What not to say to your friend who just got a haircut

Got a friend who just got a haircut? Whether they look good in it or not, as a friend you probably can’t help but want to say your own opinion on the matter. But here’s the thing. It isn’t your hair, so don’t be that friend.

So we’ve listed down what not to say so you can avoid those awkward situations of your friend being all “what a friend you are…” as she storms off.

Spare the hurt, don’t say these to your friend who just got a haircut 

“Wow, new haircut!”

Aside from stating the obvious, it should be followed by another sentence because just saying that would insinuate that you personally don’t think the new style suits your friend. Like you’re unwilling to lie.

“That’s drastic! Tapang mo, girl!”

This sentence strongly implies that the new look doesn’t suit her at all. Be sensitive enough especially if your friend used to have long locks. Chances are that they had a considerable number of inches chopped off from their mane. If you’re a long haired girl, you would understand how hard it is to bid your long locks goodbye. The emotional experience is no walk in the park.

“You look better with long hair.”

Another line that has a negative connotation. If you’re gonna say this, pause for a moment and reconsider. It’s just going to make your friend feel bad and regret her decision. She would feel worse if she already had a certain look in mind but the hair stylist couldn’t pull it off. So come on, don’t be mean.

“You should’ve gotten *insert other hairstyle she clearly didn’t get*.”

Well she didn’t and be open minded enough to think that maybe you both have different tastes and what she will go for is the one she prefers. And if you wanted to suggest something, wouldn’t it be better if you said it before she had her hair chopped off? What good would it be now after the deed has been done? If you’ve got nothing positive or flattering to say, just keep it to yourself.

“Are you heartbroken?”

Not all girls who chop their hair off are heartbroken, okay? Some just want to either update, upgrade or maybe they have a new motto in life and getting a short do makes them confident and strong enough to follow through.

“You can’t braid your hair anymore!”

Not every girl dreams of having long braided hair just like a princess from a Disney movie. Sure, she may have loved braided her hair, but maybe she wanted to help other people and decided to cut her hair and donate her locks to cancer patients. Or maybe she’s undergoing a style re-invention and wants to rock a shorter style. Who are you to stop her from trying something new?

At the end of it all, hair grows and there are always new hairstyles to try. Life is too short to not play with your hair and experiment with your style. So the next time you see a friend who’s rocking a new ‘do, give her a high-five and say “looking good!”