Making The Cut: Why Women Chop Off Their Hair
Posted by: Leonora Epstein
Filed in:
style
6:00AM, Saturday April 4th 2009
The alt band Pavement once sang, “Darlin’ don’t you go and cut your hair, do you think it’s gonna make him change?” True, when a woman lops off her long locks, it’s often assumed that her action was a result of man troubles. Fair enough. I’ve seen this happen to several friends after breakups as a way to cleanse their lives. But of course, as multi-faceted human beings, there are a number of explanations as to why ladies may suddenly cut off their hair. Here, some reasons you may not have considered…
- They move to France. Remember Kate Hudson in “Le Divorce”? Her story isn’t unique. After being in Paris for only four days at the start of my junior year abroad, I transformed by boob-length hair into an angled bob that grazed my chin. When I came home to my host family, they told me I looked “très chic,” but I could tell they secretly thought that I might as well have just bought a beret and striped shirt.
- They become lesbians (or at least try it out). In my first year at all women’s school Smith College (otherwise known as the lesbian capital of the world), six of my seven friends became lesbians, and as the years went on, their haircuts only became more asymmetrical. I don’t blame them. Seriously, what is not to love about The L Word‘s Shane’s totally sexy and bad-ass pixie cut?
- Teenage angst. Just like Robin Tunney’s dramatic headshaving à la Sinead O’Connor in “Empire Records,” Jessica, a 27-year-old New Yorker, once made the cut because of raging hormones. “In high school, I was a total closet punk and used to go to shows at night, but then looked like a conservative jock type by day. I never felt like I could do all the stuff I wanted to do, so when I went to Spain, I chopped it off and dyed it white-blond.”
- To build character. Martina, 26, who made a drastic cut last year, says, “I was a child beauty queen (Jean-Benet Ramsey-style pageants) and long hair was a very important asset. You always had to have long hair, because it was associated with femininity and sexiness. We used to measure our hair in 4th grade, and mine was always the longest, and it gave me status. I decided I needed to get over the issue by getting rid of it so I could figure out how to be sexy without my hair.”
- Man troubles. Okay, okay, a lot of it IS man troubles. Nothing says ‘I’m newly single’ quite like a donation to Locks of Love. Our very own Jessica Wakeman recently chopped off almost a foot of hair in March to communicate positive changes in her life — and wash a man right out of her hair. “I just had a really crappy eight months or so going back and forth with this jerk who’d always told me how pretty he thought my long hair was. When I mentioned wanting to cut it, he’d plead me not to do it! After a lot deception and arguing and drama, I finally ended it with him. I wanted to cut off my hair Katie Holmes-short to say, ‘This is a new me!’ Part of me never wants to see that guy again, but part of me wishes he could see how cute I still look with the long hair gone!”
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erggggg
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 07:39 am: [report]
i chopping off major inches on tuesday for the most obvious reason: ITS TOO FREAKING HOT! in preparation for summer, i have to shed some weight up top, otherwise its like wearing a very heavy wool blanket on my head.
ohohsailor
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 07:40 am: [report]
i definitely believe that for me, at least, anytime a relationship fails or i feel as if i don’t know myself or feel “out of myself” or something, i’ll cut my hair. it always makes me feel better and a bit liberated.
retro chic
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 07:51 am: [report]
Nice piece, Leonora. This is so me—cut & color, def about man troubles 9 outa 10 times. It’s kinda like rearranging the furniture and throwing a coat of accent paint on the wall for an instant makeover, or to put the house back on the market—It totally changes your joie de vivre and curb appeal! Scares the peeps outa the BF into submission, too!
