# Are you in hair denial?



## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Do you have unruly curls that you systematically attempt to tame?  Do you have lifeless locks and stare longingly at 80s Cher?  Or are you perfectly happen with what nature has blessed you with?


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2011)

Mine fell out so many times from chemo I gave up and just started wearing it crazy short.  It's now my "signature."

I'm spunky.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

oliewankanobe said:


> Mine fell out so many times from chemo I gave up and just started wearing it crazy short. It's now my "signature."
> 
> I'm spunky.


I respect/envy women with short hair. I'm too chicken to sport the look but I think it looks great when others pull it off.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I probably speak for a lot of women when I say, "I hate my hair". At first glance it would seem I have the best of both worlds. If I get it wet and let it dry naturally it curls up like a perm. If I blow-dry it and use an iron on it I can get it pretty straight. 

But the problem is it takes a lot of maintenance to make either look work. I prefer going straight but who wants to devote forty-five minutes of every single day drying their hair and straightening it with an iron (especially in the hot summer time)? And if I skimp on the straightening job to save time I wind up wild and poofy. Also if there's the least bit of moisture in the air my newly straightened hair immediately begins to frizz.  

My only solution is to wear a ponytail as much as possible and envy my husband his easy 1/4 inch cropped hair. I very much want a cute little pixy cut like Natalie Portman's but am afraid it wouldn't fit my face.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I was a teenager in the 80's where big hair and perms where in. Of course my hair is stick straight. I would have been perfect for the 70's. No ironing needed  . I now wear it long, straight still. I am also done with paying out the butt to have it cut. Its all one length so I been doing it myself for years. 

I had so many different hair styles back in the 80's, from half shaved, neon colored, sticking up punk, curls, from platinum to black and all colors in between.  I done enough to last a lifetime. I will be no more slave to whats "in"  . For some reason my hair style eventually becomes in again and again. 

You wouldn't believe the money I save.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

My sister told me I look like Gene Wilder.
That ought to tell you something!!


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2011)

I want mine to go grey so I can rock the Kim Novak look.

Only nobody remembers her.  LMAO


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

I Manic Panic mine. Currently it's Vampire Red. I got told at least five times this weekend how great it looks. The rule at our house is that anyone of any age can dye their hair, but it has to be an unnatural color. Pink is fine; blonde is not.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

My hair turned curly in middle school right when that flat ironed look was SO in and SO hot.  I wrestled with hair straightening for years until I finally just let it go curly as a New Year's resolution my Sophomore year in high school.  Life is so much easier now that I've embraced the curl.  Plus it helps enhance my musician personae.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Its really funny how this goes in life, those that have curly hair try to straighten it with whatever means and those of us with stick straight hair struggle to keep any curl in.  . I like my straight hair now fine, but it used to be a pain. Perms damaged the hair and when it would grow out I had that flat top and the wide curly head  . Or trying to curl with other means. I tried about any kind of curlers under the sun from steam to heat to wrapping the hair around strips of fabric overnight to let it dry. 

10 minutes in any humid environment or partying and it was back to being as flat as chives. And holy cow the products I would spray and rub into my head over the years. Soap with water and blowdrying the heck out of it was one cheap way in the 80's I had to resort too. Sticky mess, but smelled good at least


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I didn't get the "how-to" gene for working with hair. I recently got this book



One reviewer on Amazon said it's mostly basic info that everyone knows. That's what I need (even at my age). In the book Nick does say to cut and style your hair according to hair type -- not face shape.

I had short hair for many years. Then in mid '90s managed to let it grow kinda long. Enough hair to use Topsy Tail which I liked. But it has been on the short side again since about 2000. I never know what to do cut style wise. I go every six weeks for cut and COLOR. Wish I could decide on one specific cut and stick with it.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

The only thing I'm in denial about is the gray.... <sigh>


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## Tam (Jan 7, 2010)

My hair was always mousy brown, somwhat curly, and fine textured. So it was often frizzy but flat, if you know what I mean. I never had quite enough curl for a nice natural look (both my kids have been blessed that way fortunately!) and when I straightened it, it was thin and flat-looking. I've spent most of my life fighting with my hair, and have had to color it since I was about 35 and started getting a lot of gray.

This past fall I finally got sick of always having white roots to touch up, so I decided to let it go gray and see what it looked like. I went from permanent color to temporary and just kept going lighter till I was a blonde, then had a couple of really short cuts during the transition. I love how white my hair came in - there's just a little bit of yellowish in the back. I use a shampoo for silver hair and it tones down the yellowness (purple shampoo - I have to be careful not to leave it on too long or it does add a slight purple tinge - yikes!) The texture is a little different since I've stopped coloring - a bit less curly/frizzy and a bit thicker - so that makes me happy too!

