As someone who just cut nearly six inches off of my hair, it’s been a crazy period of decision, execution, and adjustment. We’ve been conditioned to view our hair and image as a crucial part of who we are, so making choices on what to do with it is often nerve-wracking, and comes with so many ups and downs that it’s easy to get overwhelmed or panic. Naturally, there are emotional stages to every hair change, and we all have been through them before.

1. The initial annoyance.

You’ve decided it’s time for a change; you’re annoyed and fed up with your current hair situation, and desperately crave a new look. Your hair is always in your way, it never looks right, it’s too heavy and there’s too much of it- now is the time.

2. The impending anxiety.

Of course, once you’ve gotten up the courage to make that appointment, the nerves set in. What if it doesn’t look how you imagined it? Is it really worth it? You suddenly love your hair for how it is, split-ends and all, and are terrified of what the change might cause. You may or may not also have an identity crisis.

3. The #YOLO moment.

You’re in the chair, you’ve consulted your stylist, and god damn it you’re ready to face this. After all, it’s only hair. It’ll grow back eventually. Your head is your canvas to create art on, and your unruly hair is definitely not a work of art.

4. The post-cut euphoria.

You’ve taken a million selfies in your car, which have been sent to literally everyone you know and posted on every social media page you have, and you’re feeling so good. You wonder why you ever doubted making this decision in the first place, because this is so much better than your pre-cut look. The entire day is spent admiring yourself in every reflective surface you pass, taking more selfies, and going on and on about how great it is to anyone who will listen.

5. The morning-after panic.

Surely being happy about your decision to chop off all of your hair the day before meant that you’d accepted it… Right? Well, not so much. The next morning is usually spent panicking because it’s all gone, every last strand, and it’s as if it’ll never grow back again. Another identity crisis ensues because oh my god who am I without my hair?! The entire second day with your new hair cut is spent going back-and-forth between anxiety and rationalization.

6. The eventual acceptance.

After going back and forth between excitement and terror for three days, you finally adjust to your new look enough to accept it as a part of your life. Of course, there are two options for how this pans out- the reluctant acceptance and the joyful acceptance. In reluctant acceptance, you’ve adjusted to the idea of no longer having your long hair and are simply waiting for it to grow back, begging that it won’t take too long because you’re literally dying without it. Turns out, this haircut wasn’t your smartest idea… But it’s just hair, it’s not a permanent decision. On the other hand, in joyful acceptance you’ve finally decided that cutting your hair was a fantastic idea, and are so glad you did it. Every time you look in the mirror, you can’t help but think about how great it looks and how confident it makes you feel. We all hope and pray that we come to the second conclusion.