I Buzzed My Hair + 4 Reasons Why You Should Too

Earlier this summer, I buzzed my hair off. Now, before you clutch your pearls in shock, a few things should be known: 1) I already had a pixie cut. 2) I didn't sheer it down to a soft fuzz. And 3) I've done this before, so I knew what to expect. 

Lengthy hair has long been considered a feminine trait, even though all genders have the ability to grow their hair out long, and several theories have been put forth, some citing the influence of government-regulated military cuts for enlisted men or the inconvenience of long hair while doing hard labor jobs. The idea actually dates back to Ancient Greece, where women wore their hair significantly longer then men and often parted it down the middle. 

Kurt Stenn, author of Hair: A Human History, says that one's hair can imply a lot of things about a person - health, sexuality, religious affiliation, social and economic status, and possibly gender identity. Hair can be both an individual expression and indicative of group identity.

For women, long hair = femininity, and is a symbol to the rest of society that you're performing your femininity or womanhood "correctly." Granted, what is considered a feminine trait or not is subject to change depending on a lot of factors; it has remained consistent that long hair is symbolic of being feminine.

Short hair, then, it stands to reason - is a political statement, an intentional deviation from expectations. There are a lot of articles floating around the internet regarding women who choose to shear their locks off and the ways in which that changes how they view desirability, their own gender expression, and how much value they place on the male gaze. This one, written by Laurie Penny, is rather insightful.  

But I didn't know or care about all that when I got my first pixie cut years ago, I just remember how light it felt and how much longer all my hair products lasted. Some people say that shorter cuts require more styling maintenance, but I disagree - a little fussing in the morning and the previous night's product comes right back to life! 

Reasons to Buzz Your Hair

1. Your head feels so light - nothing to weigh it down.

I never realized how heavy my thick hair actually was until I cut it all off. Suddenly, I could move my head completely unhindered and the ease of it nearly gave me whiplash. If you experience a lot of tension headaches or migraines from wearing your hair up a lot, like I used to do, try cutting it. You may notice a significant reduction since all that weight has been lifted.

2. You'll use so much less hair product and save money.

I could go through a bottle of shampoo in about two months when my hair was still at shoulder length (or longer). With a sleek bob, I could stretch that one bottle to four months. With a short 'do my current bottle of volumizing shampoo has lasted half a year already. 

I have a few tubes of gel and some hair paste as well, but I need so little of each that I can imagine I won't have to buy any new styling products for years. How quickly do you go through your hair serums and sprays right now? 

3. You will get creative with accessories, fashion, makeup, etc.

Changing up your hair length really alters the way your face looks - and in some cases can make you feel a little bit less feminine looking. Suddenly, that boxy tee and jeans look you've been exclusively rocking feels a tad too androgynous. Short hair can really force you to break out of style ruts, because you have try different silhouettes, different makeup, and even different accessories to compensate.

I love wearing incredibly bold earrings with short hair, because there's nothing competing for their attention. Same goes for bright lipstick or a colorful liner - it all stands out that much more when you don't have hair to camouflage it. 

4. It's the best way to get rid of any damage.

Fried, split ends? Gone. That gross transition from your natural color to the last time you hit up the salon? Gone. Frizz? Gone. If any bits of your hair are damaged, dry, or still hanging on for dear life to a color you want to be rid of - cutting it all off is the easiest way to completely reset your hair! 

Before I buzzed mine off, I still had some leftover highlights and a fair bit of frizzy split ends to content with. Instead of fighting my hair to make those bits behave, it just made more sense to start over and give my locks a fresh start.

Bonus: Wigs!

Have you ever wanted to dabble in wearing wigs? I've worn wigs off and on for years and I will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that it's much easier to situate a wig with short hair. There's no fighting with clips to get all your hair up, no stuffing it into an ill-fitting wig cap, no anxiety that bits of your real hair will peak out the back or near the ears...

Wigs can be hot and itchy if you wear them over long hair. But they're a lot cooler with no hair! 

You may not love having a super short hairstyle all the time, and that's understandable. Wigs can save the day if you suddenly feel like you need boob-length red hair or a blonde bob - and there are a lot of affordable options online these days too. 

Like this one! 

Have you ever thought about buzzing your hair? Have you done it? Let me know in the comments below!