There is so much more to a new haircut than just a cut….

It always interests me how when something significant occurs in the lives of women - usually of a negative nature - they feel the urge to reinvent themselves through a new hairstyle. The most classic of examples is the break up. There is a loss of control and sense of self that occurs when one is "dumped" and for some reason women look to the only person they will let that close to their eyes with a pair of razor sharp scissors to help them through the grief. A dramatic chop, an updated colour, or perhaps even hair extensions; any of these provide women with exactly what is needed at this time of painful transition. Not only do “new tresses” make us feel attractive and stylish again (like new dresses) but in its demand for attention also allows a kind of anonymity. And taking the plunge and agreeing to this massive change in turn makes us feel bold, brave and in power. A new hairstyle gives a woman back some of the dignity and confidence that was stripped away, even if it is only as a façade or distraction.

My hair, in its numerous shades and styles, has always been a strong defining feature of who I am. From knee length locks to shaggy bobs; mod fringes to sloping bangs; streaked, curly or straight; red, brown, green, pink… I’ve nearly had it all, but always maintained a certain look synonymous with "ra". I can’t go more than a few months without some kind of minor alteration usually because of boredom, however, the major transformations are reserved for occasions such as above. The most recent of these only occurred a few days ago, not long after a very intense but short lived romance abruptly came to an end. It would be a lie to say that this was the cause of my major lock cull; rather it was the last straw of emotional disappointment over another failed relationship. Completely frustrated with the state of my life and on the brink of transitioning from uni student to professional, I decided it was time to follicly go all the way so trustingly placed my head and hairs in the hands of my hairdresser stating flatly, “I need a change… do whatever you like.”

I remember the day I finally ceased dying my hair fire engine red. I cried when I returned home from the salon to see my brunette reflection and all my friends exclaimed, “Oh no, what did you do?!” pleading with me to return to my old self. I didn’t realise that changing my hair, of all things, would cause such a commotion. The same thing has happened now that I am sporting an incredibly short, trendy, sleek n’ straight page boy. Many of my close friends are freaked by this make over, exclaiming that, “it looks good/it suits you but… it’s just so not... you!” While still in two minds about the long term status of this cut, I'm eagerly embracing the feeling of freedom and bravado it has provided me for the moment. I am however confused about what my hair has become to symbolise outside of myself and for others. Does changing my reliable appearance tear at some kind of trust in or grasp on a friendship? Perhaps while women may reinvent themselves through hair when grieving as a positive move forward, others grieve the reinvention, and the loss of a small part of that woman they knew. In the case of ex’s, this would symbolise that the woman does need them anymore - that they have moved on.

Can something as seemingly trivial as a haircut affect the dynamics of a relationship? Sure can! Is the break up hair cut the best revenge? Yes indeed! In my opinion, getting even is so much more satisfying than getting angry, plus it’s far more glamourous and more likely to get your a new date. Go the chop.