Short cuts

A big crop can be exhilarating and empowering, not to mention time-saving. It can also be intimidating. Five Torontonians who recently went from long hair to short tell us how it made them feel

Other people will always tell you how your hair should look. But, says Toronto singer-songwriter Leanne Laylor, who recently cut her hair into a close shave, your hair is yours. “It is an expression of your own power, identity and beauty,” she says. “Don’t ever let someone else define or control that.”

Society so often drills into us that long hair is more feminine, more attractive. But many women and non-binary folks are embracing the big chop: Pixies, crops, or shaving it all off. And it looks absolutely fan- tastic.

Each person here had a different, and fascinating, reason for going short, but each say they felt rejuve- nated; they felt powerful. Read on for how going short has changed their vibe — and how they keep their ’dos looking sharp.