You know when things are so hectic in your life that you just think to yourself screw it? And screwing it means doing something radical like buying something lavish, ending a relationship, or—I don’t know—getting bangs? If you find yourself about to make a big decision and you’re thinking of grabbing some scissors, I have to level with you—it’s the healthiest decision you can make.

I know twelve people who, over the course of our friendship, got bangs when they were in some sort of crisis. Maybe they didn’t have control over their environment and they wanted something they could control, or they weren’t sure who they were anymore, or they had just broken up with someone. Either way, all twelve turned to their hairdressers and said “Everything must go.”

We see it in TV all the time; a female character is going through something heavy and she cuts her own hair. The audience feels for her, because that’s the type of universal decision we can understand. In my life, any impulsive but harmless act that someone does under stress, I refer to as “getting bangs”. For example: you randomly got a tattoo. Bangs. You spent a lot of money on essential oils for no reason. Bangs. You bought a parrot. Bangs.

It’s all coming up bangs folks. But why? Why is it all literally coming up bangs? And why, during this school season, are there so many bangs?

As a matter of fact, it’s completely normal. Doing something impulsive, like breaking something, cutting your hair, or engaging in retail therapy is a form of self-investment. It’s self care. Cutting hair is popular because it often makes us happy or more confident. Changing our appearance is also immediate—I look different, therefore I shall feel different soon.

This transcends all levels of bangs; eliminating something that sometimes bugs you, that’s getting a daily roadblock out of the way. This translates into it is gone, therefore it cannot challenge me.  Indulging on something that might make you happy, for a moment, really does make us happy. I have something new, therefore something will change.

These rash decisions—no matter how big or small—make us feel like we’re doing something to push us out of the head space we’re in, however stuck.

Yes, sometimes you regret it. Sometimes the bangs weren’t the number one choice. But no matter what they look like, or what form they take, you took a step for yourself. A little moment, or a long one, that makes you see your situation in a new way.

So congratulations! I hope you love your bangs! And I hope your coping mechanisms stay healthy this school year, because no matter how much I joke, bangs can sometimes be unwise. Debt, fall outs, and harm are unhealthy bangs, bangs that I don’t endorse. So if you notice you’re acting a little off and are looking for a little rush, check out your local hairdresser, and not the gambling table.

After all, bangs are making a comeback.

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Shannon Morrow

Shannon Morrow is always curious, and as a result, loves knowing all sorts of things. A second year professional writing student, she enjoys telling people about her weird dreams, birds and trying to learn how to cook - that one isn’t going too well. And yeah, she knows her glasses make her look like a beetle sometimes. Roll with it.