No More Katniss Braid…

It’s been over a week since I sat down in the chair and told Matt, my hair stylist, to cut it all off. Now, when I say “all” I’m being slightly dramatic. It’s not like I got a pixie cut or anything, but for those of us who have had a long wall of hair to hide behind, losing 12 inches seems unfathomable. I made the decision months ago that I needed a change. I’ve had essentially the same long hair since elementary school. Aside from an ill-fated attempt at bangs a couple of years ago, I’ve never wanted to change it. My long, flowing tresses have always been one of the few physical attributes I actually take pride in. A coworker once commented that I had “Disney princess” hair…a thought that still makes me smile. With all the changes in my life over the last year, it only seemed natural to do something drastic.

Here’s how the process went:

Step 1: Tell everyone that I was going to donate it. There’s no going back once you’ve made people think you’re so selfless…

Step 2: Freak out about the details. I went online to read about the donation process: 10 inch minimum??? Send it in yourself??? Does that mean I have to carry my hair around in my purse while I look for a mailbox? Ok, I’m having second thoughts now.

Step 3: Have someone else drive me to the salon. I can’t be trusted to make it there on my own.

Step 3 1/2: Start to have a panic attack in the car. Being on the verge of tears over something that grows back might seem silly to some people, but nevertheless, that’s how I was feeling.

Step 4: Cut it off! After assuring me that I wouldn’t have to tote my hair around all day in my purse, Matt made the first cut. Instead of crying, I actually felt ok seeing the copious amounts of hair falling to the floor.

Step 5: Embrace the change. It’s taking some getting used to, but letting go of my safety blanket of hair has felt good…and so did donating it.  

Even though I feel a little bit braver, I must lament the fact that I can’t braid my hair anymore! I guess that means I can’t be Katniss for Halloween this year…  

(photo source)