There are very few women who would dare to deny this universal truth among women of all ages residing across the infinite expanse of the universe: There is no material possession in our lives with greater importance than our hair.
Whether it spirals into a dizzying range of curls or hangs poker straight, if it passes the curve of your waist or if it’s razor-cut and asymmetrical. It’s all irrelevant.
It doesn’t matter if it’s untamed red, bleached beach blonde and toned, dyed to the perfect cotton-candy pink, or as dark as the midnight sky, our hair tells the world who we are, without us having to say a single word.
“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… It can be used as a statement, an air of strength, a ‘don’t f*ck with me’ effect and cutting it off can be incredibly liberating.” – Owen Gould
Whether it’s to signal the end of a relationship or a new promotion at work – there is usually a direct correlation between what’s happening on our heads and what’s happening in our lives.
Because honestly, what’s a more powerful way to embark on a journey of personal revolution than to begin with literally cutting off the old and starting new?
Once those ever-so-shiny silver scissors snip away at our split, broken ends, we’ve tried all too hard to repair, all that has been damaged and abused in our lives falls onto the salon floor, gets swept up, and tossed into the garbage alongside our old hair; never to be seen again.
It’s the shedding of old skin. Or the pushing of a reset button on your life. What most people neglect to realize is when a woman cuts her hair – she’s cutting off so much more:
1. She’s cutting herself off from the standard of beauty society created.
Society has the idea of beauty all f*cked up. Our eyes are endlessly force-fed stacks of servings of larger-than-life images of Victoria’s Secret models, who are forever rocking long, flowing locks that blow perfectly in the wind. We have been brainwashed into thinking this image is the sole definition of beauty and femininity.
If we were to close our eyes to society’s message that beauty is only present in long, luxurious hair, we would see the most honest visual of sexiness is displayed in the short haircut.
Short hair exposes the most seductive part of a woman’s body: her neck. And once we get a glimpse of her neck, our eyes work their way down to her clavicle…and, well, you know the rest.
Short hair exposes and highlights the physique of a woman – in a way long hair simply can’t all the time.
2. She’s cutting herself out of a toxic relationship.
What’s the first thing a woman usually does after cutting a toxic man out of her life? Cuts her hair, the same locks he once knew.
Hair represents the intimacy of her last relationship, and keeping it in the same post-breakup style not only keeps her mentally stagnant in the relationship but far more vulnerable to falling back into that relationship.
Nothing will kick-start the beat of a broken heart like a new hairstyle. The best part is now she can get the hairstyle she always wanted – not the same blonde highlights she endured year after year because it was what her ex preferred.
She’s free to explore her personal taste as a fierce individual, without the shackles of outside opinion.
3. She’s cutting off your expectations of her.
There are few things more life-affirming than a girl declaring to the universe she is going to do whatever the f*ck she wants.
By fearlessly cutting her hair into the edgy style she has always dreamed of, she’s ridding herself of the rigid expectations given to her by society, her S.O., her friends, and her family. In turn, she’s creating her very own.
Liberating herself in this way unleashes a whole new side of her personality and opens her up to a world she never knew existed.
4. She’s cutting off her safety blanket in exchange for new adventures.
Long hair is nestled deeply in the heart of the comfort zone.
By cutting off our long hair, we are cutting ourselves off from a falsified sense of protection. Our vision is widened without the blinding veils of long hair.
With short hair, we’re stepping out of the barbed-wire cage of familiarity and stepping into the broad spectrum of adventure.
5. She’s cutting off the damage on her head and in her life.
Sometimes we abuse the hair on our heads. What was once luscious and unbreakable is now frail and wispy. The constant abuse we gave our strands with brutal hot irons, cans of hairspray, and teasing combs has wreaked severe havoc. Our hair (and our souls) are left worn and damaged.
Not even the most expensive and luxurious Kerastase treatment in the world can breathe life into hair so dead. Sometimes the only thing to do is get rid of it and start the f*ck over.
True for life and hair.
6. She’s cutting off 25 to 35 minutes of maintenance and time wasted.
The very thought of even calculating the time and energy graciously poured into the styling, the combing, the washing and conditioning of long hair is painfully daunting. The hours handcuffed to the tending of hair over the course of a woman’s life are uncountable.
It’s as simple as it sounds: The shorter the hair, the shorter the time spent caring for it.
What if a woman invested her time into seeking adventure, reading, kissing someone new, and engaging in conversation? Could she become a more fully realized woman? Oh the possibilities of what could fill up those empty hours she spent tangled into the thick wires of flat irons and hair dryers?
7. She’s cutting off beauty in exchange for style.
The beauty industry would like us to believe long hair is paired with “beauty” – but fashion says otherwise. Nothing exudes style like a fashion-forward, short haircut.
The truly “beautiful” girls are the ones who have authentic personal style and own it. They have creative vision that is expressed through their own definition of beauty. The girls who abandon convention, opting for uniqueness instead.
After all, “beauty” fades; style is everlasting.
8. She’s cutting off her fear.
When a girl finally has the courage to cut her hair, she’s finally owning who she truly is.
She’s cutting herself off from everything she was, to be everything she is.
When a woman cuts her hair off, it’s not about wanting a cute new look, no matter what anyone says. It’s about sheer emotional turmoil.
So men, if your S.O. comes home one day with a shorter haircut, consider yourself warned. Talk to her. Find out what’s really bothering her. Even if she claims she just wanted a new look, make sure there isn’t something else wrong with her. Tell her you don’t believe she would do something so drastic on a whim. But whatever you do, don’t ignore it. If you do, her hair won’t be the only thing to go.
Featured image via cottonbro on Pexels
