The Big Chop

The internet is all abuzz lately over celebrities chopping off their hair.  Within the past two weeks, 5 big names have made drastic cuts.  Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Pamela Anderson, and Kristin Chenoweth all went for pixie cuts, and Jennifer Aniston got a chin-length bob.  From the perspective of the salon industry, it's fun to see people change up their look.  But I find it fascinating to read the reaction on social media sites, which run the gamut from positive to negative, the common denominator being that everyone has an opinion.  But in reading why each of these celebrities went for the cut, I noticed a common theme.




Jennifer Aniston said she was ready for a change, and that:

"I feel great.  I feel lighter.  It's simple, it's really simple, that's for sure.  But I'm always one of those girls who does a big old chop just to get it really healthy, to repair all the (damage from) hair coloring and stuff like that." 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/jennifer-aniston-cuts-hair-short-article-1.1508119#ixzz2k0KjUnGw

Kristin Chenoweth admitted she was was scared at first, but then:

"I just went for it! I've been a slave for that long hair for so long. Now I just wake up and go like that." 

http://www.eonline.com/news/477305/kristin-chenoweth-jennifer-lopez-encouraged-me-to-get-a-pixie-haircut-watch-now

Pamela Anderson told Ellen DeGeneres:

 “I just thought my hair had had a life and I wanted to kind of put that behind me and start fresh." 

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/11/pamela-anderson-sees-her-pixie-cut-as-a-fresh-start/ 

Jennifer Lawrence said at a Tumblr Q&A:

"It grew to an awkward gross length, and I kept putting it back in a bun and I was like 'I don't want to do this,' so I just cut it off."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/jennifer-lawrence-dishes-details-pixie-cut-article-1.1509658#ixzz2k0NRn8p9

What each of these ladies speak to is the power of a haircut to bring a sense of renewal, of lightness, of freedom.  How interesting that a haircut can make us look forward, more so than even hair color can do.  We are literally getting rid of dead weight and in doing so getting rid of our past.  That long hair carries a history, as any CSI show will tell you.  When it's time for a change in life, a haircut is often the launch point.  I think what is possibly the most confidence-boosting power of a haircut is that it is a commitment.  Once you chop it off, there's no turning back.  There is no room for doubt.  You've made the leap, you can't turn around, so you just enjoy the ride.  And if it wasn't all you thought it would be, you just grow you hair out again.