I never get my hair cut, like ever. This can be attributed to middle school me deciding it was a good idea to get my thick, wavy hair cut off to my chin with no layers. I want to be ~edgy~. I want to be ~different~. I convinced myself of this when in all actuality I had seen an actress on TV with chin length hair and thought it would make me look more appealing, more like her. All these thoughts were running through my mind as six inches of my long blond hair fell to the ground. I loved it, for a day. Once that day had passed, however, I was absolutely mortified. “I look like a man! Who let me do this?” I asked my friends. They all responded with a resounding “you chose this,” or “it’s hair it will grow back.” Needless to say, it was the year of ponytails and headbands for me until my hair grew out to a length I could tolerate.
This experience left me scarred. As in full a Tangled moment, ready to lock myself up in a tower and never-cut-my-hair-again type of scarred. Due to this, I only got my hair cut twice in a two year period *insert the collective scream of hair stylists*. I got a haircut the day before my high school graduation and was so nervous that I only let the stylist cut off two inches. Another factor that makes me hyper-reluctant to cut my hair is the fact that my hair grows so slow. It took me a very long time to get my hair to the mid-chest length that it was going into my freshman year of college.
All this being said, last Friday I decided to bite the bullet. I overheard some of my friends talking about going to get haircuts at Ulta. I asked if I could go before I could give myself the chance to say no. By the next day, we had three appointments scheduled for the Ulta Salon.
When we arrived we were fit in very quickly and within a matter of minutes, impulsive decisions were being made. I had thought I was just going to get a trim, yet something inside me just clicked. I needed a change. I needed to do something for me. I tried to think back to the last time that I had done for solely my own interests and I came up with nothing.
That’s something that as women I think we struggle with. We have desires to succeed, desires to learn, desires to help others, but very often I think we struggle to realize when these desires inhibit choices we make for ourselves and no one else. I this moment of realization, the hairdresser asked me what length I wanted her to cut my hair to. I gestured to my shoulder with close to five inches of hair sitting below it. Throughout the entire experience my hairdresser was very kind and only did what I asked her to and by the end of the experience, I felt like the best version of myself that I had in months.
Overall, my experience with Ulta Salon was very positive. The haircut total was around 50 dollars, including a tip, which I deem to be a reasonably priced cut. Also, the stylists were very accommodating and made me feel very comfortable. Another factor as to why I think this experience was such a positive one is I chose to make a change for me. Not because I was trying to look like someone else or alter my appearance for another person. Begone irrational fears and disregarding of self worth! I encourage you to think of the last time you did something for yourself. If you can’t, like me, then let’s get to work on changing that. Remember to care of yourself, collegiette!