No matter what shape, color, or length, our hair is one of the most treasured aspects of our appearance. Hair boosts confidence, gives outfits an edge, and ultimately possesses a strong hold on how we view ourselves in the world. No one understands that more than me, who, up until this summer, had the same length for the past 10 years—until now.
Over the past few months, inspired by friends who had been trying out new features with their hair like bangs and experimenting with color, I gradually got comfortable with the idea of changing up my look. I always found security in having long, mid-torso-length hair because in a way, it was my trademark. Recently, however, I’ve felt a pull to get a cut that more accurately reflected my style and personality.
Despite being afraid to cut the length of my hair, I’ve never shied away from changing up the color. In middle school, I experimented with extensions that I often dyed blue, red, and purple. My love for dye only strengthened in college, which was when I gained the courage to dye most of my hair pink.
While it was fun to try out a bright and different hue, I knew the next step was something more permanent. That’s when I engulfed my time into watching YouTube hair transformation videos and scouring Pinterest for inspiration. Ultimately, I solidified a desire to have a chin length cut, definitely shorter than anything I had for many years. Since it was such a dramatic change, though, I decided to get it done in steps in order not to shock myself too much too fast.
Earlier in the summer of 2019, I took some inches off. At that point, my hair was a little bit longer than my collarbone. While it suited me and felt different enough, I wasn’t 100% satisfied. I wasn’t done with my hair journey just yet.
Once September rolled around, I was emotionally ready to breakup with even more length. I mean, if I was going to commit, I might as well make it big, right? Walking into my appointment, I carried a nervous but desirous attitude. I kept telling myself: at the end of the day, it’s just hair. It’ll grow back. That being said, I was a completely open canvas. Below is what I ended up with:
Some people mourn the loss of their hair once they undergo a dramatic change, but for some reason, I have no regrets. The last time I had bangs was when I was a 10 year old mini-Dora, but I was living for this new and modern adaptation of them. While the first few days made me second guess myself in the mirror, I embraced the new face that stared back at me.
If you’re on the fence about getting anything new done to your hair, whether it’s a color change, balayage, or simply a few inches off, do it. Besides, what is the purpose of life if you don’t have the courage to try anything?