• Emma Roberts debuted micro-bangs at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday.
• The hairstyle changes her whole look.
• People have some very mixed reactions to it.
• Short bangs are becoming a trend among celebrities; Emma Watson also got cropped bangs recently. 

It seems like 2018 might just be the year of cropped bangs. Emma Roberts is the latest celeb to try the hairstyle on for size. The actress debuted her hairstyle at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday.

Roberts showed off all angles of her new hairdo as she walked the red carpet.

Roberts' bangs gave her ensemble an edgy, modern vibe.

And while Roberts seems to be loving her new 'do, people don't know what to make of it.

Some people like @Josephcainn think the hairstyle is a cry for help.

@CandidlyCarlo turned her haircut into a meme.

And @pradapremiere thinks Roberts' haircut went wrong.

And others, like @false_rumors, love her new look.

But it looks like Roberts doesn't care what the haters have to say. She posted a picture of her new look on Instagram with a witty caption.

Roberts isn't the first celebrity to try out the look this year. On January 6, Emma Watson debuted her own cropped bangs ahead of the Golden Globes. And Bella Hadid may have caught onto the trend early — in November 2017, the model experimented with the look, wearing her hair styled in faux, side-swept bangs.

Whether you love them or hate them, it looks like this controversial haircut is here to stay.

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• Twitter user Praize Kirkwood posted a video of her dad's reaction to her mom's new haircut.
• Her mother chopped off her dreadlocks after growing them out for 20 years.
• Her dad's enthusiastic and excited response to her newly short hair is quickly going viral.

One of the best parts of undergoing a dramatic hair change is seeing the reactions from your loved ones, and one man's response to his wife's haircut is so adorable that it's going viral.

On Saturday, Twitter user Praize Kirkwood shared a video of her mother Dawne Kirkwood revealing her newly shaved head after deciding to cut off the dreads she had been growing for 20 years.

The video starts with Praize's father standing with his back turned as Dawne nervously enters the room to show him her new haircut. He then turns around after a few seconds of anticipation, and his reaction is priceless.

"Oh, you are so hot!" Kirkwood's father says while in awe of his wife's new look. "You look like a Hollywood star."

Praize also shared photos of Dawne's hair before the cut, revealing that her new look was quite a drastic change.

The video has struck a chord with Twitter users, reaching over five million views at the time of this post. Many people have commented on her husband's supportive and loving reaction — and how great Dawne looks.

The response has been so massive that it inspired Dawne to start her own Twitter, where she's already posted some fabulous new photos of her new look.

Praize is also loving the viral reaction so far, and took time to thank everyone for the positive comments.

INSIDER has reached out to Praize and Dawne Kirkwood for comment.

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• Shailene Woodley recently chopped her hair and got bangs.
• She's the latest celebrity in Hollywood to get the trendy look.
• Woodley debuted her haircut at an HBO party on Saturday.
• She also showed off her wispy bangs at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday, which she attended with her new boyfriend, rugby player Ben Volavola.

Out of all twentysomethings in Hollywood, Shailene Woodley most embodies a free spirit. Sure, she has an Instagram, but you won't find her posting Kylie Jenner–esque selfies on there. So when we were wondering if she changed her hair recently, we had to resort to other means. And thank God for the paparazzi, because if it wasn't for them, we would've never known that the 26-year-old actress chopped her long, mousy brown hair into gorgeous, wispy new bangs.

The “Big Little Lies” star showed off her new bangs this week on two occasions. The first was at an HBO party at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday, where she dressed down her new hair with a hoodie, jeans, and messy bun.

Woodley elevated her look on Wednesday when she stepped out at Valentino's Spring Summer 2018 at Paris Fashion Week flaunting a leopard-print dress, shin-high boots, and fresh-cut bangs. Woodley styled her bangs with a semi-tight topknot, leaving the sides of hair to cascade down her face and her fringe to fall naturally over her forehead.

In addition to her new hair, the actress also debuted her new boyfriend, rugby player Ben Volavola, whom she shared a kiss with at the event and posed for silly Instagram pictures with.

New man and new hair — 2018 is already shaping up to be a good year for Woodley.

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• Chrissy Teigen debuted a short wavy bob at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
• The model has rocked a longer length for the past few months. 
• Teigen joins celebrities like Beyoncé and Zooey Deschanel who have also cut their hair into blunt bobs this year.

If you weren't completely distracted by Chrissy Teigen's marvelous silver dress at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, you may have noticed that the model debuted a much shorter bob hairstyle. 

Just hours before the event, Teigen hilariously took to Instagram to post a video of herself eating McDonald's while a hairstylist tended to her swept-back wispy curls. 

But it wasn't until Teigen appeared on the red carpet that we got to see her new wavy locks, which now rest above her shoulders thanks to celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin.

Atkin, who also works regularly with stars like Kim Kardashian West and Bella Hadid, shared an Instagram photo of the model, confirming that she was responsible for the updated look. On the same day, Atkin uploaded an Instagram story that showed her cutting off a section of unidentified golden hair into a sleek bob that resembles Teigen's new 'do.

Teigen's face-framing style put all emphasis on her glowing skin, nude lip color, and natural eye makeup.

This isn't the first time the model has sported a glam bob. While she seems to have been favoring longer lengths for the past year, Teigen has been expertly wearing various versions of a chopped look for the past three years. 

No matter the length, her perfectly tousled hair always looks stunning. 

