A few days ago I caught myself wondering. What was going to be be my pivotal moment for the financial year? I figured it might be the travel I’d had planned for Malaysia and Japan in June. Little did I know that my pivotal moment would occur on a random Friday afternoon after my dentist appointment.

I gave into my impulsive thoughts and decided to get a last minute haircut. Did I have an inspo pic? Yep, somewhere on my Pinterest board. Did the last minute decision to chop off a chunk of my hair seem chaotic?

Yes. But I thrived in chaos. And anyone who knew me, knew that about me.

So I found myself on a salon chair at approximately 4:00 pm, confident and excited about my decision. That was until I saw the end product in the mirror and realised that the impossible had happened. I hated the haircut and was forced to lie to the hairdresser due to my people pleasing tendencies.

I’d heard about people crying over their haircut and always thought it was a bit dramatic. Until I experienced it for myself on the 9th of May 2025.

There I was with this f*ck ass bob cut, trying to hold back the tears and failing miserably.

Like many cultures, South-Asian culture often associated femininity with thick long hair. It is almost symbolic of your identity as a women. Which meant that getting a short bob cut was the equivalent of sticking up the middle finger to outdated norms.

I didn’t realise how deeply rooted this norm was until I sat with the uncomfortable outcomes of my choices. Did I really hate the new cut? Or was I subconsciously nervous about what some random aunty would say?

In most Western cultures, cutting off your hair is associated with letting go of the past. Starting over. Whilst in South-Asian culture it is deeply rooted with your femininity as a women.

As someone who has prided herself in constantly treading off the beaten path. I did not realise how skewered my views on femininity were until I literally broke free from it.

Having short hair did not make me any less feminine. And from sleuth like activities, I noted that people still find short hair on women incredibly attractive. So while your hair may be seen as an extension of personality. It does not define you. Despite what decades old South-Asian culture may lead you to believe.