Friday, September 6, 2013

The Hair Cut Details

I posted last week about cutting my hair, but I didn't have a chance to break down the details. As most of you know, back in October of 2011, I started a project & blog called Bye Bye Beehive. It was a 365-day journey to "stop doing" my hair. I stopped teasing, highlighting, hairspraying, using any heat tools, and any products other than shampoo and conditioner. Basically, I only shampooed, conditioned and air dried my hair every day for a year. It was in an effort to help grow the long hair I'd always wanted and had never had. I've been a blonde almost my whole life, and due to all the over-processing over the years, my hair never seemed to get longer than just past my shoulders. At the end of the year-long project, my hair ended up growing 6.5 inches and was so thick and healthy, I couldn't even believe it! (If you're looking to grow your hair, give my Bye Bye Beehive Challenge a try!)

In addition, after a year of "not doing" my hair and learning to love air-dried, natural hair, it was hard for me to want to go back to blow-drying and processing. So I didn't. I did make the jump and dyed my hair brunette back in March (and had it touched up in April), but since then, I hadn't touched it. It had been almost a year since Bye Bye Beehive ended and I was starting to crave a new style. My hair started seeming a little stringier (I'm sure a trim would have fixed that), and I know Daniel loves my hair when it's short, so I finally made the decision to change it up, and I knew if I was going to do it—I had to go big or go home. I took this photo the night before I cut my hair, showing the growth I had achieved over the almost two-year period (the left photo was Month 1 of Bye Bye Beehive, the middle was the end of Bye Bye Beehive, and the right photo was almost a year later after still not using heat tools).

Hair growth, donate your hair

Despite how much I had grown to love my long hair, it was so much longer than I was used to, and to be honest—if your husband gives you the googly eyes and says how cute you'd be with short hair... why not give it a shot? It's just hair, right? So I chopped off 14 inches, and donated 12 to Children With Hair Loss. I picked their charity because they take hair that has been highlighted & color processed, which many organizations do not accept.

Donate your hair

And now here I am with this new shorty-short hair cut, and I'm having so much fun with it. I haven't worn it the same way yet, opting each day for waves, beach curls, a front braid, a ponytail, air-dried waves, pinned half back... seriously, the options are endless and since it's so much shorter, it just takes a minute or two to style. It's also just the right length to fit in a ponytail when I'm running so I don't have to worry about hair in my face or on my neck. And hey, if I decide I want to go long again, now I know how fast my hair grows, right? I could be back to longer locks in no time!

Short hair cut, short hair soft beachy waves

Have you ever donated your hair? Made a drastic change? Cut your hair because your husband thought it would be cute (and no, I didn't just cut it because he wanted me to—I love short hair, too!). I would love to hear your thoughts!

26 comments:

Christy Hales Buhr said...

It is cute and has a lot of personality being short!

Lauren @ Love is the Point said...

Love this, and thank you for linking to Children With Hair Loss. Otherwise, I may never have known about them! I've often considered donating my hair when it has gotten long enough in the past, (I'm big on hair changes) but had looked into it several times, and always felt sort of "disqualified" by the fact that I am also pretty much a lifelong (not-so-natural) blonde, with hair that has been bleached fairly frequently over the years. I'm reconsidering it now! You're awesome, Aunie, and I'm a big fan of the Sauce!

Kelly Ann said...

That is such an interesting project, I do not know if I could do it though! It is so cute short!

xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes

Meghan said...

I did the same thing in October or November last year, and I liked it til about March and now I'm in the process of regrowing it. I'm ready to be able to pull it back in a ponytail again!

Lindsay said...

I think I told you already but I cut about the same amount of hair off about 6 months ago. Will you please do tutorials on how you style it now? I know it seems silly but after having long hair (and needing bigger curling irons) I can't seem to get curling my short hair down. After awhile it relaxes and kind of just falls into my regular angled bob style. So I basically wear it straight in a bob or pin back my bangs every single day and I'm bored with that already.

kcsaling said...

I donated 13" of my hair last March, and a couple months later, got it cut super short. I'm now in that annoying in-between phase where I don't want to go get it cut often enough to keep the short cut and am trying to grow it back out, but it's still not long enough to put back in a proper ponytail. It makes running a pain, because I end up with this sweaty sticky hair everywhere. Another month and I'll have a ponytail. I will survive!

