Let's talk hair

How have I been doing?

Well let's just say: long hair short.

Yup, that was the punchline and the whole story basically. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next time, folks. 

Note to self: Jane, you can't use that joke in letter, they can see you've not stopped there. Darn.

Anyway, yes, let's talk hair.

I feel like this song should be appropriate here

I guess we've all been in that position where our description of the ultimate perfect haircut we had in our mind has somehow got lost in the process. The barber's chair is where you acknowledge that 1-2 cm is totally subjective and would make a ruler into a depressive alcoholic if it would be a living thing. And a 'snip' here and a 'snip' there and you immediately regret having a haircut. Then there's nothing else to do but to give an awkward smile to the hairdresser when she asks you cheerfully "so how is it?". It's not that easy to find words in a shock state. And as you exit you give one last "I'm sorry" glance at what was once yours and is now in a sad pile on the floor. If you haven't been there then a) you have never had a haircut b) you pay a quarter of your soul for a cut c) you don't give a single thought to your appearance d) you are a manic liar/ optimist e) you can't remember how long you've had the present cut.

It's funny how we get so emotionally attached to something that is a bunch of dead cells and most important of all- it grows back. But it actually is like a security blanket we hide behind. Necessarily it becomes a part of who we are and what we say about ourselves to the outer world. Your hair tells the truth about you, literally, just watch an episode of CSI. But talking in a non scientific language the way we treat our hair nowadays shows our deeper self and our deeper state. If I'm having a bad day I can assure you that my hair is not going to look like I'm taking part of a pageant contest. And frankly that could be said vice versa also. Actually, did you know that it's been studied that a bad hair day affects men more than it does women? Tell it, sistah!

For a long time already men and women have taken pride in their hair. There's the story in the Bible about Samson and Delilah, where he's strong until she cuts his locks and he loses all of his strength. In Colonial America a man had to give his permission for his wife before she could cut her hair, because her hair was considered his possession. Or how sirens were always portrayed with silky long hair as they allured men. It was also believed that witches held power in their hair. And in the 20s women cut short bobs as a sign of rebellion against traditional gender roles. Hippies, skinheads, emos, punk kids, etc...and these stories go on and on until the present form. 

We usually associate long hair with femininity. If you think about it it's quite logical. Long hair is used as a sign of gender differentiation. That's how we tell apart little boys from girls. But it also transcends into adulthood. A Hungarian university study looked at how men described women with short and long hair. While the comments about the women with short hair were all lovely- youthful, honest, caring, emotional- men still in general preferred longer hair, because they saw it as a sign of fertility, health and stability. And another research showed that the majority of single women had longer hair as a sign of "hey, I'm single" to attract the opposite sex. 

And so when a woman cuts her long hair we presume something happened.One of the finest examples of hair being the mirror of the mind is Miss Spears. I don't even have to tell her story as everyone already knows what happened in the combination of her and a razor.

"I'm as free as my hair" sang someone who probably has more wigs than Summer has days.

Hair carries your past. That's how I see it. So this past August I decided to cut my hair short after having long hair for 3 years. And I mean loooong hair. But after having cut my hair short 4 summers ago I got bored of it and then the process of growing that bob out began. At that time it didn't really suit me, it didn't feel right and most of all the maintenance was a pain. With longer hair it was much easy and variable. When my hair was still damp I would braid it, in the morning open it and off I went. I was presentable with less effort and so it became comfortable to have long hair. In the beginning of the passing summer I had those thoughts again- why not cut it? A friend suggested not to rush with those thoughts. But I couldn't get passe them. Something happened in the beginning of August. Something that I'd been looking forward for a long time and something that changed me in some ways. Something that showed that I'm not who I thought to be and something that showed me where I don't belong. I felt I was ready to say goodbye to the past me and to make an actual statement: cutting my hair. Long hair represented 3 years of my life that had passed and I needed to move on. And I was eager to give a visit to my hairdresser. After hearing my ideas and having a look at an Ann Hathaway picture I took with myself (verbal skills of this creature: 0) she asked if I'd like to take 5 and think through my plan. I didn't even blink when turning down that proposal. I was determined. I have never been that determined when having my hair cut, like never ever. She took off more than 20 cm. When I had a look at the mess on the floor it felt like I was carrying around the amount of two normal headfull of hair.

It's not news. But I felt like writing it down now when my hair has kinda gotten used to it's length. I know it's weird to say, but that's how it feels. Or maybe it's just me who has gotten used to the new do. Even when I look like a mixture of Norman Salumäe (just Google him) and a fluffy poodle on rainy days and a hobo on windy days (and almost every third day to be honest), even when my haircut grows out like in hyper speed, even if there's not that much styles to try I'm still glad I took the risk.

I got my hair shortened today once again. My hairdresser said that it's funny, when regular people go from extra long to short they keep it like that for a month max and then decide to grow it out again, but with me it's getting shorter and shorter with each visit. I laughed, because I was one of those people before. I hope I don't lose her.

I feel free (-er).

Now, my laptop is full of pictures of hair inspirations.

So, med-short haircut girls, this goes out to you.

This girl, Karla, is my hero when it comes to flirty curly hair. How fabulous is that do?