I've gotten varied reactions from people. About half the time people tell me they love it and it looks wonderful. The other half make strange comments - like the guy who stopped in at the office and asked me if he had just walked into a time warp. I didn't quite get that one... Then there are the people who say they heard I dyed my hair platimum blonde and isn't that kinda strange? And those who ask if I have an illness that turned my hair white. A few people refuse to believe it could be natural. I guess that should be flattering as they must think I'm too young for white hair - but they also must think I'm lying! 

My husband and grown-up kids like it though - so I don't really care what other people think.

And I need to get that book - I LOVED Nick on What Not To Wear and always wished I could go to him for a haircut!


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Even though I need a little help from the hairdresser to keep the grays away now, my hair is the one thing about my body that I've always been happy with.  It's thick and shiny (see the comment about a little help) and requires minimal effort to get it to behave itself.  I like to say that Mother Nature wasn't kind to me in most areas, but she tried to make up for it in the hair department.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I quit dying mine a couple of months ago, and it's short enough that it has all grown out now.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> I want mine to go grey so I can rock the Kim Novak look.
> 
> Only nobody remembers her. LMAO


Oooooh, gimme some "Vertigo" any day over the Paris Hilton/Kim Kardasian types!

So you'd wear your grey hair in a French twist?


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

My hair is down past my butt, and it's so unruly if I don't brush it, I'll look like Helene Bonham-Carter. I like to dye it red, especially for the summer and fall. I'm long overdue for a dye job, so I just might go red in about a month.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

Hair ugh.  My hair is brunette, thick and stick straight.  Not a curl to it -- except where my cowlicks are.  Grrr.  I am getting grays... although like my aunts they are actually whites.  I don't have enough to just let it go au natural, so I still dye/highlight for awhile.  I am looking forward to the day when I can simply say I have enough 'whites' and do the transition from brunette to white.  I think it is a cool look.  So much better than trying to pretend I am not aging.  My mother on the other hand had a few gray hairs at age 80.  At age 88, she is finally more gray than white.   She looked spectacular because it was natural. . .although no one believed it was!  LOL


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

Put me in the denial column. I've always hated my hair - it's thick, and more frizzy than curly. I spend 20 minutes blow-drying it each day with a big round brush. I use relaxer once or twice a year, but just on the bangs and other areas around my face that tend to curl/frizz when I'm hot. I only leave the relaxer on for a few minutes - it's enough to tame the frizzies while still letting my hair wave.

I've always said I'd let my gray hair come in naturally because I didn't want to become a slave to coloring. But now that I'm plucking more (and more!) gray, I realize I'm gonna have to decide to color or go bald.



> Its really funny how this goes in life, those that have curly hair try to straighten it with whatever means and those of us with stick straight hair struggle to keep any curl in.


Indeed. My two sisters and I used to iron our hair (late 60's/early 70's) and set it with orange juice cans to make it straight, while my mom - who had stick straight hair - was perming hers.


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## EGranfors (Mar 18, 2011)

My hair is not what it used to be, sad to say.  I love my golden locks, but they're getting a little thin on top.  And I'm female!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

oliewankanobe said:


> I want mine to go grey so I can rock the Kim Novak look.
> 
> Only nobody remembers her. LMAO


Seems like I need to be the first guy to post here and mix things up.
I indeed remember Kim and she was one of the best looking women in film.
I say, go for it.

Just sayin.....


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

sjc said:


> My sister told me I look like Gene Wilder.
> That ought to tell you something!!


Well we know about your sister, don't we?
On the other hand, I always thought Gene made a better looking female than male anyway - hair-wise that is.

Just sayin.....


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> The only thing I'm in denial about is the gray.... <sigh>


Susan, 
Having seen your hair, I must say that I agree that there is nothing to be in denial about - and I don't remember any gray.

Just sayin......


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> The only thing I'm in denial about is the gray.... <sigh>


Glad I don't have that problem. My hair is just evolving from light brown to "very blond" as I get older.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I cut off my white ponytail to take work in Afghanistan......went all the way to buzz.

It is growing back pretty fast......I really like white hair and will deny that any part of it might be "just a little thin" Ha!


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

NapCat said:


> I cut off my white ponytail to take work in Afghanistan......went all the way to buzz.
> 
> It is growing back pretty fast......I really like white hair and will deny that any part of it might be "just a little thin" Ha!


On TV they had those ads for hair dye with a "touch of grey" for men. That way you can show you have both energy AND experience.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

NapCat said:


> I cut off my white ponytail to take work in Afghanistan......went all the way to buzz.


