Simone Otis, makeup artist and lead product development consultant for 1999 Beauty

What spurred your decision to cut your hair short?

“I did not plan to cut my hair. I had breast cancer last year and due to chemotherapy, I lost my hair. With the help of a couple of people who also work in the industry, I made a very realistic wig that I wore for a bit. When my hair was about an inch or two long, I went to Chanel Croker of DNS-Vision, who bleached my hair, trimmed it into a supershort pixie and suggested I use styling wax to keep the hair flat and shiny.”

How did you feel about your short hair?

“I felt concerned that I would not suit such short hair. It was really a mindset: cool earrings and modern styling techniques helped me feel like I could pull it off. I thought I would feel ugly and not feminine. Now that I have had ultrashort hair I see that for me it is about the details in the cut that help me to feel good in it.”

How do you maintain your short cut?

“Justin German of Bang Salon trims it every six to eight weeks. He has left the sides and back a bit longer so I’m experimenting with a longer pixie cut.”

How do you like to style it?

“At this length, when my hair is too clean and fluffy-looking I feel it looks old-fashioned and dated. I wash my hair the night before and let it air dry before bed, and apply the wax in the morning.”