Unless you live in Argentina. Or Greenland. Or the penguin exhibit at the zoo (a girl can dream, can’t she?), you’re schvitzing right now. This is the time of year when I start wishing my office had a rooftop pool, or at least one of those misters they have stationed around Disney World so tourists don’t pass out walking to the Country Bear Jamboree.
That’s not going to happen, though, nor is my proposed Bathing Suit Fridays, so I went ahead and did the next best thing -- chopped all my hair off. And I’m not the only one who’s in the mood for a short 'do -- Emma Watson took it all off, and, most recently, so did Evan Rachel Wood.
For celebs, going short isn’t that big of a risk -- shell out a few hundred bucks for some extensions and they’re back to flipping their long movie star locks around. For the rest of us, though, taking the short hair plunge is a big, scary deal. Here’s how to not fear the shears:
Mentally prepare. Long hair makes you feel secure, and chances are, you’ve had it forever. It’s part of you, and so the idea of it not being there one day is really scary. Give yourself enough time to psych yourself up for the change, tell yourself and others over and over your plans to go short, and remember that it’s just hair -- meaning it’ll always grow back.
Visualize your new 'do. Before I cut my hair, I spent lots of time looking at pics of celebs with short hair a) to convince myself it was possible to look cute and feminine with short hair, and b) to get ideas for styles. There are so many ways to go short, so make sure you choose the right cut for your face shape and hair texture -- enlist the expert advice of your hairdresser for this one. Trust me, she/he will be super excited about your transformation.
Ease into it. Some people like to just go balls out -- close their eyes, chop it all off, and never look back. I am not one of those people. So I decided to go from my mermaid-length hair to a bob, and then to pixie. That way, it gave me -- and my husband -- a chance to get used to a shorter look. Going from short to shorter is way less traumatic.
Have a coming out party! This is a HUGE deal, life-changing really, and chances are you’re nervous as hell about what you look like. You need praise, you need encouragement, you need your friends and loved ones to tell you how incredibly hot you look with your new 'do. So invite everyone over, pop the bubbly, and relish your new summer-perfect hair.
Are you thinking of going short this summer? If you’re already short, any tips/encouragement for those who are thinking about doing the same?
Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Comments 6
I have not had short hair since I was little--my mom always kept it super short, so since I've 'grown up' I keep it pretty long. I think I'm just not brave enough to go super short!! But I LOVE the way it looks on so many people, including Evan Rachel Wood!
I hate long hair and I have recently let it grow. I'm getting it chopped of in a couple of weeks and there will be 6 or 7 inches gone. I love change and I am so happy to be getting rid of it.
I chopped mine off about two-three weeks ago. I had waist lenght hair, had chemo, and it all fell out. That was traumatic. However, it grew back, I had a cute pixie cut for a while then I grew it back to waist lenght. There was a heat wave and it pissed me off like no other. It was hot, it got stuck on things, I always had to have a scruncii with me, and I was just sick of it. I made an appointment with my hair guy and was like "get rid of it!" He did and I donated it to Locks of Love. It was about a half pound of hair (I weighed it before I packed it), and it's amazing how much lighter my head is now.
Get someone who knows what they are doing to style your newly short hair for your particular head/body shape. This is important as different looks are better on certain shaped heads.