Literally just 10 before and after photos to help you decide whether to get a pixie cut.

Most women, at some point or another, have considered doing something drastic with their hair. Whether it’s to mark a career change, a break up, or ‘just because,’ some go for a fringe, others prefer a bold dye job, and some entertain the idea of cutting it all off, or getting a pixie cut.

Take Emma Watson, for example. After filming her eighth and final Harry Potter movie in 2010, the then 22-year-old ushered in a new era with a very short, and very different pixie cut.

Speaking about her switch up on Twitter, she said it was “the most liberating thing ever”.

“I’ve never felt so confident as I did with short hair – I felt really good in my own skin,” she later told Glamour in 2012.

But there's having the impulse to cut your hair, and then there's actually doing it - like the below 10 women. From spur of the moment decisions, to 'taking back control' after an alopecia diagnosis, we asked these women to share why they decided to get the chop, whether it's changed their perception of themselves (or how other people perceive them), with before and after photos thrown in for good measure.

Just in case you needed that extra push.

Rosie

When I had long hair I really disliked wearing it out and ended up having it in a ponytail the majority of the time. I had a hard time finding pictures of hair texture like mine in a pixie cut, so I didn't really know what it would do! Short hair definitely suits my personality better and I never plan on growing it out!

I have a bit of an alternative fashion style, so I think the short hair is a bit more edgy to go with that. It also made me feel I bit more mature. I was 22 when I went short and my long hair made me look much younger. That hair cut felt like one of the steps in my journey from being a teenager to an independent young woman.

Sophie

At the end of last year my hair was falling out in clumps and I was diagnosed with alopecia. For a while, I was wrapping my hair in scarves and turbans but at the start of this year, I decided to take back control and cut it all off. It was so liberating and gave me such a confidence boost. I feel strong and sexy!

Now, I constantly get people saying I’m brave, or ask when I’m going to grow it long again, which really annoys me. I’ve had the comments about being a lesbian etc. but that doesn’t bother me so much. It just shows their ignorance. I love to rock my short hair.

Jessica

I got a pixie cut on a whim because I had previously felt too chicken to do so. I was going through some life things and wanted a change - so literally walked past a salon and made the decision.

When it was a fresh cut, it was so easy to style and make look good. I went from having shoulder-length, curly hair and doing classic styles, like twists, plaits/braids, ponytails and messy buns, to just my pixie cut with a side-swept fringe. It sounds like it would be easier, but it was actually harder in a lot of ways. I had to wash my hair much more frequently, and if I was having a bad hair day there was no hiding it because I couldn't just put it back in twists or a ponytail. Also, I'm a classical singer, and at the time I was just starting to get paid gigs and found it difficult to make it look polished with the same ease as when it was longer.

People also kept commenting that it was 'brave', 'chic' and 'edgy', and that with the pixie cut I had finally 'found' my style. When I first got it cut, I felt all those things that other people called me, and it also felt really free-ing but that feeling wore off after a few months when the impracticalities of the cut started to outweigh the initial good vibes.

If you have curly hair, don't get a pixie cut unless you're really prepared to maintain it so it stays looking good! It's super cute if you can afford the maintenance, but it's definitely an investment.

Anna

I didn't exactly get a pixie but it was still a drastic change. I had weight loss surgery and a side effect of it was losing your hair for the first 12 months or so, but I got sick of it and cut it all off.

It’s now so much easier to do. I wash it once a week and only style it every other day. On the downside it’s expensive to maintain. I don’t think it’s changed how I’m seen by others but I absolutely love It. I can’t imagine ever going back.

Whitney

I've always thought pixie cuts were really elegant and feminine. I had a pixie in my twenties and it was so much fun and now that I'm in my thirties I felt the urge to lop it all off again... so I did! People think it's easier but with my curly hair, a pixie requires more styling. However styling takes an eighth of the time, so it all evens out!

Leah

I made the big decision to chop off my hair in 2018... I was tired of the upkeep, hated how I looked and definitely wanted to try something different. Since doing the deed I've noticed such a big improvement in my self-esteem and confidence. I walk out the door every morning feeling chic and sophisticated. I also get so many compliments on my hair now. It's definitely changed my life in such a positive way.

Tamsyn

I cut it around 10 years ago. I just wanted a change, something less 'pretty' and more 'powerful'. My mum had always had pixie cuts and I see her as a real confident powerhouse so I guess I was partly inspired by her. Styling is so much easier. It just takes two seconds with a blow dryer. However, it's higher maintenance as it very quickly goes from nice to looking like an awkward mullet and you can't hide non-maintenance in a ponytail.

It has unbelievably changed how other people perceive me. People take me more seriously at work and strangers also presume I'm same-sex orientated and like to comment as such. The comments are super frustrating, especially because my husband has long hair so we cop it a fair bit.

Sometimes I struggle to feel feminine, on the days that I feel a bit softer emotionally, a sharp hairstyle doesn't allow me to express that. Strangely this really affected me after the birth of my son.

Skye

I was sick of either having a 'bob' or scraggly grown out hair, and I loved the 'pixie cut' and always wanted to try it. Initially, I was worried the style might make me look a little masculine but I really do love the look. The pixie cut made me feel a little more self-conscious but it also forced me to style my hair, so I always looked a bit more put together.

You do have to style your hair every day but it just takes a few minutes to blow dry and put some wax in. I'm currently in the growing out stage, but to be honest, I'm not sure why.

Grace

I went through a big shift in my life and felt like I had lost a sense of joy in myself and who I was. So I went to a friend who is a hairdresser and told them I needed a haircut that reflects who I am. I'd never had a pixie cut before but she suggested it and we went for it. I loved it!

It really reflects the energy, cheekiness and quirkiness of the inner me.

Liv

I was a bit bored with my hair and toyed with the idea for months before finally diving in. Most of the time I love it! I feel fresher and a bit more edgy but occasionally I miss having long hair that I can tie up and style in different ways. Also, my husband much prefers my hair long so I guess I worry a little bit that he might not find me as attractive with my short hair. Then again, it’s only hair. It grows back.

I’ve never been attached to my hair too much - I did a lot of ballet as a kid and was never allowed to cut it so maybe I’m subconsciously rebelling against that now!

Have you ever had a pixie cut? How did it make you feel? Tell us in a comment below!