Okay, so here’s a pic of the new hair. I HATE pics of me and this was as the end of the day after wandering around Santa Cruz in the wind so it doesn’t look as good as it can when it is styled. Which brings me to the one problem with it – styling. I’m dyslexic when it comes to styling hair. Sigh. That’s one reason it was so long and boring for so long. I finally cut it because it dawned on me that I had it up in a clip much of the time because it kept getting in my way. I put it in a clip to drive because it got caught in the door and the seat belt. I was tired of fighting with it. But I get up for work at 5am and I used to be able to wash it, dry the bangs and put it in a clip and go to work.
This is NOT a wash and wear style. It looks best when curled with a big fat curling iron which means the hair has to be dry. It takes me 30 minutes to dry my hair then another 30 to curl it. I don’t have an extra hour in the morning and I sure as heck am not getting up an extra hour for my HAIR. Sigh. So do I love it? Sorta. I love that is much thicker now that it is mostly the same length. I love the way it frames my face. And when it is all curly I really love it. But I can’t figure out how to get it like that except on special occasions. I do have to wash it every day and no, I can’t wash it the night before. On top of that, holding a blow dryer and then a curling iron for so long is really hard on my bad shoulder. I’m not sure if there is any kind of a solution for any of this. And I can’t my bangs to look decent no matter what I do. The stylist put product on them and lightly curled them but when I do it it looks silly. Not loving that part of it. On the plus side a female co-worker told me I looked a lot younger and that’s always nice to hear.
You have BEAUTIFUL hair!
Thank you!
you do have beautiful hair!!!
Aw, thanks.
Your hair looks shiny, healthy, and sexy. I like it a lot, and I think you’ll get used to taking care of it. Before you know it, you’ll be styling it like a pro!
Thanks Melodye. A pro, nope. I’ve never been the kind of girl who played with her hair. Never liked to. It was always long and straight. I think because for all of my skating years I just needed to be able to pull it up in a bun.
You look great!
Thanks so much. I don’t do change well. 🙂
Very lovely. I never get mine even as long as it is now, I always end up chopping it off. You look fab.
thanks. It’s been a lot of years since it was even this short. Hard to get used to.
It’s a very flattering cut. You look great!
Thanks. I really appreciate the support. I’ve been hiding behind my hair for so long that this feels very exposed.
Lovely hair. I just posted a photo of myself on my blog. I enhanced it with Photoshop, using the Orton technique. I couldn’t resist applying the same process to your photo. It makes you look all artsy, with rich, reddish hair. I could send it to you, if you like. 🙂
Whew – yes, please send me the pic you did of me. What fun. Thanks! susantaylorbrown AT gmai DOT com
Oh, whoops. I replied to your post my blog before I saw your reply on your blog. I’ll send you a color version and a BW one. Hope you won’t be too horrified by your Ortonization. 😉
Love it! Much younger!
Hey, thanks! I like younger.
It’s a very nice haircut!
Thank you.
I like it, but I can see why it’s a lot to deal with.
My hair is easier to care for when it’s longer, too.
Thanks and why is that that long hair is easier? Seems like a weird logic but true. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it soon.
Love it!
Have you tried the big fat curlers instead? Then you can put them in and just dry your hair. Two things at once.
Might work. When I had longer hair and tried to straighten it, I used big fat velcro curlers.
Thanks so much. That’s a great idea! Big fat curlers and a hands free dryer.
See, this is what I’m afraid of, too. The last time I had my hair cut, it suddenly required WORK every morning. That is definitely a benefit to long hair — you don’t have to do anything.
As for your bangs…(I can’t believe I’M offering hair advice to anyone, but since it looks like you and I wear our hair the same way, here goes…) have you tried drying them with a round brush before using a curling iron on them? It doesn’t take long…just a couple minutes. And I find my bangs look better when I do this versus just use a curling iron on them.
The maintainence is a lot of what kept me from doing this a long time ago. I hate taking more time for my hair. But I have to admit that when it IS styled, I like it a lot better.
Thanks for the tip on using the big brush instead on of the iron on my bangs (and I laughed because I would be the same way about giving hair advice) I had one big round brush and it worked okay but then I bought an even BIGGER round brush and it worked better on the bangs AND it dried my hair faster. What do you know, size DOES matter!
LOL on size DOES matter! And speaking of size…I actually use two brushes on my bangs — a large one first, then the smaller one to finish. If I don’t use the smaller one, the bangs fall down before long. But if I just use the smaller one without using the big one first, the bangs get too tight. (Seriously…this is the most discussion I’ve had on hair in years!)
