Ever have an emotional attachment to the style of your hair? Grown accustomed to your natural look? Abhor change and drag your feet in the ground when deciding to mix up your physical appearance? I am certainly a late bloomer, a slow turtle against the hare in the race, whenever it comes to irreversible, drastic alterations to my aesthetic… whether it be paying for acrylic nails, applying eyeliner on special occasions, or a simple hair trim. Spontaneity is not my forte as a meticulous type-A planner. However, since I have generally maintained the same face since 6th grade like an immortal vampire stuck forever young, I decided to spice my baby face syndrome up with a new haircut!
13 inches off
You read that correctly; I decided to chop a whopping 13 inches off in total of my length to have the ends fall at the top of my collarbone. A la Rapunzel fashion, I downsized from hip-length cascading hair to a cute bob! Only 10 inches were tied in a ponytail and sectioned to donate, while the couple inches left were to ensure the proper edges and length were precise.
Visceral Reaction?
Honestly, it was not as mentally shocking as I presumed beforehand. I have never been allowed to cut my hair short due to being a dedicated competitive dancer who needed to have the length to put my hair in a proper slick bun. Therefore, I was expecting a jaw-dropping, unrecognizable change to continually adapt to in the weeks after the wake. However, when I gazed into the mirror reflecting my drastic new hairdo, it seemed oddly familiar. It was not foreign or an acquired taste that had to lovingly grow on me, but an immediate feeling of right-ness. It was fitting to my round moon face, perfectly suitable to my girly/semi-professional style. The essence was as if I have had this cut all these years because it looks so appropriate. Kinda salty I did not have the guts and impulsivity to do it sooner…
weight lifted
Not having a hanging anchor of hair tugging on my scalp is euphoric. The days of straightening my hair for a painstaking and physically tiresome hour is long gone! My arms truly received a workout. Talk about productivity and time saving; showering time was cut in half because I do not have to deep shampoo and condition almost 2 feet of hair. My simplified morning hair-care routine is to brush my hair and maybe twist a couple strands to add a special flare. IMO: short hair has more of a variety of hairstyles to experiment with than long hair. Just don’t coil-curl your hair or you will look like a founding father.
wise advice
In its most basic form, hair is just a protein growing in a follicle containing dead cells. Not so glamourous, right? Fretting isn’t necessary, as in majority of cases, hair grows back. Perhaps I am a devious, chaotic influence on my friends because I always recommend to take that leap of change, whether it be scissors or hair dye (living a bit vicariously). Life is too trivial and unguaranteed to worry about something so minor as the length, color, and type of hair. Have momentary happiness and regret, as that is apart of exploring and expressing your identity throughout the adventure of life!
