before, so I knew it would work with my face shape, but I was still nervous my hair would be noticeably “DIY”.
One Youtube video and three inches later, I was back to my short hair. Granted, it was about twenty minutes of trial and error; despite the slight stress, I was swept with a feeling of liberation. Metaphorically and physically, a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Besides less time required to style my hair, there was also a newfound level of confidence. My long hair matched most of my friends and was somewhat of a “go-to”, so I was excited to make my hairstyle more unique to me. As with any change, I was eager to be myself and explore my individual style. During the first week especially, I experimented with new looks to see what exactly I could do with this new hair length. Most of all, there was nothing more rewarding than receiving compliments on my hair and being able to say, “thank you, I did it myself”.
Granted, I don’t know if I will cut my own hair again. It was a spontaneous decision, but one that I am proud of. Going forward, I challenge you all to try something new. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and see if it is a lasting change. Hair is just one thing you can individualize, but it does come with a great feeling of confidence. So, whether it is a new fashion trend or some way you present yourself, go for it!
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