No More Cheap Haircuts (Rant)

[AMISLANDER]

This is strange, I am really "into" growing my hair out it's natural salt and pepper gray-- LOL. I dyed my hair since a teenager, lightening it, fussing with it and so on. All these years everyone thought I was blond but I have brown hair. Okay, so I did an experiment and at 48, started to grow out my grey hair and strangely, I love it! It is so silvery-- as opposed to goldish. Why am I not supposed to like grey hair? Right now it is kind of "this and that," as per keeping with a person actually strapped for cash. But I really feel "honest" like a guy who is allowed to wear grey hair and is seen as "mature." I tend to think that everyone puts down vanity, but when you are not vein, they go and call you other names (messy, old etc...) You can't win, eh?

This past summer, we had a fashion show/street party downtown Sarasota called "White on White". All the models showcased on the runway wore white wigs of different styles/cuts. Everyone that came was asked to wear white. Admission was $10 (fabulous for a sarasota event!) and we saw a number of older women with beautiful white/silver hair in bobs, in length, in every kind of style/cut. And it was out of this world to see the hair on women with confidence in their color.

Sometimes "owning" that grey/silver/white is just a matter of getting it styled right & accenting the hair, just as we do our faces/bodies with make up.

As you read my earlier posts, I went back to blonde with streaking & the "right" cut because I realized, brown was good, but the blonde lighter hair brightens up my look. (have blue eyes which pop with dark hair, but blonde is more fun!).

I only have a few silvers at this time, so I'm not ready to go that way yet, but when I do, it will done right...with a great cut (I like inverted bobs with hair longer in the front with a sharp angle to the back where it's short.)

Really it comes down to the cut!

[chpxiii]

Amislander, I have some silver. I really don't mind silver. I wish it would go all silver already so I don't have to cover up this mish-mash of colour.

[WantToBeDebtFre]

I have to say I've finallly found a hair dresser I like after all these years. I've never went to the same place twice because I've never been too impressed but the girl that's done my hair the last couple time is very good.

Btw, I think a lot of times you really do get what you pay for. Before I filed bankruptcy when I couldn't afford anything my daughter and I went to get $10 hair cuts and it was horrible. They don't wash you hair (which is my favorite part) and when we got home my daughter's hair wasn't even and I had to cut it my self to even it up(and I'm not qualified for that AT ALL).

[HeatherB]

They don't wash you hair (which is my favorite part)

MINE TOO! I actually love people playing with my hair. I don't go to the salon often, but relish when they wash my hair. I love to have my hair brushed, too. I find it relaxing... kinda like a massage. Heck, I even got excited when my son wanted to *brush* my hair. Unfortunately, he's a little too young (age 4) and ended up about taking an eye out and tearing off my ear. LOL

[Catriona]

Amislander, I have some silver. I really don't mind silver. I wish it would go all silver already so I don't have to cover up this mish-mash of colour.

I've gone silver, and although it wasn't easy biting the bullet, I am so much happier. My hair is in incredible condition because of the lack of chemicals, it looks tres cool (think Halle Berry in X-Men 3) and I occasionally get offered seats on the bus. Okay, the last part's a bit of an ego ding at times, but when I'm tired, I smile thankfully & sit myself down!!

[One Half Full]

One reason, beside cost, that contributed to my decision, was the amount of "frying," and the burning of the chemicals, which meant I'd become sensitive. I looked at options and became acquainted with Anne Kremer's web site before she had her book out. I really liked her point of view and philosophy. It is certainly fun to color, but the permanence and damage done is not like putting on make-up it is more like getting a tattoo. The hair is destroyed, and needs to be re-colored or chopped off.

Mine is only about 3 inches out so I am at an awkward stage. I'll let it go some more before thinking of chopping it off. My face does not look good with short short hair. I would frankly like to have longish (just longer than shoulder length). I love smooth long hair with the front as long as the back. I shouldn't care what color it is as long as it is healthy and sexy. The right cut to complement your face and lifestyle is very important.

What I haven't found out now is whether this will effect my color choices for clothing! -- maybe someone can point me to a good site. I've looked at a few. Most say stop wearing yellow and green. Unfortunately green is one of my favorite colors. My eyes are a light "sea-foam" green color. But I have a pinker skin-tone than I should. I could deal with wearing white and some green colored jewelry or something.

I would have to buy clothing that I would still be wearing in 6 months to a year. I decided to be safe and get blues and not to wear a lot of red on my top half, to keep my face from getting too red.

[FLBK7]

Update on the BADBADBAD haircut!

Well, as luck had it, my hairdresser has left the salon and no one will tell me where she went! She's the one who was out sick the day I went for a trim, and I stupidly let someone else cut my hair, hence I looked awful all through Christmas and still do today.
I was hoping she would somehow try and "fix" the mess the other lady made, leaving me with too-short-bangs that make the sides stick out.

But perhaps things happen for a reason: I stopped by the library to return some books and ran into a lady with a truly AWESOME haircut. It wasn't particularly my style but you could tell that her hair was so expertly cut that it would look good even wet. So I approached the lady, complimented her on her hair, and asked where she had it done. She was happy at the compliment and happily gave me the salon's name, phone number and hairstylist's name.

