The Chop

I have had the same haircut for eight years. I’ve dabbled in an assortment of bangs – side swept, straight across, heavy whisps around the face – but for the most part, the length and color has stayed the same.

Over the past few months I’ve tossed around the idea of doing a major chop, but as someone who will lock herself indoors due to a bad haircut, I was hesitant to take the plunge.

Then I saw Scarlett Johansson’s choppy ‘do on the cover of Elle UK and my fears were locked away. It was time for something short and new. Though the cut wasn’t so drastic that I would have a full-blown bob (who knows, that could be next…), it was enough to make a noticeable difference.

With Scarlett’s picture saved to my phone (I always think it’s a good idea to bring as many photos of the hair style you want when you go to the salon), I went to see my hair guru Jeff who happens to be the only person to cut my hair and actually listen to what I want.

Normally when I see Jeff I do the usual “half an inch” trim and he respects my ridiculous wishes. But this time, I took him by surprise and let his scissors snip away 5 inches of my hair. This was no crying situation a la Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables (granted, this wasn’t a buzz cut), my excitement only increased with each snip, long pieces of hair falling on my lap.

We kept the pieces in the front a little longer, hitting about two inches below my shoulders, while the pieces in the back sit around my neckline. (Yes, kind of like a reverse mullet). The finished haircut is short, textured, and full of movement, a quality my lackluster strands have never had.

“The new me” will take some getting used to (hello tiny ponytail!), but I’ve already had too much fun toying around with different looks and it hasn’t even been 24 hours. I’ve never really had a “stylized” hair ‘do, but have a feeling I won’t be returning to my long and boring blunt cut anytime soon.