On Instagram a few days ago, I read a comment on a hairstyling video that said something along the lines of “Your short hair looks so cool. I’ve always wanted short hair but I’ll never have the guts to do it.” This struck me as interesting because I felt the same way before I cut my hair off about almost four years ago. My whole life I admired short hair on women. I thought it seemed unique, and freeing, but I was too anxious to go for it for a long time. Why was this?
Hair is not just a part of the body. It is a social and cultural phenomenon, a way to distinguish people and their personalities. In Western cultures, short hair is the norm for men, and long hair is typical for women. This is why women cutting their hair short is often seen as a statement, not just a stylistic choice. If a woman has short or buzzed hair, she must be a lesbian, or have a mental illness, or isn’t a girl at all. Men who choose to grow their hair long are presumed to be gay or trans, and are often bullied for it. Because Western beauty standards are so set in stone, when someone deviates from the norm people think it must have some meaning behind it.
While it is true sometimes people have another reason for choosing particular hairstyles— for myself it was tackling my anxiety— there doesn’t need to be a reason. If you want to grow your hair long, do it! If you want to cut it all off, get those scissors (and a talented friend who’ll help you)! The best thing about hair is one of the things that makes it the most unique part of your body to modify. It grows back.
Often women are trapped into this idea of perfect— and white— femininity. “If I get short hair, will everyone think I’m a lesbian, and no boys will ask me out?” “If I get a pixie cut, will I look like a boy?” Women of color are also pushed to keep long hair, straighten textured hair, and adopt white and Western styles, though it may be much more manageable and desirable to cut hair short or utilize protective hairstyles.
So should you be nervous about making a drastic change to your hair? No, not at all. If you want to change your hair length from sweeping around your hips to curling around your ears, go for it! Dye it blue, change your style. Choose a method that works for your hair and your personality. Cut it all off!