In her new column, Loose Women star Frankie Bridge shares how changing her hair boosts her confidence
Over the years I haven't shied away from changing my hair. I've always said that I'd hate to look back and look the same in every picture.
Being young and having fun with how you look is a part of growing up. I love that each hair change marks a feeling and a time in my life. If we don't try out lots of different styles, how will we know which one is the best for us? Hair grows and colours change; no look has to be forever.
This week I went to the TV Baftas and decided to mix it up a bit and went orange for the night. Everyone thought I had dyed it, but it was just hair wax.
I'm not going to lie, just as I was ready to leave, I had a little panic about it. We had based the whole outfit around it and then suddenly I wasn’t sure. Going on a red carpet is daunting and I felt like a totally different person, but after taking a few pictures, I loved how different and playful it was. I got so many lovely compliments, and the best part was that I could wash it out when I got home!
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Frankie Bridge's favourite hair look
My favourite haircut is probably my best known; the short crop, with the big side fringe. Although I feel that since this cut I've had looks that suit me better, this is the one that holds the most memories for me.
It's the style that made me stand out from the crowd, at a time when not many women were rocking short hair. It's the cut that so many people still come and tell me they tried after seeing mine. Some loved it and some regretted it, but they're all glad they tried it.
I love that I encouraged girls to be brave enough to take the chop, and made them realise that long hair is not the only way to feel sexy, confident or feminine.
I've met lots of girls that say seeing me with short hair helped them to feel confident when they lost their hair through chemo. So not only did it give me a sense of confidence, it gave me a sense of pride.
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Frankie's controversial hair choices
There aren't any looks that I regret, but there are definitely some that I wouldn't do again! I had an emo stage that I love to look back on. It was a time of self-discovery and a rebellion from my S Club Juniors, 'girl next door' phase. But the looks were not great. I had yellow and black hair at one point. Yellow on the top, black on the bottom. Finished off with a little red bow.
Then I dyed it all black, cut in a fringe and used plastic clip-in extensions, some of which I lost in a mosh pit while watching Enter Shikari.
I actually love showing people the version of me that they've never seen, as it's so unexpected and so far away from the Frankie that people have become used to seeing over the years.
Frankie's most confidence-boosting haircut
All my haircuts and colours have made me feel confident at the time. I just love having fun with it and trying things out.
I love the buzz I get from a new look, but it's sometimes short-lived. My poor long-suffering hairdresser Bobby Collier at Larry King in London never knows how long a look is going to last and my colourist Mark at Jo Hansford in Harvey Nichols is always getting sent unrealistic colour change ideas. I get bored so easily!
That being said, my pixie cut probably made me feel the most confident.
It was such an empowering feeling to just chop it all off. I was so exposed as I was no longer able to hide behind the big side fringe. Which, if I'm being honest, had become a bit of a comfort blanket. It was particularly great to hide behind while being papped on nights out and perfect for hiding tired eyes!
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The crop made me feel more feminine than ever before and was a 'look' all by itself, so made picking what to wear so much easier.
I've flip-flopped between long and short hair a few times over the years. Mostly going long when I'm going through a phase of feeling insecure about how I look, or when I'm bored of my hair always looking the same. Which is both a blessing and a curse with short hair, it's not something you can really style differently.
I've been lucky enough to have one of the best people do my hair extensions. Hadley Yates at Hadley Yates in Soho is talented and patient with my ever-changing mind.
Frankie's long hair
I enjoy the long hair while I have it, and then one day I'll decide that I want it chopped off. I'm quite impulsive with my hair. My agent always says when she first met me I had my brown side fringe crop, then the next day we met for a meeting and a had a white blonde pixie cut. I hadn't even given her a heads-up.
Frankie Bridge's bob
Most recently I had a choppy bob with a fringe. I loved it, but the novelty of the fringe wore off very quickly. It lasted longer than my stylist predicted though! I just couldn't style it as well as him and a fringe is hard to work with in pictures.
Growing it out has not been fun, but luckily bangs have been a trend recently, so I've kind of got away with it.
The truth is, opposite to what most people believe, short hair takes a lot of upkeep. When I was in The Saturdays and our hairdresser Nick was with us every day, he could keep on top of it. Now being a working mum and only having one hairdresser that I trust, I just don't have the time to keep it looking how I'd like, so the mid-length I have now is perfect.
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I can go a long time without getting it cut, can play around with styles for nights out and red carpets, shove it in a bun or ponytail and change the colour pretty easily.
While maintenance is definitely something to consider when thinking of a new hairstyle, think of the fun, the memories or the confidence that you might gain. And remember, it can always be changed again. It might take some time, but it will be something to look back on.
Frankie's May must-haves
Fit N Fresh Protein Bars, from £21 for 12
Handmade, delicious and delivered to your door. They come in flavours including chocolate and peanut, double chocolate, white chocolate and peanut, orange chocolate and Biscoff.
2L water bottle, £3.99
This has genuinely helped me to drink more water daily. It has the times of the day down the side to keep me on track. Before I had this I'd sometimes get to the end of the day and not even know if I'd drunk any water
Body lotions, from £5
I've been trying new body moisturisers, as I find some don't keep me moisturised all day. My new faves are Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream, £49 (spenny) and CeraVe Moisturising Cream, £5.
Larry King Hair Cream, from £12
Larry King's A Social Life For Your Hair is perfect for finishing off undone, textured hairstyles
Perfectil Hair Gummies, £22.95
I work with Vitabiotics, but I genuinely rate these gummies for healthy hair
Slip Pure Silk Skinny Scrunchies, £29 for six
They don't get stuck in my hair or hurt my head.
Free People Super Satin Scrunchie, £10
This oversized scrunchie dresses up a casual outfit and helps to make a statement for a night out.
New Look White Ribbed Scoop Neck Vest, £7.99
This is from Emily Atack's edit, and I've bought it in bulk. I love a good white vest top and wear one pretty much daily.
New Balance 9060 trainers, from £155
These are my latest purchase - they're perfect for spring.
H&M 90s Baggy High Jeans, £24.99
They're comfortable, they look great and they're well priced.
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