My post-wedding haircut was my best beauty decision - here’s why
I always knew if the right person came along I’d want to get married but unlike the opening scene in Bride Wars, I didn’t grow up dreaming about what that day would look like. As soon as I was engaged, however, I endlessly scrolled, saved, double tapped and pinned my way through dresses, tablescapes and venues—it’s a minefield out there. One thing I did have down right from the start though was the bridal beauty: soft glam makeup (shock) and my hair in an up-do (double shock), trad I know but it has to be said that there’s something so undeniably elegant and timeless about the style. At the time, my hair was about shoulder length, and there began a year and a half journey to grow it as long as I possibly could. Little did I know I would book in for a post wedding haircut so swiftly after my big day.
To help set the scene, let me fill you in on my relationship with my hair. I have fine hair but a lot of it, and naturally it’s pretty wavy. In my early teens I would wake up for school super early so I could straighten the living daylights out of it and I would avoid swimming lessons at all costs. I’ll never forget the look on my P.E teacher's face when I said I was on my period for the fourth week in a row.
While I grew to love my natural wave, I wanted more. Perhaps thanks to the trends during my time at uni, I longed for long, thick rapunzel-esque locks and when mine grew past a certain length it look thinner and generally lacked oomph. So, I booked in to get 18-inch micro-weft extensions which, although I loved at the time, messed up my hair (come to think of it, I definitely shouldn’t have let my ex boyfriend remove them with a pair of pliers). Subsequently, I got my hair cut into a super short bob for the first time, so I have always associated short hair with the trauma of the damage done by the extensions.
Since then I've generally stuck to having a mid-length cut, but when I got engaged I was on a mission to extending my length with the help of every oil, serum and supplement I could get my hands on.
In the wedding marketing industry we mostly see images of long beautiful waves or hair up,” explains Hollie Rose Clarke, hairstylist and expert-in-residence at Dryby. “I’ve seen over and over again brides growing it out for the big day. But for every bride that’s growing their hair, there’s now one going for a drastic change straight after and recently there’s even been an uprising of brides having their haircut in between the ceremony and reception on social media.”
While I can’t say that my wedding party played hot potato with my lopped-off chignon, the big chop came only a month later. My long hair had served its purpose, and now all I did was wear it up. I wanted to enter the next stage of my life with a new found energy and having a good, easy-to-manage hairstyle everyday was a pretty good place to start.
“When people go through a significant event, good or bad, they often want to have change,” says Adam Reed, hairstylist and founder of Arkive Headcare. “I believe there’s an element of taking on a persona of their new identity with a haircut. I would always say to remember it’s a time of high emotion and you really need to make sure it is the right time to do it. You need to be prepared with all the things that come with changing your hair; you’re going to look different, you’re going to get a lot of comments and it is whether you are in the right headspace to take that.”
Luckily, I’d had a bob before and after going through old pictures I realised I’d never given it enough credit (thanks, trauma). So, I booked in for the chop and left the salon with a chin-grazing style that made me feel incredible—my hair instantly looked thicker, and suited my face shape better.
However, if you’re thinking of going for a cut you’ve never had before, Reed says to not act in haste, especially after such an emotional moment. “Try a wig first. It’s really a great way of knowing if you’re going to like it or not. There are a couple of apps that show you how it looks but there is nothing like feeling it on your head.” For Clarke, she says you should make sure to explore all your options. “Most of the time a big change isn’t actually what’s needed and something subtle such as bangs, face framing layers or some naturally painted sun kissed tones can be the perfect revamp.”
For me, the cut has been the best beauty decision I’ve ever made and started a fresh era of my life– I can honestly say I don’t think I’ll go back to having longer hair. I also ended up going freelance shortly after getting my haircut, which puts even more emphasis on it defining the next chapter of my life. Each time I’ve gone back to the salon, I end up getting something a little bit different and as I type, I’m rocking a chin-skimming, texturised cut with slightly shorter layers framing my face. “There really is a bob to suit every single head of hair, which makes it the go-to haircut,” says Reed. “It’s fresh and fun.” The perfect post-wedding haircut, I'd say.
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