Through the 18 years of my natural-born life thus far, my hair journey has been a rollercoaster of events. From relaxed pixie cuts and blown-out Afros to box braids and faux locs, I have always been unafraid to switch up my look. After a long-standing battle with the “creamy crack” that is chemical relaxers, I chose to go fully natural in the tenth grade, where I did the big chop. Many of my friends were supportive of my choice to go natural, saying the short style suited me. After that, I let it grow out for the rest of my high school days, with the help of wearing protective styles, until the end of my first semester of senior year. I chose to revisit my short hair and cut it off again before New Year’s (which was actually unintentional.) Nevertheless, I was content with yet another short ‘do.
Months went by and my hair got shorter and shorter, which annoyed my parents a bit, but I was content with my look nonetheless. This sparked a newfound love for wearing wigs. I had worn wigs before, but now with a shaved head, the possibilities were endless! Gone were the days of braiding down my head in hopes that a wig would lay properly. I had now cut my getting ready routine in half! Going into my first semester of college, I switched between my short style and long tresses. As the weather got cooler, I decided it was time for yet another change. With the help of a friend, I dyed my hair a bold red. It was very new to me seeing my hair in a different color, but I grew to love it. It solidified my independence as a college woman and overall made me feel like more of an adult.
Many people are under the impression that if a girl has short hair, her hair is not important to her, which is untrue. Being a bald baddie comes with a lot of responsibility and bravery, which is why so many women come together in support, whether your hair is short by choice or by circumstance. Online communities such as @thecutlife and @thebaldierevolution spotlight beautiful haircuts and the stories behind them.
Though the cut life is fun, I have learned time and time again that with short hair comes great responsibility. Sure, you can spend less time on wash days, and barbershop cuts generally cost far less than a salon press, but short hair can be a hassle. When you want to grow it out, it takes eons, and one bad cut can have you going from a badass femme fatale to looking like an 8 ball!
I am currently at a crossroads with my hair journey. During Thanksgiving break, I decided to cut my hair shorter and dye my hair more of a ginger color, which I honestly regret a little bit. This part of my hair journey taught me a lesson about doing things impulsively, but at the end of the day, hair is just hair. More importantly, hair, this hair is MY hair, and I have full autonomy to wear it how I choose.