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• Lily Aldridge, Felicity Jones, and more celebrities have been rocking chic bangs lately. 
• Bangs are making a serious comeback, and the French-inspired fringe is sure to be seen everywhere in the upcoming season. 
• The secret to creating the look is a middle part and the long length of the bangs. 

When Lily Aldridge posted her new long, straight Jane Birkin-y bangs on Instagram this month, we had a collective sigh of “want.” Especially in her vintage ringer t-shirt, the whole ’70s vibe felt both sexy, cool, easy, and suddenly very on-trend. That same week, Jason Wu’s models went down the runway at his fall 2018 show with a similar middle-parted, retro style with the hair pushed forward into a sort of faux bang. We also started noticing the look on some of our style favorites, like Reese Blutstein.

“I’d say this is a fresh trend starting with Lily. My client Kirsten Dunst also got a similar fringe,” said L.A.-based hairstylist Cervando Maldonado, who also cut Felicity Jones similarly and rocks the look himself as his longtime signature style (he also once convinced this writer to do similar). “My references are a combo of French icons Jane Birkin, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot…all in one.” The key to the look right now is the long length of the bangs, middle part, and the way it frames the face with the separation—not just one full block of hair.

But bangs can be a fraught subject, especially if you and your stylist aren’t speaking the exact same language. One person’s “long” is another person’s “shaggy” is another person’s “sexy.” And fringe is, after all, literally laying over your face. “When describing this cut, take a picture, so you and your stylist can be on the same page,” advises Maldonado. “Ask for a long fringe or bang with framing around the face and a long layer on the rest of the hair.” The last step, of course: some really good vintage shopping.

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• There are many reasons you could end up with a haircut you weren't expecting.
• Many of them can be avoided if you properly communicate with your hairstylist.
• I spoke to some certified cosmetologists to learn more about how they help their clients achieve the cut they're looking for.

Going into the hair salon for a fresh cut, we all have a certain mental (or Pinterest) image in mind of what the end result will be. Sometimes reality meets our expectations, other times it doesn't.

Contrary to popular belief, hairstylists are licensed cosmetologists, not magicians. However, that's not to say they're unable to give you your dream cut —  but the process should just be approached as a conversation rather than a request or demand.

INSIDER spoke with a few licensed cosmetologists to find out exactly why, in the past, you may have left the hairdresser's chair with a less than desired cut.

You haven't found the right stylist.

"Finding the right stylist is hard. Not only do you need to find [one] who is technically skilled, but you also need to find a stylist with a personality that you mesh with," Shannon Bowen, designer at Pump Salon told INSIDER. "Instagram is a great resource. Look for stylists in your area …  you can get a sense of their style and determine if they would be a good fit for you."

You didn't ask enough questions.

The conversation between you and your hairstylist should be a dynamic one where you both ask appropriate and thorough questions. If you don't give yourself the opportunity to participate, you leave room for miscommunication, which can ultimately lead to error that prevents you from getting the cut you want.

"Before booking your hair appointment, make sure you know what you want," stylist Chanel Mattingly told INSIDER. "If you're unsure, you probably won't be happy with the end result."

Mattingly recommends being prepared with a handful of questions to ask your stylist before sitting in the chair, such as, "Will this cut work with my hair type?" or "Will I have to style my hair everyday to achieve this look?" or "Will the cut work if I wear my hair up or down?"

It's important to consider your daily life and personal styling routine before diving into a cut you think you fell in love with. Although it may look cute on your Pinterest board, you have to make sure it's a cut you can work with in your daily life.  

There was a miscommunication.

Mattingly said she often experiences miscommunication with clients when they are unsure of how to articulate their desired look — whether that's through words or inspiration photos.

Although inspiration photos can be an ideal reference point and communication tool, sometimes they can bring about more confusion than assistance. "Sometimes each photo is completely different from the others, but the client doesn't realize," said Mattingly. To be fair, however, the differences may not be easily detectable by someone who doesn't have experience cutting hair. If you want your haircut to closely reflect the images you bring to your stylist, you have to take into account hair texture, color, face shape, and more.

"As a stylist, I will try to relay back to them their explanation and see if I got it correctly. If I didn't, I will have them explain once more and relay it back again until we get it right," she said.

Haircuts and hairstyles aren't a one-size-fits-all, and that's something that's hard for many to grasp. "If the client has a cowlick or thin hair and they want bangs like Zooey Deschanel, it's not going to happen," said Mattingly. "There are haircuts that work best for different face shapes, hair textures, and thickness." She urges her clients to realize that although pictures can be helpful in achieving a celeb style, they will never allow for an exact recreation.

You paid for what you got.

As cringe-worthy as it sounds, in most cases when it comes to haircuts, quality and quantity will match up. "Anyone would love to pay $5 for a haircut, but what are you getting in comparison to a $35-plus haircut?" Mattingly asked.

Once the hair is cut, it won't grow back for a while, so you have to make sure you're investing your time and money in a talented and skilled salon or stylist.

"Another thing that I think is important is finding a salon with a continuing education program," said Bowen. "Cosmetology school teaches stylists the very basics. When you pick a salon that has an intern or apprentice program, you know that your stylist received further education after receiving their license."

You're not using quality hair products.

We're all guilty of brushing off the sales pitch for a slew of fancy hair products after shelling out some cash for a fresh cut. Although it may seem like a rouge, stylists aren't trying to scam you to meet some quota. They truly believe in and see results from the products they use on their clients every day.

