A TIKTOK user likened to a real-life Rapunzel has gone viral for cutting her 4ft-long hair after 19 years. The TikTok star named Vanessa Rasmusson decided to cut her hair after realising how her self-confidence was tangled around it.
When she was seven, the mum-of-two had her hair cut short. However, she hated how she looked and swore that she would never cut her hair again.
She said: “I loved having long hair and I was curious to see how long it would grow. I never expected that my hair would grow to my calves!
“But it just kept growing. In fact, I saw the most growth in my hair when I had my two kids.”
But as her locks grew longer and longer, people started praising her for it. She even managed to amass a strong following on TikTok because of her hair.
“People began to compliment me on my long hair all the time. I was noticed for my long hair and it became tied up in my identity and self-worth.
“Of course, sometimes it felt nice to have a compliment but increasingly it started to make me feel uncomfortable. I wished that people would see that there was more to me than my hair.”
Therefore, Rasmusson decided it was time to part with her signature hair. In November last year, she visited a hairdresser and opted to go for a chin-length bob.
“I was excited but nervous about getting the chop. I was shocked when I first saw it gone but I was also surprised that I felt pretty and confident with short hair too.”
Having said that, Rasmusson still felt nervous about breaking the news to her 33,000 followers on TikTok. She was afraid that she was going to lose her followers. But to her surprise, many were supportive of her decision.
“When I revealed my transformation on TikTok, of course, there were people who told me I wasn’t special or unique anymore without my long hair. Some users threatened to unfollow me, whilst others tried to console me by telling me my hair would grow back.
“But I actually got way more follows from my haircut video because it was so extreme. It was quite cool to see that!
“Cutting my hair made me face lots of beliefs I had about myself. It made me see the beauty in myself – beyond my hair. It made me realise my worth doesn’t change according to what I wear or how I look.”
Kudos to Rasmusson for facing her fears and defining herself to her standards!
Ladies, can you relate to this? Have you ever felt pressured to not cut your hair due to societal beauty standards?
