Monday, July 7, 2014

My Hair Evolution

Hair is a funny thing. A bad hair day ruins even the best of days, and a good hair day can brighten up even the darkest day. For years, I was too scared to do anything to my hair, like a lot of people. I stuck with long layers, even though I found them uninspiring and often wore my hair in a messy bun (back before messy buns were cool. I'm a hair hipster). I thought it might be fun to take a little trip down memory lane...with my hair.


Undyed, ungray, and long. I wore my hair long back then. The shortest it ever got was the middle of my back, and the longest was my waist. But it was boring. And so, at 21, I cut it off for the first time. I liked it for a while, but the long hair came back...as did the boring pony tails and buns. When I turned 30, my hair started to fall out. A lot. My previously medium-thick hair was now so thin that bobby pins would slide right out. That was part of a tipping point for me. I started figuring that if I wasn't going to have healthy hair, at least I would have some fun hair.

This first collage is of my "normal" hair. The top picture is from my 17th birthday (1997 for those keeping track). That, folks, is my natural hair color. In 2007, I started dying my hair black (bottom left is from 2008). As dark as my hair is, it wasn't too shocking against my skintone. I fell into the "mommy" trap and rarely did my hair, or even got a haircut. In 2009 (the picture with the hot roots), I decided that I was bored with my box-dyed black hair and had it professionally stripped out (mostly)...in case you were wondering, that doesn't work well. I lived like that for another year, cutting a good bit off each month. In 2010, after the birth of my second spawn, I decided to give bangs a try for the first time since 1993. I didn't hate them, but they took some getting used to. My main problem with the last hair style is that it looks like a mom hairdo.

boring, boring hair

I had a serious reality check in 2010, and stopped giving quite as many fucks. I also turned 30 that year, and I am sure that had something to do with it. I embraced bleach (again, at the hands of a professional) and color. I pretty much changed my hair color every eight weeks...though my obvious favorites are teals and blues. I toyed with the idea of getting a pixie, but chickened out. Even when I got the balls to really do it, I did the Weenie Hut Jr. version, and went with a shag-style. Looking back, it was not the smartest move I ever made.
starting to be fun. still kinda mom-ish
Sometime last year, I finally cut it all off. Honestly, I kinda hated it at first. It was such a culture shock. I had to actually style it, I needed product. This was a whole new world for the formerly long-haired girl. But I started to figure it out...and fell in love. One time, I went really short (back around Christmas) but I don't have a lot of pictures that show exactly how short it was. It took me a long time to get used to it, and sometimes I do miss my long hair...especially on days when I am feeling like a lazy shit. I miss throwing my unwashed hair into a pony tail and leaving the house. Short hair is not conducive to super lazy days. The bedhead that comes with a pixie-ish cut is pretty epic, if I do say so myself. There have been a lot of mornings where I start to wonder if I should start talking about aliens.

the current state of affairs.
I toyed with different shapes and styles, and most of all had fun. I enjoyed my hair. It's only hair. It grows back (for most people). If you are careful, and don't overdo the bleach, you won't damage anything beyond repair. And if you do...oh well. Six months from now, it will probably look like it never happened. Sure, I may stand out at school events and get a few stares...but who cares? Blue hair makes me happy.

8 comments:

  1. I have to stop lurking for this wesome post. :)

    I started dying mine black in '94, have gone through pinks, red, purples, red, blue (the worst with my skin tone unfortunately,) and back to red. My hair has fluctuated from long to a-lines and back again. There was a brief period in the early 00's where I had it short and spiky in the back and short a-line on the sides and front. I loved that style, but looking back at photos it wasn't one of my more flattering hairdos. I stopped getting my hair cut almost three years ago (other than trimming my own Bettie Bangs) and have been enjoying having the longest hair I've had probably since '97. However, after three years of the same basic hair and the same black with red streaks, I AM BORED, hehe. I keep thinking it's time to get back to my old a-line again. Everyone loves the long hair, and it's neat, but I can't really do anything with it. Ponytail, bun, it's gotten too long and heavy for most clips and I have an shoulder/neck injury so much as I drool over all those beautiful updos and braids on pinterest, my arm won't cooperate with making them.

    Anyway, I love the progression shots of your hair, and think the short and colorful look suits you quite well. And yes, as I tell anyone who ever says "Aren't you worried about bleaching/coloring/etc??" It's just hair, it grows back. Sometimes quicker than I'd like it to. :)

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    1. yay! Someone who gets my struggle! Being bored is the hardest part of having short hair. At least when its long, you have options. I'm trying to grow it right now, and uggggh. The "mom shag" I have right now is awful.

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  2. I'm so glad it's not just me that gets bored with hair! I've been dying mine some sort of red for about 10-11 years or so now. There have been some extreme reds, some wimpy reds, and for about 2 years after high school I did the bottom half in black. Opposite of you I had short hair in middle school and high school; at it's shortest it looked a lot like your current cut. Then after graduation I started growing it out and have become really attached to it. Right now it 's at my waist line and I can't wait to get it cut and relayered. For about the last 2 years one of my best friends now dyes my hair professionally and says I'm her favorite client. Every time I go in we do something different and I love all the ideas she comes up with! Most recently she did an amazing red to orange/blonde ombre that looked like fire. I don't know what I'd do without her!

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    1. A good stylist is so important. I've been pretty lucky over the years, and only fallen in with one not-great one.

      I wish that reds would stay in my hair. No matter what, they just fade away. I was not meant to be a redhead.

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  3. It's great to see this progression! I can totally relate, I get bored so easily! I am constantly in the process of growing out my hair and then cutting it short again.:) I've had all colours in the past, but because of my job (lawyers, the most boring hair and makeupped people of all time, ugh) I can't. That's why I turned to nail polish in the most outrageous colours. My little canvasses of revolution. :) I love your hair both really long and really short. Love the light brown on you as well, but colorful is more funky, I love that. Another thing, you lost lots of weight, that looks great!! I've been struggling to, so I know what an accomplishment that is. In the picture with your long light brown hair you look gorgeous as well, though! But you have a really nice face shape right now. Good for you! Just wanted to blurt that out.:)

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    1. Awww, thanks! In the last couple of years, I've managed to lose and banish 30lbs...but I've gotten lazy recently. Ideally, I'd love to get back to where I was when I was younger...but we'll see ;)

      Nail polish was also a creative outlet, before I gave in and went wild with the hair color. "Housewife" if a pretty forgiving job, style wise!

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  4. I've always wanted to cut my hair super short but I'm so lazy and long hair is just so suited for laziness! No styling, no products and no bad hair days! Though, whenever you want to get it colored you'll end up going through three boxes of color!

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    1. Ugh, I remember those days! 3 boxes of black hair dye, and the clerk looking at me like I'm some kind of goth squirrel preparing for winter!

      Cutting off my hair was a very freeing experience. I highly recommend it to everyone at least once.

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