13 Women With Short Haircuts Reveal How Differently They’re Treated From When They Had Long Hair

"It's a very polarizing cut. "

Updated 10 years ago, June 30, 2014

1. Shorter the hair, the better

Honestly, my experience was just the opposite. Catcalls happen all the time when you live where I live. I could have no hair, I could have no head and that shit would still happen. What I did notice was that when I had super short hair, the guys that would approach me were actually guys I would consider dating (if I were single). When I have a long hair, I get creepy tweaker dudes on the bus or fratty dude-bros. When I have short hair, it was adorable guys at the record store or super hot coffee shop dudes.

2. People assume

It’s a very polarizing cut. I currently have a pixie cut (donated 14″, so it was quite a change), and people either love it or get pissed. People where I’m at have a tendency to be very traditional, and that includes women having long hair. Some assume I’m a lesbian, and here (deep South checking in) that tends to attract negative attention. I even got told I was going to hell by the Bible thumpers that were visiting my college once! Of course, so did the girl next to me because she was wearing shorts, so maybe it’s just that everyone’s going to hell regardless.

In general, I prefer having my hair short. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a pixie cut, and having long hair in between kind of confirmed that for me. It’s just easier, and I think it looks better on me. I’m very small and have a square face, so long hair just looks out of place. But that’s just me. Do whatever suits you. It’s your hair, fuck what anyone else wants you to do with it!

3. They think you’re gay

Yeah, when I had short hair I was read as queer much more. It also brings all the indie/hipster boys to the yard vs the conservative (frequently a bit older) guys who want me to have their babies that show up with my long hair and entirely disappeared when it was short.

I started with a short pixie (I took in a picture of Keira Knightley in Domino – the stylist used trimmers on a longer setting on the sides and back) and have grown it back out over a couple years. So I started with that, then went to a Bieber-bowl style as I was growing it out until it was long enough to make into a short bob. I really liked the bobs, did different versions of that for a while (my personal favorite has asymmetrical bangs), and now it’s back at my shoulder blades.

I loved short hair, and I’ll definitely cut it back eventually. I just got it when I was 18, and it made me look young. People started guessing I was still in high school (where when I was actually in high school with long hair, people thought I was already in college). I’m 22 now, and I don’t want to be guessed as young at work and such.

4. So brave

The biggest thing was people telling me “oh you’re so brave!” when I cut off a lot of my hair. No, not really, I just like short hair?

5. People are reactionaries

Worst thing for me is all the guys I vaguely commenting on it. Like, “Why did you cut your hair? It is more edgy but I liked your hair long.” And why the hell do I care? I even had a guy I used to hook up with like over a year ago who I haven’t talked to since text me and ask me about it when I posted a picture.

I love it, but sometimes I get mad because of just how many people seem to think I cut my hair/do anything like that for other people. But it is honestly more telling of the kind of person they are than anything else.

I love it regardless of anyone’s reaction to it. But since that wasn’t the question, it does seem to keep away the kinds of people I really don’t have time for.

6. Less attention from certain demographics

I’m Indian, and I got less attention from Indian guys and more from White guys (and more alternative types too) after cutting my hair. Also, since my best friend also has short hair, either one of us will be mistaken for a guy, or we’ll be mistaken for a lesbian couple.

7. Attention from girls

Got a pixie cut a couple months ago. Lots of attention from other girls saying how it suited me and how good it looks. Less attention from men. In the process of growing it out now. It sucks because I feel more bland with long hair. I guess I will just be able to know that I can pull off this look if I ever want to go back.

8. A lot of compliments

Had a pixie cut a few years back and I definitely got much more positive attention. Got compliments on it everywhere I went. Got some people questioning my sexuality occasionally, but other than that, definitely worth getting.

9. They’re more serious

Men – especially on dating websites – will say things like, “I LOVE women with short hair,” and comment on how brave the decision is.

Not sure about people taking me more seriously or not since my hair hasn’t been long since I was 16.

10. Nagging mothers

I cut all mine off a few years back and suddenly the constant quiet digs from my mother about “Acting like a boy, doing boy activities, why don’t you have a boyfriend” turned into full blown: “YOU LOOK LIKE A LESBIAN, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS, IT LOOKS SO BAD, WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK” followed by months upon months of nagging, and being horrid.

And so I’ve been growing it back ever since. I am actually gay, and not out to my family. Her reaction to just the fucking haircut has made me terrified to come out at all.

However, I looked cute as shit. So there was that.

11. More attention from “liberals,” less so from “conservatives”

I have a pixie cut now. I act more confident with short hair because I feel more like myself, or maybe more like who I want to be. Consequently, I tend to get more male attention now than when I had long hair. As far as other people go, I do get more attention from liberal people, but less from conservatives. I have noticed that I get stereotyped as the manic pixie girl by awkward adorkable men, which kinda sucks. My opinions are taken the same way as before and after I cut my hair, though.

12. Got asked out by a girl

Within 4 days of me cutting my hair short, I was asked out by a girl. It was super fucking awkward though, because she did it while I was waiting on her and who I thought was her boyfriend. I had no idea how to react because I was slammed and when she asked if I wanted to hang out sometime, I knee-jerked and asked if she had just moved to the area, because fuck, it’s hard to make girlfriends sometimes. She said no with a look of disgust and went back to her food.

Haircut was short in back, and long in front. In fact, this was the reference photo I brought to my hairstylist. I definitely felt more powerful when my hair was that length.

4 years later and now it comes down halfway between my shoulders and boobs. I can’t say I’ve seen a big difference in the type of guys I’m getting attention from, just that it’s 100% guys now, whereas before…

I’m a bartender in my late 20s and all my regulars are men over 40. This may or may not skew results. This age group is also the only age group to ask me out while I’m at work (which, if there are any guys reading this thread, please consider that it’s pretty awkward to put a girl on the spot like this while she’s working, even if your report seems good. Let her let you know she’s interested!)

In my experience, when my hair was shorter, the men I was attracting were more beta and less alpha. Now that I’m more “traditionally feminine”, I’ve been attracting the more alpha types. As soon as I open my mouth though, it’s pretty clear that I’m not a submissive personality, no matter the length of my hair.