A little over a month ago, my partner in crime and I committed to giving up a style crutch for the month of February. Here it is, March 4th (my grandfather used to call March 4th “the day soldiers hate most” – say it out loud and have a little giggle) and I can report: we did it!

Over 28 days, Lauren went without her ponytail, and I foreswore hairpins. So, how did it go?

What We Expected

Man, it was hard to go without our trusty, easy hairstyles! The reason Lauren has her ponytail and I have my hairpin are the same: when you wake up late or cranky and don’t have time or energy to do your hair, you know you can rely on pulling it back. Going without this easy option made both of us feel like we needed to actually spend time on our hair – whether it’s Lauren’s curly look or my styled pixie.

What We Didn’t Expect

Just like with your skincare routine, if you style your hair infrequently, it feels like a huge undertaking to do it daily. However, if you make it a habit, after a few days it becomes effortless. Lauren discovered pin curls as an alternate way to cut back on her time, and I discovered my hair could go to unexpected heights (PUN INTENDED). I also began relying more heavily on dry shampoo, as I’m seeking to cut back even more the days I wash my hair.

Final Thoughts

We’re both glad to have access to our crutch again, no doubt about it. (It’s possible I posted a hairpinned #OutfitSelfie almost immediately.) But we both learned that, while there’s a time and a place to pull back your hair, you don’t have to sacrifice a ton of time or energy to not pull back your hair! February #gtgiu, I declare you a success.