Maternity Monday: The Power of a Good Haircut

Senior picture, circa 2004

Until I had my first baby in 2007, I always had long hair. In high school, I was known for my bodacious blonde locks which were normally styled to perfection (see above picture). I kept up my adored 'do after getting married, but then pregnancy came along and WHAM! I didn't want to fix my hair anymore. Nausea and fatigue tend to alter one's priorities, unfortunately.

So my hair looked like this almost every day:

2007

That's right -- pulled back into an effortless, messy, unflattering bun-thing. Bye bye, beautiful Victoria's Secret model waviness.

No wonder I felt horrible about myself when I was pregnant! My hair, which was once beautiful, became a lifeless blob on my head and it did nothing for me. Well, except make me look as miserable as I felt.

A flattering hairstyle is crucial to good fashion. You can put on the cutest outfit in the entire world, but if you have an '80's mullet, it will mean nothing. Not to mention, cute hair does wonders for a girl's self-esteem, which is commonly a pretty rare commodity during pregnancy.

This time around, I decided I wasn't going to fall into the lazy hair trap. So, about six months ago, right before I got pregnant for the second time, I got myself a totally chic and manageable pixie cut and some highlights. And this is me now:

Frumpy mom, be gone!

I must say, I feel about a million times better than I did last time and it's mostly because of my haircut. It makes me feel good about myself, so I want to wear fun clothes, I want to do my make-up, and I want to look cute! And my husband loves my confidence.

Just think: it all started with a good haircut.

Here are some tips to getting a great style that will boost your self-esteem:

1) Figure out what your face shape is. Here is a good site that will help you determine the shape of your face, thus allowing you to pick the right haircut for you. This site tells you what cuts to avoid and what cuts will flatter you, so you can get a general idea of what to look for.

2) Start Googling. Find pictures of hairstyles that work with your face's shape and also appeal to you personally. I used Elisha Cuthbert's pixie cut as my inspiration. Once you get several pictures you like, print them out and bring them to your stylist.

3) Find a good stylist. This is a MUST. The person with the scissors needs to be able to execute the style you want, or you will likely end up looking worse than you did before! Be willing to pay for a good haircut. For most women, low-end chains just won't cut it (haha, punny). Do you have a friend with totally cute hair? Ask her where she goes to get it done. Feel free to stop the girl in front of you in line at the grocery store and ask her who does her hair if you love it. That's where you need to go for your life-changing 'do. A good stylist can replicate the style you want and even tailor it to better fit your needs. The chick at Dollar Cuts most likely can't.

4) Be prepared to maintain your new style. I can tell you right now if I wasn't willing to style my pixie cut the way the stylist intended, it wouldn't be so cute or hip. I have really thick, wavy hair and it needs to be styled daily or I look like Anthony Michael Hall during his Brat Pack days. Which is so. Not. Cool. Here's the thing -- when the stylist is giving you your rockin' hair cut, ask him or her to show you how to style it. Ask them what brushes and products you'll need. They are happy to explain it to you because they WANT you to look awesome. Then, go home and practice. Spend some time playing with it in the mirror, figuring out what you like.

So, do you feel frumpy? Maybe it's time for a new hair do! Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to have a lifeless mom 'do. You deserve to look hot!