So you finally worked up the nerve, booked a salon appointment, and got all your hair chopped off, maybe for the first time in your life. Well, probably not all of it, but most of it, and now you're down to a pixie. First of all, congratulations! It takes guts to cut off years of hair growth and get a completely new look. Maybe you're loving it and maybe you're still a little in shock, but in any case as a fellow recent short hair girl I'm going to give you some tips on taking care of your new 'do.

1. Accept the bed head

There is no getting around this, you will wake up with bed head every singe morning. I've recently discovered that I have a prominent wave in the front two inches of my hair, at least now that it doesn't have eight inches of weight to flatten it out. If you want your hair to look more sleek I recommend getting a travel-size flat iron. They're tiny enough to straighten even two or so inches of hair. You're going to have to style your hair every morning though, that's just a fact.

2. If you don't know how to use a blow dryer well, it's time to learn

One of the nice things about having short hair is that it dries on its own pretty fast. But if you ever do blow dry it, make sure you're blowing in the direction you want your hair to lay once it's dry. Pro tip: However, if you plan to part your hair to the side, you can move your hair in both directions you dry it to get rid of cowlicks, then ultimately dry it the last 20% to the side you want it to go.

3. Figure out what your natural part is and respect it, especially if your hair is particularly short

I made the mistake once of parting my hair on the opposite side of the direction it wanted to go, combing it down and leaving it to air dry, thinking it would give me more "volume". Never making that mistake again. My hair was a crazy mess for the next two days until I washed it again.

4. Use your products wisely

If you really short hair, especially if your hair is naturally straight, you only need a tiny amount of shampoo or conditioner. You don't want to waste tons of product only to have it build up in your hair. Take the money you usually spend replenishing your shampoo or conditioner and invest in a good quality styling pomade or wax. The other good new: you'll only need a tiny amount of that at once too, so one pot or bottle will last you a while.

5. Lastly and most importantly, rock it

Especially for girls, it takes bravery to cut your hair super short. Own that look! Look at you, rocking your red lipstick and pixie cut.