As I stared at about an inch of my hair in my hands, I thought, why? I was going to go back home in about a month, so there was no need to take matters into my own hands and cut my bangs.
This was not quite the spur-of-the-moment decision. My bangs had grown out, and I was tired of the weird way they curled and got in front of my eyes. I’d seen my hair stylist work her scissors dozens of times; surely I could make my bangs manageable too, right? Wrong. To be fair, I had been contemplating the matter for a bit, my overconfidence in my own abilities ultimately sealing the deal.
If you can believe it, I was left with micro-bangs that my sister laughed at over FaceTime. Thankfully, I have been able to pin those suckers back for the most part, and I pray they grow out enough that my hair girl can work her magic and fix them.
While my ambition got the best of me, it made me think about the girls out there who feel the need to change their hair. Whether it’s dyeing it a spunky color or giving it the big chop, women tend to lean towards this urge a bit more than men.Â
This could be for a variety of reasons. It’s become widely perceived that if someone has dyed their hair red or cut it drastically short, that they must be going through something. Most of the time, that something is a breakup. This is followed by the saying “hair holds memories”, therefore, getting rid of the old as much as possible. Even if it’s not a breakup, noticeable hair alterations are associated with something negative in someone’s life. Why is that?
While in some cases that can ring true, there must be a reason women feel this is the answer. I think it has to do with the idea that we have to be ever evolving, changing our appearance with whatever season of life we’re in. That we have to fit the current state of our life, even if our current life is not as drastically different. What’s up with that?
Of course, there are times when a haircut is due to split ends, a change in weather, or just for fun! It can be fun to speculate why a change was made to someone’s appearance, but then again, doesn’t that initiate a stereotype? Doesn’t that welcome the assumption that a change in appearance had to have been prompted by something? As much as I don’t want to compare, I will. When men make changes in their appearance, it’s simply that. A change in appearance. Nothing more, nothing less.Â
Now, I completely understand impulses and the need to scratch an itch. However, I also believe that hair is important and doesn’t always need to be the outlet! Girl, pick up journaling, get some air, take that nap! But of course, hair grows back and roots grow out. Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Trust me, I’d know.