4 things to consider before getting a bob

As someone who has had long, naturally curly hair my whole life, the idea of having anything shorter than a generous lob has always been mildly terrifying. So when a trip to my hairdresser turned into an impulse decision to cut my hair into a Lara Worthington-level bob, I put it down to some seriously good Instagram inspiration and a desperate need for a hair change.

See my before and after below:

However, the short hair life has (in the few weeks I’ve been living it) taught me a couple of crucial things. From what I should’ve considered pre-cut to the styling lessons I’ve learned so far, these are my top four tips.

#1/ Be aware of increased styling time

Before going short, it’s important to be aware of the extra time you will need to style your hair in the morning. While I have been using hot tools and product every morning for the last 10 years, the biggest thing that has thrown me about short hair is that I can no longer throw it into a topknot or high ponytail if it’s dirty or being uncooperative. The length of my bottom layer is too short for any ponytail or bun higher than two inches from my neck so it falls straight out unless I invest in some serious bobby pin effort. Overall though, this has forced me to put a little more time and effort into styling my hair every day, which I actually haven’t minded.

#2/ Make sure you and your hairdresser are on the same page

While I had photos handy that I pulled out multiple times, the end result was much shorter than I was expecting. My hairdresser’s justification was if it sat on my shoulder I was more likely to look like Marcia Brady with curled up ends. However, this was a discussion that needed to be had pre- not post-cut, as there was some serious shock for me looking at the end result.

#3/ Short hair is way more versatile than I thought

I initially thought I could only wear my new bob in wavy curls – due to my hair texture, the thickness in my ends means straight hair can look lifeless at the roots but bouffy at the base.

But my fears were quashed after speaking to hairstylist Sarah Laidlaw, who explained, “when you’ve got natural texture in your hair, it does tend to do that when it’s all one length. When you style it, make sure you have a little bit of body in the roots and then you flatten the ends, even if you’re curling them under, so it will all sit nicely.”

#4/ Hair grows back

While I am currently really enjoying having short hair (after the initial adjustment period), more justification for cutting it is that hair grows back. I didn’t realise how unhealthy my hair was until I chopped it all off. It now feels really glossy and manageable, and considering how fast it is already growing back I probably should’ve cut off the damaged ends sooner.

Short hair styling tips

While Sarah walked me through a few short hair updos – like the classic half topknot and a simple low bun (with a few bobby pins, of course), she explained the nice thing about short hair is that it doesn’t need to be worn up. To nail the look of lived-in waves (which will be my go-to ‘do), Sarah recommends using L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Pli Thermo-Modelling Spray for boosted volume (it also doubles as a heat protectant), before using Joico Hair Shake Liquid-To-Powder Finishing Texturizer for texture and grit. Then, she suggests taking thick sections and curling the sections closest to the hairline away from the face, before alternating directions of the curl for the rest of the hair to give a natural finish.

If you are feeling adventurous, however, Lucy Hale has the perfect edgy updo to try.  

Have you been thinking about cutting your hair short? Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comment section below.