Like Jessica, our hair says so much about our moods and changing identifications. Looking back, I always cut it off more drastically after a breakup—the locks that witnessed the previous months’ scenes of heartache had to go. Out with the old…
Goldfinch86
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 09:34 am: [report]
I think your forgetting a really important reason, when women grow their hair out a lot of times they get bored with it and because it’s long you have to be careful with it, when it’s got split ends it looks bad, condition it almost daily, avoid shampoo and other drying products, not get it caught in the car window…etc. Your hair also is a security blanket after a while, you couldn’t imagine your self without it, and when they do decide to cut it off they make mistakes and say “i knew I should have kept my long hair, everyone liked it the way it was, I can’t believe I caved in”. (I’m not the only one) I got 13 inches cut off last may, I had beautiful long curly red hair, I had a long bob cut. It was amazing, I went to the right person and it looked so beautiful. Women cut their hair when they get bored and tired of it the way it is, it’s also too hot to have long hair in the summer and if you exercise, especially out side in the summer it’s painfully hot. It was also a right of passage for me, I was graduating and waned to be an adult, my long hair was childish and a security blanket. My boyfriend loved my long hair, but he loved my short hair even more. Basically women like change, it’s a good positive change in your appearnce and it boosts your self-esteem.
LaGiulia
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 09:59 am: [report]
I get bored with myself sometimes. Getting a new cut is a quick way to notice myself in the mirror again. My boyfriend doesn’t mind either way, but he likes a change too.
Katrina
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 10:43 am: [report]
From about 7th grade until 10th grade, I grew my hair down past my waist, just for kicks. The only problem was that it was so thick and heavy, I got headaches all the time. Wearing it in a bun for a day? Ha, yeah right. So finally, I chopped it all off and donated it to Locks of Love. I think Rapunzel should definitely be given more credit.
assilem
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 02:30 pm: [report]
Why do women need a reason to have short hair? I have never had long hair. I grew it out to almost shoulder length briefly in high school and hated it with a passion. I absolutely hate the stereotype that short hair equals a lesbian. I am a very heterosexual female who is practical about hair. I am not a teenager nor have I moved to France. I don’t need a special reason to get my hair cut short; I just want a nice clean look and to not be bothered with messing with my hair and caring about how it looks. I understand the reinventing angle, but really, I think that any women should always be able to have short hair.
develange
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 04:05 pm: [report]
I don’t think women need to justify having short hair, though many men seem to have a problem with it . . . and why is there a problem with men having long hair (shoulder length and beyond)? Seems like long hair on men makes them “creepy” or “feminine,” while short hair on women makes them “dyke-y,” “unfeminine.” Ugh.
I tried short cuts on my coarse wavy hair and it was HORRIBLE. Sadly, I don’t think I can be a member of the short hair club, but I totally appreciate and envy women who can.
vegdumpling
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 05:30 pm: [report]
how about “it’s my birthday?” i find that get the urge to change my hair every year around my birthday. that doesn’t mean it gets cut at that time, i haven’t figured out what to do with it yet so it’s a couple of months afterward now but it hasn’t been cut yet.
hair is fun to change and it grows back so you have nothing to lose.
eden
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 06:50 pm: [report]
Splits ends, home girls. Little buggers!
redvixen
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 06:59 pm: [report]
I cut mine off every 2-3 years for lock of love. Now that’s a good reason to cut your hair
fallenangel915
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 09:03 pm: [report]
That is a very good reason to cut your hair, RedVixen!
The last time I cut my hair, I was 6 months pregnant with twins and going through a hormonal rampage. I was late for work and nothing I did with my super-curly hair looked right, so my hair, which was halfway down my back, ended up being shoulder length. It’s now barely past my shoulders, but I can’t say I really regret it. Maybe it was time for a change.
WinkyFace
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 10:32 pm: [report]
Like RedVixen, I also donate my hair. My hair grows crazy fast, so I end up chopping off 11-12 inches every 18 months or so. I probably would never cut it so short if it weren’t for Locks of Love.
Sure, my boyfriend doesn’t like short hair, but he’s dating me, not my hair.
cjmar
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 11:12 pm: [report]
I’m the youngest and one of the newest at my company, and one of the few who have graduated from college in the past 10 years. I cut my hippie like college hair because I wanted to appear more professional, and not like some college kid. I love how adult and polished I look now!
