Gen Z Is Cancelling Long Hair: "Long Hair Is Cheugy"

I decided to cut my hair earlier this year. It was the shortest I've ever gone. I wasn't inspired by trendsetter Hailey Bieber (who debuted with a bob in January 2023), but other women were. I had long hair for years, and I wanted something different. Besides Bieber's big influence in the social media beauty sphere, I'm sure the other girls who ran to the salon felt the same way as I did; either that, or they wanted something more low-maintenance.

A long mane is beautiful but takes forever to dry and style. Conversely, short hair makes your outfits look cool and takes less time to maintain. But does this mean it's truly over for the Rapunzel aesthetics? Considering I still see a lot of young women with long hair, probably not – but according to influencer Lauren Giraldo, going short is a hot trend right now. "It feels like everyone's collectively deciding that long hair is cheugy," she says in a viral TikTok, "and as someone who's had the same long hair for the past, I don't even know how many years, like, I get it."

Giraldo continues, "There is something so effortless about this, but you know what I think it actually is? This [short] hair says, 'B*tch, I know I serve face.'" She's right. Women who can pull off bobs or pixies well tend to have stunning faces. Take, for instance, Taylor Hill, one of the many models who recently bid adieu to her long hair. She looks good with any hairstyle, but her cute curls bring out her jawline and features even more.

Gen Z Is Influenced To Cut Their Hair

Men don't seem to love short hair as much as girls do. Actually, let me clarify – women like trends more than older men do. I say "older" because Gen Z guys don't appear to care too much about short locks, and many of them have also opted for baggy pants instead of skinny jeans (another fashion trend that's taken over). But anyway, we know that young women are often on TikTok, a platform that contains unique-looking girls. When stumbling upon an influencer with short hair, some think: "I want to do that to my hair, too!" We think it's cute and chic, and we love how it makes the face the focal point. If they can pull it off, you can too, right?

Think Hard Before You Grab the Scissors!

Except, that's not always the case. "Don't do it!" warns a woman named Jasmine (@jasminecooks4u) in a hilarious response to Giraldo. "Don't listen to her."

"I know. Blow-drying your long hair, your shoulder-length hair with your long layers, ponytails, crazy buns, I get it. I get it," she continues. Jasmine paints the hilarious picture of her audience going to the salon for something low-maintenance and being happy with the results, then adds, "She's gonna leave you looking gorgeous. Yeah, you're going to look beautiful – no doubt in my mind."

But the new hair high won't last forever. "Two or three days later, you're like, 'I have to wash my hair.' And then you have to style your own hair. And you know what you're gonna look like? Like that," Jasmine explains, pointing to a photo of Lord Farquaad.

Did I love my short hair? Yes, I did. However, I also struggled to style it, and I definitely resembled the Shrek character instead of giving off cool vibes. So next time you're thinking about copying Hailey Bieber's hair, just make sure you watch tutorials on how to style a bob.

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