The day I had fully transitioned to my own naturally curly gray hair, was the last time I stepped into a hair salon. I was a happy camper, yes, I was.
Now, hold it right there, don’t ya all be thinking, “What is wrong with her? She’s a woman over the age of 53 (54 to be exact) and she doesn’t care about how she looks? Doesn’t she know she needs to maintain herself so that she doesn’t look old(er)…”
Barf…Ewe…Whatever. Gag me…or restrain me is more like it.
Hear me out. It’s the least you can do, right?
The day I gave up coloring my hair, I gave up judgments and opinions about women and our mutual obsession with any form of hair maintenance.
I knew that if I didn’t want anyone judging me for not coloring, I sure the hell wasn’t going to judge them for their choice to keep coloring. Period. It’s fair that way.
And, I didn’t feel like seeing the looks when I walked into the salon while I was transitioning. The horror on their precious faces as they’d look at me, “Oh, you poor dear, don’t you worry girl, you’ve come to the right place. Here, take a peek at our selection of colors, this one would look wonderful and make you look so youthful.”
Barf…Ewe…Whatever. Gag me…or restrain me is more like it. Again, I don’t judge, coloring is just not for me.
Don’t worry, though, I do take care of my hair.
I wash it, scrunch it a bit, and then let it air dry. Mostly, I let it do its own thing. Overall it’s the healthiest my hair has been since I was a kid. I do care what I look like, but the freedom from worrying about what I think others must think of me is a blessing in disguise.
I do some of the curly girl stuff techniques, minus all the potions and chemicals to make my curls behave. When I gave up the dye chemicals, I didn’t want any chemicals just to have my curls look like they were done in a salon.
So, all I use are 3 products.
Shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in conditioner that I just tried for the first time yesterday. Before that, it was just using the shampoo and conditioner.
For over a year and 8 months. That’s all I have been doing! Easy, right?
Mostly, I’m happy I gave up the salon and I rejoice in the freedom of not needing wanting to cover up the real deal me.
Plus I saved myself close to 15 trips to the salon since I stopped the ‘maintenance’ routine.
What I love about this stage in life with my wild-a** curls is that I no longer worry about the damage from the chemicals I was putting on my hair every 5-6 weeks.
I didn’t realize how quickly I’d get over missing the undue stress or worrying about when to schedule my next appointment to cover up.
I haven’t worried about my hair since my last appointment June of 2017. That’s the day I vowed to not ever worry about coloring again and to just see what my hair would do on its own.
Since then, I just let it grow, grow, grow.
Oh, and, if you’ve been following me for a while, remember a month ago, I wrote about the surgery to remove my unicorn horn (affectionately called by the professionals a follicular Pilar cyst – go ahead – it is appropriate to say yikes – ewe!).
For too many years, I was covering up that damn thing which dictated my hairstyle. I was embarrassed by it. Another reason to hide from going to the salon. I do believe the hair coloring sessions contributed to its growth. It was once a small little irritant to me until I started coloring my hair. Then the every-six-week coloring chemical trauma to my head and the occasional scratching/poking of it by the hair comb tip irritated it. Once one of those cysts starts to grow, though, it’ll just keep growing.
I’m glad that is gone, and my scar is healing well, and the shaved hair around it is growing back just like the doctor promised it would. So, I’m free to style my hair with the part going the way I prefer and I can pull my hair back the way I’ve been longing to do for so long.
I also gave up any curling irons or straightening irons. The heat turns my gray hair yellowish. Ish is right – Ewe! Even after thoroughly cleaning the irons, the heat is still bothersome. I guess I haven’t tried buying new ones, but, the hassle of needing to straighten or curl is something I don’t miss at all.
Hair freedom is a great thing!
But, at some point, I knew either I’d need to cut it myself or I’d have to go back to the salon to get it cut.
So, I cut my own hair on a whim about 6-7 months ago? I think? Maybe? I dunno, I can’t exactly remember when, but I didn’t do a great job. I took a short cut, kind of like this girl did. I didn’t take off as much as she did, though. Plus she has straight hair. Curly hair is way more forgiving. Curls cover up a lot. She’s funny though, and young and brave.
Since my life doesn’t revolve around when my next hair appointment is, I lose track of time between cuttings. I decided yesterday was the day. I wanted to do better than the last time, and maybe actually follow the instructions, so set out to YouTube to do research before cutting.
Holy Hair Cutting Job Videos – there are a lot of them – some are hilarious, others more convincing. I ended up spending way too much time and finally just combined the techniques of all of these below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZC5XvAhPkc
And, thank God, I lucked out. I’m happy with the results.
Here’s the back before…um…sorry, I forgot to take the after shot…this is all brushed out and ready to wash before I cut it.
Here’s the after me, all 100% genuine, no make-up either, me.
And, that, my dears is why I cut my own hair. I do, I can, I did, and I lived to tell you the story, too.
