Don`t Want to offend stylist...

first you have to figure out if you really want it cut short. since my hair has been just about every length, i can tell you some ups and downs of short/long hair. long hair can be a pain b/c it takes longer to style, blow dry, etc. but with short hair, while it might take less time in the beggining, if you decided to grow it out, your hair would go through awful grow out stages that honestly can take much longer to tame then longer hair would. when i had my long hair (long being about 3 inches below my shoulders) i loved it. my hair has always been in good condition no matter what i have put it through. i dye it a lot, blow dry it etc, and its always been very healthy. it was soft and shiney, and very easy to manage. then i got it cut to a chin length bob, and loved it, but wanted to be able to put it back up, so i grew it out to my shoulders again. then when short hair came in, i gradually got it cut shorter and shorter everytime i went until i ended up with a spikey inch cut pretty much all over. all i had to do was wake up, wet it, run my fingers through it and i was done. well i`ve been letting it grow out since feb. and while my hair grows super fast, some days are just pure hell trying to get it to do what i want. my shortest piece of hair now is about 3-4 inches long, and i keep having to get the back of it cut (like by the hairline) to even it out and give the other hair time to catch up. so my advice is that if you want short hair to go for it, b/c i do like short hair, and after having it long again awhile i would probably consider getting it cut again, but if you dont like it, be prepared for a messy grow out process. and sure there are hair products that can nutrition your hair so it might grow a little faster, but hair is hair and its not going to grow back super fast. about your stylist.......please go to whoever makes you feel comfortable and who is used to your hair. many times have i had friends go to a stylist that they wouldnt normally go to, b/c they were afraid that their stylist might not want to cut their hair short, or that they might offend their stylist if they ask for a short cut. and i hate to see when someone goes to a stylist they dont know, and then the stylist botches the job, gives them a horrible cut, and then they blame the stylist for the cut. go to the stylist that knows you, someone who understands what you want. and maybe she might be a little offended, but you have to remember, its her JOB to cut your hair. thats what she does for a living. she is there to do what you want her to do with your hair, not what she wants to do to your hair. and as long as you remember that, you`ll be all right. hope i helped some :)

Guilt. Unless you are 1) British or 2) Roman Catholic, in either which case you are conditioned from birth, try to resist it. I`m both so there`s no hope for me, but you may still have a chance.
Your stylist is there to serve you. I would be surprised if you still think in terms of "pleasing" him/her - you have to part with the cash don`t forget! Chances are they would not be offended, they certainly should not be. You never know, they may even relish the chance to try something different on you. If you want it short, go for it, it`s liberating.