"Some haircuts just require regular maintenance, style and product," Kori Alexandra, who is also a hairdresser at Pump Salon, told INSIDER. "Clients, try out the products your stylist recommends. Ask questions such as, 'How much product do I use and where to apply it?' 'On wet or dry hair?' Your stylist can give you tips and tricks on how to style at home," she said.

In short, don't underestimate the power of products. "Quality hair care products can be life changing," said Bowen. "I am often asked what products are comparable at the grocery store. There aren't any! Listen to your stylist's tips and recommendations. It is our job to educate you so that you can recreate your style when you leave the salon and maintain healthy hair."

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Going to the salon can be a vulnerable experience, especially if you are trying out a new hairdresser for the first time. Whether your best friend convinced you to visit her salon, or you went to the $10 chain salon for a trim, there's always the risk of getting a horrible cut. It's even scarier if you haven't cut your hair in a long time or have a really important event coming up.

Here are some of Reddit's most stressful haircut horror stories that may make you think twice before making the appointment for your next new 'do. Of course, these are just for fun as we can't independently authenticate them. 

My mom gave me my kindergarten haircut

"I was 5-years-old, ready to start kindergarten in a new school at a new state. My mom who had a professional cosmetologist license back in the day decided that it was time for a haircut. I had pretty thick hair halfway down my back with some curls to it. She claimed it was going to be just a trim, which means an inch tops in my book. Well, she says that I jerked my head and she cut wrong. I ended up with a mushroom cut. Luckily it was popular in the early '90s." - Redditor furby_furb

The barber bled all over me

"I had a barber with a nosebleed bled all over my hair while cutting it." - Redditor willyreddit

The babysitter cut my hair

"I had long, beautiful brown curls, all the way down my back. The babysitter decided 'It's time you had a haircut.' And lead me into the bathroom, where she used kitchen shears to cut off most of my hair, and mangle what was left.

"When my mother got home, I was crying in the corner, and the moment she saw my hair, she started screaming at the babysitter about how she had no right to do that to me. At one point in the berating, my mother actually grabbed scissors, and tried to cut the babysitters hair in a similar fashion to what mine ended up with. The babysitter fled, but not before losing a huge handful of bangs and bleached hair – my mother standing in the doorway, menacing the babysitter with the handful of hair, and screaming obscenities into the night. She sat and rocked me to sleep, I couldn't stop crying. I'll never forget my first haircut, I was 7 years old." - Redditor TheOneYouAbandoned

A dramatic haircut can refresh much more than your appearance. Chopping off hair is bold, independent, and freeing. Consider Audrey Hepburn’s iconic haircut in "Roman Holiday," or Frida Kahlo’s real-life decision to crop her hair soon after divorcing Diego Rivera.

For many people, getting a different style feels freeing and invigorating. However, ensuring the time is right for a change is wise. 

To learn more about making thoughtful hair decisions, INSIDER spoke to several professional stylists. Arsen Gurgov, founder and owner of the Arsen Gurgov Salon, Jen Atkin, celebrity hairstylist and creator of OUAI Haircare, and Franck Izquierdo, co-founder of IGK Hair Care, all shared their wisdom.

Think it through — seriously.

Should you trade those long, dark tresses for a bleached pixie cut? Give it some thought. In general, getting a major haircut on a whim spells regret. As Gurgov explained, dramatic haircuts might completely change a person’s appearance, so that deserves some serious thought.

Wait a few days.

Big life events often precede big style transformations, but this doesn’t mean you have to rush into anything. "Don't make any emotional hair decisions!" said Atkin. "I think waiting five to seven days after a big life change is a good rule."

When a client asks for something substantially different, Atkin said she asks a ton of questions before agreeing to make the cut.

Izquierdo also cautioned against making major hair alterations when stressed or angry. If a layered bob still feels right a few days after the stress has passed, then book that appointment.

Consider the upkeep.

Stylists create intricate curls, updos, and other borderline magic hairstyles with ease. But how much time will you spend perfecting those looks without help? Before giving a serious cut, Gurgov makes sure the client can confidently recreate the style on their own. If learning some new skills to keep those side-swept bangs looking fresh sounds like fun, then chop away.

• David Beckham cut his own hair — and it doesn't look half bad.
• Showcasing his new look on Instagram, Beckham received a comment from actor Josh Brolin asking if he'd look the same if he got the same trim.
• Beckham replied, "I did it myself so I'm more than happy to do the same you would get a family discount."

Just another day in the life of David Beckham.

One minute you're posting a picture of your new summer trim on Instagram, the next your offering to cut Josh Brolin's hair.

Beckham shared a snap of his new haircut on Instagram with his 49 million followers on Friday.

The ex-soccer star captioned the photo "Summer Trim" and tagged his grooming brand, House 99.

The comments were a myriad of marriage proposals and compliments for the soccer legend — but with one unlikely addition.

Josh Brolin, who plays Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War," appeared in the comments asking, "@davidbeckham If I get that cut so [sic] I automatically get to look like you? Forget it. Don't answer."

In his reply, Beckham actually admitted that he'd done the haircut himself and offered to do the same for Brolin at a discounted rate: "Well @joshbrolin I did it myself so I'm more than happy to do the same you would get a family discount."

It's not clear whether Brolin took Beckham up on the offer, but that's a Marvel crossover we'd all like to see happen.

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• Julianne Hough has long been a hair chameleon, but her latest chop is her most shocking yet.
• The dancer enlisted the help of her long-time stylist, Riawna Capri, for the short, blunt bob.
• Hough called her new look "freeing."

