The Pixie Did it!

<STORY TIME> Okay, so I was in fifth grade and in my first big musical. Backstage many moms and dads were helping the little actors do a bit of makeup as well as hair for the show. The director asked if we could curl my hair…it took 2 parents, 3 cans of hairspray, a curling iron that I swear was about 4500 degrees, and all my strength to keep my nerves down enough to keep still, JUST to get my hair finished. I loved it, it was pretty and curly all around…I felt like a star on Broadway. Next thing I know it’s Positions and the curtain went up for everyone’s opening song. I went out, sang my little heart out, came back when my scene was done so I could get water…my hair looked as if you had just ran a flat iron through it. 

The most I could ever do to my own hair was put it in a ponytail. I’ve tried styling tools and products nothing helps. I figured as I grew, got to know my hair a bit better…I could practice more and I could do some cool things to my hair, even if it’s just a relaxed curl. Nope. On top of that, it destroyed my hair. Heat damage like no other, split ends, my scalp has ALWAYS been dry and itchy BUT at the same time can get oily and make my hair look stringy and gross. There really was never a good middle ground for me and my hair. 

So…I began dying my hair. The extensive story can be found here if you’re interested. Short version? After lots of different colors and brands of dyes I finally found one I love that is red.

I now had long red hair that was the color I wanted and could test out all the different styles I had been seeing all over the media. (My favorite was the hair bow.) Unfortunately for me…my hair was layered and didn’t like to work well with any style. It also didn’t like to hold a curl. Yes, I tried all the tricks, the tools, the products, I even changed my diet just a bit for healthier hair…nothing. This all was happening early last summer.

<ANOTHER STORY> So, last July I did a photo shoot with my best friend Rexie. I got all glammed up, and we trekked to Downtown Austin. The location was where there was a HUGE wall filled with graffiti and we hiked all over to get “The shot.” (We are known for this…doing whatever it takes to get “The shot.”) My boyfriend and dog came along to help us out if we needed anything. The heat beat down on me like an outward pulse echoing my heartbeat. It’s Central Texas in the summer. Yes, it’s hot. 

After the shoot was done we walked across the street where there is a cute little pet boutique store so my furball could get some water. Less than five minutes from walking inside, I collapsed and my boy laid me down on the ground while Rexie grabbed the car and some cold water from the corner store across the parking lot. I had collapsed from heat exhaustion. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and was confused as to why. My confusion was answered when my boy took one of the cool water bottles and set it on the back of my neck. My hair had been down the entire shoot.

I had a pixie cut previously, and loved it. I grew it out because I didn’t know how to dress with it cut that way and still feel feminine. Guess what…I know how to do it now. It took a little time but I called my hairdresser and scheduled an appointment for a cut. Now…for those of you looking for ANY dramatic haircut/color change these are some tips I suggest you follow…

• Trust your stylist. When I went in, both for the first red coloring and my latest pixie cut, I went to my stylist. I’ve known her for about twenty years now and she knows my hair. She knows what looks good with my face shape and skin tone as well as my personality.
• Bring more than one picture. Everyone has different hair types and yours probably isn’t the exact same as the model or actor in the picture you got online. This allows a little bit of space for your dresser to make the cut fit to what you’re looking for.
• Don’t make a split-second decision. If you want a dramatic change in hair, keep looking at photos for a good month or so. Personally, I’m extremely indecisive and one day I may want a pixie cut that’s bright pink and the next I may want dark hair that goes down to my hips. If what you want remains constant, go ahead and make the appointment.
• Think about how you will look in different settings with this haircut. What kind of makeup/clothes you may need to maintain that confidence the dramatic change will give you initially. My first pixie cut I got when my wardrobe was mostly torn up jeans and t-shirts. I didn’t have the passion for makeup that I do now so that wasn’t there. I looked like a teenage boy, while I was a twenty-something college student going into Advertising and Photography. As well as a *woman.* 
• Consider what kind of maintenance will be required with this hair. If it’s a color, will you need touch ups? Or if it’s a cut, how often will you need a trim? These things you need to consider because they also take money out of your pocket and time out of your schedule. 

Other than that…take the plunge. Show your spunk. Be who you are, and ROCK IT!