Sofjna
wrote on April 4 2009 @ 11:56 pm: [report]
How about, some of us just look better with short hair? I would try to grow my hair out for boyfriends who liked long hair, but I just can’t make long hair look good on me. I look so much better with short hair and I’m more confident, plus all of the guys at work love my hair short.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on April 5 2009 @ 01:05 am: [report]
Short hair looks great on certain women, and I believe you think so as well. Yay for giraffe ass crack!
EnlightenMe
wrote on April 5 2009 @ 02:38 am: [report]
@assilem
Totally agree with you! I actually find women with short hair very attractive! Although I should probably also say that I find many women to be attractive, but that is beside the point. I like hair in general if it has character, so really anything goes as long as you’ve taken the time to do something with it, even it is just to wash it and let it get its own thing going, hehe.
I used to have really short hair all my life until this first year of college. It’s now a couple inches long (if I straighten it out it reaches down below my eyes in front) and is a lot of fun to have. This Monday some friends of mine and I are going to a hair stylist that out friend knows personally to get some things done with our hair, I’m really excited! I know it may not sound like the most manly thing to do, but I’m looking forward to having a hair cut that I can do things with.
Shirana
wrote on April 5 2009 @ 01:30 pm: [report]
I cut my hair when my oncologist recommended it. He (and others) told me that short hair falling out during chemo would be less disturbing than waking up with long chunks on my pillow. I went through all of these ridiculous questions and comments from folks after the haircut, especially from those who didn’t know the details.
Since there are a lot of restrictions on the combo of chemicals that I could use on my thick, curly hair as it grew back in, I left it short. I ended up with so many compliments, I’ve kept it that way for last year or so. Not sure what I’ll do with it next, but after a lifetime of hair that’s gone at least to my shoulders, it’s kind of neat to think about all kinds of options.
I miss being able to use a ponytail as a ubiquitous styling option, but I don’t miss the blow dryer, curling irons, rollers, or split ends at all!
EnlightenMe
wrote on April 5 2009 @ 03:07 pm: [report]
@Shirana
Nice! Congratulations btw on making it through chemo. I too am a cancer survivor and have had friends go through cancer as well, it’s a life-changing experience for everyone involved. Hope everything continues to be okay!
IrishErin
wrote on April 7 2009 @ 11:03 am: [report]
How odd I should read this on the day I am about to change a HUGE thing about myself. After 4 years, I am changing the color of my hair. Which wouldn’t be that big of a deal really, if my hair hadn’t been highlighted candy apple red over my dark brown/black. My boyfriend has never seen me with my natural color, but after 4 years I’m just ready. Less upkeep, less cost, let my hair recover from the chemical processing, I can swim in pools again, take hot showers, wear shades of red without looking like a fool. Even with all this, I think I’ll probably cry this afternoon when they turn me around in the chair and it’s gone. It’s become so much a part of my personality to people. I know my boyfriend won’t stop loving me when it’s gone, but that doesn’t make me less anxious about it.
Humble Bee
wrote on April 7 2009 @ 11:32 am: [report]
My family is SO traditional Mexican. Its a big sign of “beauty” to have EXTRA long hair. So my mom still cringes at the thought of me cutting my hair. I always have long hair. I DO get a lot of compliments but like some of you mentioned, its so heavy and hard to maintain. Luckily I was born with super straight hair, but its still a hassle to do anything cute with it. So it just sits there on my head, all straight n sh*t. Booooring.
VegDumpling, I am the same way as you, for some reason I only get hair cuts on my birthday or the weekend of…
joyy
wrote on April 9 2009 @ 03:17 pm: [report]
I love having shorter hair (~chin length). I decided I would be an actual girl and grow it out in college and while it did look really great sometimes, it was a pain to maintain, haircuts were more expensive, and it wasn’t worth the trouble. Plus, the shorter style flatters some faces better than longer hair (mine!!!) and it’s just SO much easier to deal with.