My Thoughts on Having Shorter Hair

My hair has become a bit of a conversation starter lately. To me, it comes as a shock since I don't make a huge effort with it or anything. However, I do feel like I've found my signature hairstyle since cutting it shorter and perhaps that's why it's the first thing people notice, especially when they haven't seen me for a while. As short hair seems to be a bit of a thing at the moment (just search 'long bob' Pinterest for evidence) I thought I'd write about my experience with it. 

MY HAIR HISTORY

When I was 16, I had hair extending to the bottom of my ribcage. I simply used to straighten it and leave it. I've never been somebody who does a lot with my hair in terms of styling, so when I went to college I made the spontaneous decision to cut it off. Since then, I've gradually cut it shorter and shorter.

Sitting just above my shoulders, I would categorise my hair as mid-length but compared to my friends who have hair to rival that of Rapunzel herself (I'm looking at you, Aya) mine is significantly shorter. Do I miss having long hair? No. I love it on other people, but I look back at myself with it and all urges to grow it long again are suppressed. 

I get a fair few questions about my current hair length, so I thought I'd outline the advantages and disadvantages of having shorter hair from my perspective and hopefully it will help if you're contemplating taking the plunge and cutting yours off.

SHORT HAIR, DON'T CARE

The biggest plus that people associate with having short hair is how low maintenance it is. This is partially true but it also depends on your hair type and what kind of cut you go for. I have thick, naturally curly hair which grows fast so I get it cut all one length without layers. It needs cutting often to maintain the length, probably around every 8-12 weeks. Though this means it always looks super healthy - there are never any split ends in sight - when I had long hair I could leave it uncut for many more months.

I've also lost the type of loose wave I had when my hair was below my shoulders and it's now just plain frizzy when left after washing. To style it I straighten it or, most often, curl it once or twice a week and it holds much better than when I had long hair. Obviously there is a lot less hair to deal with too, so in that way it's much faster. What people don't realise though is it's actually really difficult to do the back of your head when you can't pull the hair round to the front as it's too short. This is only a minor issue but it's important to note that it isn't necessarily easier to heat-style short hair. I do feel like it always looks 'done' though and has a certain bounce to it, especially when curled, which my longer hair lacked.

Since having shorter hair I feel like I actually do more with it too, which may come as a surprise. It's much easier to clip half up or tie back though as there's less of it. However, there's no chance of a messy bun or high ponytail as you'll find half of it will fall out after 5 minutes meaning it can get rather hot on your neck in the summer months.

MY PRE-HAIR CUT TIPS

I'm not an expert in hair but I am an expert in making spontaneous hair decisions. Luckily, these have always worked out well for me but it's not something I'd recommend doing. So here are my final tips if you're thinking of cutting a large amount of your hair off: 

- Find images of what you want on Pinterest to make sure you have a clear idea. Don't expect to be transformed into the person in the picture though. 

- Ensure that you go for a cut which will frame your face well. Listen to your hairdresser, if they're good they should know what will suit you.

- Cut it shorter gradually so you get used to it. Remember you can always cut more off but once it's gone it will take a while to grow back. 

- Make sure you're prepared to get it cut more often and put in effort to style it if you aren't fond of your natural hair.
- Don't take it all too seriously. Hair is important to many people, that's for sure, but a little change and experimentation is fun and you could end up with a style that you absolutely love, like me.

Do you have shorter hair - what are your tips and how do you style it? 

NB: Apologies for the slightly more informal photos, but I wanted to show my hair on separate occasions/over time and for a more personal experience-based post I felt it would be acceptable.