She stands on the threshold, nervous, anticipating something -- she doesn't know what. She teeters on the brink, caught between two unfavorable choices, two decisions, one of which will change nothing, the other of which will change everything. Is it better to choose, to pick one no matter how bad the consequences, or to continue in this state of agonizing indecision?
It's only hair, argues her mind. It grows back. But her heart presents the images of her childhood bowl cut and her subsequent glee when she was finally allowed to grow her hair long. She reaches behind and down, down to the backs of her knees and touches the soft ends of her hair.
It'll be so easy to wash, to brush, to style, presses her mind. But her heart reminds her that braids and ponytails will be a thing of the past, that femininity will no longer be assumed because of her hairstyle -- will she have to wear more makeup? Or, heaven forbid, skirts?
So light, so free, continues her mind. No more sweat on the back of my neck. But her heart brings back her insecurities about her long nose, the slight heaviness under her chin, the sides of her face less defined than she would like.
You can donate your hair to charity, wheedles her mind. But her heart asks, what will everyone say? Won't I look weird with short hair? Won't they see me as less of a woman?
Whatever choice you make, don't torture yourself needlessly over it. It's your hair and your life.
While it's true that it's just hair, and that it grows back, I understand having an emotional attachment to your long hair. Figure out if this outweighs the benefits you'll gain from short hair. This is a pretty personal decision, so I probably won't be much help.
Short hair is much easier in general, but frequent trims are a necessity, so if budget is a big concern, figure out if the money you'll save on products (and time, if applicable) will cover the costs of the salon visits. For the femininity concern, see below.
Short hair hides nothing, so if you're insecure about your face, then perhaps it isn't for you. However, often women will get their hair cut and discover positive things about their faces that they never saw before because it was hidden by the curtain of long hair. This, again, is a personal decision.
Donating hair is always a great way to contribute to charity. Here's my advice for dealing with short-hair-haters: it's your hair. Also, if someone doesn't like your hair, or assumes that you're a particular gender/sexuality because of that, then they're not worthy of your time. Personally I think short hair can look very feminine, especially if the cut is right for the face. More makeup and/or skirts are definitely not necessary, although if you do find your style changing as a result of short hair, go with it. Femininity is less about what other people think of you than it is about what you think of yourself.
Whatever choice you make, don't torture yourself needlessly over it. It's your hair and your life.
Author's note: If you can't tell from this, I've been considering a pixie haircut, and I've pretty much decided in the affirmative, although I won't be able to get it cut before August at the earliest. All of the arguments I've used here are ones that have been influential to me at some point during the decision-making process -- obviously the pixie-positive ones were more influential more recently. I sense myself starting to ramble, so I'll stop here. Roz xoxo
