15 women prove a trip to the hairdresser can completely transform your look

It’s no small understatement to say that the last 6 months have left a lot of us looking less than our best. Even if our friends and family assure us that all is well, many of us still feel the need for a little (or big) spruce-up.

With salons closed and beauty treatments off-limits for many, we’ve succumbed to the yoga pants and messy bun mentality.

And there’s nothing wrong with that! Many of us got a nice reset.

But either now or soon it will be time for a change and these lovely ladies gave us some great “glow-up” inspo that shows just how transcendent a trip to the hairdresser can be.

1. Do not try this at home

Trust us, the salon needs to be open for this one – especially if you want to keep your hair and stay away from tones that don’t suit you.

Plan on a nice, long day at the salon if you want to become a redhead and your hair is dark. And just remember that the payoff is looking unforgettable everywhere you go after that.

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A post shared by Jasmin Rodriguez (@jrodbeauty) on

2. Cut and run

It seems like extra-long hair has been “in” for a while now, but those of us over 30 know that it’s HARD to care for that much hair and it isn’t always so glam when you don’t have the hair of a teenager.

A big chop can be an important experience, but you have to be in the right frame of mind.

People will always try to talk you out of it (“oh, but your beautiful hair!”) but you’ll know when you’re ready by the way you won’t let anyone stop you.

3. Fixin’ to pixie

Pixie cuts will always be the ultimate cool-girl hair because so few of us are willing to go the extra mile (at least until we’re at an age when we just want the dreaded “wash and go” style, which isn’t quite the same).

Of course, short cuts are brutal territory these days since “the Karen” is always a possibility if you get the style wrong.

That’s why we love this glow-up, even though we’re never going to be brave enough to try it. But a girl can dream, right?

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4. Straight-up vixen

Our hair can be just strands on our heads that we don’t really think about or a symbol of who we are and what we’re out to achieve.

That’s why it can be so powerful to change it up altogether from texture to length to color.

We imagine this lovely lady walked right out the door and kicked some butt.

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5. Yes ma’am!

We’re going to be honest – we think quarantine did this woman a favor.

She couldn’t get her roots done for months, but that’s what finally made it time to embrace the white.

And boy does she have amazing platinum hair! Can we “go grey” this way?! It’s stunning.

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6. Lighten’ up

We love all hair colors, so don’t take it the wrong way when we say sometimes you just need to brighten things up with some blond hair.

Whether it’s balayage or ombre or just a few highlights, it can really change your whole mood and get you ready for a new season.

And the ombre on the right is going to grow out perfectly in the event she can’t get back to the salon any time soon.

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7. Watch your tone

People don’t understand just how tough blondes have it. EVERYTHING messes with your hair – water quality, sunlight, just looking at it the wrong way in the mirror… It’s sensitive stuff!

And the perfect blond is all about the tone. Some like it icy, others like ashy – and somehow those are two different things.

That’s why it’s so nice to put your tresses back in the hands of the pros.

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8. Otherworldly

Guy Tang is basically a magician and can do things that no other stylist can, especially when it comes to colorful and creative hair (though we’d really like to see some of it self-styled the next day).

Just one scroll through his Instagram will have you dreaming of all the ways you can hide your new purple hair on your Zoom calls while you work from home.

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9. Lose inches, lose years

For those of us who had to let our hair grow out longer than we like it, a cut can feel so refreshing.

And if you’re one of those people who feels like longer hair tends to drag down your face (which gravity is already doing on its own!), then you not only feel lighter but look younger after a good cut.

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10. Turn it up to 11

Being stuck inside for months made plenty of us rethink our approach to things, including our own looks and the risks we’re willing to take.

Because if not now, when?

If you’ve always wanted to rock that red or try out that unicorn pink, maybe now’s the time.

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11. Grey is here to stay

So the greys came out to play with lots of us during the last 4 months without our stylist magicians to cover them up. So what?

Maybe we like them! In fact, maybe we want to build our new style around them instead of drenching them in color.

This is the perfect example of embracing the grey.

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12. A new you

Did sitting with yourself for months make you want to become a whole new person?

Well, that’s a tall order, but starting at a salon will at least make you look the part!

A cut and new color can give you a whole new lease on life.

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13. Lose the length

How much have we spent on extensions in the last decade since they became hyper-popular? We shudder to think.

But simple and sleek are sometimes the best way to go, especially if you can get your brows bangin’ and make them the center of attention.

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A post shared by I A M . S H O R T H A I R ™ (@iam.shorthair) on

14. Short and sweet

This might be one of our favorite hair transformations simply for the way it makes this woman look SO much more stylish.

That shoulder-length hair was just sitting there doing absolutely nothing for her.

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15. Chopped for a cause

Ah, remember the days of virgin hair untouched by anything but the sun?

That’s the only kind of hair that can be donated, which is just what this young woman did.

And we can only imagine how light and breezy life feels after getting all that length off.

Just look at all that volume!

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***

Are you ready to make the chop?

Just remember that while the Internet might be a great source of inspiration, it’s also a source of bad advice about hair.

If you’re really going for a new look and can’t risk messing it up, go to the salon! (It’ll be cheaper to start there than to hire someone to fix your mistakes!)

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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