Is Short Hair For Me? (And What To Do Once I’ve Got It)

This year, we witnessed celebrities from all ends of the spectrum chopping off their trademark long hair in exchange for much shorter styles. From Lauren Conrad’s choppy bob, to Faith Hill’s sophisticated pixie, to Malin Ackerman’s Miley-inspired shaved sides, there was no shortage of big names taking the plunge in the scissor department. But what about the rest of us?

(…Yep, that’s Maggie from The Walking Dead)

Most long-haired people you speak to wince at the idea of cutting it all off for reasons that range from: uncertainty on suitability, difficulty in maintenance, no ability to pull a pony tail, and my personal favourite – turning off men. HA! (And being a short hair person myself, to this latter point I say “when one door closes, another one opens” – not all is lost on that front when you go short, in fact, far from it!)

BEAUTY HOW-TO: TIPS & TRICKS FOR SUMMER HAIR HEALTH

So, if you have toyed with the idea of going short for a while, and want to know if it’s right for you, Marc Armstrong (Hair Director at Sydney’s prestigious ‘RAW Hair’ Salon) is here to explain everything you need to know.

• If you find you have been wearing your hair in pony tails you will probably find that short hair suits you. By putting your hair back in a pony tail exposes your face shape and structure.

• The rule off thumb to gaining the most flattering look is to try and manipulate your hair into giving you the illusion of an oval face.

• Be aware of going short if you have a round face. Short hair will only make your face appear rounder. Having short hair on a square face will make your jaw line more visible this could make the look harder. Avoid a blunt fringe and opt for a flowing sweeping (side) fringe as this will soften your look.

• You can have fun going shorter, you don’t have to have a drastic cut straight away.

• Enjoy the journey you are about to go on and try some different shorter styles. Going shorter is more fun then growing it longer considering that hair grows at a rate of 15cm per year!

• Having short hair does not necessarily mean that you don’t have to style it in the morning. Remember there is no plan B (pony tail) if you are running late. We recommend that short hair should be cut every 4-8 weeks so if your don’t  visit your stylist regularly you will now!

• When choosing product always look at your hair texture. If you want volume use a dry product, but if it’s separation you desire then wax’s and creams are the way forward; unless your hair is on the thinner side.

And what about STYLING TIPS for short hair?

• A common concern with shorter hair is that your 9 to 5 hair looks just like your red carpet hair, so why don’t you try and accessorize your locks with a diamante clip or pin, everybody loves a bit of bling, and it also illuminates the face.

• We all know wearing your hair slicked back is not practical for work but for an event it’s a knock out. The recent Met Ball Gala saw Rita Ora gel her hair back whilst Kate Bosworth had a wet looking bun.

• Temporary chalk colours will also make you stand out from the crowd. Within an instant you can have a crazy dash of coral or a cool pink textured do!

We’d love to know your views on short hair (love it, loathe it? had it and hated it?) and if you’ve any styling tips for short hair please also leave those in the comments below!

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