Dancer and actress Julianne Hough got a dramatic haircut and she looks like a new person.

For the last couple of months, Hough has been rocking her signature blonde beach waves. But on Wednesday, the dancer debuted an Anna Wintour-inspired haircut and is nearly unrecognizable. Hough chopped off all her wavy locks in favor of the blunt bob-and-bang combo.

This isn't the first time she's made a dramatic hair transformation. Hough recently dyed her red hair back to her natural blonde color and — as is the case with drastic dye-jobs — she said it left her hair with a lot of damage.

Hough wrote in an Instagram caption that she went for the new drastic chop to get rid of the "frizzy ends," but ended up loving the sudden change to her appearance.

"Detaching from what you know can be challenging, but also so freeing," she wrote. "The best thing about hair is how you get to create, play and just have fun with it!"

Hough enlisted the help of her friend and longtime stylist, Riawna Capri of Nine Zero One Salon, who dubbed the cut the "Frenchi Chic Bob."

Hough's new cut made its society debut at the "A Star Is Born" premiere last night.

Although this latest look is drastically different, Hough has been a hair chameleon for quite some time

The former "Dancing With The Stars" pro completely reinvented herself earlier this year when she dyed her signature blonde hair bright red. The actress told E! News that she thought the copper color was the best manifestation of her true self.

"I've been on this discovery and this journey of myself, just self-love and care, and I've always felt like a redhead," she said. "At this point in my life I feel so grounded, I feel so myself, I feel very happy, and this is how I feel. I want to express that through my hair. I want to express that outwardly."

Other than a brief stint as a brunette in 2010 for her role in "Footloose," Hough has mostly been blonde.

In 2014 she rocked the ultra trendy pixie.

By 2015, her pixie had grown out into the equally trendy blonde wavy bob.

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• It seems like Post Malone is trying to outrun whatever curse he's under.
• He recently got a haircut.
• Malone also said he's planning to make a foray into acting.
• He's had a few near-death experiences over the last few months.
• It all goes back to when Malone touched the shoulder of someone who touched a cursed dybbuk box earlier this year.

It seems like Post Malone is trying to outrun whatever curse he's under. On Monday, it looked as if the "Better Now" singer attempted to assume an entirely new identity.

Notably, Malone cut off his signature long hair.

"Had 2 big a-- dreads," he wrote in a post on October 6. "Plz don't stop listening to my music."

He shared additional pictures of his freshly cut hair.

And on Monday, Variety reported the rapper would make his acting debut in Mark Wahlberg's Netflix movie "Wonderland."

If this sounds like quite a bit of change for one year — you'd be correct! Could the rapper be trying to run and hide from the mysterious curse he's under by trying to assume a new identity? Seems likely.

Let's recap on the last few months of the rapper's life. In August, Malone was in a nearly fatal plane crash when both wheels of his private jet blew out during takeoff. Then, in September, his Rolls-Royce was T-boned in West Hollywood. Days later, the house he'd previously lived in was violently robbed— and the alleged perpetrators were reportedly looking for the rapper during the break-in.

The rapper responded to his misfortune on Twitter. "God must hate me lol," he posted after the September 7 car crash.

But, it turns out, his brushes with death can be traced back to when he came into secondhand contact with a cursed dybbuk box, an item in Jewish lore that is used to contain malicious spirits.

Legend has it that back in June, Malone and "Ghost Adventures" star Zak Bagans decided to take a look at the dybbuk box, which is considered the world's most haunted object, according to TMZ. Apparently, Bagans removed the box from its protective casing and, while he was doing so, Malone touched his shoulder, which effectively cursed him. It's that simple!

So, is a new haircut and a role in a Netflix movie strong enough to ward off a mysterious curse? Only time will tell.

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• There are plenty of myths we're told about our hair as we grow up.
• One of them is that cutting it will make it grow faster, according to international hair and makeup artist Miabella Ristorp.
• Ristorp told INSIDER that instead, the haircut stops your hair from breaking, which in turn can help it grow nicely.

There are plenty of old wives' tales we grow up with when it comes to hair.

From being told you should never go out in the cold with wet hair to hearing people stress that the more you brush your hair, the healthier it will be, plenty of these pieces of advice have very little truth in them at all.

According to international hair and makeup artist Miabella Ristorp, who has more than 15 years of experience in the industry working on fashion shows like Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana and styling models like Cara Delevingne, Georgia May Jagger, and Suki Waterhouse, there's another myth that clients tend to still believe.

"People think it's the haircut that makes your hair grow, but it's the haircut that makes your hair not break," she told INSIDER when we met at her new luxury beauty studio SMUK London in London's Eccleston Yards in Belgravia.

"The myth has been twisted too much...  As a kid you get told it won't grow if you don't cut it, but basically the point is that it breaks if you don't cut it. If you get a tiny trim once in a while it doesn't break, and that way you can grow it longer."

Read more:There's one red flag you should watch out for at a hair salon, according to a hairdresser

She said that most of her clients with long hair get a haircut every six to eight weeks.

"I tend [to] tell my guests that have long hair to cut it more often, but just cut very little off," she said. "What happens is we often wait too long cutting our hair, then when we cut it, we need to cut a big chunk off. That doesn't make us happy."

As far as thinning out your hair goes if you have thick hair, Ristorp said if you thin it too much, it will look unhealthy.

