Pixie? It's more like Hobbit: Drastic haircuts can be hard to pull off

 

There's nothing like a drastic haircut to get people talking and recently we've been treated to two radical transformations.
Last week, The X Factor's Katie Waissel replaced her fuzzy halo of blonde with a short, curly brown crop. The change was said to have been inspired by actress  , who chopped off most of her hair after she finished filming Harry Potter, saying: 'I've wanted to do this for years and years… it's the most liberating thing, ever.'
It seems that for both girls, getting the scissors out is a kind of coming of age.

Making a statement: Katie Waissel, left and 

Of course, short hair is always about making a statement. It's exactly 50 years since actress Jean Seberg first made short hair sexy in the 1960 film Breathless.
Her blonde crop represented a coolness a million miles away from the bouffants of the day, and it wasn't long before Mia Farrow and Twiggy followed.

 

So, will the pixie crop be the next big - sorry, short - thing? Maybe, but before you get the scissors out, a warning: short hair can be hard to carry off.
While some fans love Katie's new look, less generous ones have pointed out a likeness to Frodo from Lord Of The Rings. How very cutting.