I Cut My Hair! Life Eventually Goes Back to Normal After You Grow Out Your Gray Hair.....Really.

I've been figuratively pulling out my hair in frustration for weeks. It's a wonder that I still have any hair left to take a picture of to show you! I've been frustrated because every time I think I'm going to have some down time to blog, something else pops up needing my attention. So now, really, truly, honestly this time, I am going to attempt to master the art of the quick, not-so-rambling post. I'm not sure that I can do it friends, but I will try.

So, I cut my hair!!!!  *I* cut my *OWN* hair.....

Please beautiful, wonderful, amazing hairstylist of mine Lydia don't be mad at me, please!

It was born out of a moment of pure horror and weakness. When the salon was closed. Or about to be closed. I had no choice! There was desperation involved.

I was at Macy's looking for some clothes, when I went into the dressing room to try on a dress. To my complete and utter embarrassment and horror, my butt was so big and also, the ends of my hair, straggly and yellowed. (I'm sorry, but this is the truth. ) Also, it all sounds too superficial for me to really want to care, but somehow, I totally do care! It was bad.

I went scrambling out of the dressing room, (with clothes on of course) close to tears and headed straight home. Too embarrassed to be seen out in public. I was in a tizzy! A true panic.

For the past two years, once my gray hair had just about grown out, and the pixie cut too, my hair stylist Lydia has done an excellent job encouraging me to keep my hair long, and helping it to be trimmed and healthy. The only thing that had been bothering me was that I felt as though my hair, especially the end, seemed thinner than I'm used to. I think my hair must be thinner now, than when I was younger, but I'm guessing that more so, I've always worn a pretty blunt hair cut, but now, I had lovely layers. The layers though, at the ends, they started just looking...straggly. Scraggily. You know, like wispy spaghetti!

Last time I went into the salon I was really tempted to have Lydia cut a whole bunch off, but she encouraged me not to go crazy and gave me a perfectly respectable trim. A month or so went by before that fateful day in Macy's and in that time, my hair had morphed into a limp mop with yellowed ends.

At home I thought: "Ok, I'll just give myself a wee, little blunt cut. Just chop off a few inches. How hard can it be!?"  

And so I did. And you know what? It ISN'T difficult to cut your hair into a block shape! So now I have an odd looking, blockhead look! (That I've been tooo lazy to go have corrected by Lydia yet!) But also though, now my hair, at least to me, looks twice as thick at the bottom! AND the best part, no more dull, yellowed, straggly ends!

I'm not advocating for you to cut your own hair. Really, don't do it. What I am saying is that after growing out your gray hair for months and months or even years like I did, one day everything goes back to normal and you'll even be getting haircuts for your gray hair, just like you did for your colored hair! Eventually, all of the stressful memories of the time when you had a 2" wide white skunk stripe on top of your head will be a thing of the past! 

So hang in there, really. Your gray....it just becomes part of you and won't always be a daily source of worry. I promise!

Here's a picture that kind of shows how straggly my ends had been getting, and some of the discoloration. I've used clarifying shampoo and purple shampoo and even treatments at the salon. There just comes a point where nothing is as good as a haircut and starting a little anew.

I definitely prefer my hair at the length in this picture as opposed to shorter, but after growing out my gray, I understand and know now that it's "just hair", and that in the grand scheme of things, it only matters some and it will always grow back!

And here's my big old head now! (I kind of look like a muppet with this expression. Also, where do you look with the laptop camera???)  Nothing spectacular, but I'll take it! It's nice to have thicker feeling ends and some of that stubborn dullness off. My hair is curled up a bit, but I would say I cut off about two or three inches.  

And that my friends is the latest in my HAIRVENTURE!

Did you know that this is what it's called now, when you grow out your socially unacceptable hair color? A HAIRVENTURE! Say it proudly! (I just made this up. But still say it proudly.)

And one more spot of EXCITING GRAY HAIR NEWS! (If that even exists. Is that an oxymoron? Exciting gray hair news?) 

I was just THRILLED when the most lovely, sweet, friendly people from White Hot Hair in the UK approached me to see if I would like to try out some of their hair care products! I was so excited!!!

White Hot is a range of AMAZING looking shampoos, conditioners and styling products made just for those of us sporting our silvers. Not only that, but White Hot's line is all about being vibrant and gorgeous and full of life. They actually celebrate the brilliance that white can bring! No more purple shampoo that's been around for decades, making you feel old, White Hot's products are all about the sparkle!

I offered to do a blog review once my products arrive, but White Hot said that isn't even necessary, they just wanted to start the conversation about hair care for gray hair. I'd love to let you know about my experience with their products though, so I'd really like to do a review on How Bourgeois once I have a chance to try out the range. And for disclaimer's sake, I am not being paid by White Hot for my opinions or a post. I'm being given some complimentary products and then I will share my honest experiences with them. In the meantime, you can share in my excitement to be learning more about this great company, by browsing their website and joining their great Facebook group as I did! You can find them on Facebook HERE.

Fun stuff, right!

I would say that this post is at least 30% shorter than most of them. I think I did an ok job! ;)

Alright, coming up........ more posts including a summer wrap-up with pictures, a back-to-school celebration that we threw, some autumn clothing shopping reviews, including a favorite things post! And of course, more hair news to come. I'd also like to get back on track with the "Year of You" soon.

Until next time, don't cut your own hair!

Love, 

Lauren :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo