Are you considering a short haircut? Here’s what I have to say about that: Do it.I know it’s a big leap, and women are often scared of doing something drastic with their hair. But if you have that feeling inside that you might want a change, that you want to go from long to short, I only encourage you to do it. I would never tell you to not do it.The shock of cutting of your hair can take a while to get used to. Yes, some women cut it and immediately love it and feel completely liberated. But if you’re worried you won’t be one of those women, don’t let that be an excuse to keep you from taking a chance.

GALLERY: Celebrities Who Went ShortThere can be a lot of doubt surrounding a drastic change, especially with a haircut, where you might feel like you can’t go back. Trust me—after about a week it’s like the old you is suddenly in the past.

Joseph Chi LinEmma Watson photographed shortly after she got her new pixie cut
Emma Watson

Psychologically that can be a great thing for a woman. It takes inner strength to go through with it, and I’ve noticed that when women cut their hair off they start to dress differently and act differently. If you take the leap, you will discover new ways to wear fashion and makeup, and it can be very, very liberating.Last year I cut a few girls’ long hair for the Balenciaga show—I gave them short, somewhat punky cuts. Instantly I’d say four out of five of the girls completely loved it. They changed the way they stood, acted and presented themselves. It was very inspiring to see that these girls had become themselves and taken control of their style. Even though they didn’t cut their hair themselves, they had made the decision to do it, and it was very empowering.

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You can see it in actresses when they cut their hair. They become someone else; people perceive them differently, and I’m sure they get different roles in films because of that. Emma Watson, when she cut her hair, she went from a little girl to a woman, and she looked like she was in control of herself.When you’re committed to the idea of a short cut, get as many inspirational pictures from magazines as you can. Get tons of them, even ones where the cut looks like it might not perfectly suit your hair texture. Go to your hairdresser and have a long conversation as you look at the pictures. You want to give him or her the idea of the feeling that you want, and then he or she will help translate that to suit your hair.

Once you have the cut, you start a journey of beauty discovery. Straight away your hair starts to grow and become something else. As it grows, along the way your bangs are going to grow into different lengths; your layers will different at different times. You will notice how your texture reacts. Along the way you might find your favorite length and style that you never would have discovered if you hadn’t taken that big chance and cut your hair.It can only be a positive thing.

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