The trick to finding out whether short hair will really suit you.

Image: Getty.

It’s a dilemma every woman faces at least once in her life – whether or not to take the plunge and cut your hair short.

But before you get the chop, there are a few factors to take into consideration. Will I have to get up earlier in the morning to style it? And most importantly – Will it suit me?

Luckily, hair expert John Frieda has come up with an easy trick to find out… without scissors. In fact, all you’ll need is a ruler and a pencil.

The trick is called the “2.25inch rule” (or 5.7cm) and is based on measuring the distance between your chin and the bottom of your ear.

According to Giles Robinson, senior stylist at John Frieda Salons UK, it’s all about the angles of the face.

"John studied faces and saw that the angle of the jaw bone determined whether or not someone would look best with short hair or long hair," he told Allure.

So how does it work? Simply hold a pencil under your chin and using the ruler to measure the distance between the point of your chin and the bottom of your ear.

According to the rule, if the distance is less than 2.25" (5.7cm) then your face shape is perfect for short hair.

Curious ourselves, we put the rule to the test. (Watch: We review the Dafni straightening brush. Post continues after video.)

Monique, Mamamia Senior Editor and Podcast Producer. 

Result: 6.5cm. "I'm pleased I didn't have to go through the pain of a bad haircut to find out short hair doesn't suit me (but secretly gutted)!"

Lucy G, Staff writer

Result: 5.7cm. "I've been thinking about getting the chop, and think this just might have pushed me over the edge in convincing me. Let's do it!" (Post continues in and after gallery.)

The results were interesting. Let's just say, if the outcome was "short hair" we were excited about the prospect of a chop. If the result was that we wouldn't suit short hair - we just decided to ignore it. We suggest you adopt the same attitude.

RELATED: 8 hair crimes you had no idea you were committing

If you're like Monique and don't get the result you were hoping for, don't worry - your short hair dreams are not completely over! (Post continues after gallery.)

Our advice?

Find pictures of haircuts you like and take them with you to the hairdressers, where you can discuss how to tailor them to your face shape and lifestyle. If you want short hair, you should be able to have short hair, damn it.

Would you take the test? What were your results?