1. “It’s harder to pull off hair accessories.”

FICTION FICTION FICTION. On the contrary, I think I look absolutely fantastic in hair accessories of all kinds now. Short hair works beautifully with vintage bows and bandanas and tucks neatly under both simple and extravagant headbands. Chique, carefully careless, tidy, bold - short hair can pull ‘em all off.

2. “Your hair grows back differently.”

Fiction! I had this fear when I first decided to shave my hair. I did tons of research in my spare time and eventually, I did find bloggers sharing horror stories about how they shaved their hair and it grew back with different waves and textures. My only guess is that with cutting your hair comes different styling and care techniques which may cause that change. But in all honesty, for me, every darn awkward wave on my head is still there today.

3. “It’s easier to take care of.”

Fact. I remember when I used to go on vacations or conferences where I knew hairstyling was important, I would pack the following: shampoo, conditioner, heat-protecting cream, a hairdryer, a straightener, styling pomade, and accessories. A bit much, I know.“People aren’t as attracted to short hair.”

Now? I throw some basic shampoo and a little gel into a ziploc bag and I’m good to go.

4. “People are less attracted to shorter hair.”

I’m going to go with semi-fiction. I definitely found that the usual crowd of people who normally admired my long hair or looks were less than impressed with my buzzed look- so yes, in a way, the people who usually threw a second glance my way suddenly weren’t all that interested. However, in the 6 months following my drastic cut, I’ve found others who’ve taken an interest in how different my short hair looks compared to the standard models splashed on page 6 of People magazine. To be honest, those are the people I’d rather be with anyways.

5. “You don’t have bad hair days.”

Fiction again! I never believed it before I cut my hair but seriously, bad hair days are a thing for people with short hair. When my hair was ½ an inch or so, of course, I didn’t have any problems. But grow your hair to the standard pixie length and all these cowlicks that you forgot about just start sprouting out of nowhere.

6. “It takes a lot of courage to go that short.”

Fact. Or at least it took a lot of courage for me to go that short. Hair is one of those rare modifiable traits, the only moldable stuff on your head that can be twisted, curled, heated, cut, and ironed to make you look like an entirely different person. I’ve known women who have layers to distract from their chins, bangs to distract from a round face, and even extensions to distract from thinning hair. Long hair, especially in the dominant culture and traditional media sources of the U.S.,long hair is typically portrayed as attractive, sexy, and “feminine”.

So yes, to defy all that, to turn your back on social expectations, to know you’re beautiful even when everything tells you otherwise, to walk the untrodden path? It’s pretty damn courageous.

7. “You have to have the right face for it.”

Fiction! I do not have the right face for it - and I’m nothing but proud of the way my hair looks on me. It always surprises me that so many other women think this. You do have to find a style that works for you so if some short bangs are needed to accentuate a pixie cut, go for it! The right look for you will always be the one you choose and rock with confidence.

8. "There aren’t as many ways to style it.”

If you know me, you’ll know that my answer to this is FICTION AGAIN. I’ve spiked my hair with gel into a funky crop, used pomade to smooth it into a classic pixie, twisted my bangs with bobbie pins, I’ve done it all. There are even ways to braid short hair and weave flowers into it. The possibilities, in this case, are truly endless. Only with this sense of optimism and adventure will you find the look you’re going for. Good luck!