Cutting it mighty fine
It's not just the ladies who take hair styles seriously. Bram Welch tells Woman about his makeover...
I have sported flowing locks for around 10 years. I have had it cut in that time but mostly just trims and restyles. I have gone from a, let's say, Russell Brand-inspired backcombed-at-the-back style to a Beatles bowl which developed into Jim Morrison-inspired loose curls.
Recently it has been very simple and very easy to manage. I embraced the cowlick and simply would wash and brush it once a week. I liked the way it naturally fell when it hadn't been washed for a few days.
I was never sure whether that was a really scruffy thing to do but no one ever seemed to reel back in horror so I stuck with it.
However, having long hair, unbeknownst to myself, was causing people to make assumptions about me which I always found strange. I suppose retrospectively having long hair does say something about you, such as in the 60s long hair equalled hippie. But we live in the 21st century now, can't a guy have long hair without people presuming they're scruffy or lazy or gay?
Anyway, last month that all changed – I had it chopped off.
Obviously when you make such a drastic change to your appearance people will comment. I want people to comment. I want to know if the change is good or bad.
People have generally said positive things like 'ooo very suave' or 'you look stylish' or the most common and my favourite: 'Much better.' What do you mean much better?
I don't want to sound ungrateful but what does it mean? Because to me it means; 'you look much better now you fall into my institutionalised and preconceived idea of how a man's hair should look'.
I am often asked why I chose to do it and I struggle to explain the decision. I think I just wanted to shake things up a bit – part of a post-break-up revamp if you will. You know the typical things you do; buy new clothes, get a gym membership and get a new hairstyle.
It has changed my daily routine as well. Now I need more time when getting ready for work. I have to wash it everyday and then save time to mousse it, heat protect spray it, blowdry it, sea salt hairspray it and style it. Gone are the days of ready cut layers which just fall into place after simply shampooing.
I can't definitively say whether the presumptions change yet, but I think they will because people keep saying it looks smarter. I am enjoying the change at the moment. I am enjoying everyone telling me how good I look but deep down inside I wish I could look good with long hair too.
