A few years ago, one of my long-time clients blogged about her dilemma whether or not to cut her hair shorter. She is terrific and this story ultimately had a very happy ending.

But it raised a bigger issue that comes up a lot, so I wanted to circle back to it. The issue is this: what to do if you are suddenly gripped by an impulse to do something drastic with your hair that involves scissors–with or without a hair stylist accomplice?

Seriously. This is a question we hairdressers face on a daily basis. Most of the time it is an easy question to answer. There are, however, those times when it’s not so easy to help clients in deciding whether to cut their hair off or not.

Let me take a few moments and give you some of my advice.

In my 26 years of cutting hair, I’ve been witness to who-knows-how-many spur-of-the-moment changes; sorry, folks, but they rarely work out as hoped. Having a bad day? Bored to tears? Getting out of a relationship? Bracing yourself for a high school reunion? … any of these things and a hundred more can easily put you in a place that longs for a change – any change. Think it through really hard before involving your hair in that decision.

Try a new nail color. Go shoe shopping. Take up martial arts.

Okay. I’ll own that my own professional survivor instinct and rights are asserting themselves here because 9 times out of 10 if the impulse haircut doesn’t work out, it is yours truly with the scissors that gets blamed. I’m just sayin’…

So here are Mickey’s tips:

  • Don’t make a big change on the first visit with a new stylist. Building a relationship and trust with a new stylist will pay off big in the end when making decisions that involve change.
  • When deciding on any new look give your stylist some visuals of what you have in mind. You may not find the entire look in one picture. You may like the length of one picture, the bangs of another, or the choppiness of yet another. Show your stylist what you like about different looks to customize the perfect look for you.
  • Remember: the shorter the hair the more visits to the salon to maintain it.

Cutting your hair is a very big decision. Make sure you are ready and remember these final two things about hair:

  1. It is the only accessory you have for your whole life.
  2. It grows back.

Have fun with it!

Mickey


Michael Anthony Salon DC, a Michael Anthony Select Salon, is considered by many to be the best in the entire DC metro region. We are passionate about doing hair and work with each and every client to create the look that is right for them. Led by Mickey – aka Michael Anthony – each of our stylists is a highly trained professional. Schedule an appointment and find out for yourself!