They always say that your hair is your crowning glory. For women, this often meant long, luscious locks – the kind you'd see on the head of a princess or a damsel in distress. Anything else was frowned upon or considered too unladylike. Even a study by researchers in Croatia found that men find women with long hair more attractive.

This has caused many women to do a double take before taking the plunge and trying a new hairstyle. But as trends and tides have changed, women are no longer limited to “girly” hairstyles, nor do they let men's perceptions dictate their decisions. The next time you visit your salon, remember the reason why you're walking through that door and make sure you're not getting that haircut for anyone but yourself.

If you find yourself stuck in a rut, shaking up your appearance might be your best bet. It may not erase your problems, but it can provide you with the energy you need to approach life from a different perspective. Consider the iconic Roman holiday scene in which Audrey Hepburn's character walks into a barbershop and cuts off her hair in honor of her newfound freedom. This also happens to be the hairstyle that propelled her to superstardom, showing that good things can come from bold choices.

Just like getting a tattoo after a monumental life moment, a haircut can provide psychological relief. It may just be hair you cut, but sometimes it can feel like much more than that. An article on Bustle featured several women at a pop-up barbershop, all agreeing that cutting their hair would be a way for them to start a new chapter and present themselves as a new person . "I feel lighter, I think," says Stephanie Pendleton, a customer at the women's hair salon Scissors and Clippers. “It's not that my hair was weighing me down. It was as if what I had been through over the past few years was weighing me down, so I quit to restart my life.