I have a fascination with cutting my own hair. I've been doing it since the summer after my senior year of high school, when I was trying to grow out a bad perm. Apparently if you have any red to your natural hair, it will eventually turn orange after a perm. The color paired with the frizz was enough motivation for me. I figured out that I could cut it myself if it was short enough, and began experimenting. Granted, that is also how I ended up with a nice pixie cut the first semester of my freshman year of college, but I think its liberating to be able to drastically change looks now and then. Since then my hair has gone through many styles, lengths, and colors. I don't dare cut it if it is longer than my shoulders, and tend to cherish it when it does get long, but sometimes you just need a change! I think one of my favorite colors was literally called "mahogany." I called it blood red. It perfectly fit my mood at the time when I was going through a terrible period in my life. It made me feel so alive!
I just read an article addressing a question of females "going short" and whether it meant the were swearing off sex. As the article pointed out, women tend to find a change in style freeing. More than not, long flowing hair represents sensuality, classic beauty, and physical attraction. So while women might often cut off their hair after a break-up or during a pivitol moment in their lives, it doesn't necessarily mean they have sworn off men. From personal experience, it is actually empowering. To cut off what so often represents a woman's traditional persona and mold it into something that mirrors the fire and creativity she might feel within.
There are 2 things you must keep in mind when cutting your own hair:
1. You must keep an open mind to the outcome, as you obviously have no training in what you're doing.
2. Because of #1, you must not be afraid of wearing short hair.
I learned #2 the hard way several years ago when I let a friend "fix" my hair. Terrible, terrible decision. Of course she had recently shaved her head, so what did she have to feel bad about, right? I looked like a chemo patient for almost 2 months until I wised up and bleached it blonde. It was a horrifying experience. Not a cute pixie cut at all. I felt like every ounce of my femininity had been cut away with my hair, and I had become invisible to the opposite sex on the street.
That said, if you reach the point when you feel you've made a catastrophic mistake and feel like you're going to cry, you always have the option of stopping and calling a professional. However, sometimes it is at that very moment that you unlock the secret to what you have been trying to create.
Now don't get me wrong. I have worked with several top-notch professional stylists while I was doing massage therapy, and each have always done an excellent job with my hair. However, when I worked with them we could trade, meaning I could give them an expensive massage that really didn't take much out of my day (and c'mon, everyone needs a massage,) and I wouldn't have to pay for my hair. But now? Do I have 50$ to get my hair done by the girl I know would do it well? Not when I have an out of town wedding to attend in 2 weeks, and I have to foot the bill for hotel, gas, dress, food, gifts, etc. Its sad, really. I could make it work if I really had to, but thankfully I always have another option.
I obviously get this habit from my mother, as she has these same tendencies. You'd think maybe we'd have a flash of genius and cut each other's hair, but thats not really how it works. You see, even when I've had her cut my hair in the past, I've always tweeked it a little afterwards. Its not so much about having a good haircut, as creating a style exactly to your liking. When I think about it, I think the fascination started earlier. I always wanted one of those dolls where the hair would grow back when you pumped its arm. Instead I ended up giving a lot of my barbie's haircuts, so now my niece gets to play with a lot of dolls with butchered do's. So far she doesn't seem to mind.
I just read an article addressing a question of females "going short" and whether it meant the were swearing off sex. As the article pointed out, women tend to find a change in style freeing. More than not, long flowing hair represents sensuality, classic beauty, and physical attraction. So while women might often cut off their hair after a break-up or during a pivitol moment in their lives, it doesn't necessarily mean they have sworn off men. From personal experience, it is actually empowering. To cut off what so often represents a woman's traditional persona and mold it into something that mirrors the fire and creativity she might feel within.
There are 2 things you must keep in mind when cutting your own hair:
1. You must keep an open mind to the outcome, as you obviously have no training in what you're doing.
2. Because of #1, you must not be afraid of wearing short hair.
I learned #2 the hard way several years ago when I let a friend "fix" my hair. Terrible, terrible decision. Of course she had recently shaved her head, so what did she have to feel bad about, right? I looked like a chemo patient for almost 2 months until I wised up and bleached it blonde. It was a horrifying experience. Not a cute pixie cut at all. I felt like every ounce of my femininity had been cut away with my hair, and I had become invisible to the opposite sex on the street.
That said, if you reach the point when you feel you've made a catastrophic mistake and feel like you're going to cry, you always have the option of stopping and calling a professional. However, sometimes it is at that very moment that you unlock the secret to what you have been trying to create.
Now don't get me wrong. I have worked with several top-notch professional stylists while I was doing massage therapy, and each have always done an excellent job with my hair. However, when I worked with them we could trade, meaning I could give them an expensive massage that really didn't take much out of my day (and c'mon, everyone needs a massage,) and I wouldn't have to pay for my hair. But now? Do I have 50$ to get my hair done by the girl I know would do it well? Not when I have an out of town wedding to attend in 2 weeks, and I have to foot the bill for hotel, gas, dress, food, gifts, etc. Its sad, really. I could make it work if I really had to, but thankfully I always have another option.
I obviously get this habit from my mother, as she has these same tendencies. You'd think maybe we'd have a flash of genius and cut each other's hair, but thats not really how it works. You see, even when I've had her cut my hair in the past, I've always tweeked it a little afterwards. Its not so much about having a good haircut, as creating a style exactly to your liking. When I think about it, I think the fascination started earlier. I always wanted one of those dolls where the hair would grow back when you pumped its arm. Instead I ended up giving a lot of my barbie's haircuts, so now my niece gets to play with a lot of dolls with butchered do's. So far she doesn't seem to mind.