Did you have occasion to meet Greg Mortenson?


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

I have naturally red, straight, fine hair.  I'm also extremly cheap and lazy when it comes to my appearance.  I don't do anything to my hair, except pull it up in a pony tail, or on occasion I'll braid it.  The last time I tried to curl it, I put tons of junk in it, slept in the sponge curlers over night and it went straight about 3 hrs later.  It was then I decided to screw it, if someone didn't like me b/c my hair was straight, then I didn't want to know them anyways.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I don't care what anyone else thinks - but I feel better when I'm happy with my hair.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

4Katie said:


> I don't care what anyone else thinks - but I feel better when I'm happy with my hair.


One of my little 4 year old violin students once came into her lesson with her in, like, 10 different braids and fused with feathers/colored strings. She informed me that she was having a perfect hair day and would keep her hair like this forever. I told her I thought that was a good life policy.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> I want mine to go grey so I can rock the Kim Novak look.


You will get there. But only time will tell if you will like it. All the best.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> Susan,
> Having seen your hair, I must say that I agree that there is nothing to be in denial about - and I don't remember any gray.


Amazing what modern chemistry can do.


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## kindlequeen (Sep 3, 2010)

I have to admit I'm part of the majority but it's the COLOR I don't like!  My hair is very very dark and kind of ashy but my skin is super fair and ruddy.  It's not a good combo and I started dying when I was about 19.  I've had someone (who didn't know me growing up) who saw some family photos from when I was teen refer to my "goth" phase and I had to break it to them I never went through one, that was me being au natural.  A hairdresser said I looked "sick" when she saw a photo of me before dying my hair.  Dying my hair is a pain and it usually comes out on the orange side (even when I'm not using warm toned dyes); I like being red but my mother told me I looked terrible so I'm back to brunette.

On the texture part - my hair is super straight.  Perms have fallen out after 2 days which was super disappointing when the whole spiral perm thing was in.  I like my hair but it's fine and thick, never seems to do what I want it to and even though it's straight, it dries funky if I don't blow dry it (or at least my bangs).

Starting to get grays in my twenties and they're NOT straight so they stick out which is not quite tolerable.  My mother who's hair is straight started going curly in menopause.  It will be interesting to see what happens in my future.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> Well we know about your sister, don't we?
> On the other hand, I always thought Gene made a better looking female than male anyway - hair-wise that is.
> 
> Just sayin.....


I love you. I am bone tired...I just got in from scrubbing walls at the new (old) house in prep for painting: from 8:30 this morning it's now 11:07...I literally can't feel my arms. You always know what to say to cheer me up. I had a meltdown today; had struts and an inner tie rod end done on my car....$812.00 I nearly had a coronary!!!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Hugs to you, sjc.  Go take a nice long hot bath and get some sleep.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

> Starting to get grays in my twenties and they're NOT straight so they stick out which is not quite tolerable. My mother who's hair is straight started going curly in menopause. It will be interesting to see what happens in my future.


My grays (well, they're actually blinding white) seem to be straight - so maybe I'll like going gray!


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## Kathleen Valentine (Dec 10, 2009)

My hair has always been blond and pretty curly so I kept it short to keep the curls curly but a few years ago I read that women "of a certain age" should always wear their hair quite short as it made them look younger. So naturally I decided to let mine grow. It is now down to the middle of my back and I mostly wear it twisted up in a clip. I love it.


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## Casse (Oct 16, 2009)

Unfortunately I'm not in denial...... I've had crappy hair my entire life - bald will I was 2 according to mom.

I have very fine, thin, straight blonde hair. Until a few months ago it was on the longer side but due to even more thinning it snaggled and I had to have it cut short. This weekend I go back to the hair dresser to see if the new product is doing my hair any good. It's so fine looking still though that I may go shorter


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

Kathleen Valentine said:


> My hair has always been blond and pretty curly so I kept it short to keep the curls curly but a few years ago I read that women "of a certain age" should always wear their hair quite short as it made them look younger. So naturally I decided to let mine grow. It is now down to the middle of my back and I mostly wear it twisted up in a clip. I love it.


Love it!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Kathleen Valentine said:


> women "of a certain age" should always wear their hair quite short as it made them look younger.


Pfffft. Forget that. Mine's just past my shoulders, and my intent is to let it get to mid-back.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

My hair is the longest it's been in 25 years (just getting to my shoulders).  However, in order to get body in it I have to, in the words of my stylist, "trash it" which means periodic visits for blonding.  Can't wait until I get grey hair- my mother's was just beautiful!


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

In my working life, my hair was dyed red. Most people thought it was natural since I have the white Irish freckled skin to go with it.

