Cut, cut! What you need to know before getting a drastic hair update

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

Here's a Girl Math equation: 50% of you has looked at Gigi Hadid's chic bob all year and wondered if you should lop off your locks too; but the other 50% of you fears that you'll end up looking like Tom Cruise from Magnolia. Maybe 50% of you is considering bangs like Daisy Edgar Jones, but the other 50% has also seen Nathan Fillion in Superman and shuddered. Maybe there's no 100% guarantee when it comes to a radical hairstyle change. Maybe we can cheat a bit. Kriti Sanon's bangs in the movie Bhediya didn't do her justice.
Gourav Bhardwaj, celebrity hairstylist; and Laukik M Shah, creative head and balayage expert at LS Salon Academy, hot-comb the pain out of the calculations, so a drastic change of look comes at a lower risk.
Do not try to cut your own hair. That disaster will take 90 business days to grow out. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Do not DIY. Forget what the TikTok girlies are gushing over. Twirling the hair around your temples and trimming upwards will not create the curtain bangs you were hoping for. That disaster will take 90 business days to grow out. Go to a professional stylist. They account for your jawline, cheekbone height, forehead size, hair porosity and treatment history. A good hairdresser will tell you if Sabrina Carpenter's sexy bangs will look terrible on your small forehead. Or if Brie Larson's honey-blonde pixie cut will need daily styling to look good on your flat hair. Look for a stylist who works with trendy looks. They're more confident doing radical style changes.
Gigi Hadid may look good in a bob, but the style may not work for everyone. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Be kind, rewind. Your hair's history drives its future. It determines how each strand responds to a new chemical treatment, a colour or a length. Thin, porous, dry hair is more sensitive to bleaching and colour. Start deep-conditioning treatments three weeks in advance to build hair strength. All through, avoid heat styling or harsh products. And if your hair has already been through a lot, hold off on the blonde fantasies.
Don't skip colour theory. Dakota Johnson looked washed-out when she went blonde. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Don't throw shade. Remember what happened when Dakota Johnson went blonde? She seemed a little washed out. Remember what Zooey Deschanel looks like without the glasses and thick fringe? Unrecognisable. There is such a thing as bangs-blindness. So, before a major style change, use a phone filter or AI tool to test-drive how you'll look. Most stylists recommend getting a semi-permanent colour job before a permanent one. It fades after a few washes. Maybe your interest in a new look might fade by then too.
Ombre blonde highlights work for Daisy Edgar-Jones because of her skin undertone. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Track the spend. A wild style change will hit you with more than salon fees. You may need to buy sulphate-free shampoos, colour-safe conditioners, protein masks, and styling gels for upkeep. Your look might require a hot brush or curler. Factor in the cost of root touch-ups and treatments every six weeks (ideally by the same stylist, which might mean travelling). And should you have an allergic reaction, prepare to invest in products to counteract them. Get your stylist to do a spot test for a strong ingredient. Come back to commit only when you know it's safe.
Most stylists recommend getting darker roots that gradually blend into lighter ends. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Dye young. Natural-looking balayage and ombre techniques are a safe style-switch. Get face-framing highlights around the front of the hairline, drawing attention to the eyes. Or try babylights (the same principle, but more delicate). Most stylists recommend getting darker roots that gradually blend into lighter ends. It makes touch-ups easier. For a bolder dye job, the palette of the moment is soft pastels – lavender, mint green, and baby pink. Among the reds, cherry, cola and muted auburns are all the rage.
The palette of the moment is soft pastels – lavender, mint green and baby pink. (SHUTTERSTOCK)
Go classic. The safest way to update your look is to go from one well-loved style to another. Textured bobs with soft waves deliver a casual chic look and are perfect for Indian climates. A shag (layers and fringes) works with all hair types and looks playful. With a little length, the butterfly haircut makes the most of thick hair and layers, and is easy to style. Curtain bangs, for those with a little volume in their hair, are a cute low-risk style. And a pixie is low maintenance – until it starts growing out.
A sleek bob works for Tara Sutaria's oval face shape. (INSTAGRAM/@TARASUTARIA)
Stay in your zone. All over Insta, people are doing complicated geometry, working out the length of their neck, jaw and cheek to determine if a short style will suit their face. Forget them. Experts have an easier hack. Almost everything suits an oval face. Long layers, side bangs, or volume at the crown elongate a round face. For a square face, soft, wispy layers or curtain bangs work well. A chin-length cut suits a heart-shaped face. If your features are angular and bony, avoid a sharp style. And if you want a style that doesn't suit you, don't let anyone talk you out of it.
From HT Brunch, August 09, 2025
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