Long and the short of it

If youre considering a chop and change, this is how to nail a hair transformation.

- EVA-MARIA BOBBERT

The first time I chopped off my waist-length honey-blonde locks, it sparked heated debate before I so much as stepped within cooee of the chair: Was I in crisis? Did I understand the extensive daily maintenance ramifications? Was I ready to commit to a long-term relationship with hot tools? (A hard no on all three counts.) In hindsight, I can better comprehend the fusion of excitement and concern that gripped my stylist - over a decade of growth was about to fall to the floor for the thrill of a Gwyneth Paltrow Sliding Doors pixie cut. The potential for hair regret was high. But, as Coco Chanel purportedly quipped, "A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life", and I was not deterred.