Post Inspiration – Challenge – Fall In Love With Your Over 50-Self February #FILWYO50SF
PS – Stay tuned…come back tomorrow I’ll post the results of the blizzard we’re in the midst of. I can’t see out the windows, the snow is plastered to them, and the piles on our deck and surrounding the house are so high, and the wind is howling. Good thing I saved some Tostitos…
I like your cut and all the photos Shelley! ❤️😎☺️
Thank you, John!
❤️😎
Oh, to have curly hair! Mine is straight as pins and limp without color as it thins with age. 🙁 I’ve always thought curls would be so much easier to live with. Lucky you!
The weather continues to amaze. We are currently in 30mph winds and they continue to increase. Hoping against hope we don’t lose power. Think I’ll bake something to eat by candlelight. LOL.
It’s funny, when I was coloring I straightened my hair. LOL! Curls have a mind of their own, and some days I curse them. This weather, OMG – now the ice damn is causing leaking in our entry way. And the drifts are almost over the fence. It’s crazy! I like your idea. I may eat more chips too! Stay safe and warm and comforted!
Good luck surviving the storm. I have very little hair, so…
Thanks! We need all the luck you’re willing to send our way. Do you want me to dig out the clippings from yesterday and mail them to you? 😉
Great cut! Your hair is amazing! I so hope that when I’m gray, it looks like yours!
Thank you! I’m positive you’ll be just as beautiful as you are today! 🙂
Yes I was about you age when I said the same thing. Enough of that and lets save some serious cash every 6 weeks. My hair is not as curly or thick as yours; it was curlier when I was younger but now I call it ski slope hair. One large curl off the top with which to jump ship from, then all the little curls at the back of the head. So when I braid mt hair then the neck has all these little curly munchkins. For over 50 years I had had short hair. When I moved to Iowa, my process changed again because I had to wear hair nets. That’s when I quit cutting my hair all together. So now other than a few trims, it grows as it wants to. I keep it braided of gathered in a plastic clip. Its very fine so it drys quickly and requires little fuss. That’s the way I like it. Easy. Great look for you as it frames your delicate features.
Aw, that’s wonderful you’ve found what works best naturally for you and your hair. I love low fuss hairdos! I don’t know why it took me so long to figure that out!?! Thank you for sharing your encouragement, I appreciate it! 🙂
Well, I’m impressed you can cut your hair so nicely by yourself! Mine is stick straight and impossible to cut on my own. I’ve always wanted curly hair and I actually had one of those super curly 80’s perms for a while. Yikes. Cringe worthy photos are evidence. Good luck with the weather. The news showed Wisconsin highways in pileup mode from all the snow! Yuk!
Thanks – I’ve been cutting my hair only recently, but I’ve cut Mr.’s and my daughters’ hair since they were little (between salon cuts to fine-tune the created styles). The weather is horrible. Yes, the roads are nasty. ;-(
Mary says her mother used to cut her own hair, and used to style other women’s. You look good; no sense in spending $20 or more for something you can do yourself.
Do you remember a few years ago, when Jamie Lee Curtis decided “the hell with fussing with my looks” and went low maintenance (no makeup, short hair, relaxed wardrobe)?
Mary is wise, just like you, John! Aw, thanks, I appreciate your words of encouragement. Yes, I remember Jamie’s decision – I think she looks great!
Interesting saga Shelley – I think I mentioned to you that when my mom decided to grow out her hair, it was Winter and her hairdresser suggested getting it highlighted to not as noticeable. My mom’s hair always grew out quickly so within three weeks it did not look good in the back. She told her stylist “I have all this white hair coming in the back of my hair – Joe, I look like the back end of a deer!” He suggested reverse tipping but her hair grew too fast. She did it over the course of the Winter and wore a woo hat but didn’t go out too much (she never went out too much in the Winter – too difficult with the cane and not sure footed). Then come Spring she had it all cut off, shorter than a Pixie cut, and her curly hair never returned. Pretty amazing about that. More amazing is we went grocery shopping and I left her with the cart and went off on my own to find some item. Came back and walked past her several times as I didn’t recognize her – her hair was almost white and she had a different coat on.
Yes, it’s been a saga, that’s for sure. But I remain glad I did it! That’s a wonderful story about your mom and her hair. That’s amazing about it never coming back curly again.
I said for so many years that I’d go with a short pixie when I went gray. Someday, but first I wanted to grow the length back.
I like the length in the winter. Keeps my neck warm! Sometimes when I look in the mirror, or I should say especially in pictures, I don’t recognize myself. I think that has to do with how long I didn’t look like myself with the coloring. When all the coloring was cut off, I had to think hard about my original color. I’m still quite black in the back 1/3 of my head. Thank you for your support!!
Amazing your hair is still blacker in the back Shelley. I an doing highlights and lowlights and only because I have the wiry-looking white or gray hairs in the crown area and around my ears – I always pull my hair up out of my face and see them then. If not for those wiry hairs, I’d just deal with a little gray – my hair is shoulder length and layered.
Yes, and I love all the different colors – I’d be happy with all one, but, the different colors add natural highlights and lowlights to my hair. I call those little wiry ones the wisdom hairs. I believe if a person likes their own hairstyle, then it is perfect for them. I’m happy to hear you’ve found what works for you!
“Wisdom hairs” … I like that!