Haircut 101 with Nick Arrojo

After years of negligence, salon-phobic Michele Miao finally gets her mane chopped. Read on for Nick Arrojo's tips for losing the locks

I'm afraid of doctors, dentists and hairstylists. I know, hairstylists - weird, right? Everyone has a horror story about a bad haircut, though. My fear has caused me to avoid getting a haircut for about a year, so I desperately needed a new look. That's why I jumped at the chance to visit Arrojo Studios.I had only two requests: that my new 'do be easy to take care of and long enough to pull off my face.

It took Nick Arrojo, hairstylist for the American What Not to Wear, only a few minutes to size up what I needed. He cut off about a foot of my very heavy hair - which I am so excited to be donating to Locks of Love, at Nick's suggestion - giving me the volume that I'd been missing. He added in some layers and a bit of style for a look with lots of movement and texture.

It's a big change from my long locks, but I love how light and full it feels and how it complements my features. Add a little makeup and the new dress I bought, and I think my husband will be happy with my small-scale makeover.

Are you ready for a new 'do? We can't all be lucky enough to have a celebrity hairstylist like Nick Arrojo to advise us on how to land the best haircut...or can we? Read on for Nick's tips on how to find the right hairstyle for you...

The most important step in finding the right hairstyle is taking your hair texture (fine, medium-smooth or coarse) and shape (straight, wavy or curly) into consideration. Most people start with face shape, which is a misconception - a single face shape can suit many different styles.

If you find a photo of a haircut you like, show it to your stylist, even if the hair is a different texture and shape than yours. A good stylist will be able to guide you on what version of that particular style will suit you the best.

Think about your fashion style and lifestyle when deciding on a new haircut. For younger, more fashion-forward women, a hip, trendy hairdo will fit nicely. For a mother of three, you'll want to consider functionality as well as a classy style that suits your age.

Nick Arrojo's haircut tips for different textures and shapes

Coarse Hair: Aim for short, heavily textured cuts. This will take the weight off and will give your hairstyle more shape for a lighter, looser look that is much easier to manage.

Medium-Smooth Hair: If you truly have normal, medium-smooth hair, you are one of the lucky ones. You have the widest range of options - almost any style can and will work well for you.

Fine Hair: Try a soft hair cut with soft lines. A geometric cut with strong lines and structure won't hold its shape in fine hair .

Curly Hair: If you have truly curly (spiral-shaped) hair - not wavy - a cut that matches the unique natural shape of your curls is what will make your styling super-easy to do.

Are you ready for a new haircut and style? Before you take the hairdo plunge, avoid a hair nightmare by trying on different hairstyles with Makeover-o-Matic . Just upload your photo and click your way to chic!