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Sunday, September 13, 2009

making space in/on the head

A couple of days ago I parted my hair in the centre after washing it and combed it straight. As you can see a few posts down, my hair is very straight and in a bob shape and I'm growing my fringe out.

Paper people

Usually, after a shower, I part to one side, comb and leave the house. When I look in the mirror later at work or in the studio, there it is, parted to one side and lying flat. Very flat. I have had to make friends with my flat straight hair and my ginormous exposed forehead because I don't like the feel of hair on my forehead, and I hate hair in my eyes when I'm working.

A couple of days ago, when I decided to do something a little different and part in the centre, I glanced in the bit of mirror I had at work and saw this:




...which is ok if you're paid to look like Professor Snape, but not if you are not. And only marginally better than looking like Nana Mouskouri,* who was the bane of my childhood.

So. What I'm leading up to here is that I had another of my 'OMFG, I need a makeover' moments, and I booked a session for today with my favorite hairdresser, who cuts layers like a dream and has been wasted on my hair for a year or so now while I've been growing my short hair out.

She greeted me with open arms, almost wet herself when I told her the Snape story, and declared that I was to be 'De-Snaped' instantly.

Up to now we've been working to a 'plan' of how to grow the layers from the last time I freaked out (and cut my hair to an inch all over), but I've come to the realisation that I quite like the dilemma of hair that isn't rational; I like the battle of having to deal with its moods. Once it's grown out and manageable, I get a bit bored.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't like hairdriers and don't like having to style my hair, or curl it, or straighten it (! Straightest hair in the universe -- but you get my drift). But I've decided for now that I don't want sleek hair. I'll change my mind again later, I always do, but for now I'll have fun.

Mel (my hairdresser) knew just what to do. She grabbed a razor and some thinning scissors and she went freestyle all over my head. There was no plan, just fun. When she'd finished, I was fluffy, whispy, ragged, but with bits that made sense -- I still have length at the back, and I can tuck the front behind my ears when I work. And the pile of hair on the floor was big enough to make a wig for someone. So much hair! So I also feel light-headed, which is marvellous when it's a freakishly hot day like today.

Check it out (obligatory bathroom mirror shots):

fluffy 1

fluffy 3

fluffy 2

Happy! Bumblebee said that he can see lots more grey hair, but I look younger. Excellent! It's my birthday in a couple of weeks, I'm turning the universal magic age (42) and I'm looking just as I want to look. Fabulous.

I think the haircut and the show coming down was a great conjunction: I feel like I've used up allmost of my scraps, and now I can start fresh. FRESH! Love it. If you'd like to see what the show looked like from above, which gives a pretty good overview, click here.

I made the most of Bumblebee as a studio assistant today:

child labour 1

child labour 2

He found such tasks highly exotic (he also wields a mean paint roller), lucky for me. But it's shown him a less alluring side to making art, and he thinks he won't be an artist now. Heh.

*This photo was taken just before I had my last hair freak-out which resulted in this. Sigh. I miss that really short hair, but BB doesn't.

15 comments:

genevieve said...

you so do not look like Snape. But the new hair is fab - what a clever hairdresser you have there.

Kelly said...

ohh , delurking to say 'Whohoo' - totally fab do.

pk said...

Spunkadelic: plus the sight of a kid actually cleaning a floor (with their bare hands yet) is almost too much pleasure.......

Anonymous said...

You have my hair! Dead straight and flat has it's compensations (doesn't matter if I can't find a brush in the morning) but can so quickly move from easy to blah. I've been dithering on a haircut for months, delaying trying out the hairdressers in my new hood and not sure what I wanted. I may need to print out photos of you, single white female style, and ask for the same.

cristy said...

Lovely cut.

Must be the time for hair cuts.

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Oh dear, men are so predictable about hair.

Yours looks great, and your timing of this philosophical post is fab. I too have the 'hate the feel of hair on my ginormous forehead' dilemma, and I went into a scary meltdown on the phone to my BFF only yesterday about how boring it is having to think about my f*cking hair, and living in a culture where women of our age (hers and mine, I mean) are still expected to fret all the time about what they look like.

elsewhere said...

Yeah, that's great...much more flip, more youthful.

You're brave with razors, tho. I don't like to go there.

Mummy/Crit said...

It looks fab! But you always manage to look fab when I see you! I hear you on the 'dead straight' thing and mine is fine as well. I still haven't managed to figure out what to do wth mine, even after 40 years. It's currently the longest it's ever been....

Sara Bowen said...

Definitely not a whisp of Snape - you look great! Hmm, why is it that men seem to want long hair? Fatal childhood attachments to the blessed Nana, I guess. I've grown mine out many times but short is MUCH better...

Ampersand Duck said...

GT: thanks, but I definitely did resemble him! It's the nose :)

Betty: it was only water and an acrylic scourer, so very low toxins, but I know what you mean! Working children make my day too...

innercitygdn: go right ahead, anything to help the cause of inner beauty.

Pav: indeedy-do. I try not to spend more than a few minutes on daily appearance, and I guess it often shows, but life's just too short, and I love comfort over fussiness.

elsewhere: oh, I LOVE the feel of razors in my hair.

others: THANKS for the nice words, trooly. It is indeed the time for Springly hair renewals.

Nay: censored by BB, who thinks we will be TRACKED one day... but yes, good hairdressers of curly hair are worth their weight in gold scissors.

lucy tartan said...

I love it - looks fantastic. Between you and Cristy there's got to be enough hair laying around Canberra to stuff a sofa. Think I'll get a haircut this week.

word verification = harms
I don't quite see what doorbitch is getting at there, but I think she's probably overreacting.

Jay Dee said...

Loving your new hair do!

Suss said...

Look at you go! Wonderful cut. You've some lovely features, and "shortened, wispy, raggy" highlights those well. 42? A great age. When i was 42, i looked like Janeane Garofalo. At 61, i still look like a movie star. Unfortunately, that star is Broderick Crawford. Before he died, of course.

Enjoy your week!

JahTeh said...

I wish I hadn't read this as I've been eyeing off the scissors for the past week. I haven't cut my hair for 25 years but it's shrinking and changing texture so if I don't put curlers in it I look like Sideshow Bob.
I think it's a case of never walk into a chocolate shop or have your hair cut if it's a crisis week.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

I'm a bit late to this party, but What Hair, Duck! You look sassy-as.