The impressive difference a bit of hair care can make

Getting my hair cut professionally is one of the few beauty treatments I regularly indulge in. I have thick hair that grows really quickly, so if I want to keep it in check I have to make pretty frequent visits to the hairdresser. So it was with some surprise that I realised on my most recent trip that it had been a whole eight months since my last visit. The only time I had ever gone this long before was during lockdowns when it was literally not possible to go to a salon. Between the aches and pains of late pregnancy and the endless busyness of a new baby, time had just crept on and I didn’t get round to it. Despite my hairdresser being little more than a five minute walk from my home!

So it was with a great feeling of relief that I finally got it cut. It had grown long and lank, and I haven’t been taking as good care of it as usual, as time spent on hair just hasn’t been a priority with a little baby to care for. On the plus side, this has meant I haven’t been heating it as much, with blow dries a rarity. On the down side, postpartum hair loss and rushed showers have left it feeling a bit worse for wear.

Over the years I’ve had a wide variety of haircuts – from pixie cuts to very long hair reaching halfway down my back. It had grown pretty long in the eight months, and I was itching for change. So I decided to revert to one of my go-to looks: a bob. It seems there’s always some kind of bob haircut ‘in’, but I try to ignore hair trends as much as I can. Following them had led to some fairly ill-advised curtain bangs the previous year, so it seemed sensible to just go with what I like rather than worry too much. I often return to bobs as they’re easy to style and don’t really require much effort. Laziness is the main guide to my hair care routine, so I don’t really want anything high maintenance (like curtain bangs!). The only difference I decided to go for this time was a bit shorter than usual – hedging my bets that it might be a while before I cut it again!

Here is the ‘before’ shot of my hair. As you can see, things had got a bit out of hand! I was mostly getting by with a low bun to keep it in check, and wasn’t really happy with how it looked ‘down’.

Then here is the after! I was so pleased to have the weight off both metaphorically and literally. My hair is so much easier to care for when it is shorter. I’ve found it much more achievable to actually look after it now it takes so much less time.

I never feel the post-salon photos really capture what it’s like, as I rarely bother to style it in the same way, or with the same attention to detail. So to give you a more realistic sense, here is a several-days-after shot, which is I think a lot more ‘me’. Just to show how genuinely casual this photo is, you might be able to tell that I took it before bed in the evening, as I have my retainer in!

One of the things I appreciate about a decent bob cut is that it is quite versatile – I can leave it fairly messy and ‘undone’ and it still feels ‘me’ and put together, or I can make some real effort and dress it up a bit.

I’m a strong believer in the power of a good haircut, and the psychological impact it can have. I’ve often gone for a big cut when I’ve wanted to make some life changes. Although the changes had already happened for this one, and they were all positive, I can still attest to the impact of the haircut. Getting my hair properly taken care of felt like a declaration of intent and the beginning of a new phase: no longer was I just getting by and coping with postpartum life, I was now a put together woman who happened to also be a very happy mother, getting her stuff in order! I’m glad I waited as it felt like it came when I was ready for it, and I’m now super pleased with how it’s turned out.

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Have you had a haircut for an important life milestone? I know a breakup is a common time for one, and I’m pretty sure one I’ve done myself, but I also love the idea of using a haircut to demarcate a new, positive phase of your life. I’d love to hear about your experiences, so please do share in a comment!