I'm in the short hair group too. I started with long hair and it's been getting shorter and shorter every year. Luckily for me, I have a hair stylist that I barter with (I train her, she cuts and colors my hair). It allows me to get it cut every four weeks and play with color. Right now I have dark brown (natural) interspersed with blond and fushia streaks. I know, it sounds a little punk. But it was my gift to myself after leaving the corporate world.

In any case, I still get helmet head and I haven't seen anyone running away screaming as a result, so I guess it's ok.