Then & Now hairstyles, and the trials of the grow out.

Last night as I was waiting in line at the grocery store I started to read the covers of magazines. It was 9pm, and the only line open was the express lane (even though pretty much everyone had WAY more than 10 items) so I had a lot of time to peruse. As I did, one cover story caught my eye “The secret to longer, healthier, shinier hair.” I thought about it for a few moments, and then on impulse added the magazine  onto the conveyer belt with my French bread and Parmesan cheese. Why not?

I’ve been in the process of growing out my hair for six months. I constantly go back and forth between the “I love my effortless short hair” and “please god, it won’t grow fast enough” though I’m convinced that every woman goes through this stage. Generally speaking I am not attached to my hair. I’ve had long, I’ve had short, and that is what is fun about hair, it grows back! I’ve never understood the women who have their whole identity wrapped up in their locks,  the women who treat a bad hair cut like a social death sentence… just give it a couple of weeks! That being said, I AM trying to grow out my hair, and it is getting a little frustrating.

Once  upon a time, back when I was in high school, my brother told me that I would probably never find a boyfriend if I had short hair, because guys prefer long hair (I’m paraphrasing… I don’t think he actually used those words… well, actually he might have). This is something that has stuck with me. I have ignored it most of my life, but every now and then when I start to question my single status the thoughts start to creep in there “is it because of my hair?”  Of course the feminist in me always instantly retorts back “I don’t want to date a guy who is that shallow anyway” and I probably don’t… but then again, I would like to be dating… and heck, if longer tresses up my odds a little bit, why not? I've been changing my hairstyle consistently since I was 14. Once upon a time I had really unfortunate layers, and it didn't help that I had a retainer, glasses and was labeled as the "home-schooled kid"I cut my hair off to the Jennifer Aniston bob, totally loved it, and kept on getting it shorter and shorter. Side note... Its important to have a good stylist when you have short hair, and one who isn't petty. The woman who cut my hair in high school was the mother of a girl in my grade. And let me tell you, the pettyness ran ramped in the school. I once got a hair cut that was supposed to be like Mandy Moore circa 2002  and instead I returned from my lunch break looking like Oprah. No 17 year old wants her hair to look like Oprah. 

   

Regardless, I was, and am totally confident with my short hair style, and I think that most days I can rock the pseudo hipster short hair  so long as I’m exuding confidence.  But some days I wake up, and I look in the mirror and think “ok maybe this style isn’t doing me any favors” and it takes a while to get the confidence rolling. I would like to say that my sparkling personality makes up for any potential hair weirdness… but then again I’m often not as approachable as I think I am. Last week when I was in Ashland some guy on the street actually said to me “Excuse me, miss? I think you dropped your smile back here!”  Its not that I’m surly, or pissed off at the world, I’m just focused… which often translates into disgruntled, stuck up, or irritated. I’m digressing, and this is a completely different issue that I’m trying to work on (if you see me walking around town with a strange smile on my face I’m not having a nervous breakdown, I’m just trying to be more approachable… someone tell me if I look crazy town). But anyway, I’m growing my hair out for a bit. I’ll probably get bored in another few months, and have to decide to if I want to cut it back off and have a few weeks of “damn I love this sassy hair” or if I want to keep trucking on through the awkward grow out.

Truth be told, I think my stylist might be behind  the slow going… yes, growing out short hair is a challenge. Yes, there is bound to be an awkward “between styles” period where everything is just a little weird and frumpy, and I have resigned myself to that. I mean, its hair, it gets better… and yet over the past six months I’m not sure that I have noticed a change in the length… and what is really disheartening is that looking at pictures from a year ago my hair was longer than it is now! The one time I didn’t take a picture with me to the stylist it got a bit short (I looked so much like my mother, it was a little scary) and the style has been recovering ever since. And she also psychs me out a little bit. Once I went in for a little minor trim and she said something like "yeah it is looking a bit mushroomy" naturally visions of Super Mario Brothers started flashing through my head, and no one wants that! cut it all off, make it better!  It makes sense, I mean why would you want a regular client who comes in every 6 weeks to grow out her hair. I don't think she is being malicious, it does need some trimming/ some help. But maybe not THAT much help.

 Some days are better than others when it comes to styling. Actually, this week alone I have had two separate guys randomly comment “You have a really cute hair cut!” (one I’m sure was gay, the other was married, but hey, if the gays like it I must be doing something right? Please no one take that comment as offensive.) Then again, there are the times when I get IDed at restaurants, and the waitress will inevitably say something like “oh my gosh, do you miss your hair?” You win some, you lose some.

For now, I’m still attempting to grow it out. I know it can be done, because I have done it before… the main question is, do I have the patience?  The first time I cut my hair really short, I was in Paris.  I had fairly long hair, but was craving something a little different, something spontaneous, and the metro stop closest to our hotel was right by a Redkin hair salon. There was this really edgy cut in the window, and every day I would think “I wonder if I could pull that off” So one free afternoon, I went in, pointed to the picture, and got my first ever hair cut where there was a major language barrier involved. The stylist would cut a little and look at me nervously, “ça va?”  “Oui, ça va” and it was. I loved that hair cut! 

Ignore the bad posture, but focus on the cute Parisian hat & fun hair.

The Parisian Hair Salon

Two years later, my hair was the longest it had been since middle school, who has the time/money/energy to keep up a short hair style in college? Come to think of it, I’m not quite sure how I keep it up now… which is another main factor in trying to grow out my hair… relatively speaking, this style is low maintenance. It takes essentially no styling, which is awesome, but I have to get my hair cut every 6-8 weeks so it doesn’t grow into an awkward duck tailed mullet. Nothing says “hey boys I’m single” like an awkward duck tailed mullet. 

Two years later, gorgeous tresses & fun times had by all

 

 

 

 

Present Days... still having fun, still loving the hair, just ready for a change

And so my morning routine includes a Biotin supplement, a pre-natal vitamin,  and occasionally a hot oil scalp massage. Side note, you want to talk about awkward, try purchasing a pre-natal vitamin at the local health food store. Um hello, the one place in town where I run into most people I know on a regular basis. I snuck down the vitamin aisle praying that there were no familiar faces. The clerk gave me a knowing look as I checked out. I wanted to say “um no, not preggo, just growing out my hair, thanks!” but I didn’t know her, and figured she probably wouldn’t be spreading any pregnancy rumors about me, so I smiled back, and hurriedly ran out of the store. Next time, I will probably buy them at costco or somewhere just to add a little extra anonymity. But just to reiterate, there are no babies here, there will be no babies here, I’m just growing out my hair. Hopefully anyone/ everyone rummaging through my medicine cabinet will have read this blog, because that is one rumor I don’t want going around McMinnville. I might forever be branded as the girl who walked down 3^rd street with her skirt tucked into her underwear, but lets not add any baby rumors to the mix. Please and thank you.

For the record, I think they are working. I’ve noticed some significant grow out in the last month, not to mention that my fingernails look great. I’ve only been taking the Biotin for about two weeks, but at the very least, I feel like I’m being proactive. The Elle article pretty much just said that I should be massaging my scalp more regularly… I’ll probably continue with the hot oil treatments (confession, I’m using the really high quality olive oil on my hair and skin… frivolous and ridiculous? Maybe.  I’m adding this to the “like” column of things I like and dislike about my job). 

But this is getting real rambly, and a certain bulldog is completely over my blogging efforts,  (I've gotten about 5 not to subtle head butts in the last few minutes). I think that means it's bed time.