Bored with Long Hair

Girl who is bored with her long hair — Photo: Depositphotos

Q: I’m bored with my long hair. I want something short and trendy but I’m worried about how my friends and relatives will react. I have always been the perfect girl with the nice long and straight hair. Should I tell them about my makeover plans or should I simply go for it and surprise them? Any tips you can give?

A: If you are truly bored and want a major change, I would go for it if I were you. I would just suggest that you go and sit down, and figure out if you’re acting out in rebellion, or if you really want shorter hair because you’re ready for a change.

If you cut your long hair just because you’re feeling rebellious and want to act out, (this is, of course, very normal and part of each person’s path to self-identification), you might regret hacking it off if you actually liked it. Long hair becomes a part of one’s individuality, even if you really don’t like your long hair. You subconsciously play with it when you’re bored, wear your hair in a certain way when you want to look really pretty, etc. So to cut it off will probably influence your daily life more than you originally expected it would.

But if you realize that you really want to experiment with your hair and get rid of the length, I would encourage you to do this. It would probably be best to first go from a long hairstyle to a medium length hairstyle before you go to a pixie cut for example. That kind of transition is huge and can be really overwhelming.

You’ll be learning new ways to style and wear your hair, and your sense of fashion will probably also be affected by this kind of change. I would advise you to cut your hair into a trendy middle-length cut, (exaggerated layers, a long inverted bob, etc.), paired with contrasting highlights and lowlights (ice blonde and a cool chocolate brown), or peekaboo highlights.

This way, if you realize that you don’t actually like short hair, you can easily and relatively quickly grow it back. If you like the shorter hair and want to go really short, you know from experience that you’re ready for it and can handle it. Experiencing with color and highlights is also an awesome way to individualize your personal style and appearance.

I wouldn’t tell the friends and family if I were you. They’ll probably try to discourage you from taking the plunge, or at least try to tell you what they think would look best on you, which hairstyle or color you should try. They might be shocked and even taken aback at first, but you’ll be amazed at how quickly people get used to these changes.

If you don’t have a favorite stylist that you always go to, ask a friend or someone at your school whose hair you really like out about to which salon she goes to. Then take a few pictures of hairstyles and hair colors that you really like, and show it to the stylist. Explain your situation to her so that she’s filled in on the background, and then after you’ve shown her the pictures that you brought with, she’d be able to give you good advice on the different options that you can choose from.

Your long hair won't look this perfect forever, and going short(er) might be a good idea. Your hair automatically becomes thinner and less with age. Each hair strand has a predetermined (mainly by genes), growth life, usually between 2 and 6 years. This growth span also tends to shorten with age. Thus, when you were 15, the hair on your head would grow until it was 6 years old (example). By now, your hair only grows until it is four years old. Meaning there is less longer hair on your head, which makes for a thinner appearance.

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See also:

Short hair and self-confidence

Who should avoid a pixie?

What are the best hair types for a bob?