Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Hair dilemmas

I tend to be a "grass is greener" type of person. When my hair gets long, I wish for a more creative, edgy, short cut. But after having it short for a few weeks, I pine for the flexibility and femininity that comes with luxurious length.

I absolutely hate growing my hair out. Short hair is cute. Long hair is pretty. Medium-length hair is not for me. And a short haircut doesn't look good while it's trying to get long. So after I tire of a drastic cut, I suffer through a year of ugliness while my hair slowly grows. Sometimes I give up on waiting and just chop it off again, so the ugly time is not even fruitful.

When it comes to hair, I love the freedom of style that length affords. My problem with long hair is that I eventually stop styling it. I usually skip the blow-dryer so it's limp and unintentionally wavy. When resorting to a bland ponytail or claw clip is nearly an everyday routine, I know it's time to make the cut.

My major damage with short hair, on the other hand, is that forgoing the primp and style ritual is not an option. If I let my short hair air-dry, it would be in my best interest to forget about entering the public eye for the day. So if I happen to be in a hurry, short hair is less convenient. However, most of the time I actually appreciate the compelling motivation to do my hair. Of course, it's more expensive to keep a short haircut looking right.

I used to do some fairly drastic things with my hair; my favorite was playing with the colors. Color is easy to change, and hair always grows back, so there's no reason not to have a little fun with it. Gary prefers natural looks, so I usually respect his aversion to bold haircolor and styles. This is why I was pleasantly surprised when he complimented this American Idol contestant's hair as a style I should emulate (I chose to crop the picture because her skanky outfit is an unfortunate hot mess):

I actually like it. Personally, I would leave the bangs blonde, and never consider wearing purple eyeshadow to match the hair. With those details corrected, it's funky without being over the top, in my opinion. I figured Gary would roll his eyes and consider me childish if I ever expressed interest in a style like Ms. McNamara's (now a top 36 contestant). I figure he's offered his approval now. Excellent.

Mayeb I won't dive right into the purple and blonde thing quite yet, but the pressing question I pose to you now is: shall I postpone the ugly growing-out year for a while longer, and get another A-line cut? Or just accept my cyclical desire to return to long hair and find a stylist who can give me some semblance of panache while I endure the inevitable? Does short hair or long hair seem to suit me better? Either way, more vigilant upkeep and care is necessary, as I discovered by perusing photos of myself to compare the styles. I decided not to post any for that reason. Maybe a splash of lavender would be just what I need to feel excited about doing my hair.

How do you deal with hair dilemmas?

4 comments:

jaeyde said...

if my hair is shorter than my shoulders it is bad news bears. I've been trying to grow it out - I want to see if I can get it down to my waist - since summer. But then I let someone in Forest Grove (who will remain nameless) cut it, since it needed a trim to get rid of split ends. Supposedly she lives off of her haircutting skills but it was basically the worst cut I have ever had and she had to fix it by cutting off a total of about 5 inches, which set me back 6 months. I was furious. My hair grows so slowly as it is! A few months later I had a friend trim it and she did a *GREAT* job. Maybe it'll be boob length by the wedding? Here's hoping!

Bridget said...

You wrote the post that was inside my mind! I've been considering doing a "mom-chop" lately but you caught all the intricacies of the dilemma. I have no advice for you. I only wish you luck.

Kristen said...

Bridget, I can't even picture you with short hair. The image has never existed in reality, so it's hard to fabricate. You're so beautiful, though, I'm sure it would be cute. And thanks a lot for providing no assistance whatsoever with the dilemma.

Sarah Rose Evans said...

I personally prefer cuts that look best when you've let the pillow style your hair for you. My customers at the bank would ask if I'd done my hair on purpose. Eddie prefers long, I prefer short. I don't recommend shaving your head. My worst dye job was when I tried to go brunette.

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