Do you have to cut your hair in the Navy? (My Hair Evolution)

Yes. And it HAS to happen before you go to great lakes or you'll be getting a fancy haircut from Edward Scissorhands.

Johnny Depp not included

The length has to be above the collar, therefore one gets to choose whether they just want a bob, asymmetrical, mohawk, shag, buzz cut (SO MANY CHOICES, WHY DIDNT YOU DO THIS SOONER?), or in my case a nice pixie cut.

The road to my hair cut was very, very painful because I love my hair. For the past three years my hair has more or less been long and I experimented the hell out of it. I cut it into a bob freshman year (no pictures have survived) and then grew it out into what I call "the natural baseline"

Long, dark brown, and curly

Then, something possessed me to go red. And for the past TWO years I have been dying my hair every few months back and forth. Somehow I always ended up at red again. It would either be a deep burgundy, an underlying copper, or red with blonde highlights (a friend called me tiger, they insisted it was lovingly). Because my hair is naturally dark, the red didn't show up well in pictures. At the beginning of my senior year, I decided to go back to my roots and be a natural brunette again. I got tired of that really quick, and proceeded to dye (at home) my hair black. My hairdresser was so pissed: "What? Did you decided to look like some goth chick or something? You should have at least let me do it!"

I see a red door and I want to paint it black?

I should also add that I did this a couple days before Halloween, and when coincidentally I wore a black outfit that day, someone asked me if I was Catwoman. God dammit, NO!

Needless to say, I didn't keep the black hair long. I attempted to strip the color (myself, again), mostly out of pride because I didn't want anyone (my mother, my hairdresser, the guy who called me catwoman) to tell my "I told you so!". That ended badly, and my hair became bleached at the roots, orange on top, and remained black on the bottom. After an emergency hair fix, I was back at decently  normal auburn again. Then I went even more red with more highlights, and for the first time, I really could pass as a red head.

Twitter caption "three red heads walk into a baseball game"

My hair was so long I could put it into  fancy bun

Then, with only three months left of hair (I knew the inevitable was coming), I decided to do something awesome and crazy. I dip dyed my ends magenta. Now, I know for a lot of people that doesn't sound bad, but for some reason it was a big deal. My trusted hairdresser was skeptical (though she still went to the beauty supply store specially for me), my friends were like "right onnn", and I didn't tell my mom (spoiler: she hated it). I spent three hours there, bleaching the ends and putting in the magenta. In the end, it looked great and we decided that it was the most fun my hair dresser has had with hair in years.


I was working the Ariel angle hardcore. However, my magenta only lasted a couple of weeks because 1. It left my hair brittle, and deep conditioning APPARENTLY strips the color 2. I went to Salt Lake City, where  the pool chlorine, high sun, and what I suspect is salt particles forcing themselves on every square inch on your body, absolutely drained the color.  

So then I ended up looking like a hot mess. My hair was to my mid back, the bleached ends were unbearable, and the color was fucking insane. I don't think I put a brush through it for like a month...not because I didn't want to, but because it would be like having to use a machete through the amazon jungle.

So, a few weeks before ended my senior year, I cut off all the bleached shit and went dark again.

The before and after...I look haggard.

My hair felt 10x more healthy, and since I wasn't ready for the full effect of cutting ALL THAT SHIT OFF, it was a nice meeting in the middle. I had to adjust how I wore makeup, and I was pale as balls (ew, that's a horrible, horrible simile. I'm sorry for that image), but I looked so much better. Less hot mess, more chic. So, I went through all that graduation bullshit (not bullshit, best times of my highschool!) with a fab new do! I wore it up a lot because if my hair wasn't straight I looked awful, but besides that it was great.

Then, about a week ago i finally decided it was time. I went to my hairdresser for the last time before basic training. Everyone thought I was going to get the least amount possible cut off, I knew I was going for the "lesbian chic" look everyone has been going for this season (nope, apparently that's not a thing).

My twitter feed the night before

So, my hair was hacked off and I cried like a little bitch. Then my hairdresser gave me a couple mimosas and I felt better.

the aftermath

I was depressed for a few days. I had this pit in my stomach and everytime I would forget why, I ran my hand through my hair and freaked out when I realized it goes two inches. Everyone told me it looked great, even guys (because I worry if the opposite sex doesn't find me attractive, and that's bullshit if you don't worry the same thing). I was also told I look more badass, which is always a compliment. My friends and I also decided that I could faux hawk that shit too, which made me feel cooler as well. My confidence level has gone up because I have to compensate for looking less feminine.

Of course, I still go back and forth with how I feel about my hair. Sometimes I love it, other times I want to cry because I miss my longer locks.

At the end of the day, it's just hair. It will grow back. I actually find my new hair much easier to handle (I think that's the point of it for basic). I just wake up and go. My cheek bones are much more defined and my eyes take center stage. When I have makeup on I look fierce. Like all my other hairstyles over the past few years, this was an experiment (though a forced one).

So, if you have to cut your hair for basic training, don't pussy out and go for the longest length. Be a man (and look like one) and do something you would never do otherwise! Because when else are you going to have the opportunity?

EXACTLY!