I now have a short-cropped 'do, just about chin length but actually not quite. FTR, I had hair to my waist for quite a while now.
I didn’t cry, and in fact am relieved to have the change. I donated the long ponytail to “Locks of Love,” a charitable organization that makes wigs from these donated locks for cancer patients who’ve lost their hair during chemo.
It is a trip, though…my neck feels so exposed!
Shall I put a “before” and “after” pic on my website? (Maybe someone more HTML savvy can teach me how to program a poll: “What the hell have you done?” “Looks great!” “Eh, I think you’re a lost cause either way,” etc.)
Wow, congrats on taking the plunge! I could do that, cut a foot of hair off, but my hair would be pretty short. I’ve had 6 inches of it cut off at a time before.
I’m glad you don’t regret it… what a great cause to give your shorn locks to. I need to contact them if I ever get mine cut off.
I’d like to see some before and after pics! And I think they have free poll places online that you can get for your site with the programming all done for you.
i did the same thing about 2 years ago. i had long hair for more than 6 years when i cut it. you’ll have phantom hair for awhile before you get used to it. the upside for me was, many women who had before dismissed me took a renewed interest in me…ok, i lied about that part.
Ohhhhh, I was so ready to be funny, but my joke’s already been taken!
I cut 12 inches off of my hair last year, and it was the best and worst thing I’ve ever done. My hair looks icky any way I have it cut, though. Blah.
P.S. Awesome that you gave your hair to charity! I had a violin teacher who grew out his ponytail and then cut it off and sent it to his mother, who sent it to a wig place.
A few years ago, when I was living in hot and humid Hawaii, I had my below-bra-strap-length hair cut off to an inch longer than the hairline at the nape of my neck. Had the oddest conversation with the hairdresser …
Me: I’d like my hair this long (pointing), please.
HD (wide-eyed): Are you sure??
Me: <confused look> Uh. Yeah.
HD: All at one time???
Me: Um. Yup.
HD: Are you SURE???
Me: Quite sure.
HD: Do you want to keep part of it?
Me: WHAT?!?!
Didn’t know about the wig-thing then, although I did find out that day that in the Phillippines (the hairdresser was Filipino) they take cut hair, cut it smaller, dye and curl it, and turn it into false eyelashes.
One odd thing that did happen after that cut - my hair actually acquired something resembling body, which it didn’t have when my hair was short in my younger years.
I’ve done that before, had hair down to the small of my back and had it cut into a chin-length bob. It’s strangely liberating and also scarey. It’s hard to get used to, because it usually took like 3 years for it it get that long! You’ll be amazed at how little shampoo you’ll have to use- I remember after getting my hair cut short, I poured the usual huge dollop of shampoo into my hand, then when I got my hands into my hair, realized, “oh, no, I didn’t need this much!” and spent ages rinsing…and rinsing…and rinsing. I usually missed my long hair too much to keep it short, I’ve always grown it back to long. Plus, I discovered that my hair has a little bit of a wave when it’s short, only it would flip up at the ends, and I’d have to spend an hour with the blow-dryer to get the ends under. Then if it got wet, FLIP! I know that style was popular for a while, but I never liked it. I read about that charity in the local paper recently, and if I ever cut my hair short again, I’d donate it (if they’d take it with all the split ends and white hairs!)
I did that once only it was more like 16 inches. Have you noticed that your cronic headache is gone? I sure did. i had gotten so used to it that I felt really lightheaded, but in a good way. I also did the phantom hair thing. I had really long hair fom the time I was eight until I was eighteen. I actually regreted it though. I really missed playing with my hair. I am currently trying to grow it back, but it is taking a lot longer then I thought it would. My hair is barely to my bra strap and I cut it two years ago…sigh:( However everyone thought that I looked older with it short, so I guess that is one good thing. I look a lot younger then I actually am. I did notice that kids menu questions were greatly reduced.
I did the same thing over the last year. My hair went from being salt and pepper and able to tuck in my jeans to chin length and blonde. It took about 3 or 4 trips to the salon to get it as short as I wanted it. I just didn’t have the guts to do it all at once. Everyone tells me it looks so much better but it was still hard to part with.
Now you will wonder how you ever put up with it that long.
Aw, that’s okay Dire Wolf. I still have this lovely pocketwatch chain for you.
Phantom hair…totally! It’s a very, very strange sensation–and most noticeable at the back of my neck. I keep thinking my hair’s in a ponytail or something.
Washing the hair is a trip–it just stops! And yes, there is considerably less shampoo (and conditioner) involved…all very, very odd. I don’t think I’ve ever had my hair this short in my adult life.
My husband was and is all for this change. He went with me to the salon, took pictures, and loves the new 'do. He keeps pausing and looking at me with these odd goo-goo eyes, telling me how much he loves how I look. He said the other day that I’m now womanly beautiful, that it gives me a more sophisticated look. And he was very turned on by it: “I’ve never had sex with a short haired girl before!” heh heh heh…
My hair has much more body now–bouncy, even–it wasall getting pulled straight down when it was long. Too heavy, I guess.
As far as headaches go, well, I still get those–blasted sinuses. But my head most certainly feels lighter. I’m still getting used to it. I keep looking in the mirror, and though I don’t think it looks bad, I still can’t say it looks particularly great, either. Phooey.
I had a violin teacher who grew out his ponytail and then cut it off and sent it to his mother, who sent it to a wig place.
