A friend of ours recently became a professor, and somewhere between her college graduation photos and her first semester of syllabi, she did what so many women do during big life transitions: she got a haircut.

She’s genuinely adorable either way. Same bright smile. Same warmth. Just a different season.

Why This Haircut Feels Familiar

Seeing her step into this new role felt instantly familiar—because I’ve seen this haircut before. I’ve had it myself. Most women I know have had some version of it too.

There’s a very brief window in a woman’s life—barely a blink in the scheme of things—when we want to be taken seriously more than we want to look young. And then, almost immediately, we spend the rest of our lives chasing youth again.

It’s such a small season, but it’s fascinating.

“A lot of life’s big changes spark a temporary bravery to try something new with hair.”

A Haircut for Life Transitions

Curious whether this was just my imagination, I asked my hairstylist if she noticed any patterns around haircuts and life stages. She didn’t hesitate.

“Yes,” she said. “There’s definitely an urge women get to cut their hair going into college to feel older, and then again once they graduate and want to be seen as professional as they start their career. But also, a lot of life’s big changes spark a temporary bravery to try something new with hair. It’s a way of marking a new start.”

That idea—marking a new start—felt exactly right.

A haircut is one of the few transformations we can make quickly, privately, and with relatively low stakes. No committee approval required. No long explanation needed. Just scissors, a mirror, and a quiet sense that we’re stepping into something new.

When clients want to look polished and professional, my stylist says they often gravitate toward mid-length cuts with face-framing layers and long layers throughout—something that can be smoothed under and looks intentional. Others opt for a lob or an above-the-shoulder bob: cute, unfussy, and easy to style. Hair that behaves. Hair that doesn’t demand too much attention.

Not hair that hides personality—just hair that doesn’t interrupt it.

And that’s the part that feels most tender about this phase. It isn’t about giving anything up. It’s about clearing space. About wanting the focus to land on what you’re saying, what you’re building, what you’re becoming.

When the Pendulum Swings Back

Eventually, of course, the pendulum swings back. We grow it out. Or we try bangs we swore we’d never get again. We start thinking about softness and fun and nostalgia. But for a moment—just a moment—we smooth things under, tuck tendrils behind our ears, and step forward with a little extra intention.

If you look back at photos from those times, the change might seem subtle. Same face. Same smile. But you can almost feel the resolve underneath. The quiet courage of someone saying, This matters to me.

So if you’ve ever looked at an old photo and recognized a particular season of your life, you’re not alone. It wasn’t about age or beauty. Instead, it marked a season when being taken seriously felt more important than projecting youth—something that, for a brief and shining moment, came effortlessly.

And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful too.