When I was very young, I had short hair. You know, the one every little girl had with the straight-across bangs - the style reminiscent of Dora the Explorer? Then, for most of my childhood, I had long, chest-length hair. It wasn't until high school that I started experimenting with style and length.
I am not a fussy girl. I typically don't wear makeup or do anything to my hair, (mainly because I just don't give myself enough time in the morning). My experimentation with my hair started with a bit of a trim and bangs. Then I just kept going. I switched the side I parted my hair, I went from straight-across bangs to side bangs, and every time I went to get my haircut I had more and more hair cut off. My senior year of high school really shows all the changes my hair went through. By the time I was ready to start college I had a pixie cut of sorts.
I'm not big on change. I like things to stay the way they are for the most part. But for some reason, I don't mind a change in hair style. I love it. It's so fun to grow my hair out to a certain length and then chop it all off again. I feel like a new person when I have it done. It sounds kind of silly, but I find it a bit freeing. As a person who struggles with weight and accepting my appearance, being in control of an aspect of my body is powerful. I know that my hair will grow back and it gives me the confidence to do whatever I want with it.
I always find it strange when people express how attached they are to their hair. For some people, they've only ever had trims. I guess I can understand how unsettling a major haircut would be if I had been growing my hair since I was born. But I always try to convince people to get a different or drastic haircut. As I mentioned before, it can really change your appearance and how you feel about yourself.
I always encourage getting more than an inch cut off - if you're up to it. If you grow your hair out long enough you can donate it to certain organizations. Plus, I find it interesting to see my friends' and family's reactions to getting it cut.
So go forth and cut off all your hair, get some bangs, dye it. Do something drastic and fun!
To find out more about donating your hair, check out Locks of Love.