I then stopped by that salon and asked to speak to the hairstylist. She was overwhelmed with work because this is basically a holiday weekend, but I told her I had seen "Lillian" at the library sporting a terrific haircut, and that I would like to consider her as my hairstylist. The end result is that I have an appointment for next Saturday. By then, hopefully, these darn bangs will have grown 1/16th of an inch and I'll just see what this new stylist can do with it.

I have no idea how expensive it is. This is a private salon, not a "chain" one. It looked classy but not stuffy, and everyone seemed very nice. By now I don't care how much it costs. I'm desperate for a "fix".

I'll let you all know how that goes!

Happy New Year to all. May 2008 bring joy, peace, love and prosperity.

[Catriona]

What I haven't found out now is whether this will effect my color choices for clothing! -- maybe someone can point me to a good site. I've looked at a few. Most say stop wearing yellow and green. Unfortunately green is one of my favorite colors. My eyes are a light "sea-foam" green color. But I have a pinker skin-tone than I should. I could deal with wearing white and some green colored jewelry or something.

Try shades of purple, especially a clear lavender - you'll be getting more compliments than you can handle!

[WantToBeDebtFre]

MINE TOO! I actually love people playing with my hair. I don't go to the salon often, but relish when they wash my hair. I love to have my hair brushed, too. I find it relaxing... kinda like a massage. Heck, I even got excited when my son wanted to *brush* my hair. Unfortunately, he's a little too young (age 4) and ended up about taking an eye out and tearing off my ear. LOL

That's funny. I let my 3 year old son "fix" my hair. He brushes it and trys to put clips and barrets in it. It keeps him pacified for 20 minutes and I love it. He also puts the hair ties on my wrists and up my arm. Kind of strange if someone seen me like that

[AMISLANDER]

In hair, you usually get what you pay for, but as someone else mentioned, if you see someone with a cut/color that you love, there's your answer.

I've done the $180 cut/color & it sucked.....I've gone to the barber & had it all sheared into a pixie for $10 and never got so many compliments in my life.

[LadynRed]

I'll echo that thought - if you see someone with a great haircut, ask them where they got it done and by whom. I'm really fussy about my hair so I do pay more getting my hair done than some people might. As already said, unfortunately, most times you get what you pay for with hair stylists. I've had the cheap haircuts and have never been happy. I've paid well over $100 and was totally UNhappy with what was done because the stylist IGNORED what *I* wanted and did her own thing.. grrrrrrr. I don't care if what I wanted was 'out', that's they way *I* wanted it and to ignore me just had me livid. I never went back to that place either.

I've been pretty lucky with hair stylists. I used to have it long, but I cut it short in my 30's .. the 1970's long straight do from HS just wasn't working for me. I let it go to shoulder length for a few years (2001 - 2004) because a boyfriend asked me to -- NEVER AGAIN ! I hated it, it didn't make me look younger it made me look OLDER. When I cut it off again, I was happy, and I got SO many compliments at work at how great it looked. Left on it's own, my hair is very straight and doesn't do much.

I went to one hairstylist for almost 10 years when I lived in SC. The first time I went to him it wasn't a stellar experience, but I gave him a chance and it worked out. You have to give a new stylist some time to get to 'know' your hair - it's texture, the way it grows and lays, etc. A GOOD stylist will learn this, and you, and work accordingly. A bad one, no matter how much they charge, will do what they want just because they learned a new cut or style and want to use their skills on any head that sits in front of them.

As for the chemicals and damage - if you've got major damage, your stylist is doing something wrong. I've had my hair permed and highlighted for years, and my hair is healthy. I'm fighting the few gray hairs that are showing up and will probably fight it for a long time. My mother's hair and my grandmother's hair was NOT a pretty gray or silver, I expect mine won't be either.

I think to avoid really bad hair cuts or colors, you HAVE to find time to talk to the stylist before you ever sit in the chair, regardless of how much or how little they are charging. If they seem clueless w/o scissors in their hands, don't even let them near you WITH scissors !

[robivi3]

My wife just cut her long, black hair, ruined my day....

[One Half Full]

My wife just cut her long, black hair, ruined my day....

It can be a bummer-- but, it's only hair-- grows back!

Cutting hair is a kind of cutting the purse strings too. It's a thing women do when they go through a change in life. I actually would see it as a good thing. Keeping "the same" too long is falling into a rut. People should always change, grow and have adventures.

[HeatherB]

Someone slap me for cursing myself. I didn't knock on wood. Okay, we moved, went to Fantastic Sams (a different one) and DH and I both got our hair cut. I don't like it at all. I think it has something to do with the *razor* tool that she used. I've never had that used on me before. It didn't *layer* my hair. It just seemed to thin it out. NOT what I expected. (sighs). My husband has long blonde hair - think Fabio. He went to get his hair cut, too and they gave him a cutesy looking girly bob. He is devastated. His is worse than mine. Poor man. At least he can still pull it back.

So, next time we will drive the 60 miles to our old hairdresser (perhaps while visiting my dad or cousin) and have it fixed.

[chpxiii]

So, next time we will drive the 60 miles to our old hairdresser (perhaps while visiting my dad or cousin) and have it fixed.

If you still have access to your old hairdress, that you seem to love, DON'T GIVE THEM UP!

A great hairdresser is worth their weight in gold!