I cut off all my hair! - March 2005

OK, so I have been totally hating my hair for quite some time now, and I have been so sick and tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the exact same person again and again and again and again. When I had short hair, I changed the cut and color pretty frequently, but as it grew longer, I didn't really do much with it to change my look radically. (Well, there was that time two years ago when I bleached the front part of my hair blonde, and that was fun, but it fried my hair and I couldn't maintain it....) SO, I finally HAD ENOUGH and made an appointment with my hairdresser to get it cut off and colored blonde. Lila doesn't even seem to notice or care about the change. She's seen me in many wigs, so I guess she just figures this is some kind of new wig that I'm wearing a lot. Who knows???

A quote I'd like to share with you from one of my favorite musicians, Ani DiFranco, who is always changing her hair....I feel the same way, except I'm not up at five AM messing with my hair!!

"Hellooo! I'm an insomniac! What am I gonna do? Everybody who tours with me goes to sleep by (rolls her eyes heavenward) three, so between three and five, I'm like LA-de-da-de-da. I like to be a disguise for myself - you know, it's like you're having the shittiest day of your life, but if you can wake up in the morning and there's somebody new in the mirror, it's "Ooo, who's she? She's probably very happy and well-adjusted." If you don't look anything like you did last week, maybe you can reinvent yourself personally as well." — Ani DiFranco

Before and after, front.

Before and after, back.

A shot taken outside, as the inside before/after shots didn't really capture the true PLATINUM of the color. :) Inside, it looks more golden reddish, but outside, you see that it is a very light blonde. I didn't actually intend to go this blonde, this is just the way it worked out. I like it anyway! It's a BIG CHANGE, and that's pretty much what I was after. :)

In the sun, so you can see the GLOW! My hairdresser just loves me; he says that only about twice a year does he get to do blonde like this, and about as often that he gets to do a total makeover like this. Most people just want a similar cut/color. I think people get locked in to how they look. I mean look at movie stars, they change their hair all the time. Why can't we?? Really, inside, I'm MADONNA. Or better yet, I'm CHER!! (I like her better these days anyway.)

And now, a progression at the salon, for those who are interested....

BEFORE.

With hair in braid, about to be cut.

After cut, view from front and back.

With one of three applications of bleach on, under the hair drier.

After second application of bleach, with comparison to my former hair. :) Can you see that on my "new" hair my tips are still a little reddish? After this step, there was the actual color itself, which took away the brassiness and left me with several shades of light blonde!! :) Thanks to TJ for taking these "in progress" photos. I might end up on his website!! I'll let you know if I do!

The final "do" as I'm about to go out for the evening. (I didn't want to end it on me in the chair with my hair all orange!! I know you'll agree!)