9 Ways To Start Your [Hair] Bucket List

For a lot of women, our hair is our lifeblood. It’s not only full of secrets, but for many of us, hair is a source of confidence and a security blanket that we blow dry, style and take with us everywhere. To put it into terms that Harry Potter fans will understand, if I were picking Horcruxes to house fragments of my soul so I could be immortal, there’s no question my hair would definitely be one of them. Like so many other aspects of our personal styles, our hair goes through a lot in our lives. From no-tears shampoos to our flat iron phase, our tresses continually undergo significant transformations.

But sometimes we forget that our hair is a living thing. We get to enjoy all the amazing adventures life has to offer, but what about our hair? We forcefully drag a brush through it when we’re running late and just leave it hanging. Some nights, we cram our strands up into a bun just so they're out of our way. So if anything deserves a little fun, it's our hair. A lot of us have a carefully drafted bucket list filled with thrill-seeking plans and faraway places we want to see, but we never consider our locks in this equation. The decades so many of us get to spend enjoying the hair atop of our heads are a privilege, so perhaps the next time we’re adding new pins to our travel board on Pinterest, we should take a little time to scratch a few things off our hair bucket list. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

1. Grow It Out

Every woman should have Rapunzel hair at least once in her life — the kind that doubles your shower time and makes you feel like a Disney princess until it gets tangled. Long hair might require more maintenance, but growing your hair long really teaches you patience and helps you see your hair's true hair flip potential. Speaking from experience, if you have curly hair, lengthier tresses can help control your mane by weighing down your curls a little. Not to mention, long hair looks awesome on just about any face shape, so as long you’re willing to put in the time and effort into to keeping it healthy, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try it out.

2. Donate Your Hair

So what happens when you’ve had enough of that long hair? Well, before you chop it all off and let your strands get swept off into the salon’s “Hair Only” trash bin, you should consider donating your hair. Donating your locks to a good cause is one of the noblest thing that you could do with it. There are many organizations out there that collect hair from donors to create hairpieces for those battling cancer, premature balding, and many others. Before you go lopping your locks, make sure you check the requirements to be sure that you’re eligible. It can be tough to let go of your hair, but knowing that you’re making a huge difference in someone's life totally makes up for it.

3. Chop It Off

Short hair is a fear factor for a lot of women, but it’s a hair phobia we should all confront. At some point, I think every woman has written a list of pros and cons for getting a bob versus getting the familiar layers she loves. A few years ago, I cut my hair the shortest that it’s been since I was an infant. At first, I was terrified to be without a ponytail and my usual head of hair to hide behind, but after a while I was glad that I went through it after chickening out so many times before. As it turns out, having short hair is pretty awesome. Even more importantly, it taught me that my beauty and femininity aren't dependent on the length of my hair. And don't even get me started on how wonderful it is blow drying and styling short hair! While keeping short hair long-term may not be for everyone, I highly encourage all ladies to give it a shot, if only to prove to yourself that you can totally pull it off.

4. Try Out A Trend You Might Regret Someday

Some hair trends have a shorter lifespan than others, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from trying something out just because there's a chance it might haunt you in photos 10 years from now. Looking back, I'll admit I'm a little embarrassed by how often my hair as a preteen was inspired by Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire, but that doesn't mean it wasn't fun or that I didn't look awesome. If you don’t have any hair decisions you regret later in life, how can you be sure you’re really alive? Don't base your hair decisions on what your future self might say.

5. Visit A Blow Dry Bar

Just like you deserve to be pampered every now and then, your hair deserves the same luxury. It’s relaxing and surprisingly elegant to have a stranger work their magic on your head without the stress of a bad haircut or highlights gone wrong weighing on your mind. Going in for a blowout is a simple way to pamper yourself and your hair at the same time, and every woman should experience it.

6. Get Bangs

Every gal should have bangs cut into her hair. Bangs get a bad rap because somehow we went from thinking they’re only good for covering foreheads to thinking they only work on Zooey Deschanel, but bangs are so much more versatile than that. There are lots of different ways to cut and style bangs, so no woman should fear leaving the salon looking like her third grade yearbook picture. Bangs are definitely a commitment, but with the right cut and care, they can make big statement. Life is too short to not try bangs.

7. Attempt An Intimidating Tutorial

All of us have one, whether it’s a five-strand braid how-to video or a twisted crown tutorial that’s been haunting your “Hairspo” Pinterest board for the last six months. We all have that one hairstyle we want to attempt but avoid because we know we’re probably going to fail. But what are we so afraid of? It can be our little secret! If anyone knew my record for botched hair tutorials, they’d be surprised I’ve ever had decent hair days. Braids can be unbraided, bobby pins can be unbobby pinned, and knots unknotted. Don’t avoid all those seemingly intimidating hair tutorials because you don’t think you’ll be able to pull it off. You have more skills than you think! Pinterest hair can be yours.

8. Do The Thing Everyone Says You Can’t Do With Your Hair

For years, I believed people when they told me my hair was too curly for layers. I had one length for most of my life until I decided to throw caution to the wind and get some long layers cut into my hair come high school. Imagine my surprise when the Special Hair Forces didn’t immediately show up at the salon serving me with a warrant for violating Hair Ordinance 341C: Not Listening to Everyone Else’s Baseless Hair Advice. People love to tell you what you should and should not do with your hair, and sometimes they’re looking out for your own best interests; unfortunately, much of the time this “advice” is based on one person’s bad haircut experience and their own perception about what looks good. Trust your gut, and go for it!

9. Say Goodbye To Your Hair Comfort Zone

Have you ever crimped your hair? Gone blonde? Attempted chalking your strands? Shaved part of your head? Consult your list of hair never's, pick something off it, and just do it. There’s nothing more liberating than taking a risk with your hair, because even if one experiment ends in disaster, you get to learn that you have it in you to take a risk.

Image: Fotolia; Instagram/mgbrophy; Giphy; Twitter