Break-ups are one of the most common experiences that people can relate to; They happen to everyone.
They’re heartbreaking and can be soul-crushing. Like your chest is caving in, and you have no idea what to do with yourself. Like your life is out of your command. It’s the end of an era, a chapter in your life coming to an end. And it feels like it’s all out of your control. They invite emotional distress, a wave of depression, and great anxiety.
It’s customary that when a big life change occurs, such as this, we find things to do to help us find ourselves again. To begin a new chapter of our lives. And so, we introduce The Break-Up Bang.
Hair is a large part of people’s identity. It holds memories. It’s how we express ourselves to the world. It helps us feel confident and beautiful. But it can also remind us of a specific- maybe even sad- time of our lives. Break-up bangs are a way to reintroduce ourselves to the world. We are reborn. A new person, no longer the one who had an arduous experience. No longer an individual with hurt in their heart. We feel that, to heal, we must shed the skin of the old and enter into a new one. We want to boost our self-confidence. We hope that if we change our appearance, it will make things easier.
Bang!
Though it is not exclusive to just break-ups, giving ourselves bangs is almost a tell-tale sign that we are going through a rough patch. We don’t want to dwell on the past and be reminded of what’s happened, so we seek out a change. We cut our hair to reclaim ourselves, the parts that we’ve lost, and the parts that are aching. We yearn to forget and to heal. To move on and to no longer feel this pain; The body keeps score. So we look for things we can change. Things we can control.
Cutting your hair, or giving yourself the Break-Up Bang, can be a sign of release. To let go. Break-up bangs are not necessarily meant to be negative. Highly charged emotional events are more difficult to swallow, so we need something instantaneous. An immediate change excites us, taking away from the overwhelming feeling of despair. A new look. A new us.
Bangs are about as immediate as they get. They mark a new beginning. Checking in your baggage and not coming back for it. As each hair strand falls, we are new again. We are setting ourselves free.
Our lives are full of constant change and worries. Heartbreak is a normal occurrence. But that does not mean that it is easy. Break-up bangs can help ease back into a state of peace. Coco Chanel once said, “A woman who changes her hair is about to change her life.” To move forward, we must cut ties- literally- with the person we once were.
It goes deeper than just a haircut, though. Psychologically, it’s deemed a coping mechanism. In general, in times of distress and anguish, we gravitate towards changing aspects of our lives to distract us, in a sense, from what is going on and how we feel. Our minds are going through withdrawal. Literally. This person, who was so integrated in our lives, who was our whole world, even, has gone. Poof. Just like that. That longing, that craving we feel for our old partner, it feels like a physical breaking of the heart. A chasm has opened in our chest. Everything we do reminds us of them. We are hopelessly and utterly lost, floating in our days like ghosts.
It’s only expected that we would reel in the pain. And it’s only to be expected that we would want to do something about it. If we look different on the outside, perhaps we will feel different on the inside. It’s unknown, but it’s a risk we’re willing to take.
Taking Care of You
It’s important to ensure that this drastic act of self-assurance is not motivated by attracting attention from the individual we were previously engaged with. Break-up bangs must be for ourselves. For some, it’s a step toward betterment, but that can only happen if our intentions are driven solely by improving ourselves and our mental well-being; Prioritizing your mental health is everything.
Break-ups can be paralyzing. In the moment, everything is crashing down around us. We grasp at anything to help us feel human again. We are grieving, in mourning for what once was. We require something different, anything, to change. To be new. To give us a feeling that we will be okay. And we will be. Nothing lasts forever; This too shall pass.
Have you ever given yourself Break-Up Bangs? Let us know in the comments below!
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