Rachel Yeates, Campus Carrier Copy Editor

I thought my hairdresser was going to faint when I showed her the picture of the haircut that I wanted.

“So you want it all off?”

She had blanched and was clutching her chest, and it was all my friend Lesli and I could do not to start laughing. We’d made a pact earlier in the semester to get pixie cuts, and there was no way we were backing out now.

In recent years, short, more “masculine” hair cuts have become quite popular among women, and, to many, this seems obvious: short hair takes less time to wash and style, it can provide a drastic but non-permanent change for people looking to change up their style and Hollywood has already provided many great examples of how to wear it well (Emma Watson, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, the list goes on).

However, this fashion choice has not come to the American public’s attention without considerable backlash. Opinions that short hair makes women look unfeminine and unattractive have been flying, but why should others’ feel entitled to comment on such a personal choice? If the individual thinks themself beautiful with short hair, then I say go for it. Far be it from anyone else to convince you otherwise.

A lie I often hear—I was guilty of believing this too—is that short hair only works with certain face shapes. But, as my pixied friend Cait pointed out, men, just like everyone else out there, have all kinds of face shapes, and they manage to pull off short hair. If you want to try short hair, there is a cut that will work for you. Just ask a hairdresser, do some internet research and be willing to experiment. Don’t let stereotypes and negative opinions stop you from taking the plunge.

By the same token, if you love your long hair, more power to you. Don’t feel pressure to change your style just because of fashion trends.

I’ve always loved seeing how others express themselves through fashion and hairstyles, but I’d been struggling with my long hair for several years before I became attracted to the idea of the pixie.

Finally cutting my hair was the result of coming to college and wanting to recreate myself, a visual break from my high school self, and befriending some really neat people with short hair who convinced me to go through with my decision.

Finding a friend who also wanted to go short helped too. We both held each other to our goal and were there for support in the salon because, no matter how much we both wanted short hair, it was definitely a scary thing to see those scissors and realize that we were about to make such a big change.

But two hours later and, between the two of us, more than a foot of hair lighter, Lesli and I left the salon, unable to keep from running our hands through our hair.

I’ve heard it said that everyone should try short hair at least once because then you have nothing to hide behind. You’re forced to find your best face and embrace it. I love my short hair and hope others feel encouraged to take their style into their own hands. If you want to make a change, don’t let others hold you back.