"What I would suggest is to cut more into it," she said. "Cut a few layers underneath, where it just takes some of the weight out. Thinning the ends just makes them more damaged, really."

Ultimately, she said you should be asking your hairdresser what's best for your type of hair, and the way you like to style it.

"Back in the day we weren't thinking so much about [the health of our hair]," she said. "Nowadays we care a bit more about how it feels. I think we've just become more conscious about things in general."

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• My partner and I decided to try cutting each other's hair to save money. 
• The process has had its share of challenges, but we're sticking with it. 

There are certain expendable prices we pay in order to live and work in our modern world. Maybe it's paying $20 for a monthly manicure that gives you confidence in your workplace or forking out $4 or $5 for your daily caffeine boost.

But perhaps one of the most common, and in my opinion one of the most egregious, prices we are societally pressured to pay is the price of a haircut.

For those with short hair, you might visit the barber or salon every three to six weeks, costing you roughly $15 to $25 per cut. For those with longer hair the visits may be less frequent, more likely every eight to twelve weeks, but the prices are often jacked up to $40, $60 or even $80 per cut.

I'm not saying that an experienced hair stylist isn't worth these prices, but maybe paying for the shampoo, scalp massage and styling every time you need a trim is a little excessive.

To test this theory, my boyfriend and I decided to start cutting each other's hair – and have so far saved over $100 doing so.

Humble (and dull) beginnings

When we first started talking about carrying out this experiment it was mostly as a joke. One night when complaining about needing to find time to get his overgrown locks cut my boyfriend off-handedly suggested how much easier it would be if I could do it.

While my gut reaction was to refuse out of fear of Van Gogh-ing his ear or giving him a bowl cut, I started to think, "Why not?" After all, my mom had given my dad haircuts when I was little and that had never ended in tragedy.

With a tablecloth secured around him using a clothes pin, a half-charged (guard-less) electric razor and our dull, multipurpose craft scissors, I set to work on my masterpiece.

I'm not going to lie, I probably went into this first haircut with a little too much hubris. I'd glanced at a few tutorials online but had the general attitude that I knew what a good haircut should look like, so I'd just make it happen … somehow.

There were some missteps, like when our dull scissors only pulled on his hair instead of cutting it or when his razor died halfway in, but after about forty-minutes of clipping and trimming he emerged with a haircut that wouldn't embarrass him in public.

You cut my hair how short?

After the relative success of my boyfriend's cut, we decided it would be worth him giving it a try too. Now equipped with a pair of real hair scissors, it was my turn to take a seat in our hallway and cross my fingers.

Some context for my hair: I've never received a haircut where the stylist didn't comment "Wow, you have a lot of hair." Not only is my hair thick, in terms of density, but each individual strand is as well. So, suffice it to say, my boyfriend had his work cut out for him.

With my hair just below my shoulders at the time I asked my boyfriend to trim about 1 to 1.5 inches off the length, but it became clear a few minutes in that that request wasn't exactly going to plan.

In an attempt to even out my cut, my boyfriend had accidentally cut more and more from the length of my hair. When I reached back to investigate the progress, I found at least an inch gap between where my hair ended and my shoulders began.

While my accidental bob did give me a small panic at first, the cut itself was actually pretty good, and I've really come to enjoy the effortlessness of my short hair – even if it means ponytails are more challenging.

Open for business

I've since given my boyfriend another haircut (even better than the first, I might brag) and I fully intend to let him trim mine again too. I won't rule out paying for a professional haircut before an important meeting or event, but for month to month maintenance we, and our wallets, are more than happy to do the job ourselves.

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• US military recruits almost all get their hair shorn at the beginning of basic training.
• Haircut standards for US troops date back to the Revolutionary War.
• Over the years, the military has enforced the buzzcut practice for both hygiene and discipline purposes.

In 1994, a judge ruled the first woman ever admitted to The Citadel, a Charleston, South Carolina-based military academy, should not be exempt from getting the same "induction cut" given to all male recruits. For decades, US military recruits have had their locks shorn in the first weeks of training, given what is otherwise known as "The Army's Finest."

While the Citadel's first female cadet would not end up buzzed like her male classmates, male recruits and cadets have been going through the rite of passage since George Washington established the Continental Army. Even then, he required men serving in the American ranks wear short hair or braided up. He could also wear his hair powdered, which he would do with flour and animal fat. If he did, it would be tied in a pigtail.

The cleanliness desired by General Washington endured through the early years of the United States. Shaving was enforced up until the Civil War, when men were allowed to sport neat, trim mustaches and beards. By then, it was apparent that the hair regs of yesteryear were gone.

The shearing of young men began in earnest during the heavy recruitment of troops in World War II. The Army's official reason was "field sanitation"— meaning it wanted to control the spread of hair and body lice. It had the double effect of standardizing new US troops, creating a singular look to remind the men that they were in the Army now — and that the Army had standards.

Like most everything else in a military training environment, the haircut was a boon to individual and unit discipline.

Ever since, the services have tried at various times to recognize the evolution of popular hairstyles for American troops while trying to maintain discipline and grooming standards among them. Women, while not forced to partake in the introductory military hairstyle, have maintained clean, often short hairstyles. Their hairstyles are always expected to be just as well-kept and disciplined as their male counterparts. They still get a visit to the basic training Supercuts — the result is just not as drastic.

It doesn't matter if they're coming into the military as an officer or as enlisted, if they're Guard or Reserve, if they're going to a service academy or ROTC, all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines get a solid shearing to christen their new way of life.

