Choosing the right haircut for you can be a daunting task as it’s not always just a matter of going to the hairdresser and asking “how should I cut my hair?” It’s always a good idea to have a basic idea of what you want but these days, really anything goes when it comes to hairstyles. So how do you choose the right hairstyle for you? Here are ten tips to help make the decision making process go a little more smoothly.
10: Decide how drastic you want the cut to be.
One of the things I loved to do with my hair when I was a teenager was to grow it out long and then just chop it all off out of nowhere. I loved the dramatic change. If you’re looking for that dramatic change, you’ll really open the door to a whole lot of options. If you’re looking for something a little subtler, your options are certainly more limited but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You can save yourself a whole lot of time looking that way!
09: Look online for inspiration.
There are tons of great websites online focused on hairstyles. I’ve even done a few articles here at World of Female that offer suggestions for finding a great hairstyle (check them out here). If you’re not really sure what kind of style you’re looking for or how dramatic you want to go, checking out some of the online resources available to you is a great place to start.
08: Look for styles that compliment the shape of your face.
If you aren’t sure what shape your face is, there is an excellent guide for figuring that out located here. There are a lot of different, gorgeous hairstyles that just don’t compliment certain face shapes. Knowing your face shape and looking for styles that work for it can really make the process of looking for a good style a lot easier.
07: Choose a big selection initially and narrow it down from there.
When I first start looking for my new style, I always wind up with tons of photos of hair styles I think I’d like because I’m not terribly picky on the initial search. Once I have my candidates selected, I start painstakingly whittling down the styles until I’m left with five. Those are the pictures I take to my stylist. We’ll talk about why I take five pictures to my stylist when we reach number two.
06: Allow yourself time to adjust.
Whether you’ve opted for a drastic change or a minor one, it’s going to look drastic to you. Don’t get a haircut the day of an important event. Give yourself at least a day to let yourself get used to how the style looks on you.
05: Look to celebrities for inspiration but use caution.
I find it helpful to look for a celebrity that has a face shape similar to yours and look at what they’ve done with their hair. Christina Ricci is pretty much my twin, so I take a lot of my hair cues from what’s worked for her and what hasn’t. At the same time, it’s important to be careful when looking to celebs for hair inspiration. They often have whole teams of people making sure their hair looks great. Try to go by candid shots – pictures of them heading to the market or out for coffee – to get an idea of how the style looks without all of the professional help they’d get before a photoshoot or a trip down the red carpet.
04: Consider your personality and personal style.
While you might love that funky style you stumbled across on your search, you really need to ask yourself if it’s right for you. It’s possible to love a haircut without wearing it yourself. Say you found a sort of edgy, feisty look and you love it but your wardrobe mostly consists of more conservative clothing. You have three options – pass on the cut, get new clothes or feel like your clothing style and your hairstyle don’t match in the least. If you’re looking for a change though, option number two isn’t a bad one to go for at all.
03: Consider your lifestyle and schedule.
This one could not be more important. It also happens to be one that is overlooked constantly. You do not want a high maintenance haircut if you don’t have time to take care of it. If it’s going to require regular trips to the salon for trims and you don’t have the money for those trips, you’re going to have to attempt those trims your self. That’s fine if you’re confident you know what you’re doing but if you aren’t, look for something a little easier to take care of.
02: Ask for advice.
I mentioned I take five pictures with me when I go to the salon. This is why. I like to get my stylist’s opinion on what would look best on me and what I could work with on my own at home. Sometimes she comes up with a brilliant amalgamation of all five styles; picking the best elements for me out of each one and sort of mashing them together. Friends can also be a great source of advice. Ask them to look at the pictures and see what they think but remember, the hairdresser will probably be able to visualize the end result a bit better than you or your friends.
01: Don’t rush the decision.
Take your time with this one! Hair grows back, sure, but not nearly quickly enough if you get a terribly haircut. Look at your options and really try to make the best decision you can make. There’s never a guarantee that the cut is going to look exactly like you want it to but if you take time to really look at what’s out there, explore your options, talk with the hairdresser or stylist and be picky, you really increase the chances you’ll like what you end up with.