Jessica said...

My current cut is very similar to yours. How do you do the waves on the ends like in the bottom picture? I'm tired of straightening it all the time, but it also doesn't look right when I let my natural waves take over! Any advice is greatly appreciated. :)

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

Way to go lady. I'm the same way with my hair... it's just hair so I don't mind changing it up from time to time.

Nikki said...

Love your short hair! I just recently stopped blow drying mine but its still too wild and unmanageable without flat ironing. How did you get yours looking awesome with no heat? Mines crimpy and weird and so fluffy!

Hannah Alexis said...

I love your short hair! It looks perfect on you!

Amanda said...

Your hair looks great! I may have to try project Bye Bye Beehive. I've been trying to grow my hair out and it's been "stuck" at it's current length for 5 months. I don't color it anymore, but I blow dry it and flatiron it every other day which can't be great for it. Thanks for sharing girl!

xo,

Amanda
http://www.theprettypinhead.com/2013/09/06/photo-friday-my-week-in-pictures-10/

carlisa creter said...

looks amazing!

ProudMaryBoise said...

Love your short hair! Thinking about cutting mine short for the first time in a long time. Where did you go?

Cody Doll said...

I love your short hair. It looks great on you. I also love that you did Bye Bye Beehive. I am thinking of doing something with my hair soon too. But I won't say what til I post it. haha.

Jessica Gemeinhart said...

Love it...the idea, the project, the sassy haircut! All of it. I'm amazed at how easy it is to send in, that's awesome.

Paige T. said...

I LOVE short hair! It's always such a relief to get so much cut off at once and it looks great on you too! I've donated my hair twice but now I can't last long enough in between cuts to let my hair get long enough to donate.

Alesha said...

I have had long hair pretty much my whole life. I have a distinct memory of being little (3-4) and my mom cuttinnmy hair into a bob. I looke in the mirror, decided I hated it and told my mom I was growing my hair until I could sit on it. I like her trim it every six months, but by the time I was 10, I had acheive my goal...hair to my waist that if I tipped my headed back, I could sit on. I loved it, but it was a lot to manage. So when i was 13, with one of my best friends at the time, I chopped off 19 braided inches for Locks of Love and still had a style long enough to pass my shoulders. For 2 years, I grew my hair back out and then cut it to donate again. Since then, I haven't donated it, but have kept it long. I just really love long hair! Right now, it's the longest I've had it since probably before that first donation! Maybe I should donate it again...but I don't want to give up too much length. =)
Alesha <3

Erin said...

I love that you donated...such a sweet cause! And you look absolutely beautiful with your short (and sassy!!!) hair! It looks so great on you Aunie :)
xoxo

Christy Anne said...

Oh man, hair changes. When I left for out of state college I decided I wanted a whole new look: new nickname, new style, new haircut. I went from a waist-length platinum blonde to chin length dark brown with a purple sheen. My mom took one look at me, dropped her dish rag, started sobbing and locked herself in her room :( still makes me chuckle to this day.

Martha said...

I love your new cut :) You're tempting me to cut mine!!! lol

Stevie C said...

I just cut my hair that length and I LOVE it, but i'm definitely new to styling it, so i'd love to see some of the many ways you're doing your hair!

Kateri Von Steal said...

Your short hair is ADORABLE.



My hair is finally to the mid point of my back....
and I am getting that "itch"...

TO CUT IT ALL OFF...



Will I? I don't know.. maybe... But, I need to do SOMETHING with it!

Stephanie Blondet said...

I seriously love your new haircut! I wish I could look that good with short hair -.-

Torrie Meidell said...

My husband tries to forbid me to cut my hair...which makes me go ahead and chop off 8 or 10 inches anyway :)
For now though, I'm digging my long locks, so I think I'll stick with them for awhile.
Love the short 'do on you, though!

Becca Moss said...

I just LOVE you for doing this! I wish I hadn't cut my hair back in June just so I could donate but it was so unhealthy. I do have a goal to do this at least once in my lifetime though! You're so awesome for doing this, Aunie!

Kristen said...

Your hair is so cute! I cut off 6 inches two weeks ago. I would love some short styling tips from you. I am having some trouble getting waves in my fine and super straight hair.

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