Most people I know are somewhat particular about who touches their locks. I am no exception.
Most people also despise their hair and spend a great deal of time and money trying to transform it from it's natural state, into something they deem more desirable. I have definitely been down that road too.
In fact, I feel like I have been at war with my hair for most of my life. It is dark brown, fine and curly. Even a lot of stylists have admitted that the combination of fine-curly hair is very difficult to work with. My hair varies from relatively straight on a dry, cold day when I have flattened it with a winter hat, to super tight ringlets on a hot, humid day.
In 8th grade I permed it...no idea why seeing as it is already super curly...and added Sun-In, which gave it icky, blondish streaks. In highschool I henna'd it, turning it bright red, and in first and second year university I highlighted and low-lighted my locks. I have also attempted to straighten it periodically with a flat-iron or round brush, but I have never really had the patience to do this for very long. I never want to spend more than 10 minutes total on hair and make-up everyday.
Although I am lucky to have never yet had a grey hair, childbirth has really done in my mane. After both girls were born, my hair started falling out like crazy. Since I have a lot of hair - it's fine, but plentiful - this wasn't such a big problem. What was a big problem was the regrowth of short spiky hairs that began coming in around my hair line. It was incredibly unsightly and forced me to chop off my locks that I had painstakingly grown out between Big A and Little A's birth. It just looked too weird to have long hair with spikey, short ones all around my hair line. I also feel like it has lost its lustre, and seems dry and dull. I can't go a day without using some Moroccan Oil to give it a bit more sheen and life.
Because of my fine-curly curse, I have had great difficulty finding a stylist I am happy with. Since living in Toronto, which is coming up on 17 years now, I think I have seen a dozen different hairdressers or more. With shorter cuts I find it even more frustrating because most stylists are unable to provide a consistent cut. One time it's perfect, but the next time I go back and ask for the same thing, I end up with something completely different.
Overall, I have been extremely pleased with my current stylist, Van, who I have been seeing on-and-off for the past 5 years. She originally worked in a posh Yorkville salon but opened up her business out of her home. She is very reasonably priced and an absolutely lovely girl.
So imagine my dismay when Yvonne, a woman who takes my spinning classes at the JCC, and also goes to Van (she too has difficult-to-work-with curly hair), informed me that our stylist seems to have gone AWOL. NOOOO! I had been putting off getting a cut because I have been busy, but it is long overdue. Sure enough, when I called to book an appointment, I got Van's machine and she never called back. I'm distraught, what do I do now??
I have an appointment Wednesday with the "Curl Ambassadors", who, obviously, specialize in curly hair, but Yvonne warned me that she has tried them and was not happy with the results. Oh Van where are you???
Hair is also a source of conflict between me and my girls. While I do not favour dressing them up in flounce and frills, I adore pigtails and cute dos on little girls. Unfortunately, Big A was pretty bald until she was 3 years old, and then it took another year before she was willing to let me style it, let alone run a brush through it. Now, she periodically tells me that she wants to cut it short, but I pretend not to hear. I adore her shiny, honey coloured curls and can't bear the thought of chopping it off.
Little A already has hair down to her shoulders, but won't even let me come near her with a barrette. Her hair is light reddish-brown and still baby fine, but I am sure it will get thicker and start curling soon, since neither Adam nor I have straight locks. What I wouldn't give to see my little monkey in pigtails!
As for me, if the cut I get on Wednesday is a bad one, I may actually start hoping for a late spring so that I can keep my head covered with a hat for a few more weeks until it grows in...
Most people also despise their hair and spend a great deal of time and money trying to transform it from it's natural state, into something they deem more desirable. I have definitely been down that road too.
In fact, I feel like I have been at war with my hair for most of my life. It is dark brown, fine and curly. Even a lot of stylists have admitted that the combination of fine-curly hair is very difficult to work with. My hair varies from relatively straight on a dry, cold day when I have flattened it with a winter hat, to super tight ringlets on a hot, humid day.
In 8th grade I permed it...no idea why seeing as it is already super curly...and added Sun-In, which gave it icky, blondish streaks. In highschool I henna'd it, turning it bright red, and in first and second year university I highlighted and low-lighted my locks. I have also attempted to straighten it periodically with a flat-iron or round brush, but I have never really had the patience to do this for very long. I never want to spend more than 10 minutes total on hair and make-up everyday.
Although I am lucky to have never yet had a grey hair, childbirth has really done in my mane. After both girls were born, my hair started falling out like crazy. Since I have a lot of hair - it's fine, but plentiful - this wasn't such a big problem. What was a big problem was the regrowth of short spiky hairs that began coming in around my hair line. It was incredibly unsightly and forced me to chop off my locks that I had painstakingly grown out between Big A and Little A's birth. It just looked too weird to have long hair with spikey, short ones all around my hair line. I also feel like it has lost its lustre, and seems dry and dull. I can't go a day without using some Moroccan Oil to give it a bit more sheen and life.
Because of my fine-curly curse, I have had great difficulty finding a stylist I am happy with. Since living in Toronto, which is coming up on 17 years now, I think I have seen a dozen different hairdressers or more. With shorter cuts I find it even more frustrating because most stylists are unable to provide a consistent cut. One time it's perfect, but the next time I go back and ask for the same thing, I end up with something completely different.
Overall, I have been extremely pleased with my current stylist, Van, who I have been seeing on-and-off for the past 5 years. She originally worked in a posh Yorkville salon but opened up her business out of her home. She is very reasonably priced and an absolutely lovely girl.
So imagine my dismay when Yvonne, a woman who takes my spinning classes at the JCC, and also goes to Van (she too has difficult-to-work-with curly hair), informed me that our stylist seems to have gone AWOL. NOOOO! I had been putting off getting a cut because I have been busy, but it is long overdue. Sure enough, when I called to book an appointment, I got Van's machine and she never called back. I'm distraught, what do I do now??
I have an appointment Wednesday with the "Curl Ambassadors", who, obviously, specialize in curly hair, but Yvonne warned me that she has tried them and was not happy with the results. Oh Van where are you???
Hair is also a source of conflict between me and my girls. While I do not favour dressing them up in flounce and frills, I adore pigtails and cute dos on little girls. Unfortunately, Big A was pretty bald until she was 3 years old, and then it took another year before she was willing to let me style it, let alone run a brush through it. Now, she periodically tells me that she wants to cut it short, but I pretend not to hear. I adore her shiny, honey coloured curls and can't bear the thought of chopping it off.
Little A already has hair down to her shoulders, but won't even let me come near her with a barrette. Her hair is light reddish-brown and still baby fine, but I am sure it will get thicker and start curling soon, since neither Adam nor I have straight locks. What I wouldn't give to see my little monkey in pigtails!
As for me, if the cut I get on Wednesday is a bad one, I may actually start hoping for a late spring so that I can keep my head covered with a hat for a few more weeks until it grows in...
Hi E, it's Megan here posting as anonymous... Janae and I have both been to Curl Ambassadors and we were pleased, hope you will be too. We saw Shanlea. And as for Big A, let's make a hair date for her as soon as this mystery virus passing through our house is gone! M
ReplyDeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteBig A was asking when you could do her hair -as you know, I'm not so skilled in that area! I am so glad to hear you had a good experience with Curl Ambassadors!! I hope you all get better soon.