I swear that wasn't a reference to Monday's post about the Pure Romance Tickle & Whip.
There's one realm of my life though, where I seldom experiment. For much of my childhood, I had the classic haircut of a tomboy. My hair was short. Very short.
At age 12, I ceased finding it amusing to be mistaken for a boy. The fact that I sprouted boobs around this time went along with my decision to start growing my hair long.
There was a brief grow-out period during which I generously kept AquaNet hairspray in business with my oh-so-fashionable '80s bangs.
But once my hair grew out to one length, I left it alone. Aside from the occasional trim to keep split ends at bay, my hair has pretty much been the same for the last 25 years:
I didn't think much of it until earlier this summer when I went to see my hairdresser. She's been trimming my hair every 10 weeks for the better part of a decade, and I figured it would be business as usual. She sat me down in the chair and began to snip my split ends."Have you ever thought of doing anything a little different?" she asked.
"Like with peanut butter and nipple clamps?"
She sighed. "No. I mean layers."
"I don't think I know that position."
"Your hair," she insisted. "I'm talking about long, wavy layers. I think they'd really add body and texture and give you a bit of a different look."
It wasn't hard to read between the lines – some people actually change their hair every quarter-century, you dumbass.
So I agreed. Well, eventually.
"Would I have to start washing it more than once or twice a week?" I demanded.
"No."
"Blow drying it?"
"No."
"Curling it?"
"No."
"Using gel or spray or hair products of any kind?"
"No."
"Because you know I'm too lazy for that," I reminded her.
"I am fully aware that lifting a hairbrush is something you consider too strenuous to attempt more than once every couple days," she said. "Trust me – I think you'll like the layers."
So I agreed. And I only cried for a little while when six-inch swaths of my hair started hitting the floor:
Two minutes into the process, I decided the whole thing would be easier if I closed my eyes. That went well until my hairdresser started explaining the different tools."I used the scissors for this section to create a little more definition, and now I'm using this blade to create wispier sections through here."
"Uh-huh," I said, keeping my eyes squeezed shut.
When it was all over, I looked in the mirror. As it turns out, I rather like my new 'do. It's subtle enough my gentleman friend still recognized me when I returned home, but different enough I don't feel like I just wasted an hour and a few bucks:
How often do you alter your hairstyle? Are you set in your ways like me, or do you tend to shake things up a bit more frequently? Please share!Oh, and feel free to comment on my new 'do. Can you even tell a difference? If so, whaddya think? Keep in mind, it's too late now to paste the hair back in place if you happen to hate it. Then again, maybe I'd start a cool new trend with the pasted hair. Has anyone seen my glitter glue?
26 comments :
My stylist (and I do have one) refuses to dye my hair blue or green or purple, knowing full well I'm too lazy to keep it up and the only time I pester her about odd colors is when I'm bored and my hair is already too short for experimentation.
But the last time I went in for a haircut and asked her to dye it green for the holidays, she fussed a bit and said, "There. Merry Christmas."
I now have a thin green feather in my hair.
I like it.
I think it looks much better! But I'm not scared of changing hairstyles. When I was 15, I went from mid-back to something like your tomboy hair. And a few months ago mine had gotten almost as long as your new looks, and I had it sheared to an A-line bob above my shoulders. It's hair. It grows. :)
OMG, hair! I've had more styles than I can remember. I used to have waist length hair as a little girl, except with bangs. Then, I cut it all off into a Dorothy Hamill cut. After that, I had the Farah Fawcet cut. Then it was short in high school. Then it was permed. And Big, since it was the '80's. Then, it was layered and ruthlessly swept under and forward, a cut popularized by the TV show, Dallas. I had the newscaster bob for a few years. Finally, I had enough and let everything grow until we reached the style I have now. It took 2 years to grow out my bangs.
This is the first time in my life I have not had bangs. I think I like it.
Yours looks great though I can't really see any layers.
Wow! That hair cut really lightened your shirt. It was very dark before, but after it is a very light airy almost pink shirt. Also, more of a scoop than a V.
It looks very nice!
You look fantastic! Of course, that's partly due to the HUGE smile in the second picture!
I love the look. It adds style without looking remotely fussy. Very, very nice.
Yup, that's you :D
I have one of those hairdressers. She's so pushy. "So, you want to try something new?" she'll ask. And I attempting to be bold and brave, whisper, "Sure, you're the expert."
Recently I was looking at old photos. Pretty much I've had various versions of 'the short haircut' for the last ten years :)
Your hair was pretty before, but I think the added layers add more dimension to your hair and makes it even look more beautiful. :)
I like to change things up every so often. I'll have it long for a while, then I'll cut it to shoulder-length. I'll keep it shorter and then go back. I haven't done anything drastic, though.
I love the new look! It's fun and flirty and really frames your face nicely. You've got beautiful hair and it was lovely before, but change is a good thing (only every quarter century, of course...). New year, new style... look out 2012, here she comes!
Your new look is beautiful! As a girl whose prone to changing her hair with her mood, I can't share your love for keeping your hair the same. But, I know it can be a painful process for some people, and I applaud you on the change.
PS I'm currently sporting ultra vibrant red wine colored hair! Loving it.
Love the new do, Tawna! Looks great.
