You know those people who change their hair whenever they are going through a life crisis transition? Well I’m one of those people, kind of. I’m also one of those people who likes treating myself to something new, whether that’s material or otherwise cheese danish, when I am feeling a bit blue. The last few months have felt exhausting in so many ways, and while there have been many positives, I started to grow tired of the same old, and so I resolved to cut some inches off these locks, at some point, just to change something, in some way. There is just not much you can do about some things in life, but hair, well there is always something you can do. Now, you’re probably thinking, okay Alex, it doesn’t look much different, and you would be right. But it’s shorter, a lot shorter, which is really a testament to how goddamn long my hair was before. In the 4 or so years I have been growing my hair I have cut it exactly one time, and that was a tiny trim. There is this weird thing that happens when you have long hair, especially long red hair. No one ever wants you to cut it. Your hair becomes a matter of everyone else’s opinion and it starts to feel like not your own, but also the very thing that defines you. Having long red hair can sometimes feel like my only discernible quality. Like, people would be horrified if I dyed my hair (which I have before, for years, and I don’t regret it), and people would also be confused if I cut my hair short. Knowing all these things, and having my life so public on the internet and having so many people comment on my appearance daily, it does actually affect your everyday, offline life. I have actually been a bit scared to cut my hair in any big way for fear of what people would think, which is absolutely silly, but it’s the honest truth. So instead of allowing myself to feel pressured by everyone else’s feelings about the very hair on my own head, I decided to go ahead and cut several inches off. The difference is actually not as noticeable as I wanted it to be, but who knows, maybe this is a slow step toward a much shorter look. I’ve always had this dream of styling my hair in perfect 50s pincurls, but with long hair, it’s nearly impossible. One of these days, guys. One of these days.
If you live in Toronto and are looking for a great hair salon, I highly recommend The Proudest Pony. My stylist is Micaela and while this was my first time meeting her, I adored her instantly. The attention she paid to my hair and my wishes was on point and awesome.