So I let myself get distracted with the chaos that is school directly after February break, and for that I apologize. I’m back! Long time no see. How is everyone? Anyways,
In 8th grade I first put a pair of clippers to my hair to shave a chunk. This is that story.
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t remember why I decided to get this haircut. I want something shorter, but however many years of ballet had me believing that I’d have no future without being able to pull my hair back into a bun. The closest I could come to a short haircut was buzzing down the side of my hair to create an asymmetrical cut.
I spent months convincing my mom that I should cut it this way, but ended up getting it cut midway through the year. The woman who cut my hair had been doing so forever, and was so excited to see that I’d finally stepped away from the long brown locks that hit midway down my back. With hair as thin and fine as mine, it was honestly always staticy and looked matted no matter how smooth it was.
I remember sitting in her chair, and her chopping off the majority of the hair on the left side of my head. I was left with an awkward length, and there was no going back. The buzzing of the clippers was one of the most validating things I’d heard, as I remembered watching my Dad trim his hair with a similar instrument.
The vibrations sent through my skull that day became addicting. Whenever it touched my ear, I’d trim the shaved side just to feel the buzz against my skin. I’m not sure if this was due to the physical control I had over my hair as I was shaving it, or because only the boys used clippers, but haircuts became something I craved. They made me feel more put together, as a grown out short haircut looked shaggy and overgrown. To this day, the buzz of clippers is something that excites me, as it means I’m shaping my future.
I've always been told that the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is 2 weeks. Before I cut my hair short, I used to scoff at the idea. Why would I get a haircut if it would retreat to a “normal” position in two weeks? Now, I know how important these two weeks are, as they help fix a possible mistake in a haircut. Honestly, if it’s only two weeks of regret, why not cut your hair off? Hair is simply strands of dead cells that we allow to shape our identity and personality. Hair will always grow back, and wigs are a godsend. Why not try a new haircut? It’ll always grow back, but you may fall in love with it.
I cut my hair off entirely in December of 2018, but that’s a story for another day, isn’t it?