You look fabulous here, and you DO look younger. There’s a blow-dryer/curling brush on the market that does both — maybe that’d speed the process for you?
I ordered one and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
And especially thanks on the looking younger. I can’t see it one way or the other in myself but I think that’s because I don’t like looking at me at all.
You have such BEAUTIFUL hair. Wow. It is still super beautiful.
I was growing mine for locks and then Em, who is 12, was really, really bored one day and I said, “Want to trim my hair?”
She cut about six inches off. It was really pretty funny and giggly, but, um, I won’t be posting any pictures of my new haircut soon.
I think you look lovely.
Thank you and LOL on letting your daughter cut your hair. You are a brave woman.
I like your hair. I need to cut several inches off mine. I do this when it brushes the floor when I feed the cat. I’m not an engineer, but I do have an internal engineer. I don’t notice when co-workers get hair cuts. I didn’t notice when someone had a nose job.
Maybe a hands free hair dryer would help?
http://www.goldviolin.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BR111
You look lovely. I hope your life calms soon.
Thanks and LOL on it brushing the floor. I had the same reaction, time to cut it.
And I ordered the hands free dryer thing. Thank you.
It looks beautiful, Susan.
And now that you’ve made “the first cut” … who knows? You may feel the urge for ANOTHER cut! That would shorten the styling time.
🙂
No frigging way! Well, at least nothing above the shoulders. Once it goes that short I see my mom staring back at me and I can’t do that. I had it that short in New Orleans and it was ugly ugly ugly.
HEY!!!
It looks GREAT!!!!!!
😀
Thank you! Of course now my portait and my icon are just a memory of the girl I used to be. 🙂
Awwww, heck.
I can give you a trim if you like!
😀
Looks very nice; you’ve gone Hollywood on us!
Don
http://devast.blogspot.com
Oh Don, this is too too funny but thank you.
It looks very pretty. I really like it that length.
But, yeah, who wants to spend an hour on hair? I just shower, comb, and go with mine. For special occasions, I blow dry it for about five minutes.
Thanks and I am jealous of the 5 minutes prep time. That’s what mine used to be. Sigh.
Love it!!!!
thank you
I think it looks great!
thanks so much
LOVE IT!
Thanks!
I went short short many years ago for the same reasons you did. Ear length and it is mostly wash and go. But I have to cut it every 6 weeks or so.
I know it would be easier if I went shorter but I just can’t do that. I had it short when I lived in New Orleans and I hated it
I love it!
It truly suits you . . .
Thank you
It looks wonderful! Are you getting used to it yet? Do you feel freer?
I’ve never EVER had a wash it and go style even when it was supposedly cut that way. Sigh. Ah, to one day be curling iron and rollerless.
I’m sorta used to it, if that makes sense. I don’t feel myself missing the long hair, mostly just missing how easy it was to wash it, dry my bangs and then just let the rest of it dry. When it is styled I feel really good. The rest of the time, not so much. I’ve got two weeks of vacation (staying home vacation) coming up so I hope to experiment with more ways of making it work for me.
I found your journal through the new RSS feed for “writeonrightnow.” I love the idea of writeonrightnow and coming to your journal I think you’re pretty interesting as well. I’ve added you to friends if you don’t mind. Reciprocity not required, just explaining who this person is that added you to friends out of the blue 😉
Thanks for introducing yourself. The writeonrightnow blog should be getting back to more regular posting now.
Your hair
Susan, Your hair is freaking fabulous! You are beautiful! I’m a wash and wear girl myself–just straighten my bangs sometimes because the little flippy wings on the sides drive me nuts. You said you can’t wash your hair at night so that it’s dry in the morning for curling? How come?
Anyway, it’s gorgeous, and yes, it does make you look younger. And I bet it was kind of scary to do? So good for you. Hope someone else with more styling experience has some tips for you!
Laura
Re: Your hair
Laura, thanks for the reassuances that I didn’t totally screw up my looks by doing this drastic change. Yes, it was HARD to do but I just sort of felt it was time. Especially since I am getting nowhere on the weight issues. I do miss it being wash and wear though.
If I was my hair the night before in the morning it already has some oils in it so it doesn’t look as fresh. Plus, I need that shower at 5am to wake up. I am SO not a morning person. 🙂
Thank you. It’s amazing how much I need these reassurances and how much they help. Gosh, do we ever outgrow the need for peer approval? I think not.