Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Frivolity

There is only one cure for gray hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine.
~P.G. Wodehouse


I've really been trying to be frugal and not spent money on crap lately. (In light of those efforts, some may question my decision to buy my husband a car for his birthday, but the car was so inexpensive and so much more fuel-efficient than what he was driving that we're already seeing the savings.)

Perhaps, then, someone can explain to me why I just made an appointment to get my hair professionally colored. Because this is not something I do.

My natural hair color is a very dark brown, almost black. In college, I colored it red because I always wanted to be auburn, but finally went back to my natural color when I was about 25. Around the same time, I started to get gray hairs creeping in around my temples and the crown of my head. Not alot, but enough to bother me, particularly because I was only in my mid-20s. Premature gray runs in my family, though, so it was to be expected. And hell, my youngest brother started getting gray hair in his teens, so I shouldn't complain.

Anyway, over the years, I maintained my black-brown color (Nice n' Easy # 121A, same as Julia Louis Dreyfus in those ads she used to do).

But lately, I'm noticing the grays showing up faster and faster between colors, and it's becoming hard to maintain. Plus, as I get older (ugh!), I'm starting to think that a softer color might be in order.

This is making me sad for two reasons.

First, I always loved my dark color. I get lots of compliments on how dramatic and striking it is. It's kind of become my trademark.

Second, I fucking hate hair salons. The one time I got my hair professionally colored (a stylist had talked me into it while cutting my hair), I went to Aveda and was there for almost 4 1/2 hours. When I expressed my frustration to the stylist, she lectured me about the time being necessary because I had been using "box color" on my hair. She said "box color" like I had been dousing my head in nuclear waste on a regular basis, and was so supercilious and obnoxious about it that I had a temper tantrum and yelled that after this experience, I was never going to use anything but box color again because it looked fine and only took a half an hour. "Who has time for this??" I yelled. I waved my arm around at the plethora of women seeming to have nothing else to do but sit around all day with foil on their heads, and said loudly, "don't any of these people have jobs?"

Not one of my finer moments.

Against my better judgment, I'm trying again. The lady that cuts my hair said she wouldn't recommend a full recoloring (which is what I got last time), because it could damage my hair and take too long. (Tell me about it.) She suggested a gradual application of highlights that could blend with the gray and lighten my hair without destroying it. So, that's what I'm going to try.

Fingers crossed that my hair comes out looking OK, and that I don't end up arrested or with a restraining order against me in the process.

7 comments:

  1. Ugh! I hate the reminders of aging! And I remember the red. Very fun and dramatic! I think because I feel so much better as a blonde - just goes better with my skin - I am totally willing to spend on hair color. I think feeling good about how you look is worth it. And I think she's right about highlights rather than solid color. Me, I've been getting highlights so long and my hair is so many colors, some of them pale, than I'm not really sure if I have a bunch of grey or not, but I do suspect so. Both my parents went grey young.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess if you're used to getting your hair highlighted, the process doesn't seem so daunting. Plus it just seems to look so much more natural on blondes, because blonde hair has more variation in it naturally. I'm nervous, but determined to approach it with a positive attitude.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you give me the name of the salon perhaps I can phone in a warning and some cautionary tips to handle a Hurricane Wendy rage. I gotta do something about my color, particularly with the 40th birthday around the corner. Usually, I love reading your blog to stay apprised of your life and I'm almost always guaranteed a chuckle, but today I just really miss you. So glad that all are well and you are enjoying at least some of what Hawaii has to offer. XOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awww. I miss you always, babe. Jason and I were talking about moving to Denver the other night. We're going to do it as soon as it makes financial sense, i.e., we don't take a total bath on the house. Plus J needs to finish his journeyman licensing process, so he doesn't get screwed again by moving and changing unions. We're both so excited about being someplace beautiful and fun and with wonderful friends close by.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:22 PM

    Good luck! I struggle with the decision to color my hair, too. Salons also make me a little uncomfortable, no matter how hard I try to relax. I'm sure a new color will be beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:43 PM

    Oh, I hear you on the time factor. That is one of the main reasons I went with the gray finally. I just couldn't take the sitting around and waiting and I sucked at doing teh color myself.

    I suspect the colorist will do a a good job with the blending and highlights. Just try to stay calm, but if you don't be sure to blog about it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. HKW -- thanks for the words of encouragement. I appreciate it.

    dcup -- perhaps if I lose my shit it will be better for my blogging career? what to do, what to do...

    ReplyDelete

Nu?