The title of this article makes my recent haircut experience sound a lot more dramatic than it really was. But, it was still a life-changing moment in my life. Let me explain what a big deal this was for me.
I have had long hair since I was 16 years old. For five years, I've had hair to the lowest end of my back that created a sense of security that I didn't even realize. However, I didn't like the fact that the thought of having short hair stressed me out. Why did it? Why am I someone that obsesses over hair? How vain of me, I thought.
This may sound ridiculous, but girls have an emotional attachment to their hair just like they do to their clothes and all other items that make them feel beautiful. "Hair holds so much more energy than most of us are aware of. Some women use it as a security blanket whose purpose is to shield and protect, while others use it as a secret weapon to tease and entice," said Owen Gould, a celebrity hairstylist who styles the locks of celebrities like Jessica Alba and Karlie Kloss.
Hair holds some sort of identity, but I never thought it did for me. On a good day, I brushed and straightened my hair in the morning; on most days, I let it be natural - wavy and tangly. I never considered myself one to obsess over my hair, yet still, the thought of cutting it off was intimidating. That's when I realized that maybe it's not the physical act of cutting my hair short, but the symbolic and figurative implications behind it that scared me so much. Cutting my hair short meant cutting off society's definition of beauty. It meant cutting off part of my identity as someone who has long hair.
I annoyed my friends and roommates for over a year talking about me potentially cutting my hair a little past my shoulder. Everyone supported it, and I knew that I wanted to do it, but I couldn't get myself to do it. Frustrated with my indecisiveness and lack of commitment (I've cancelled three hair appointments in this past year), I randomly booked an appointment with my hairstylist with the intention of just trimming it. When she asked how short, I pointed to a length that would cut off 10 inches of my hair, and just like that, my hair was gone and I felt absolutely liberated.
I feel like I pushed a reset button in my life. I feel recharged and changed, even though nothing's really changed other than the appearance of my hair. I feel like it's time to set new goals and reprioritize my responsibilities. Cutting my hair short created a fresh start, and I'm looking forward to how this change will affect my confidence and my self-contentment.
