By Angela Lince
Deciding what style haircut to get is as difficult as trying to sooth an ill baby. There are so many ways, yet you’re deeply hesitant; you don’t want to make a mess out of the situation. Terrible analogy, but you get the point.
In society today, having the right haircut is vital. We spend months juggling ideas of what might look good and tossing aside the risky, odd styles. We reference celebrities in hopes of finding their best haircut, and imagine it on ourselves.
Familiar with this? If yes, you might be struggling with tonsurephobia, which is the fear of getting your haircut. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 63 million adults suffer from tonsurephobia. Imagine the indecisive, anxiety-filled minds that possess these adults before a haircut appointment. Yikes.
So, is there a treatment to this fear? Yes, there’s behavioral therapy, but there’s also advice. Below are a few challenging anxieties, as well as the advice that could tear you away from your worries.
Anxiety:
You fear the haircut will make you look fat.
Advice:
Instead of searching “Top 10 Haircuts that Make You Look 10 Pounds Thinner,” you should be analyzing your face shape in the mirror. According to writer and editor at Birchbox, Julia Phillips, the six types of face shapes are round, square, oblong, diamond, triangular and oval. Phillips reveals the key elements when discovering your face shape:
Round: Cheekbones and face length have a similar measurement. They are larger than forehead and jawline, which also have a similar measurement. The angle of the jaw is soft.
Square: All measurements are fairly similar. The angle of the jaw is sharp.
Oblong: Face length is largest. Forehead, cheekbones and jawline are similar in size.
Diamond: Face length is largest. Look for the descending order of cheekbones, forehead and jawline. The chin is pointed.
Triangular: It’s all about the large jawline, small cheekbones and very small forehead. Face can be any length.
Oval: Face length is larger than the width of the cheekbones, and forehead is larger than the jawline. The angle of the jaw is rounded.
So instead of searching Google for haircuts to make you look thinner, search “Haircuts that look good on square faces” inevitably a haircut that looks good on your face shape will make you look thinner.
Anxiety:
You’re worried people might hate it.
Advice:
WHO CARES!
To have recognition and approval from others is foolish. I can admit, I asked many peers and friends for their opinion on the new do. Everyone was on-board, except several guys. To my understanding, men love long hair, but I never understood why.
According to Lifestyle Writer at Elite Daily, Dan Scotti, “Men who prefer long locks on their ladies are clearly students of the old school, conventional style of conceptualizing beauty. For centuries, long hair was the standard of beauty for women.”
“I thought the only way for a guy to like me was if I grew my hair out,” APN staff writer, Angela Lince said. In this photo, Lince models the longer hair for the camera days before the big hair transition.
Although this “standard” is still a common preference among men, we must not forget about the short haired community! Scotti mentions 60’s model icon Twiggy, and her abilities promoting self-love and a fearless attitude to the fashion world. Yes, Twiggy was known for her short hair and not giving a damn about it. Her approach to having shorter hair creates a better world by inspiring people to care less about what others think.
Anxiety:
You’re sure you’ll look more masculine.
Advice:
Androgyny, my friends. If you don’t know the meaning of the term, it’s “partly male and partly female in appearance, of indeterminate sex.”
Let’s discuss the latest hair trends for men… Man-buns, top knots and braids. Pretty feminine if you ask me. So ladies, why do you feel masculine for having short hair? Clearly, the gender boundaries within fashion and haircuts are becoming very blurry. This is probably the best thing to happen since the extinction of shoulder pads.
Plus, some shorter haircuts can look very feminine. Just look at Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway.
Let’s take advantage of androgyny and our anxieties. Let’s push aside the stereotypes and uneducated opinions. Love yourself, no matter what. If you like the haircut, just get it. Don’t second guess yourself. Hair grows back.
APN 
