My relationship with my hair has always been relatively one-dimensional. Like many others, I got attached to a shoulder blade length at 15 years old and never diverted from there for two decades. 

It was a symbol of my personal style and femininity. I made every effort to force the natural curl out of it every week with tools ranging from a literal clothes iron to hot rollers and flat irons. I would freak out if it got even a bit frizzy and take a paranoid half-inch off at every hair trim appointment. 

The pandemic helped to change all that. As the weeks on Zoom calls progressed into months, I was wearing it up almost daily. The ends were damaged from the most recent hair color change, and I was tired of wearing it up. 

Armed with a slew of inspiring images of stunning celebs rocking a short do, I made a hair appointment and took off a foot of hair. I thought that even if I hated it, I didn’t really need to be seen anywhere outside for the foreseeable future.

I was calm, mainly because I was beyond ready for the change. If you’re sitting on the fence about whether or not to hack off more than a couple of inches, have a read through the list below for encouragement to take the plunge. 

NOTE: This article is based on personal experience. Everyone’s hair type and preference will vary.

REASONS WHY CUTTING OFF 12 INCHES OF HAIR IS AMAZING (FOR ME)

Extremely easy to wash and style.

I’ll start with the most predictable benefit. Short hair is effortless to wash and style! Not only do I spend less time in the shower, but I can also stick my head under a sink faucet and do a quick hair-wash-only as required when I’m in a rush. No heavy hair to hold and keep from touching the drain. Maybe I’m alone on this, or maybe there are some of you out there who get me on this one? Comment and let me know. 

Styling is straightforward as well. I had to do some research to find the right styling tool. I finally went with the Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush. It is a trendy item these days, and I could not recommend it more. I can style my whole head in 20 minutes or less, and I have a lot of very thick hair. 

Tons of money saved.

The cost of my haircuts and colours is significantly reduced these days. Not just that, the time spent at an appointment is also at least thirty minutes shorter.

I also spend less money on hair products and hair tools.

More youthful appearance.

My extremely long hair was starting to drag my face down. It was fine when I was in my twenties, but now that I’m well into my thirties, a shorter hairstyle adds more volume around the face and lifts it up.

Healthier hair.

My dead ends and split ends are practically nonexistent. My hair rarely has that fried look that previously permeated the bottom half of my mane for years. 

I can detangle it with my fingers.

Gone are the days of multiple wide-tooth combs, waiting until my hair was not too wet and not too dry, and maneuvering blow dryers and brushes to get my hair detangled. Now, a few minutes after getting out of the shower, I can run my fingers through my hair 10-15 times, and it’s completely detangled. It makes for easier brushing and blow-drying with my One-Step Revlon Hair Dryer.

More motivation to style it.

I think the ease of styling shorter now motivates me to have it look presentable at all times. Short hair can also be easily transformed into half up-dos with just one hair clip or one or two bobby pins. I’ve always loved the look of small stubby ponytails, so I now wear my hair in one when I need to get it out of my face entirely.

I shed less hair everywhere.

Less hair in the drain, on coats, on other people’s clothing, in hair brushes, on the floor, on furniture – I mean, have I missed anything?! It’s not that I’ve stopped shedding entirely, but the overall volume and regularity have definitely decreased by a lot. My friends and family members are happy about this. 

Cooler in the summer.

One of the new sensations that I’ve been enjoying is the feeling of a cool summer breeze on the back of my neck and shoulders on a scorching hot day while still wearing my hair down. My long hair was simply not as comfortable in the heat!

Looks better natural.

As I mentioned above, the natural texture of my hair is curly. With a short bob hairstyle wearing in its natural form looks much better than it did when it was long. It’s not that it looked horrible natural and long, but it never looked the same twice. I needed much more styling product to get it to look a certain way. It was just tedious. 

Makes your entire existing wardrobe look different.

Getting dressed up in the same clothes but with shorter hair gives a look a complete makeover. Collared tops and blouses, off-the-shoulder tops, blazers, turtle necks, spaghetti straps – All take on a different look with shorter hair. If you’re looking to revamp your image without buying a single new item of clothing, I highly recommend a new short hairstyle to get the job done. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this short-hair advocacy post. I highly encourage you to go for it if you’ve been toying with the idea. Hair grows quickly, and for the most part, we are still living and working inside for the next few months. You can always hide if you hate it.

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