For the majority of my life I have had long black locks. Sure, there was the time I sported the Demi Moore cut from the movie Ghost (not a great look). And there was a brief 90210-era period that I had that Shannen Doherty ‘do with bangs. (True, that was a long hair ‘do, but mine was the color of eggplant.) Then there was that unfortunate A Flock of Seagulls moment when I cut short only the right side of my head. But it’s mostly been dark and long for me. Until I hit 40.

At 40 I started to wonder, is my long hair weighing me down? My face, I mean. Are my tresses making me look older, like one of those women trying to hold on to 25 forever? Was my long, super-thick hair taking over my personality? Sometimes, when I looked in the mirror, my hair covered the entire left side of my face like a dense, black wall. Was it only the dense hair that others saw when they looked at me, instead of the vibrant woman I know myself to be ? I needed to get out from behind that wall and into the world!

So I decided to chop it off. Or rather, my hairdresser decided to chop it into a bob. For the first time in ten years, I actually had to style my hair. And I did with pleasure! I loved my ‘do! I felt more mature and stylish.

Over the last three years, I have had various lengths of the bob. But overall, I’ve stuck to keeping my hair to just below my chin and I love it! And hey, even over-40 Jennifer Aniston cut her long locks into a bob this past winter. So I must be onto something, right?

Be brave. Book that hair appointment now! Get a new hairdo, or change the color, or do both! Take a risk. Change it up.

Tags: 90210, A Flock Of Seagulls, Demi Moore, forty, forty-plus, Jennifer Aniston, long hair over 40, middle aged women, over forty, Shannen Doherty, women, women over 40, women over 50, women over forty