Tuesday, September 30, 2008

I learned this lesson the hard way

I was over at Navel Gazing yesterday and she was lamenting a recent hair cut. Apparently she got some mixed reactions from the fam and she's feeling mighty poorly about it all.

You know that anticipation you feel about going to the salon? You're looking forward to it because you're sick and tired of the same old "do" and you just want a CHANGE. You want to be a BLOND or a RED head! Or you've been thinking about cutting the length or maybe going with something a little more EDGY. The possibilities are exciting enough and we can't wait to see the new us! And then... hmmmmmm not so good... Sometimes it's just that the color change wasn't as dramatic as we thought it would be. Other times it's too dramatic... to the point of being TRAUMATIC. It just doesn't turn out exactly the way we were hoping or expecting or wanting.

Anyway it got me thinking about some of my hair horror stories and well, there are just a few things that I won't do anymore when it comes to my hair.

1- No Drastic Color Changes

This is especially important not to do before any big event such as a wedding/sealing.

Not long ago I wanted to be a lovely strawberry blond and instead what I got was carrot-top ORANGE. No lie and I'm not exaggerating.


Here are the scary pictures to prove it.



Nope that's not just the camera folks. It really is that Orange


Pretty horrid huh?

You don't know desperation until you've met a woman who doesn't even recognize herself in the mirror and realizes that pictures WILL be taken of her at the wedding/sealing and these pictures will last almost as long as ETERNITY and that her children will wonder who that lady with the orange hair was and that ORANGE AND WHITE DO NOT LOOK GOOD TOGETHER and you can't wear a baseball hat forever and your family that's traveling to be there isn't going to recognize you and your husband is trying to convince you that it's not THAT ORANGE but you KNOW that he's lying to try and make you feel better AHHHRRGG!!!! What are you going to do?? How are you going to FIX THIS?!

Answer: Go directly to another salon and explain (in a very desperate manner) what has occurred and could they please, please, PLEASE DO SOMETHING to fix it?

"Anything is better than this." You say to them accompanied by a crazy-like giggle.

"My hair's not going to fall out after this... is it?" As they apply a heavy layer of bleach to cover the hideous color (this would be the 4th time now that your hair has been processed in the last 24 hours.)


Just to recap my first rule: NO DRASTIC COLOR CHANGES.


2- No Drastic Cuts Either Especially If It's Trendy Like the Jennifer Aniston Hair Era Or You Are Trying To Look Like A Certain Celebrity

I have naturally curly hair. After my first born came along it started falling out like crazy. So I thought, "Hey let's try a new look." (Famous last words.) It was around about the time the movie "Sabrina" was remade. Remember when she chops her long locks off in Europe and she comes home so super cute?? Well that's TOTALLY what I envisioned I would look like. Funny thing... it didn't turn out that way. My curls that looked so cute and all when my hair was long, weren't so cute and curly anymore. They were like gnarly twigs half straight/half not so straight but not really curly and there was no product on this EARTH that could get them to look decent. So I had to round-brush my spriglets out everyday. This took forever and made it look like I had helmet hair or just a really bad version of the trendy hair that a certain celebrity started. It was ugly and I've never cut my hair short again.

3- Don't Let The Stylist Style Your Hair When She's Done

I love having my hair washed, colored and cut. But I'll take it from there, thanks! Seriously. It just seems like stylists don't know what to do with my naturally curly hair. They put a little of this product on it and then a little of that. Then they diffuse it for a while and then spray some more of this and that and scrunch it a bit and diffuse some more and OH MY HOLY HECK. I end up looking like I stuck my hand in a light socket and my hair is all wirery and crunchy and I poke holes in my pillow case when I go to sleep that night.
*Edited to add: I do love my stylists though. I seriously couldn't live with out them and I LOVE it when they straighten my hair!
4- This is just a recommendation: Don't live vicariously through some friend, neighbor, sister and encourage them to GO FOR DRASTIC and then have no backup plan when it doesn't turn out so great.

Um yeah. Sorry Brenda for that one time. And sorry that the back up plan made it even worse. And sorry that you had family pictures right after that.

8 comments:

Brenda Lee said...

LMAO!! I was hoping NO ONE would ever remember my faux pas...I have removed/burned every picture known to exist that would ever remind me of that horrible time in my life. I am so glad you were there for me - at least I had your moral support. Do you remember taking me (in cognito - hat and dark glasses) to Payson Market to buy a new color to throw on top of the bleach-gone-wrong?? Which ultimately made the situation WORSE, but hell...what did we know? I now know that penny red and ashy burnette are not colors that flatter my face. LOL about your pix from your orange moment!

Afton said...

That was so aweful wasn't it?! I'm the one who suggested the red. Horrible, horrible decision.

Another thing I've learned:
Don't Do It Yourself (or let big sister do it cause she doesn't really know either.)

Unknown said...

You one of da winners. Check my blog for details. I am totally going to sleep now.

The Marlin's said...

I had one of these moment on Thursday. I took Emily and Ashley to the gym. I went to the bathroom, flushed to toilet and was tucking in my garments when my keys fell out of my jacket and into the toilet, while it was flushing. They were gone before I could attempt to get them. There I was standing over the toilet with me mouth gaping open (what the heck). I called Mike feeling like a complete dork. I waited 3 hours at the gym before he showed up (he works 45 min away from our house). Fun times. I have made sure my keys are in my purse hanging on the door.

Addie and Trevor said...

I totally understand about the "Don't let the hair stylists style your hair" thing. We naturally curly haired people have to stick together! I'm so excited about finding your blog off Michelle's blog, too! I've thought about you and your kids like crazy since you moved, wondering what you're up to. And now I can keep up with you! I can't believe how big your kids have gotten. Congratulations on your baby! I bet you're so happy. Give them all a big hug and hellos for me! Love ya,
Addie

Unknown said...

Oh m an- bad hair stories I my nightmares. I once quit going to a salon for over a year after a hideous haircut. I looked like a mushroom.

Honestly- Nice and Easy is exactly that. Never again will I pay 60 bucks for color that doesn't stick and comes out funky. I am a fan for life of home hair color.

I love haircuts and trims (now that I have recovered) and occasionally splurge on 'spendy' products....I love that too.

Unknown said...

I am so sorry. I highlight with a little blond. That is about as brave as I get.

Shirley's Blogg said...

When you get to my age, you just go for the style. Not the color.