Things to Consider Before a Drastic Haircut

Sometimes a girl just needs a change. Your signature or tried and true look can start to take the turn from fab to drab, leaving you looking and feeling less than spectacular. If you are fed-up with your current style and thinking about changing your look with a new haircut, before you pick up the scissors or head for the salon consider the following.

 

Can you maintain the style?

Depending on your choice of haircut, maintenance outside of the salon can prove to be difficult. For example, short crops with tapered edges often require more frequent relaxer sessions (think every 4 weeks vs. every 12). Although there is the obvious trade-off on weekly wash-days when it may take all of 45 minutes (including a 15 minute DC & 15 minutes under the dryer) to wash and style your strands, having to visit the salon more often or purchase a home relaxer kit every month may be cause to re-think your style choice.

 

Do you have the proper styling tools/products?

Shorter hair styles often require different sets of tools and products to maintain the look outside of the salon. For example a short, close crop (a la Halle Berry) would require a good foaming wrap lotion, head wraps to hold the mold, a hooded dryer to form the mold, and a 1/4 inch flat iron to curl and sculpt the style to your liking. If you do not already have the necessary styling tools and products on-hand to maintain your style, or find it may be too expensive to purchase new items, the style may not be the one for you.

Will the style suit your lifestyle/personality?

Do you workout often and find yourself sweating out your style as soon as you achieve it? Are you pressed for time & prefer a style that is more "wash & go" rather than wash, condition, deep condition, moisturize, dry, & style? Are you fun, funky and flirty or conservative and structured? The answers to these and many other lifestyle questions should be considered before you make a decision.

What are your hair goals?

A hair journey can be frustrating at times and we can often feel as if the goals we have set are impossible to reach. If your reasons for cutting your hair are due to the frustration of feeling like you aren't getting anywhere in your journey, I would suggest re-evaluating your hair care practices rather than cutting out of frustration and later regretting your decision. 

Are you absolutely sure about this?

Often times the decision to change our hair can be an impulsive one - born from the frustrations of life & situations we cannot control. If you have not spent at least 90 days pouring over hair styles, trying on wigs, trying different styles with your current length, and looking at women with similar features rocking a similar look, then I would classify the desire to cut as an impulsive one that should be evaluated further.

I love to change my look and I have about 3 styles I rotate throughout a five year period. Although each look is tried and true and I know I will like the way I look, I always consider the five points mentioned above before moving from one style to the next.

What do you consider before changing your look?