You may have noticed I’ve just got my long hair cut into a bob. My giant mane of thick hair felt like a security blanket: feminine, swishy and comforting. But life goes in cycles, and inevitably I began to wonder: should I get my long hair cut short again?
Crowning glory?
The state of my hair always has the potential to make or break a day. When I wear it curly I feel quirky and ditzy, when it’s straight I feel professional and in-control. Your hairstyle is a big part of your personality and it’s mildly terrifying to think about changing that. Better the devil you know, right?
What made me change my mind?
Mostly it was the desire for change. Because nothing says fresh start like a new hair cut. Mentally, I’m trying to push myself in new directions with my freelance writing work. And physically, I felt like I was drowning in hair that was so thick you could barely get a comb through it. Taking the plunge felt appealingly impulsive and risky.
Did I regret it?
Absolutely! I regretted it as soon as walked out of the hairdresser. I felt like I’d left 80% of my personality laying in a heap on the salon floor. Getting used to a new haircut isn’t easy. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and do a double take, you feel an unfamiliar breeze on the back of your neck… and most importantly, you don’t feel like you.
Learning to like it
I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. However, I am trying to slowly embrace it. There are a lot of positives about going from long to short hair. A lot. I’m going to stick with it for a while, for the summer at least, and see if I start to like this new version of me.
It’s easier to style
When my hair was long it took over an hour to dry and straighten it. Now, it takes half the time. Also, I can’t get over how easy it is to brush. There were time when my long hair was verging on the matted, which is never good. Now it’s short, it never feels ratty or knotted. I worried short hair would be high-maintenance, but actually, it’s the opposite.
Change is good
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t missing my long hair. But how boring would it be to never try something new? Something gave me the little push to try short hair again, and I’m glad I followed it. As your mum always said, hair grows. Plus, life’s too short to be predictable.
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