About a month ago, I cut my hair off for the second time in my life.
The first time I cut my hair was my sophomore year of college. I had heard so many women say that cutting their hair changed their life and I wanted in on the action. Entering college, the idea that I could be whoever I wanted to be was refreshing. No one knew who I had been in high school and would have to believe whatever I chose to show them now. For some reason, I naively thought the insecurities and personal struggles I faced in high school wouldn’t follow me to college. I was an adult now. Adults didn’t suffer from low self-esteem and impostor syndrome, right?
WRONG. By the end of my freshman year, I was more insecure and restless than I had been after high school. Not to mention burned out from school. No one knew of course. On the outside, I was still making good grades and hanging with my friends. I looked like the typical college student. I always wore a smile on my face but deep down I was exhausted from trying to be perfect and trying to overcompensate so no one would see just how unhappy and insecure I was. Sophomore year I decided enough was enough. I wanted to be happy. I deserved to be happy and I was going to do whatever it took to get there.
I cut my hair for the first time halfway through my sophomore year and it was the BEST decision I have ever made. Here’s why I believe every woman should cut her hair at least once in her hair life:
When I cut my hair for the first time I had to learn to accept myself as God made me. It was no longer possible for me to hide behind my hair when I felt unattractive or unwanted. Since cutting my hair, I can honestly say that I don’t really deal with low self-esteem anymore. This is partly because I realized that all the things I didn’t like about myself were actually what made me unique but also because I stopped caring what others thought about me and focused more on how I felt about myself.
I remember being shocked at how light (literally and figuratively) I felt after cutting my hair for the first time. I aimed to cut everything negative out of my life and my hair was the physical proxy for those negativities. When the last bit of hair hit the floor, I looked in the mirror and laughed. I never knew what freedom felt like until that moment.
About a month ago I cut my hair for the second time in my life. Although this time it was strictly out of convenience, I truly believe my initial decision to cut my hair was the best decision I have ever made. If you want to make a serious change in how you live your life, consider cutting your hair as the first step.
Great insight Mia of yourself. I too stuggled with cutting off my hair or as we call it The Big Chop. I have been wanting to do it for over 5 years now. I finally made the decision to do it for my 45th Birthday. I wanted a new mature look and being in a different lifestyle now, I really wanted to be free of my hair holding me back and a little side note, it needed a major cut. But outside of the need of a good trim, I really wanted to do something very different. I cried as I sat in the chair while my beautician cut it. But I was good. Later that night I cried because it was a death of my hair. My hair was and is a part of me and my identity. I was saying goodbye to my other self and slowly embracing my new look. It has been 1 month today (October 14th, a day before my birthday) since I cut it. I love the fact that I had the guts to do it. I can say so much more but I did a video of my chop and will YouTube it later. Thanks Mia for exressing your~ hair~self!
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This is absolutely amazing. So happy that by cutting your hair you had a similar experience of freedom. It’s a wonderful feeling!