Long to Short hair: Things to Consider and Pros and Cons

Hi everyone!

Sorry this post is a bit late, I forgot to hit the publish button when scheduling it!

Last week I talked about cutting my hair and donating it, so this week I thought I'd talk more about my feelings regarding the chop!


Before the cut, consider:
- Why you want to cut it?
Is it because you want a change, or because you've looked at one too many pictures of Taylor Swift? Since cutting your hair isn't something that is easily remedied, you may want to spend time thinking about your reasons first. While you may really like it once it's cut, you don't want to hate it because it's a passing fad.

- What style you want?
Do you want a lob (shoulder length) or a bob (chin length) or a pixie cut? Do you want bangs/fringe, or not? These are the things to consider before going to the hairdressers just to be more prepared. I personally just went for a straight cut as I wanted to grow out my hair again without having to get it trimmed soon, but I've previously gone for something similar to T-ara's Eunjung in Dream High (just google it). Try to pick one that suits your hair type as you don't want to spend ages styling your hair every day.

- Do you want to donate it?
As I mentioned in my last post, the reason why I wanted to cut my hair this time was to donate it, but even though you might not, why not consider it anyway. You don't lose anything by doing it, but it's up to you whether you want to or not.

-What is your wardrobe like?
Ok, weird one here, but having long hair and having short hair can really change the way an outfit looks. For example, I have a lovely long dress which I wore for my school ball, but it looks weird with short hair. Not a bad weird, but it looks less girly and elegant. I found that since cutting my hair, I've been favouring jeans and tees over skirts and dresses, but that's only my opinion. I don't think short hair is any less girly, but I just find myself wondering what to do with my hair sometimes. Think about the style you want and think about what you already own. Short hair can really make an outfit look different!

-What season is it when you're cutting your hair?
I cut my hair in winter and to date, that is the worst hair decision I made. I felt super cold the whole time and my ears have never hurt so much! I have a lot more respect for my guy friends now though! So if you're weak to the cold, you may want to wait for a warmer season.

OK that's about it for the things I considered (besides season, that's something I learnt after) so let's move on to pros and cons!


Pros:
1. Your hair will dry a lot quicker.
2. You will use less shampoo/conditioner.
3. It's faster to wash.
4. It's cooler in summer.
5. You don't have to worry about carrying around a hair tie (until it get longer)
6. You don't have to spend as long styling it (this depends on the type of hair you have and the style you have though!)

Cons:
1. You can't do as many braids/up-dos/styles as with longer hair. (though you will be able to do some different ones...) For me, a lot of tutorials I see on Youtube and stuff like that feature longer hair, so sometimes I find myself wishing my hair long again!
2. Your hair will need washing/dry shampooing more regularly. Maybe this is just my hair though!
3. When your hair is growing, it'll reach the awkward stage where you can't quite tie it up but it's still long enough to make your neck sweaty and gross (this depends on the original length you cut it to).
4. You may/may not be able to tie it up for showers/workouts/any other time you may want to tie it.
5. Hair envy/hair regret. Sometimes you'll look back and miss your long hair...


Those are the ones I found after having shorter hair for about 5 months now. Leave me a comment if you want to know anything at all or if you've had a different experience with short hair/long hair!

I love my shorter hair, but I think I'll probably grow it out for quite some time before I cut it again, if I do!

Signing off now!

Dusty Foxes

Donating my hair! Going from Long hair to Short hair

Happy Easter everyone!

First of all, that is my hair. I cut off 13 inches of hair last December and donated it to Little Princess Trust.  I've been sitting on this for a good few months because I wasn't sure if I wanted to share it. However, I decided that it was finally time to talk about it here on my blog because donating my hair is something I've wanted to do for the longest time now.

I first wanted to donate my hair about 10 years ago, but I never did. I have cut my hair short before (about the same length as it is now), but I never really grew it out until it was long enough to get it cut short.

Bit of background, I used to do ballet, so I used to have to do my hair up and that's why I never really cut it short. In my life, I've had it cut from quite long to a lob/bob 3 times, including this time! I love having long hair as I've always been very girly and I loved putting my hair up in fancy (but extremely messy) "up dos". I loved copying girls in magazines and doing my hair has always been something I enjoyed. There was also a time when I liked putting it all over my face and trying to scare people like the girl from The Ring...

Fast forward to now, and I still love doing my hair, especially as the heat tools I own have increased from a plain hairdryer to straighteners and curling wands. But despite that, my hair has remained quite healthy and I grew it out to the longest it's ever been. So, with the support of my mother, I cut off most of that and decided to fulfill my childhood dream of donating my hair.

Here is the before and after. I tried not to move the camera and tried to stand in the same spot, but the difference speaks for itself. I wore this pink dress from Boohoo as it was the only top I had that wasn't black or needed a wash. 

I decided to donate my hair to Little Princess Trust as they seem to be reputable and they are clear about what happens to the hair that is being donated. Here is a link to their page on donating hair as I think they explain it better than I can.

I'm not trying to brag about how "kind and good" I am or ask you to praise me. This was a personal decision, that I have wanted to make for 10 years and I wanted to share it in the hopes that if one of you who are thinking about cutting your hair short, even if it's just to follow the new trends, then you could consider donating your hair as well.

I don't have a sob story to share, I don't have any particular deep meaning in cutting my hair, it's just something I wanted to do.

If you're considering the chop, consider donating if you fit the requirements. You don't have to, but if you're curious then do take a look.

Next Sunday, I'll be posting about things to consider before the chop which is relevant even if you don't want to donate, and how I am getting on with short hair. If you have any questions you want me to answer, then please let me know in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes