Celebrities have the means to change the look of their hair at a moment's notice, and just like us, many get the urge to go for the big chop. Unlike us, however, they have the option of wearing very real-looking hair extensions if they later decide that the short locks are not for them.
If, like me, you are just a regular girl with a regular beauty budget, you'll want to make sure you do plenty of research before you decide to have your hair cut short, because once it's gone you can't just glue it back on!
In the meantime, here's a look at the short cuts a handful of stars have taken this year, compared with the hairstyles they wore. Good, bad, or downright ugly? Let me know what you think!
Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is no stranger to changing up her hairstyle - in the past year alone, she's rocked a sharp blonde bob, long blonde curls, dark brown waves and a strong auburn hue, with mixed results.
So it came as no surprise to see that she'd gone for the big chop earlier this week, debuting a chic pixie cut. While it certainly places an emphasis on her facial features, the short cut also makes Hayden look much older than her twenty years, which I'm not so sure is a good thing in Hollywood.
Supermodel, TV host and mum-of-four Heidi Klum had long blonde locks through most of her modelling career, and in the last few years has gradually cut it shorter.
This month, however, she replaced her sleek shoulder-length cut with a very mumsy, fringed bob...a cut that many think makes her look considerably less model-esque than she did just a couple of weeks ago.
Luckily for Heidi, this one won't take long to grow out!
After splitting with her beau of three years, Ryan Phillippe, amidst rumours he was cheating on her, Australian actress Abbie Cornish did what many women before her have done: she cut that man right out of her hair!
Her long blonde waves were replaced by a razor-sharp chin-length bob, very similar to the one Christina Aguilera has been sporting since last year. In my opinion, Abbie looks gorgeous either way, so the jury's out on this one.
The rumours are continuing to swirl that there's a third Bridget Jones movie in production, but that's not important right now...what's making news this month is Renee Zellweger's new short haircut, which she had done in her own dining room, of all places!
Said Zellweger of her stylist, Lori McCoy-Bell, "She works on sets, cuts hair in trailers on films. She cut it in the dining room. She was very brave.
She just grabbed chunks of it, twisted it and shredded. She did a great job - I was just really glad that the other stuff was gone.
If there was ever a celebrity who loved hair extensions, Jessica Alba would be it! She had her shoulder-length hair taken up to a chin-length bob in February, and has already been seen rocking her longer locks of yesteryear.
While this short cut with its side swept fringe and rounded shape does have its merits, some would say that she's looking a little bit Lego-headed here, and more matronly than hot mama...which could explain why she's been reaching for the extensions so soon after going short.
There will no doubt be plenty more short cuts taken by celebrities later this year, but in the meantime, I hope these ones have given you some food for thought!
Whether you decide to go for the big chop or want to hold onto what you've already got, it's always worth taking the time to see how short haircuts work for others, and remembering that any big change you make will affect how the people around you perceive you.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck in your hair endeavors, and thanks for visiting Great Hair Style Tips!
