I Paid My Two Bits

If you know me, you know that I love checking things off lists. Pretty much any list, really. Yesterday, I checked something off of a list that's been around for a while.

This is a picture of me from three days ago:

Three days ago I had 3/4 inch of apparently colorless root growth, a daily handful of hairs I'd dug out of the shower drain and bedroom carpet, up to an hour lost a day on washing/drying/doctoring/straightening my hair, and a mortifyingly large product budget. (And in spite of all that - or perhaps because of the last two - I still managed to get a cute picture!)

This is a picture of me from yesterday:

Yes, that's me. Yes, that's my hair on the floor. No, it's not Photoshopped. Yes, it's a pretty great T-shirt.

Some time ago I started making a list of '100 Things To Do Before I Die' (technically, I think I got up to 80, and they're on this blog somewhere - if I can ever find the right posts I'll link them) and one of those things is "shave my head". I didn't want to go for the full 'skinhead' look (at that point I'd feel obligated to get a tattoo, and that is NOT on the list), but I did want to:

- definitely deal with damaged hair
- find out what color it actually is, even if that color was 'dishwater gray'
- free up time from 'doing' my hair for, well, anything else
- wear lots of wigs
- save some money
- Just. Y'know. Start over.

So, I did it. I'd asked my hairdresser about two months ago if she'd do the cut, and after running through my reasons and explaining how long I've been wanting to do it (5, 6 years?), she agreed. I have video, and once I edit it down I'll find a place to post it. I'm moving to a new town to start a new school year at the end of the week + I still live in the UK + I'm studying theatre and people are used to theatre folk being a little 'quirky' + it's hugely difficult to get the shade of haircolor I like over here + plus the 'shedding hair EVERYWHERE' thing was getting intensely annoying = #4 clippers and Away We Go! I've gotten lots of great responses from friends on Facebook, and a few startled glances from people on the street - I emailed my family, and have yet to hear back from my parents. (I hope nobody's clutching at a heart attack somewhere, because of that email!)

Today's been great - no shampoo in the shower, just the body wash and loofah. It was practically dry by the time I got up the stairs to my room. I was even caught in a short rainstorm that soaked me, but when I got to the Tube station I just rubbed my head with a paper towel and it was dry by the next stop. I've never been out in a storm and NOT panicked about my hair before! Every time I look in the mirror I get a little jolt of surprise, again - and then I laugh. Do you have any idea how awesome it is to laugh and grin every time you look in the mirror?!? It's amazing. I can't stop running my hands over my head - it's all bristly. (How can guys ever get used to it? It's just so cool!)

I also think I lucked out - I was pretty sure it was going to look terrible, but that was worth it for the chance to start over. Instead I find out that while I do have quite a bit of gray (I think it's going the white-gray, wooo!) I also have a lot more color than I had thought - and it really is still red. SUCH a relief! My head seems to be a fairly nice shape (which is important when there's no hair), and the first thing my hairdresser said when she finished was (and she was also a little surprised) "It suits you." (It's even more fun if you can imagine the surprise coming with a Scottish accent, which she has.) It's strange to feel the breeze so close to your scalp!

I'm determined not to color it at least until December, and I have packed up my hairdryer and straightener and all the various chemicals previously employed to wrangle my hair into submission. (Funny story: earlier today I went on a tour at the Globe Theatre and the guide started listing off modern conveniences we just couldn't live without: "...phone, camera, hairdryer..." There was a guy across the group from me who had the same haircut I do, and on 'hairdryer' we caught each other's eyes and both smirked and shook our heads.)

Shocking, I know - I am, in fact, eating sushi. 

At the Globe Theatre - not only did I have the lowest-maintenance
'do' in the place, I was also the only one to recognize the tour guide's
quote as the opening lines from Hamlet. Oh, yeah. Big deal, right here.

There will be more pictures to come, as the wigs I have are black, black with red streaks, brown (flippy), white, and blue. Should be fun!

Watch out for falling turtles (even the ones you plan for)!

Cyd