SEE ALSO: Air Force leaders will push Congress on a 'tenant bill of rights' to give military families an edge over private landlords

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• Ahmed Alsanawi has cut the hair of some of the world's most famous soccer players.
• He was born in Bagdad and lived there until he was 9 years old.
• We visited his barber shop, A Star Barbers, to find out about his rise and get a haircut. 

The following is a transcript of the video.

- [Narrator] This barber is behind the haircuts of some of the world's most famous soccer players. Ahmed Alsanawi has styled everyone from Paul Pogba to Eden Hazard. We went to his shop near London to get a fresh new cut and find out more about him and his rise in the barber game. So how exactly do you become a barber to all these stars?

- It started when I was a young kid, going to the barbershop and just had enough of people messing with my hair, so I took matters into my own hands, literally, and started cutting my own hair. Then it started becoming my brother, my dad, my neighbors and then eventually worked in a shop, built a clientele, and then opened up A Star Barbers in 2013. All right, Huey, can you mix the bleach for me please, mate?

- [Cameraman] How you feeling about this now?

- Regretting, immediate regret, probably that.

- It's probably about a year and a half ago people started bleaching their hair. I think Messi done it, then Ramsey done it. Obviously Pogba always bleaching his hair, Agüero as well.

- [Man] He went for the silver look.

- Silver look, yeah, silver fox.

- [Narrator] Before opening his new barbershop, Ahmed was cutting hair at the Chelsea training ground every week, but his journey wasn't always an easy one.

- [Ahmed] I was born in Baghdad, come here when I was 9 years old. So yeah, certain people say I've come far, you know? Where I've come from and opened up a lot of opportunities, and you've gotta grab them. I cut Pogba's hair, I think it was two years ago. I was cutting Zouma at the time, and he seen my Instagram and sort of give me a shout saying, "Listen, I need you in Manchester," and then I went there, and that's when we done the #Equal in his hair because he was doing a campaign for that. And then, yeah, ever since, I've been cutting his hair. We've done the red and the blond for Pogba around the side, and it started trending, everyone started to do it, and then I think we done like a flame on the side so it looks like his hair was on fire. So that's one of my favorite haircuts. It's on FIFA now as well. I do quite a bit of traveling, so probably I travel maybe once a week. I was at the World Cup, had the pleasure to look after the French National Team. Them winning the World Cup was like icing on the cake, and then obviously on Instagram, they're saying, like, "Dedicate this to A Star, you won the cup too." That was like, wow, amazing.

- Yo, one dédicace for my brother A Star bro.

- A Star bro!

- A Star, you cut every player on the team, bro! You win the cup also.

- A, A, A, A Star.

- [Ahmed] For the young barbers out there, and I get this quite a lot, you just gotta love what you do. You gotta love it, and when you love it, that's when you try and aim to be the best that you can be. You can't be half-hearted at it.

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• Sofie Pok is an LA-based barber who has won Female Barber of the Year in 2017 and 2018, and Barber of the Year in 2017. 
• She stood out in the male-dominated industry by offering extra services to her clients. 
• She specializes in custom fades and custom beard grooming.

Following is a transcript of the video.

Sofie: When I first started, I think the first couple years were probably my hardest, because I had to work in a shop with 11 other guys, and I was the only female, so I think it was really hard for clients to trust me. Just from looking around and seeing who was available, they would not ever choose me because at the time, like no one really saw women in a barber shop, so it was really, I mean it could be a bad prior experience with another woman barber, or they just don't believe that women are for the barber shop.

It was just like me versus 11 of you guys, like let's see, you know? Pretty much I have to like fight for clients at some times. I had to do more than what everybody else I think. That's when I started learning how to build packages and like offering more than what everybody else was giving, so I started off with doing appointments. That was like the first thing, giving people an actual timeframe.

People wanna know that their time is valued the same way that we want them to value our time, so that worked out for me, and then just being able to add like different things, like hot towels on the neck, just like little things like that that made 'em feel good, and then over time, I added in to the service with my like photography and videography, so now it becomes a thing where it's like oh, I wanna go get a good cut, but I also know I might get that new default photo after my appointment's over. So it became like a whole experience, and that's kind of like the direction I've been pushing, like all my services towards.

I'd finish half, and then by the time I'd turn it around to work on the other side, the outside that's finished is being spread to everybody else in the shop so they can actually see like, that's another finished work. So it was a way of just marketing within the shop, but it started to kind of grow that way, and everyone knew me as like the girl with the tattoos, but she takes her time, and she does all these extra things, and it became a thing to where people were like, I wanna try that, like sure I'll pay a little bit more, but like that looks different than what everybody else in here is getting.

And that's kind of how I tried to kind of stand out in the shop. Beards are really hard. It took a while for me to understand it, because I think because I am a girl, like I don't really have one, and I don't know how to stretch certain parts of the skin. There's certain parts of the nose where you have to stretch that I found it to be really, really difficult. I did a guest spot in Montreal, and because it's so cold, all the men had beards, and I just remember passing them on to different people, and I wasn't making any money, so I had to make that choice, like if I wanna make some money here, like I have to kind of try, so I started watching the guys work, and they were giving me like tips here and there, and then once I actually got to doin' it, it got easier with time.

