We’ve all been there: You want to change your hair, but you don’t want to cut it. Below, you’ll find my favorite recommendations:

Get Bangs

Your friends will tell you not to. Your mom will show you pictures of the bad bangs you had in middle school. Your ex-boyfriend will think it’s because you’re having an existential crisis over your ended relationship. Your coworkers will threaten to never speak to you again. Bangs are not even a controversial topic--it’s a hard “no” to most. For me, I’ve cut bangs every couple of years after becoming bored of my straight long hair but not bored enough to go for an overall cut. There are so many fun bang styles to experiment with! Do you want to be Alexa Chung or Zooey Deschanel? Do you want them to be blunt and bold or wispy and carefree? You have options. Hair grows back. Yada yada. Just do it.

Adopt a New Routine

Is your hair dry? Try a hydrating hair mask. Is your scalp recovering from too many sunny days without a hat? Try a calming and nourishing scalp treatment. Are you trying to cut back on blowing drying? Try an absorbent hair towel to help speed up air-drying. New products can give you the small changes you want to get out of your hair rut. This applies to accessories as well. In the past, buying a new comb or brush and committing myself to use it has changed my mindset and added a little extra spice to my routine.