Two years ago, I made a drastic change to my hair. I had been trying to grow out my 4A hair for the better part of my life with no success. I had recently dyed the front tendrils a reddish-pink color and was fine with it. But I never felt excited about my hair. 

One morning, I picked up a pair of scissors. I had only intended to trim my split ends. Instead, I found myself cutting off large chunks of hair until it was as short as it could be. I wasn’t sure if this was the best choice, since I am not a hair stylist nor had I thought about how I would feel with what was essentially a shaved head. My hair was always short, but that day, I took it to another level. 

As I cut off the last few curls, I remembered a natural hair forum I’d attended earlier that year. At this event, speakers who owned natural hair care businesses discussed the best ways to care for natural hair. Advice from one of the speakers stuck out to me. In response to an attendee asking about the best salons in the area that cut natural hair, the speaker said “you know your hair better than anyone else.” I remembered this advice as I attempted to even out my dramatic, new haircut. I felt empowered. I had taken control over my hair, and was no longer tied to what a stylist thought would be best for my hair. 

Ironically, the moment I cut all my hair off was one of the moments when I truly started to care about, and care for, my hair. I realized that it was not only acceptable but empowering to do my hair on my own, which included cutting it myself. 

Even if you don’t chop all your hair off like I did, it can be a powerful experience to have full control over what is happening with your hair. And cutting your hair yourself isn’t as difficult as you might think. You can use tutorials or other resources to help guide you if you’re nervous about taking the leap. But, it’s worthwhile to try it and the results are amazing. Remember, you know your hair better than anyone else. If all else fails, you can always call up your salon and make an appointment.   

Have you ever tried cutting your hair yourself? How did you feel when you did it?