Short Hair vs. Long Hair

I recently had my hair cut short, like pixie cut, short. It was about shoulder length before. I really love it short, it's so easy, it shortened my hair routine to 10 minutes. However as someone who has also had really long hair (to my waist) throughout my life. My hair was long when I had Ella and I had it cut into a bob, shortly after she was born. It was so much easier. I love having long hair but I have really thick hair which turns into taking forever to dry and style it. Sometimes I really miss my long hair, but when it is really long, I miss all the things I can do with short hair. It's a horrible cycle of indecision brought on by my impulsive personality and the curse of being a cosmetologist. You always want to try every style out there. Which I have, colors too.

With long hair, it has this appeal. Long hair is (usually) associated with being sexy. Think "bedroom hair" when was the last time that phrase referred to any woman with a short hair cut. Why, you may ask? Because when your short hair has been in the bedroom for a while (whether you're sleeping or not) it is NOT sexy. (More on that later.) Long hair is also linked with elegance. Long hair can be put up in extravagant updos and styled into beautiful waves and curls. On short hair you resemble a child if it isn't done exactly right, or possibly a poodle. Either way as a grown woman, not the look you're going for. Long hair also is great on a day you don't want to do your hair at all. Ponytails, braids and buns all work great for long hair. Long hair, if you are lucky to have straight or slightly wavy hair, is easy on days your not going to wash it or if you went to bed with it wet. All you have to do is brush it out in the morning. (I did that almost my entire pregnancy, so easy!) If you want to get ready in a hurry but need to start at step one, the shower, not always so great. It used to take me an hour and a half from getting in the shower to being ready to walk out the door with my long hair. Drying and styling time took at least 50 minutes, just silly.

Now with short hair the drying and styling time is less than 10 minutes, the downfall is it needs to be done every day. I promised we would return to the topic of why "bedroom hair" is not sexy for short hair. The answer is this, when I wake up in the morning or even lay down for a short period of time, I resemble a 1990's pop star from a boy band. That is not sexy when you are a woman and your husband is straight. There is no slightly tousled look when you get up with short hair. Slightly tousled you have done to yourself, the bed did not do that for you. Now I must say that besides the morning hair, I love my short hair. To me it says I am confident and sassy. That I don't have to follow the "normal" ideal of femininity and still feel beautiful. I feel like short hair has a maturity level to it. Maybe because for most women to be comfortable with this short of a style you really have to know and be comfortable with yourself, which so often comes with age and experience. Although slightly more limited than long hair, I can still style my short hair in different ways. Like, where do I want to part it today? Bangs out or pinned back? Maybe a headband or flower clip? Decisions, decisions.

Both really short hair and really long hair has their pro's and con's. It's fun to be able to change your look on a day to day basis. As women we have the luxury that we don't have to look the same every day. I encourage everyone to try a new style or put in a hair accessory that you didn't think you would like. You might surprise yourself by liking the change. Watch in a month I'll decide to grow my hair out again! Impulsive, I tell you!!