Why Hairstyles Affect More Than Your Looks
A hairstyle not only affects your appearance but also your self-perception. If you’ve been wearing the same hairstyle for years, you probably hold the same perception of yourself.
Do you have a hairstyle you are comfortable with, and believe is the one for you?
My go-to hairstyle is wearing my hair long with a middle part. I don’t even own a hairdryer. It’s wash and air dry. Haircut twice a year to trim the ends. Super easy.
A recent heat wave sent daytime temperatures into the 90s. My long hair felt like a blanket around my neck and back.
On one particularly scorching day, I braided my hair and went hiking with friends (see the photo below). When I went shopping at the market afterward, the street vendors addressed me as señorita instead of the normal señora.
I thought it was funny and promptly forgot about it.
Later, I developed a heat rash around my neck that made any contact with my hair unbearable. I tried wearing a top bun, but it always fell apart after a couple of hours.
Frustrated, I pulled my hair up and made two top buns to keep cool. Exposing my face and neck felt weird at first, but it was way better than irritating the itchy rash on my neck.
After a few weeks, I began to enjoy the new hairstyle:
1. With the weight off my shoulders, I felt lighter.
2. I had an unobstructed view of everything around me, no longer having to keep hair out of my face every five seconds.
3. I felt more energetic, and my steps become bouncier and faster.
It was as if I had shed my old self and embraced a carefree spirit. When I flew back to California, I wore the same hair buns out of habit. My niece saw me at a restaurant and exclaimed, “You look like my age now!”
I didn’t think much of it until I saw a photo taken that evening (see below). It got me thinking about the transformative power of hairstyles, and how they could change more than our appearances.
I thought about how I had grown used to acting like a middle-aged woman, even though I felt young at heart.
It’s incredible how a simple change in hairstyle can make us feel like a whole new person.
A new hairstyle pushes you to break free from the mundane and embrace change.
It’s an opportunity to redefine yourself and discover new facets of your personality.
Whether it’s a bold pixie cut, vibrant hair color, or even trying out different hair accessories, the possibilities are endless.
A new hairstyle is a way to adapt to different life circumstances or express different versions of ourselves.
Just like the braided hair on my hiking trip garnered a different reaction from people, altering your hairstyle can shift how others perceive you and how you interact with the world.
A new hairstyle injects freshness into your everyday life and boosts your confidence.
It’s a reminder that you can reinvent yourself whenever you desire.
So, if you’ve been sporting the same hairstyle for years and feel the urge to switch things up, go for it! Here are some popular apps to try on different hairstyles to find your next best one.
Take that leap of faith. You never know how it might positively change your appearance and your outlook on life.
Dr. Ivy Ge
Doctor of Pharmacy, author of The Art of Good Enough. She writes to inspire women to design their own fate. Her writings and interviews have been featured on MSNBC, Thrive Global, Working Mother magazine, Parentology, and The Times of India.
