Yet, it you are feeling a little emotional about the change of Styles’ hair, it’s actually a pretty normal response. Psychologically speaking.
“Feeling emotional about hair changes, whether it’s your own hair or someone else’s, is indeed a common experience,” Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist at AI mental health app Wysa, tells GLAMOUR.
“Hair changes, especially drastic ones, can signify a change in identity or a new phase in life. This can evoke strong emotions, both for the person undergoing the change and for those close to them. It’s a visible alteration of appearance, which can be startling or unsettling at first. Visual cues play a big role in how we feel about something or someone, and so the emotional response, whilst not necessarily seeming rational, can be quite normal.”
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The reason why a bold new hairstyle – whether it be adding extensions to short hair or plumping for a new pixie cut – can make us so emotional, explains psychologist Renate Meyer, is because of how intrinsic it is to our self identity.
Joshi adds that one of the reasons we may feel a collective sadness about Styles changing up his hairstyle is because when someone makes a drastic hair change, it can make us feel as if we are being left behind.
“A significant change in hairstyle can impact how a person perceives themselves and how they believe others perceive them,” she says. “If there’s a sense that this marks a new phase in life, it can make us feel like we’re being left behind, or something is going on that we’re not a part of.”
Styles recently concluded his 22-month, 173 date Love on Tour concerts, in which fans felt like they got to see more of the star as people were constantly posting videos of him. Now, with no album or tour announced, it may feel as if he has moved on from this phase.
It’s not the first time Styles has made a dramatic hair change, however. Before making his film debut in the 2017 film Dunkirk, Styles chopped off his long locks to portray the 1940s soldier.
“We had to make the chop,” Styles said at the time after a fan outcry. “I felt very naked. But it was good! It’s very breezy.”
While some fans have speculated that his new buzz cut could be for a movie role, nothing has been confirmed. Yet, with his 30th birthday on the horizon, Styles may be doing what we all do by marking the milestone with a new statement look.