It just felt like I just need more practice, you know, just kind of like with fading hair and stuff, like it's kind of the same thing. The more you do it, it just gets a little bit easier. It's like a separate hair cut that I find to be so fun, because now we're shaping it into creating better jaw lines, you know, making the face look longer or shorter. Like it's really cool how that can change the entire face shape of a man.

- When I first started, I think the first couple years were probably my hardest, because I had to work in a shop with 11 other guys, and I was the only female, so I think it was really hard for clients to trust me. Just from looking around and seeing who was available, they would not ever choose me because at the time, like no one really saw women in a barber shop, so it was really, I mean it could be a bad prior experience with another woman barber, or they just don't believe that women are for the barber shop. It was just like me versus 11 of you guys, like let's see, you know? Pretty much I have to like fight for clients at some times. I had to do more than what everybody else I think. That's when I started learning how to build packages and like offering more than what everybody else was giving, so I started off with doing appointments. That was like the first thing, giving people an actual timeframe. People wanna know that their time is valued the same way that we want them to value our time, so that worked out for me, and then just being able to add like different things, like hot towels on the neck, just like little things like that that made 'em feel good, and then over time, I added in to the service with my like photography and videography, so now it becomes a thing where it's like oh, I wanna go get a good cut, but I also know I might get that new default photo after my appointment's over. So it became like a whole experience, and that's kind of like the direction I've been pushing, like all my services towards. I'd finish half, and then by the time I'd turn it around to work on the other side, the outside that's finished is being spread to everybody else in the shop so they can actually see like, that's another finished work. So it was a way of just marketing within the shop, but it started to kind of grow that way, and everyone knew me as like the girl with the tattoos, but she takes her time, and she does all these extra things, and it became a thing to where people were like, I wanna try that, like sure I'll pay a little bit more, but like that looks different than what everybody else in here is getting. And that's kind of how I tried to kind of stand out in the shop. Beards are really hard. It took a while for me to understand it, because I think because I am a girl, like I don't really have one, and I don't know how to stretch certain parts of the skin. There's certain parts of the nose where you have to stretch that I found it to be really, really difficult. I did a guest spot in Montreal, and because it's so cold, all the men had beards, and I just remember passing them on to different people, and I wasn't making any money, so I had to make that choice, like if I wanna make some money here, like I have to kind of try, so I started watching the guys work, and they were giving me like tips here and there, and then once I actually got to doin' it, it got easier with time. It just felt like I just need more practice, you know, just kind of like with fading hair and stuff, like it's kind of the same thing. The more you do it, it just gets a little bit easier. It's like a separate hair cut that I find to be so fun, because now we're shaping it into creating better jaw lines, you know, making the face look longer or shorter. Like it's really cool how that can change the entire face shape of a man.

- I've never gotten a a cleaner cut and beard line-up from anybody else, so when you kind of, once you find your person, you kind of need to keep going to that person, and I just love that she's a female in such a male-dominated industry, and she's out here like stepping up and being better than the majority of them and completely just blowing them out of the water. Sofie is one of like the top, or if not the top female barbers, so she's really one of the people that inspired me to go and pursue this career, as well. Even if I walked into a new shop right now and I started from scratch, I'm still gonna deal with everything I dealt with before, unless they had already seen my work prior, so it's just a, I think the history of however it's been has just happened for so long that I think the only thing we can do is try our best to take care of our small communities that are around us, and hopefully that kind of like domino affects all the way around us, and if everyone's doing their part in educating themselves and learning different things and being more open minded, I think as a whole it should hopefully get better. It is gotten more open to where women feel comfortable cutting. It's not such a weird stigma anymore to see like women in a shop. Obviously it's still a very small group of what we do, but it's gotten a lot better.

Customer 1: I've never gotten a a cleaner cut and beard line-up from anybody else, so when you kind of, once you find your person, you kind of need to keep going to that person, and I just love that she's a female in such a male-dominated industry, and she's out here like stepping up and being better than the majority of them and completely just blowing them out of the water.

Customer 2: Sofie is one of like the top, or if not the top female barbers, so she's really one of the people that inspired me to go and pursue this career, as well.

Sofie: Even if I walked into a new shop right now and I started from scratch, I'm still gonna deal with everything I dealt with before, unless they had already seen my work prior, so it's just a, I think the history of however it's been has just happened for so long that I think the only thing we can do is try our best to take care of our small communities that are around us, and hopefully that kind of like domino affects all the way around us, and if everyone's doing their part in educating themselves and learning different things and being more open minded, I think as a whole it should hopefully get better.

It is gotten more open to where women feel comfortable cutting. It's not such a weird stigma anymore to see like women in a shop. Obviously it's still a very small group of what we do, but it's gotten a lot better.

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• Demi Lovato has chopped her hair into a chic bob.
• The singer went to Nine Zero One salon in Los Angeles for the cut.
• Lovato shared photos of the new hairstyle to her Instagram story.
• Visit INSIDER.com for more.

It's officially warm-weather season, at least here in Los Angeles, and it's inspiring celebrities and non-famous folks alike to chop off their hair. Demi Lovato's bob is the latest in a long line to celeb hair transformations I seriously want to copy — STAT. Lovato hit up Nine Zero One salon in LA and saw master stylist Amber Maynard Bolt. Bolt says the singer is feeling "great" and "wanted something to represent" the way she's feeling.

"She's been wearing extensions and growing her hair out for a while so this was a nice change-up, while keeping her classic and beautiful," Bolt said of Lovato's new bob. "Spring cleaning? I would say so! Changing our hair seasonally is a great way to feel good about yourself and to feed the soul," she added on Instagram.

