It’s all about my hair. It’s really bugging me these days.
When I was younger, my stylists would say, “It’s fine, but there’s so much of it!” Not so much, anymore. Now it’s fine and thin. Most of my life I wore a chin length bob with bangs. I have a picture of me in first grade with that do and could find one from every decade if I went on a search, I’m sure. While it’s probably a go-to look for people with my kind of hair these days, it is also the one you see on too many ladies of “a certain age”—my age, actually, but I don’t want to jump on that bandwagon. Plus, been there, done that, right?
After months of isolation, working from home, and other “who cares?” situations, I’m ready for an upgrade. About 10 years ago, during a period of singleness, I decided to grow my hair out past my shoulders. I was on some dating apps and my short hair was getting zero attention. I grew my hair as a social experiment and got attention from men who had previously rejected me. I was hooked. But I’m in a relationship now and my partner doesn’t care about the length of my hair. As previously stated, it is thin and fine. The word “scraggly” comes to mind. So what to do?
The other problem is that, after the recent shut-down, my favorite haircutters have still not returned from hiatus. Their shop allowed people to come back on a voluntary basis and they have chosen not to return just yet. Who do you go to when you want to make a big change? Certainly not a stranger!
The good news is, I have an appointment with the stylist of a friend. My first attraction to this woman was her hair. It’s not a style for me, but it is perfection for her. That’s what I’m hoping for: perfection. The appointment is in a little more than 3 weeks so I have time to think about my options.
I’ve found you must be careful when talking to a hairdresser about what you want to do with your hair. Beware of the pictures you show them, too. First, they see these pictures with much different eyes than you do. I’ve had a situation where I showed someone what I thought was a multi-level, messy, shag haircut and ended up with a one-layer bob with two little pieces slithered on each side of my face. She swore that was the same haircut I saw in the picture. Second, even if the photo has a caption above it stating that this is a perfect style for thin, fine hair, your professional with look at the picture and tell you, “That girl has a lot more hair than you.” Heavy sigh. Worst of all, don’t show them multiple different haircuts. Somehow, elements of the discarded photos will end up on your head. Probably your least favorite elements and not the ones you brought the pictures to illustrate, but they caught the stylist’s eye and now they are yours.
No blame to the cosmetologists. They are taught precise terms and techniques. I use vague and imprecise language. The girls in the photos look pretty and happy. No worries about COVID, racial injustice, or extra comfort-eating pounds spreading across their mid-sections. They are young and line-free. I want to look like them. Be like that. A lot to ask from a haircut and hard to put in terms a haircutter can understand.
Given that, I’ve decided to spend the next three weeks preparing for this makeover. I’m planning to go back to healthy eating with fewer carbs, more lean protein and vegetables. I’ll step up my exercise program beyond walking to include toning and stretching exercises. I’ve got some skincare tricks in mind for face and body. You can’t expect a haircut to carry the whole show, can you?
I’ll drop in with updates and details, in case you want to come along for the ride. Maybe you need an update, too? I’ll still be working on the inside me and doing what I can to change my little piece of the world because those are important to my well-being and that of the planet. Look for help with those things, too.
A haircut can’t carry the whole load. But where else can you make a big change in 30 minutes?
Any suggestions for my new look?
Cool Like Christ 