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3.1.11

Hair Issues

As a hairdresser, it is expected (mostly be everyone else) that your own hair should be in not only voluptuous condition, but immaculately coloured as well.  I understand this need for reassurance, that the one doing hair should have the sense to take care of her own hair....but it just isn't in my nature.  I can't do it.  I just can't keep my hair combed and acceptable looking, or coloured on a regular enough basis to keep my clients reassured.  My hair is certainly no competitor in the world of Cosmopolitan beauty.  But eventually, it was about time I had my turn in the chair (which I dread, for what I think are obvious reasons).


This trip to the salon found my roots to be grown out about three inches and my hair bent at ninety degree angles at the ends.  Far too many messy pigtails and hats, I'm sure.  I sat down mentally prepared for the next few torturous hours, bound to be filled with endless and meaningless banter.  Sure enough, talk of every hairdresser in town ensued and I pretended to know who they all were.  Who knew there were that many??


I think it took me an overly long time to get in to get my hair done for two reasons, or two really bad experiences.  The first bad experience was during my days in Seattle when I had the brilliant idea to get my hair professionally done instead of painstakingly doing it myself.  That is no fun at all, arms falling asleep as foils are positioned, not to mention the mess....So I found myself on Queen Anne in a pretty upscale salon, I remember buying a fifty dollar compact of mineral makeup there so it was absolutely a nicer place.  This guy comes out and introduces himself.  He's tattooed and has that Emo hairstyle where it is dyed black as midnight and falling over his eyes.  He's pierced, his pants are skinny tight, and he's oh so much cooler than me (I try to keep from rolling my eyes in his direction for the rest of my visit).  He finally gets started and I'm noticing that things are going awfully slowly.  I'm wondering if this guy is fresh out of beauty school when, after over an hour, he finally fesses up.  He says, "oh, sorry if this is taking a while....I practically broke my hand yesterday skateboarding".  All I could think was, wow.  Thanks, guy, for telling me now.  Now that my hair is halfway imprisoned in bleach  and foil so I can't leave and I'll just have to suffer here with your "I'm too cool for you" attitude for the next millennia while you slowly finish up. I will say that the colour turned out fine, although not at all edgy or spectacular, as I expected from such a high end place.  And it was definitely not professional of him to have me brush my own hair out to save his almost broken hand.  That was the first pretty bad experience.


The second was recently.  I thought I would give this new gal who started renting in my salon a chance at a trade.  It's awesome when you work with someone who will do your hair for free.  That is the only time my hair is ever regularly cut and coloured.  So you can see why I risked trying this girl out.  As it turns out, this girl is the epitome of hairdressers and worse.  We started things off with small talk about kids, family, work, etc...and before I knew it talk had turned to her....all her....with all her dirty laundry hanging there in mid air for me to take in... in all of it's dirtiness.  There are some things you just don't need to know about someone the first time you hang out with them, especially a coworker.  Some things should just be kept quiet.  But not her.  Nope, she had no privacy filter.  And unfortunately, since it took her six hours (!!!) to do my highlight, I got to hear every last one of the gory details she could tell me about herself.  Also unfortunately, my hair did not turn out so well, and was bad enough that I had to tone it when I got home.


That about sums up why I hate getting my hair done.  I am afraid I'll find myself trapped in a salon for half the day and overly talked at, to the point of wanting to rip my hairdresser's tongue out of her face...or both!  These fears are exactly why I go see the girl who did my hair just now.  She is fast and she is professional....I just have to put up with caddy banter for two hours tops, and I'm out of there with always perfect colour and cut.  This time we traded in my bright blonde highlights for a much more subdued medium sandy blonde.  I love looking more the au natural type.

2 thoughts:

Maundering mutterer said...

Wow! I also started out as a hairdresser! Me who cuts my own hair and always has done. I discovered that I was highly allergic to perm lotion, so that was that...

And what gives with the colleague? One should be interested in OTHER people if one's to deal with them.

So glad you've fixed your blog so people can comment again.

Unknown said...

I had a feeling we had more in common than SA...I've never felt like a true hairdresser, but it sure has paid the bills, and no matter where I am, I can find work. Luckily, I don't do many perms (yucky chemicals). ;)

I had no idea no one could comment on my blog..glad it's fixed too! I guess I should leave it alone then. Thanks for your comments!

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