It's easy to see how confident Lovato feels and how much she loves her new hair. She shared both the front and back of the look on her Instagram stories, writing, "New hair, who dis?" (Also, serious brow goals, below.)

It's a trendy '90s-style bob, sleek and straight and curled under a bit at the ends.

Read more:The most popular hairstyle the year you were born

Not only is Lovato working her hair on her stories but she's sharing her new look on her feed as well. You know it's a killer look if it's feed-worthy.

This is a length that will work on anyone—especially those with wavy and curly hair. It's long enough to be flattering on all face shapes and hair textures, and short enough to enter the cool-girl lob crowd. Now, I'll be right back; I'm going to book a hair appointment.

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• Reese Witherspoon is the latest celebrity to chop her hair into a bob. 
• The "Big Little Lies" star shared a boomerang video of her new cut to Instagram on Tuesday. 
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Hellooo, shorty! 

Reese Witherspoon just joined the league of celebrities (Brie Larsen, Mandy Moore, the list goes on) who have traded in their long locks for this summer's "it" haircut: the bob. The "Big Little Lies" actress clearly thought the season two wrap-up was the right moment to try something new (and we totally agree).

She shared the new 'do on Instagram with a boomerang of the swishy style, captioning the post "Thanks for my new summer cut @lonavigi!" and tagging her hairstylist, Lona Vigi. The 43-year-old actress has long been known for her lengthy blonde locks (um, Legally Blonde, anyone?) but the trendy, shorter chop seems like a genius way to kick off the warmer months. We're all for a haircut that doesn't turn into a sweaty mess on the back of our necks come July. Witherspoon kept her version of the bob a little longer, with face-framing layers to keep it from looking too "soccer mom heading to the country club."

Witherspoon, who just celebrated the return of "Big Little Lies" at its season two premiere, went on the record about how excited she was for another season: "It all began with one phone call between two friends," she said. "The show is really a testament to the power of female friendship, so I'm enormously proud." We, on the other hand, are enormously excited to queue up those new episodes on HBO.

Congrats on the haircut, Reese. We'll see you on Sunday at 9 p.m.

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• The Marine Corps' tough training begins with what is likely a little-known rite of passage.
• In a matter of minutes, Marine barbers leave carnage at the feet of recruits, as a new batch of them found out on July 16.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As much as stepping on the yellow footprints is a hallowed Marine Corps tradition, there's another rite of passage that folks outside the military — like soon-to-be Marine recruits — aren't always aware of.

I'm of course talking about the hair-clipper carnage that comes right after you arrive at recruit training.

The barbers at boot camp don't so much cut your hair as they do shear you like sheep, rushing countless recruits through those chairs in a matter of minutes, leaving behind only quietly muttered curse words, a couple of scraped scalps, and the remnants of once magnificent hairdos.

That was the case for Kyle Silva, who recently arrived at Parris Island, South Carolina, and may have realized that, no, his recruiter wasn't lying when he said he couldn't have an afro in the Marine Corps. Or more than likely, he just figured they'd cut it off anyway, so why not just enjoy the 'do those last few days before shipping out? He certainly wouldn't be the first (see: Mullet Recruit).

The photos of Silva, who arrived at Parris Island on July 16 and will be assigned to Mike Company 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, were shot by Lance Cpl. Christopher McMurry and Lance Cpl. Ryan Hageali.

If you were wondering just how much hair you can show up with at Recruit Training: The answer is as much as you want. They're not going to let you keep it, though.

SEE ALSO: Here's why the military gives male recruits buzzcuts

Before:

It begins:

Is there a guy under there?

The face we've all made when we start to wonder if this was a mistake:

You just know a Marine grabbed him and made him pose for this:

• US Army Pvt. Reynaldo Arroyo, 23, donated 150 inches of hair to Locks of Love and enlisted in the Army as an infantryman on Thursday.
• Arroyo is scheduled to ship out to Ft. Benning, home of the Army's infantry school, within the next two weeks, a US Army spokesperson told INSIDER.
• "I'm just really excited to be enlisting in the US Army," Arroyo said in a Facebook video. "Hopefully, some lucky little girl's going to get it."
• Arroyo will not be sporting his fresh haircut for long — upon arriving at Ft. Benning, he is expected to receive a buzz cut like all the other male recruits.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A 23-year-old California native received his first haircut in 15 years to enlist in the US Army.

US Army Pvt. Reynaldo Arroyo of Riverside donated 150 inches of hair to Locks of Love and enlisted in the Army as an infantryman on Thursday.

"I'm just really excited to be enlisting in the US Army," Arroyo said in a Facebook video. "Hopefully, some lucky little girl's going to get it."

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that donates hair to disadvantaged people with long-term medical conditions resulting in hair loss, such as cancer and severe burns.

Read more: People are mocking China for celebrating its 'incredibly strong' soldiers with a video showing them run through an obstacle course

Arroyo is scheduled to ship out to Ft. Benning, home of the Army's infantry school, within the next two weeks, a US Army spokesperson told INSIDER.

But Arroyo will not be sporting his fresh haircut for long.

Upon arriving at Ft. Benning, he is expected to receive a buzz cut like all the other male recruits. After graduating and at his commander's discretion, he may grow out his hair again, so long as it remains "neat and conservative," according to Army regulations.

SEE ALSO: I've donated my hair to charity 4 times. Here's what you need to know if you want to do it.

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