When I retired I let it all grow out and it is now dark brown with some dramatic silver in the front--all natural.

As to length, I keep letting it grow and then notice that  I look like a person with short hair since I keep it pulled back from my face. At this point, I go get it cut short again! It is short at the moment {although not as short as it is on my atavar.}.


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## cargalmn (Sep 29, 2010)

I was light blonde for 32 years when in 2007 I dyed it reddish-brown (emphasis on the red).  I LOVE it darker - it brings out my eyes more and works with my fair skin (my mom has natural dark strawberry hair).  So for color, I reject my original hair color!  LOL

For curly/straight, I was a perm'd child until I went to College and chopped it all off - it was about 2" long and there was no perm left in it.  Lo & behold, my hair curled like little orphan Annie (a blonde one, mind you).  I couldn't believe it and neither could my family!  Over the years I've on & off tried to embrace it...then maybe 5 or so years ago, I truly embraced it.  I've been seeing the same hair stylist for maybe 6 years now (in fact I have an appt tonight!) - she's the same one who helped me grow it out so I could donate it last October, for anyone who remembers my posts about that.    I think the cut can make all the difference.  With her help (and some research), I now embrace my curly side and very rarely blow it out (maybe once every 2 or 3 months??).  It takes the right cut, products and a good diffuser - but now my hair takes about 5 minutes to style/blow-dry after showering.

I'm a big fan of embracing your curl!


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> Well we know about your sister, don't we?
> On the other hand, I always thought Gene made a better looking female than male anyway - hair-wise that is.
> 
> Just sayin.....


I love you. She was at it again all week, by the way.

Funny story: I grew up with a head of curly hair. In my days, Twiggy, Cher, Michelle Phillips, and later Dorothy Hamil: All had polka straight hair. I heard; straighten your hair all my life. Last month my niece slept over and we played hair dresser. She straightened my hair and everyone (including those who nagged me) said, ugghh...put it BACK!!!


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## Thaddeus White (Jun 20, 2012)

No, but my hair is increasingly in Thaddeus denial.

I think it'll probably be a couple of years before I'm properly bald, but the thinning time is a bit irksome.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

And then there's an absolutely beautiful natural head of hair!!  Not mine.  Someone I worked for years ago.  Beautiful strawberry blond head of soft curls.  Should be so lucky!!  ***sigh***


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## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

I used to be in denial about my hair. For most of my adult life it was long enough that I could sit on it. Since I am 5'2" and weigh a whopping 100lbs this was not flattering but the thought of cutting it made me physically ill. Then one day I inexplicably 'got over it' and I had it lopped off to chin length and I've never looked back. The best part was when ppl I didn't even know personally would stop me and tell me how much younger and cuter I looked this way.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

There are grays coming in, they look like little lightning streaks that peek out of the brown, but only when you aren't looking for them or have no desire to see them.  If I hunt for them to pull them out, I can't find them.  The texture went from baby fine and thick to thick and - something between straight and curly.  If I have it layered right and fluff it (not blow dry it) with some product, there is a bit of curl and it looks good.  That was two years ago, and the growing out was a pain.  

Right now I'm growing out the red from last year when I inexplicably dyed it pink, and got it fixed.  The bangs are back, and the cowlick never really went away.  I can't decide between a proper cut or just grow it out and keep pulling it back in a bun or ponytail.  I like the pulled back thing though, if it's down I can't keep my hands out of it and that gives me the heebie-jeebies at work.  If it's long and I don't pull it back, the one day I do that it will fall in someone's poop.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

denial, though only about my hair colour  I'm almost 24 hand have been dyeing it since I was about 11 or so. and when I say dye, I mean dye. All black or all bleached. I've had small pieces done before I was 11 but once I went to secondary school I've started dyeing it all the time. Lucky for me that for a long time I also had short hair, so I could change colour often 

For the past 9 or so years I've only had it black (with once about 4 months of blonde). I love the way my hair looks, it's straight but slightly wavy. I've had long hair for years now and only last January got a fringe. It looks so much better on me than not to have a fringe, don't know why I didn't try it before


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## ChrisHewitt (Dec 24, 2011)

I'm not really starting to go bald, I'm just getting too tall for my hair.


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## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

Ha...you all are cracking me up! I suppose I'll have to start worrying about my hair at some point. I'm 35, so I'm hoping I get a few more good years out of my current head of hair!  My wife complains about the gray hair she's getting, though.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Hair, what hair?


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## Thaddeus White (Jun 20, 2012)

35? You lucky swine.

I'm not even 30 and it's already disappearing. Oh well. 

By annoying contrast my facial hair grows at a very rapid pace, but I don't want a beard. I'm follicley tormented


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