This is the story, a true story, about a woman, her hair and the lessons she learned when she decided to make ‘a change.’ Let this be a warning. First, you need to know I read lots and lots of magazines. Too many, really, because they often lead me down the path of trying new products, fitness programs and fashion crazes. Anyone remember the Shake Weight? Abdomenizer? Ponchos? You get my point. I recently read in one of my fashion magazines that ‘rose gold’ was a new trend in hair color. That’s all it took for me to convince my stylist that I wanted to dye my hair back to its original color, strawberry blonde—but with streaks of rose gold.
My stylist, who has known me forever, confirmed my choice by showing me a picture on her iPad of what it would look like. Yes, that’s what I wanted, I assured her; do it! And while you’re at it, cut it short! As I left the salon, I was a little unsure but when my husband noticed my hair was different and he liked it, I thought I had made the right choice. He usually doesn’t notice stuff like that. Things began to unravel when I woke up the next morning and looked in the bathroom mirror and thought, ‘OMG! WHAT HAVE I DONE?’
I needed someone to talk me off the edge. So photos were snapped and sent to my daughter. Her response was ‘Mooooooooom, what were you thinking?’ That was not the ‘way to take a chance’ response I was hoping for. I had to make a quick decision, though, since I was heading to Chicago for a girls’ weekend in an hour. Should I pretend to be sick and not go? Or go to Chicago and not worry about my hair? I sent a text to my girlfriends warning them to expect a change, then packed my bags. I’m probably overreacting, I thought. Wrong.
As I walked to the car, my two friends popped out to survey the new ‘do. This was not just a casual look; it was an examination. I explained my hair was ‘rose gold.’ I could tell by their faces I’d made a huge mistake. Actually, it was their laughter that gave it away. Oh, they loved the cut but they kept referring to my hair as ‘pink’ instead of rose gold. Halfway to Chicago I called my stylist and explained I was feeling a lot like a Strawberry Shortcake doll and asked if there was any way I could get the rose gold/pink out of my hair. She suggested Dawn dish detergent. A quick trip to the grocery store and some time under the sink did tone down the color, even though it was now uneven and blotchy.
Once back in St. Louis, my stylist performed a color correction. Rose gold is no longer part of my vocabulary, or my hair. Lessons learned: 1. Don’t take hair color advice from anyone but your stylist. 2. Hearing your hair is ‘not horrifying’ is not a compliment. 3. Having a husband who tells you your hair looks amazing could be a desperate measure to prevent tears. 4. And being able to laugh at yourself makes for a very fun girls’ weekend.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.