In first grade, I thought it would be a good idea to give myself a haircut. After chopping three large pieces from the top of my head, my mom saw me and rushed me into the bathroom so I couldn’t do any more damage. In only minutes, my hair went from falling to my hips to only reaching my ears. From that moment on, short hair became my new look.

1. Less money on shampoo and conditioner

When I got to college, however, I decided to finally try something different. Over the course of my freshman year I let my hair grow long again. It was fine for a while, but I soon realized that it was doing me more harm than good. If you’re too attached to your long locks to let them go, just hear me out, because short hair will always be the way to go.I used to use up three large bottles of conditioner before I could make a dent in a single bottle of shampoo. I felt like I was in the store every day looking for a new product to wash my hair with. Now that I’ve chopped most of it off, I use an even amount of shampoo and conditioner, which has saved me a few extra bucks.

2. Quicker to style

The maximum amount of effort I would put in to styling my hair in the morning would be to run a comb through it before hurrying out the door. I had to shower in the evening so it had time to dry overnight and I could avoid fiddling with the blow dryer for an hour. The thought of reaching for a flat iron or curling iron made me shutter because I knew how sore my arm would be by the end. All that changed when my hair was cut shorter. Now since each piece is smaller, I can style my hair in 15 minutes so I can get some extra sleep.

3. Not hiding behind hair

When my hair was long, it used to cover my arms and back, so when someone took a picture of me those parts of my body were always hidden. At first, I thought I looked good, but then eventually I realized I was just covering the parts of myself that I didn’t want people to see. My long hair only made my insecurities worse because it allowed me to cover them up and ignore them. Once I cut my hair, I had to embrace my body because I had nowhere to hide, which in the end gave me more self-confidence.

4. Celebrities rock the look

If you do decide to cut your hair but you don’t know what style you’re specifically going for, check out some of your favorite celebrities. Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway and P!nk have rocked everything from pixie cuts, to bob to shoulder length waves. There’s an endless amount of options for you to choose. Pick one and go for it!

5. Hair doesn't get stuck or trapped everywhere

The most annoying part about having long hair is the fact that it gets stuck everywhere you go. It gets knotted around the handle of your purse or the elastic holding your ponytail. You sit on it every time you plop on the couch. It sticks to your lipstick or accidentally gets caught in your mouth. Long story short, I got sick of constantly yanking my hair out of random places. Enough was enough!