(It's) Hairspray

Okay, so I know all of you are wondering why did Karl cut his hair. Why oh why did he do it? His hair was so (good/great/amazing/pick-your-adjective). However, it's gone, donated, and not coming back for awhile (if ever).

There were several factors which led me to the conclusion to cut my hair, some are personal while others are not. I've been talking about this for awhile, yet I've really been considering the last few months. I came to the decision after several long months of thought, long conversations, and a few other avenues of influence.

Hair is hard to take care of, it's a process, and anyone that tells you different is either a skank or a liar. Hair takes work.

I cut my hair for me. As simple as that, I did it for myself. For the past decade (give or take a year), I've been known as "that guy with hair," "hair guy," "that guy with really long hair," and a plethora of other pseudonyms. My hair has hid me from the world, it protected me. It gave people something to talk about, and a way for others to identify me. For better or worse, that is what it did.

For the last few years, I have been changing myself slowly. It was time that I shed the veil that was my hair. Instead of sitting around getting complimented on something that anyone could have, I decided that it was time to let it go. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the compliments I've gotten on it over the years. It gave me such a confidence boost. The boost was good but superficial. I based my confidence in myself on something that was external, something that could be gone in a blink (well several blinks, which I learned today. It's harder to cut through a ponytail than imagined.)

My hair was my security blanket. Even if I looked like crap, I could count on someone to notice my hair. I am now vulnerable without it. That's not the point of cutting it.

The reason I cut it is because I'm a different person now than I was when I started growing it. I have evolved. Not that I wasn't myself then, but I am more comfortable with myself now. The change was imminent. Lets face it, over the past few years I have changed. I have become more comfortable with myself. I have grown a significant amount of confidence in myself. The hair was a facade, it was holding me back.

The inevitability of it was never in question. My hair was tying me to the past. I needed to move on and reinvent myself. Over the last few years, I've lost around 80 pounds, grown up, came out as bisexual, developed real friendships, moved away, and have become someone else.

I cannot fully explain to anyone the depths from which the decision has come. I am happier with my decision than I initially thought that I would be.

I donated the 20 inches of ponytail. I also lost about another 3 inches after that. So without anymore suspense, here is my haircut.


From this:

 

To This:

 

and Finally This: