Sporting a short hair cut is a trend that has slowly crept back onto the scene and is significantly impacting fashion and lifestyle. Early short hair pioneers like Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry and Etta James have all paved the way for acceptance of this trend and now, lots of people have jumped onto the short-hair bandwagon. The style is beginning to appear on network television shows, talk shows, and everywhere else in between. Behind the scenes of their popularity though, is more than what one would expect.

As with any style, maintenance is the biggest, most important thing of it all. If you are going from long to short for the first time, the new process can be a bit expensive as it doesn’t come with your “wash and set” price. The process of curling short hair is tedious, therefore pricey, and since we can not naturally see the back of our heads, it’s a necessity to keep a great hair stylist on hand or have a super steady hand and an intricate system of mirrors in place. Further, we all know that the more often hair is cut, the more it is encouraged to grow. This can surely be a recipe for disaster when paired with certain textures of hair, so frequent cuts are a necessity. Every other visit requires a cut depending on how quickly your hair grows.

Michael, self started hairstylist extrodinairre and owner of Lily’s Touch of Millennium Beauty Salon in NY, has perfecting his craft for the past 17 years. He says that it’s all about the face! “A short hair cut will look good on anyone but not everyone will look good with short hair. It has to suite the face. Some people want a certain hair cut because it looks good on someone else but it may not be right for their face. Face first, hair second” he said. Your hair should compliment your face and short hair cuts draw all of the attention there. Generally, short hair complements and enhances round faces very well. Oval faces can wear a short cut, but it has to be styled properly. To the uneducated eye, short cuts seem like a carefree style. The perception is curl and go however, this is a far cry from complete honesty and if you are used to wrapping your hair at nights, this may take some getting used to, but no fears. Just dare.

How do you know which style is for you? While they are equally gorgeous, very few faces have the ability to transition from really short, short, and semi-short like a Victoria Beckham or Rihanna, hence the style selection an be limited. The flair points include flips, bangs and side sweeps, but the general options are rocking either a sculpted, shaped, straight or untamed look, and your style will generally progress in that order. The sculpted or structured look shows up on the “edgy rebels” like pop star Pink, through the use of hard curls and spikes, and on those women who just want their hair to last until their next visit. Curls are small, sharp, crisp and concise. They are created with a heavy use of spritz and will last as long as they are not met with moisture. After the initial few nights of strategic sleeping, the more tiny curls around the circumference of your head are likely to be flattened but there is still beauty and style in the curls within your crown area. The most liberation lays with this style, as you have the ability to just wake up and go. If your hair is relaxed, naturally straight or thin you can easily wear a classic flat wrap between hair appointments. Beware though, if you have thick naturally kinky hair, your time between appointments is very limited. The wrap will work a few times, however as the tapered neck and sides begin to grow out, the hair will be less likely to ‘cooperate.’

The shaped look wears well on the chic and sophisticated. Like we’ve seen on Kelly Rowland, curls are still sharp but they tend to be soft without the use of spritz. As opposed, putty of sorts is used to hold the curls in place. Of course, these curls do not last as long as the aforementioned as even the steam from a shower will cause them to drop. The progression of the style is very tasteful,transitioning to a more free flowing look while maintaining the curled feel. There is still liberation here as you just have to smooth around the sides and back of your head and fluff the curls within the crown area. This style can then go onto a straight look (depending on how frequently you get it done). The untamed look can always work if accessorized properly and if in doubt, keep a few fly hats on standby just in case! The shaped look is the longer of the three and is the most easy to maintain. Its easily managed with a do-it-yourself routine because it can be wrapped and curled with more ease. We see this more frequently with those ladies who want the experience of “cutting their hair,” who still want some length.  Short hair do’s require attention, precision and patience. Choose the short do that works for you and work it like only you can.

-Bailey, Contributing Writer