I also grew up with super-short hair and people mistaking me for a boy. In adulthood, I have had all hair lengths, but I really like it shoulder-length or longer. I've been told I look good in short styles, but I can't shake that childhood feeling that I'm a boy-double when it's short (despite the fact that I now have the chest to prove otherwise). But some layers to long hair give a do body and flair.
P.S. I join that too-lazy club. Too much styling required, and I'm out.
You look great! And hurray for you to have such courage
I think it looks awesome!!!!
I've cut my hair differently for a long time - everything from just below my ears to down below my shoulderblades. I didn't start colouring it until I was 23. At that time I've found a sadistic hair stylist who gets a scary look in her eyes anytime I say "do what you want". This is also when I cropped it short (about 4 cm at shortest). For the last 2 years I've had six colours in my hair at once, red + blonde dots, superblonde, copper red and blonde wide stripes, chocolate with hazel splash on fringe, superred ... I'm sure I've left something out.
And I think your hair looks bouncier now. And anything bouncy fits a romance author, right?
The new haircut looks bouncier and funner . . .more YOU, I think. Very pretty!
I've experimented with my hair a few times, but I always end up going back to the long hair with layers. Now, however, my hair is deciding to do this wave thing, which makes it decidedly trickier to work with.
I like it!
I think it looks very stylish. (Granted, I'm a lawyer, so my sense of style is not something to brag about.) Seriously...a good new look!
The new do looks great on you.
Looks GORGEOUS!
Sarah W, I love those feather things! I kinda want one myself :)
Summer, I haven't had the tomboy hair since I was 12, but for some reason I still think I have short hair sometimes.
Patty, gotta love the big '80s bangs, huh?!
Patrick, is that what the term "hair shirt" means?!
Alexa, the huge smile may have something to do with the guy taking the photo :)
Susan, it's funny, my hairdresser has never pushed me to try anything new in the 10 years I've been seeing her. I think that's why I paid attention when she finally DID suggest it.
Cherie, thanks! I definitely didn't have it in me to go drastic, but I like the subtlety of this.
Jen, you're right....this seems like a good omen for 2012, right?!
Tina, I think I've just been identified as "the girl with the long hair" for so long that it was tough to consider doing anything different. Your red sounds cool!
Julie, I think the laziness is a big part of why I've stayed with long hair. I can get away with doing nothing to it and people think I'm aiming for the tousled look.
katebakes, thanks! What's next for me...skydiving?
Kimberly, thank you! Now I just need another book sale streak, eh?
Malin, I love how people keep using the word bouncy. Bouncy makes me happy!!
Brandi, I have a fair amount of wave in my hair, but it seldom shows because the top layer is so thick and weighs everything down. It'll be interesting to see how this changes my look.
Susan, I lack style myself, which is why I have to trust people like my hairstylist and other friends to dress and style me!
Kate, thanks!
Thank you for all the kind words, guys! And thanks for reading!
Tawna
The new do looks amazing! Very much recognizable yet it adds flair and sophistication. Good job!
I change my hair very, very seldom and in incremental doses. It's a medium length now, which I like. Not too long. Not too short.
I'm not brave enough to do something radical.
Linds, thank you! So when are you coming back to see it in person?! :)
Julie, I don't think I'll ever go short, but I may experiment a little more with layers. Baby steps, right?
Tawna
My hair was longer than yours for most of my life. When I was younger, I could SIT on it. Then I went to high school/got bored. And I found a pair of scissors.
Several (several) bad hair cuts later... about a year and a half ago, I cut my hair to just below my shoulders and that was the shortest I've ever had it since it grew past that length. I haven't gotten it cut since and it would be about your length now if I straightened it (I never do). I haven't decided what I want to do it with it cut-wise yet.
Colour-wise, I've done a whole heck of a lot of things. Spray in dyes, an unfortunate dark dye, lots of blue and purple, Kool-aid dye... right now, I have a fading blue streak. My dye fades pretty, though, so that's okay. I'll probably touch it up soon :)
Love the layers!
I had a very similar tomboy cut growing up! And I was mistaken for a boy too. Then in high school I grew it out and had big bangs! :)
Your new cut looks fantastic, Tawna. The layers frame your face beautifully.
For the last year, I've been my own hairstylist. I bought a pair of sharp haircutting scissors and trimmed off the horrendous layers the previous cut had left me with. (Layers aren't so pretty in curly hair.) Since then I've trimmed it up a few times, still trying to get everything even. It's not easy cutting my own hair, but I enjoy the challenge.
Huh, maybe that's why I keep growing my hair super-long (which, to me is about bra-strap length). I had really short hair all through high school! Thank you, therapist Tawna.
And your layers look great. Nice bit of oomph there without all the effort.
Your hair looks fantastic! And is that a professional photo? It's such a great picture! And your hair doesn't look any shorter, just layered. I love it!
I'm a creature of habit, too. I've had maybe three different looks over the past ten years, but nothing too drastic, and I never dye my hair (not yet). When I was 18-20, I did go through a series of drastic changes and then kept it in a pixie (like your young-girl cut) for almost ten years before I growing it out. I thin I just dated myself.
Happy New Year!
I've only had someone cut my hair once. When I was 6. I looked like I had a helmet since my hair is so curly and my mother had it cut to below my ears.
Ever since then the only person to cut or trim my hair is me.
But I love your new do!
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