I’ve had so many people ask me about my haircut – questions like:

  • How did you decide to do it?
  • How did you decide who to go to?
  • Do you miss your hair?
  • Are you glad you did it? (the question I get the most!)

So, here are my thoughts on cutting my hair.  First of all, I’d had the same hair for like, literally 10 years. The color fluctuated a bit, but for the most part my hair looked the same and I styled it the same for what seemed like forever. I can remember chopping my hair twice – once when I was 12 and once when I was 18 and headed off to college.  That time when I was twelve, I remember coming home to my mom and just crying about how awful it looked.  I said (very dramatically I’m sure), “Mom, my hair was the only pretty thing about me!”  I distinctly remember my mom, who’d been trying to sympathize up until that point, laughing and saying “Oh, honey…”

Fast forward 28 years, to February of 2016.  It’s the day before my 30th birthday, and I’m starting to have an “I’m turning 30” crisis.  I was headed to get my hair done, and on the way there I started thinking about chopping it.  I think at that point it was either chop my hair, get a weird tattoo, or pierce something.  I opted for the haircut – I don’t think a belly button ring would look as cute as I thought it did when I turned 18 ;).

Making the Decision

So, I sat in my car before heading in to the salon wondering how I would make this decision, and here’s what I came up with:  I thought about celebrities who have recently chopped their hair.  I found pictures of them before and after, and thought about what I liked better.  Check this out:

Rosie Huntington

Rosie Huntington Short vs. Long-01

Khloe KardashianKhloe Kardashian Short vs. Long 1-01

Kate MaraKate Mara Short vs. Long-01

Jennifer LawrenceJennifer Lawrence Short vs. Long-01

No joke, in every case I liked them better with short hair.  You might think differently, and that’s ok!  But that’s a sign to keep your hair long ;).

Find Example Photos of Hair You Love to Show Your Stylist

So, now I had decided to go for it.  I needed a couple photos of short hair I really liked.  These are the two I settled on, and I’m pretty sure these photos have been shown to about a million hair dressers!

rosie huntington lob haircutLob Haircut

Pretty good, right?  FYI – I actually cut my hair twice – the first time I was only brave enough to go with the longer style shown above.  And the second time? I went for it!  I went short with lots of inner layers to get that texture Rosie Huntington has.  Here are my own before & afters:

Jen Hawkins Short vs. Long-01Jen Hawkins Long vs. Short-01

(For outfit details on the above photos, check out my style page!)

My Advice For You

So now that I’ve made the jump (or cut, or whatever you want to call it!), here are some words of wisdom for those of you considering it:

  • Get the right person to cut it.  Make sure you go to someone who’s work you’ve seen and love!  It’s a lot easier to mess up short hair cuts than long hair cuts.  The first time, it was cut by Jessica Mason at Paperdoll Salon in San Diego.  The second time, by the great Sal Salcedo at Ramirez Tran Salon in Beverly Hills.  And since then I’ve had trims by my girl Carly Campbell (here in Orange County) and my sister.  Having the right cut will make the biggest difference in how it looks and how much effort you have to put into styling it everyday!
  • That being said, short hair takes a lot more maintenance than long hair!  You’re going to have to cut it more, and most likely spend more time styling than you do long hair.
  • If you’re going to go for it, really go for it.  Don’t half-ass it!  Be prepared for a big change.  Also, realize that in order to get that texture you’re going to need a lot of inner layers, which will really make it feel like you have NO HAIR.  That’s ok!  If you keep the thickness of your hair, it’s just going to look too blunt and dorky.
  • If you have good long hair, you’ll also have good short hair.  And if you have bad long hair, odds are it will look better short!  Ha!
  • It’s not the end of the world if you hate it.  Hair grows back and life goes on, and as I should have told my 12-year-old self, your hair does NOT define who you are ;).

In all honesty, cutting my hair was so liberating.  I didn’t realize just how much I identified with my hair, and it felt good to get away from that and start fresh!  Good luck with your decision – I’d love to hear about your experiences, and I’m a sucker for before-and-after photos so send them my way!

xx

Jen

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