Always go to a pro for a hair cut.

In light of Miley Cyrus’ recent hair transformation, in which she ditched her long locks for a platinum blonde pixie cut, I’ve been thinking about changing my hair. Regardless of your thoughts on how Miley’s hair looks, you have to give her credit for being so bold. I’m not even a huge Miley fan, but I think she rocks her new cut.

For the rest of us, chopping off all of our hair might be a bit too drastic. Here are some less extreme examples of hair changes for anyone who needs something new.

Go Ombre:

I have black hair that has never been colored because I’m worried about what it will look like when I try to get it back to its natural color. However, the ombre trend, also known as dip-dye, might be enough to get me to take the plunge. Maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with how it looks on Rachel Bilson, but I cannot get enough of this style.

If you're a pro, save money with DIY dye. If not, head to the salon.

Ombre typically consists of darker roots and lighter ends, but some celebrities have even colored their ends blue or pink. It’s really up to you. I talk about going ombre weekly, so if I ever get the courage, I’ll be sure to post the before and after.

Go Lighter or Darker:

Whenever my friends ask me if they should go lighter or darker, I think about what season is approaching. Right now, August is winding down and fall is on its way, so I would generally advise my friends to go darker.  This is of course my personal preference. But for myself, if I were ever to dye all of my hair, I would go lighter in the winter to a brown color. This is mostly because I tan very well in the summer, but am very pale in the winter. Brown hair would make me look less like Snow White I imagine.

Cut:

If you want to pull a Miley and go for a pixie cut, I admire you. Don’t want to be that bold? Just go for something different, but less intense. Cut a few inches off your long hair or bring medium hair to a bob length. Think about side bangs or front bangs, layers or angles. Just find something different that you want to do.

I advise you to always, always, always find a picture of what you like and bring it to your stylist. If you’re not sure about it, ask their opinion. And never, ever try to give yourself a drastic hair cut. My 12-year-old self who wanted to give herself side bangs warns against this, as well as my 15-year-old self who wanted to give herself choppy layers. The layers turned out choppier than you can imagine.

Style It:

Not ready for a cut or a new color? Try playing around with new styles. If you always straighten your hair, try curling it and vice versa. Try doing a top knot or a high, sleek ponytail if you always wear your hair down.

Try out a high ponytail for a new style.

Do some French braiding or invest in some cute headbands. These minor changes can still give you a refreshing new look.

This headband from Zara adds a pop of color and sparkle to any outfit.

Will you be changing up your hair soon?

Photos: Hair cut - Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net; Dye - Clairol; Woman holding scissors - Imagerymajestic/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net; Ponytail - Kathryn Sena/BeautyXpose; Headband - Zara