Ever since I can remember, I’ve had long light brown hair. My look has always been that hippie flowy kind of thing. I strongly identified with it as something that made me me. I felt comfortable, and I thought that things would never change. While I was dead set in keeping my look the same, I’ve always admired girls with a good bang. Out of the blue one day, I started to think that maybe I should try bangs myself. I’m not sure where it came from. Pinterest, maybe? But there it was. I started to take a poll with anyone I met, “Should I get bangs?” The answer was an overwhelming, “yes,” and yet, I went to get my hair cut, and still backed out. Some people told me that they were a lot of work. That I was going to have to wash my hair every day. That I would have to pin them back at the gym. That I wasn’t going to be able to wake up in the morning and just leave my hair alone. For a girl that was used to very little hair maintenance, this was enough to scare me. Two months went by after my original hair cut, and I still wasn’t happy with the way my hair had been looking lately. It was so long and thick that I had to rig two hair ties just to keep a bun on top of my head. It was beyond heavy and it felt like my hair was everywhere. Sick of putting up with it, I called and made an appointment. The salon was a place I had been two years prior, and had gotten a cut that I loved. I had never been back because it was a little expensive, but with this huge transformation, I really wanted to be in the hands of someone I trusted. The place was booked up on weekends, and I made an appointment for a month away. Enough time to get ready. With each day, I got more excited and impatient to get it over with. Finally, the big day arrived, and it was time to get this over with. I sat down in the colorist’s chair, “cut it off, dye it, and give me bangs.” Yup, let’s DO THIS! The next two hours went by quickly. I chatted. The giddiness bubbled up inside me as I waited to see the end result. As they cut my hair, I didn’t even feel nervous. Shorter and shorter….and shorter she went. “Whatever,” I thought, “I need this.” At the end, she turned me around, and I was so shocked at what I saw. I looked like a completely different person. The way the bangs framed my face let my eyes shine, and the layers accentuated my cheekbones, thinning my face out. I had always been so insecure over my chin, and bam, there it was, this haircut completely hid the extra pudge that likes to hang out down there. Lose weight? Nah. Get a haircut? That’s all you need! From my personal experience, just going for it was one of the best things I ever did. After getting my hair cut, my only regret was not doing it sooner. So, if you’ve been pondering a big beauty change — just do it! Here are four lessons I learned from the whole experience. Take the Leap: You can sit there and think about it all you want; twist the front pieces of your hair up into pseudo bangs and imagine how it will look, but all the envisioning will not get you anywhere. You just have to take the plunge. It’s a lesson that carries over into the rest of life: stop thinking, stop imagining, and just go for it! Put Yourself in the Hands of Someone You Trust: When you’re going for a big change, go somewhere that you’ve been before. If you loved the haircut they gave you last time, chances are that they understand the shape and contours of your face. It also probably means that they understand your style and the look you’re going for. A good hairstylist will take any hairstyle and make it you. Don’t Be Afraid to Do it All: You might be scared of a complete transformation. The thought of changing everything at once is intimidating. It can be very tempting to make changes in baby steps, but after my recent experience, I want to persuade you otherwise. Going into the salon one way, and coming out completely different, is one of the most liberating experiences. It spurs the realization that your image is malleable, and that you can be anyone you want to be. Adopting an entire new look is beyond refreshing. It’s newfound confidence. Everyone Should Change Their Look Once: Completely changing your hairstyle is something that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. Thinking that you look one way, and then finding out that you can look another way, is one of the strangest and freeing realizations. It gives you power and injects life with playfulness. You also might find that you’ve had the wrong look going all along, and that you like something else way better. Have any of you gone for a big change recently, or are any of you thinking about one? Leave a line in the comments and tell us all about it! This post is from our guest blogger Naomi. Follow her blog here for more posts like these!