I haven’t been to a hairdresser since last February. At that point, Shiraz cut, coloured, highlighted and styled my hair, and told me to come back in six to eight weeks.
The Flip
Shortly after seeing Shiraz I got diagnosed with cancer. I figured it was only a matter of time til I started chemo, and then all my hair would fall out. I didn’t want to spend money on hair that was going to fall out. (If I’d known it would take six months to see the medical oncologist, I probably would have gotten my hair done, but there’s such an air of urgency to cancer, you can’t imagine anything taking six months.)
I was prepared to lose my hair, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. I’d feel naked without hair. Even though it would start growing back soon enough, it would be very short for a long time, and I don’t look good with very short hair. (Hair grows, on average, a quarter inch per month.)
I recently learned for sure that I won’t be doing chemo, so my hair won’t be falling out after all!
Archeological dig of Zoom's hair
Me with longer hair (Photo: Milan)
Less flattering and more typical picture of me and my hair
If I’m going to let it grow, should I do nothing or should I get a hairdresser to thin it out or shape it or do something to help it grow neatly?
As for colour, I like the dark brown with highlights. But I’m not so comfortable anymore with the idea of soaking my head in toxic chemicals for an hour every eight weeks. I used to think skin was a barrier, but I realize now it’s a sponge. That’s why some medications are administered by skin patch (birth control, nicotine replacement, etc.).
So maybe I’ll just grow my hair and go grey gracefully and naturally. But then what do I do about the old coloured and highlighted sections? Do I have to wait years for them to grow long enough to be cut out? Or is there a way to blend the colours more naturally and less toxicly (is that a word?) in the interim?
Considering what could have been, this is a very nice problem to have.
I am NOT the best person to give advice (as you know) but I would go to the very best hair cutter I could find, and tell him/her that you will be growing it from now on and likely won’t be back for a year. Explain that you are a total incompetent who is capable of washing and combing the tangles out, but after that the hair has to do its own thing.
I know a good stylist, used to be in the Glebe … now on Elgin across from the police station … if you want a recommendation. he can make you look glamourous but his cutting is first rate so your hair can be left on its own after the initial style is washed out.
What I did was have a good colourist add some highlights and lowlights to your hair — tell him/her that you want to start letting your hair go grey, but don’t want the totally patchy look you’re on your way to now. The first high/low blend will involve a lot of foils and time, but it will be good for several months if they know what they’re doing. The next time should need only about half the foils. The 3rd time you’ll need only a few highlights on top to blend with the grey. Those 3 sessions should take about a year. After that you may need one more small set of highlights in maybe a platinum shade and then voila! You’ll your hair will be like mine, probably, sort of and you’ll only have to go back for a trim once in a while. Also, the secret to low maintenance hair — especially hair like yours with lots of body and texture is a good quality salon shampoo and conditioner and any old drugstore curl enhancing/de-frizzing cream product. You shouldn’t even have to comb/brush or blow-dry it. I never do.
That first sentence should read “…highlights and lowlights to MY hair…”
Both the cat and the veggie are bigger than you. For your hair, I vote that you get it “shaped” and let it go at that. I look like something from “American Gothic” when I let my hair grow out and I have the driver’s license to prove it.
Get it nicely shaped by a pro, and then use henna natural colouring on it. No chemicals, nice cut, and very low maintenance!
I have been growing out my hair for a year and, theoretically, after I got rid of my bangs, I shouldn’t have needed haircuts anymore. But actually, it all looks so much better if I get it cut regularly. My hairdresser (Meghan Dailey at Le Spa) cuts almost everyone’s hair I know (Mine, Megan’s, my brother’s, his wife’s, his wife’s mother’s, my boss’s….) and always listens to what I’m trying to do and cuts it accordingly. She knows what my capabilities are when I’m at home and makes sure the haircut works on a daily basis. I’ve come to believe that this is the mark of a great hairstylist. I live in fear that she will move away from Ottawa.
So I vote for the haircut! But keep it long! It looks so nice.
When I go to get a haircut, I tell them that I’m generally really lazy about my hair. I want something pretty but low maintenance. In general, my hair is rather well behaved (it’s stick straight), so I don’t know how well that would go over.
My friend just let her highlights grow out. She went to have the really light parts trimmed off, just to make the spectrum look less extreme. Then stopped caring. That works too… XD
“So maybe I’ll just grow my hair and go grey gracefully and naturally.”
Eventually this is what I ended up doing. It’s not so bad.
Meghan Dailey seems to be hairstylist to the Blogosphere… she was at Blog Out Loud even!!
Nice problem indeed! Now that my hair is way over an inch long, I am thinking of cutting it back! It grew back much springier than before and I have to use gel to hold it down, otherwise I look like Don King. But I am a fan of no-fuss hair. What about making sure it is long enough to tie up or back for when you don’t want it in your face? I don’t think I have ever seen you with your hair tied up.
I let my hair colour grow out…no henna…it seeps into the grey and becomes a stange colour…I just had it shaped regularly. Even when grown out you will find darker patches at the neck and lighter at the temples. Go grey!!! It’ll look fab! And Julia is right, after shaping, just tie it back.
Of course I say grow your hair long, long, long until you can wrap yourself and GC in it.
I went gray AND short several years ago, which oddly made me look younger. I have also tried henna, which is a GREAT conditioner.
Is there someplace online where a person can upload a photo and test hair styles (for free, without signing up)? Anyone? Anyone?
XUP, we are TWINS to the smallest of details, for real. After reading Zoom’s post I was gonna say exactly the same thing you said, except for the grey part, to which I haven’t gotten yet, although new grey hairs pop up in my head every day, so I take note of your highlight/lowlight advice.
So yeah, Zoom, I am also unable to operate hairdryers and round brushes, and my hair is similar to yours, (great) body and (depending on how they’re managed) not so great waves, so The Solution is what XUP suggested: good shampoo, and any curling product, and in my case at least, no hairdryer at all. And I would add a really good layered haircut, and no brushing after washing hair. That pops the curls and gives us body/waves hair girls good hair. In my case also, shorter hair makes my curls look kinda better/easier to pop, but I totally see the point to grow it longer at this time for you!!!
And yes, it’s Awesome that no chemo means that you can happily worry about this kind of stuff! yay!
I’m probably the wrong one to give hair advice as I don’t even own a comb or brush. I keep my wavy hair short and just wash it and put some styling stuff on it and finger comb it into place. I just don’t have time/patience for anything else. I’ve been coloring my hair for about 30 years and my stylist said I have to let the grey (of which there is a considerable amt) grow out. There isn’t a graceful way to do it. I’m just vain enough not to want to live with 6 inch grey roots that I’ll keep coloring it for now.
So you know – bleach isn’t that toxic, the carcinogenic stuff is the dark dye so doing hilights to help the grey blend would be a safer option for the next while.
Your hair looks EXACTLY like mine.
via Roro
Your cumcumber is awesome/obscene.
Congratulations on the verdict that chemo is unnecessary. Are you passing on radiation, too?
Anyway.. the good thing about having had MY hair fall out (several years ago)… is that you know it’s not the worst thing that can happen; you are amazed that anything grows back (anywhere); and it comes back different. (Mine switched from blonde and wavy to gray and curly. Since, I’ve had it high and lowlighted to red and blonde. Most of the curl subsided at year 4).
Best wishes, and many years of health and well being.
[…] to do so, I decided to read back over your comments on the post where I asked for hair advice: Hair Today, Hair Tomorrow. I just wanted to refresh my memory so I’d know what to ask the hairdresser to do. As I read […]