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Like many women gripped by the ‘long bob’ trend, I recently chopped off several inches of my hair. It had been hovering around mid-back length for about seven years, so suffice to say I was pretty accustomed to life as a long-haired women.
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Although I am absolutely digging my haircut and can’t see myself growing it out any time soon, it still took me several days to get used to my dramatically shorter style. Three weeks on, I’m still a bit weirded out by how little time it takes to drag a comb from root to tip. And my hair is chin-length — just imagine how trippy a pixie cut or an undercut is for those first few days.
There were several pivotal 'first times' that signalled my transition to short-haired vixen. Some were awesome, some were weird, and yeah, some were a little frustrating. If you've ever chopped off your mermaid mane, you've probably experienced them too:
1. The first time you have a shower…
…and pour out enough shampoo to wash your newly cropped hair five times over. And then spend three minutes trying to siphon it back into the bottle. But hey, your soapy mohawk game is now seriously on-point.
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2. The first time you don't recognise your own shadow.
What IS that strange silhouette following me around? Why is it wearing a hat shaped like a short haircut? Oh, hang on…
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3. The first time you try to tie it back.
Yep, your once luscious ponytail is now comparable to a My Little Pony’s tail. That’s if you even have enough hair to wrap an elastic around. You’ll soon gain a renewed appreciation for bobby pins.
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4. The first time you wash ‘n wear it.
Everything’s peachy three days in, when your hairdresser’s immaculate styling is still holding fast. Then comes the moment of truth. From the moment the water jet hits your head to the moment your hair completely air dries, you’re nervous. Okay, you're scared. 'What will it look like?' you'll wonder. 'Am I going to hate it?' Then, in preparation for the worst, you start Googling foods that make hair grow faster...
5. The first time you don’t experience neck sweats on a sweltering day.
It’s 35 degrees today, why is my neck so dry? Why am I enjoying life so much? Why can I feel a breeze on my neck? Ah…
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6. The first time you instinctively reach for your long hair.
If you’ve had long hair, you probably defaulted to twirling and fiddling with it in moments of pure mindlessness. But you’re snapped back to reality quick when your hand goes searching and you realise there’s... nothing there to play with. Hmm. Time to find a new bad habit, then.
7…. Or try to flick it over your shoulder.
No more sassy Beyonce hair flicks (or worse still, full Little Mermaid water hair flips) for you, young lady.
8. The first time you realise it takes no time to air-dry.
The days of dripping ends at 11am are over, my friend. You've finally tasted freedom, and it feels a lot like... well, a lot like dry hair.
9. The first time your hair doesn’t get stuck to your lips on a blustery day.
Try your best, wind. You’ll never get my hair to touch my lipstick again (until I'm due for a trim in five weeks' time, anyway...)
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10. The first time you realise you might, um, have to invest in some product.
Topknots are no longer an option on crap hair days. Time to drop some cash in the haircare section of Priceline... and maybe learn some styling tricks.
11. The first compliments.
Not that it matters what other people think, of course, but you can't help glowing when the Instagram hearts and real-life compliments come rollin' on in. Bathe in the glory, friends.
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