I know that I am not the only person who can’t stand staring at the same hairstyle for longer than a few months. I grew up a little brunette with luscious locks. It was always long and always the same. I would get out of the shower, and my mother would brush through my hair and do one of the three styles she could do. I love my mother, but I needed something unique.
The first time I changed my hair, I was around 7-years-old. My stepmother was a hairdresser and had been begging to change my hair. She bleached a few strips of my hair and sent me home to my mother. We had family pictures that following week, and mama was not happy. By the time she gave in and allowed me to start dying my hair, I was a sophomore in high school. I had to maintain my grades in order to maintain my blue ends. This was a good strategy because if it started fading out and I had a low grade in math, I’d be stuck with green hair. I couldn’t pull off green hair if I tried. After the experimentation with color during my sophomore year, I started considering changing the cut.
I have done the long, medium, short, shaved, pixie and mullet. Right now the color is black, but last month it was lavender, and I’ll probably change it next month. The feeling of having a different look to your hair is addicting. But sometimes, it can symbolize a change in your life and something that’s meaningful. During my senior year in high school, I came out as a lesbian and decided that my hair needed a change too. I cut it short and haven’t let it grow all the way out since. My hair has the power to be symbolic to me when I need it to be. I love changing it and taking on a new style.
But my self-confidence is not bound by my hair. I could be bald tomorrow and still love myself. The feeling after you shave your head is like no other. You can’t hide anything, and it is such a freeing feeling. TikTok made me do it, but I honestly did it for myself, and it was the best decision that I made over quarantine. I can now say that I shaved my head and felt truly me afterward. I would do it again, but this time for my roommate, that just wants to rub my head. The process of watching it grow out of all short styles that I have had has been the best part. Seeing it go through different stages and ways that you can style it is exhilarating.
If your hair is long and has been the same for years, I suggest trying something new. It is the perfect amount of confidence boost if you are in a rut. Even if you just switch things up with a few highlights. You deserve it. Treat yourself.