I seem to have lost the drive and inspiration to do anything. I’ve slowed down, been rather dull and life seems pretty pointless. This is the primary reason for the reduction in frequency of journal updates. I’ve not been able to convince myself to sit down and try. This post was typed out in bits during the course of a day, whenever I felt like adding to it. It is probably lacking in general continuity and structure.
Salons are nice places. I fear them like a normal person might fear the dentist or the plague, but they are inherently nice places. I mean, where else are you going to find a bunch of women with fabulous hair comment about how long and sexy yours looks? Now that isn’t the fun part either. The fun part is that sets up the “Why thank you.. for now” sequence of (well worn and worked out) humour involving everything from faulty genetics to old bald men. I will maintain my affected understated air of dry dynamism, and they will laugh. It’s a good thing I do this only once in 6-8 months. They tend to forget I basically repeat the same thing every time it happens and they crack up each time. The reason why I’m usually a bit apprehensive is because I don’t want all that work ruined by some snip happy maniac.
But this week has brought about a few major changes in my life, and I made an appointment for this too earlier, thinking I might try something brave and exciting. But that’s not quite how things turned out. And I’m glad. I love how it looks now. So while I called it a “haircut” and the entire procedure took like an hour, less than 10% of that was actual cutting of any sort. The woman was totally sweet. For once I was having a normal “totally pointless but fun” conversation with a perfect stranger and was enjoying it. So while getting it shampooed, conditioned, volumized, my head massaged and other such general niceties, I was all relaxed and started to open up about changes, and how fast I felt they were happening, and how scared I was and how unprepared I felt and things like that. I don’t know, I felt like this person all alone in a bar cribbing to the bartender about her life. And this guy sort of listening because he had to.
Anyway, she was totally sweet about it. Either that or insanely lazy. I’m going with sweet. So it was settled then, I wasn’t emotionally prepared for anything major. I just needed some neatening up, trimming and evening out. No fancy anything. So 726 brush strokes later (you doubt I counted?) and some careful alignment and precision snipping, I lost about an inch overall. Then it happened. During the “rub stuff in while blow drying while straightening-styling-stroking” phase, I was introduced to a wide array of cool hair pamper products. I mean woah! Smooth down creams, detangler oils, frizz reduction mist sprays, shine (forgot what it’s called) inducing something, and so on. Good god was I excited. Curiously stared all wide eyed when I noticed these magical things do their trick. I loved how it looked and the texture. So I just had to. I found out a nice combination that works for my sort of hair and mentally noted their names.
There goes the eat healthy and your hair will radiate health theory. All you need is a bunch of fancy chemicals. After a long time I could walk around without a cap, and have hair out of my face on the windiest of days (yesterday was especially bad) and in general stay soft and shiny. Needless to say I ran down to the nearest store that stocks this sort of stuff later that evening and went through the whole 3 year old in a candy store experience all over again. It was awesome.
So here I am, many hours later. A small fortune and most of a day spent on all of this. Looking not particularly different. But happy that it’s a constant. (For now.)
No, you aren’t dreaming. You just endured a boring account of a boring day in a boring person’s life. One so boring that trimming dead keratin was a major enough event to dedicate an entire post to.
NP. Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Come To Fear
shave your head, spacemonkey.
Hair products rule. Men are generally afraid (or embarrassed) to try them, but once you actually use them, you will be converted. You cannot go back to the world of applying nothing.
While you are in this mood, I strongly trying out some skin/facial care products as well. In particular, a cleanser, facial scrub, toner and moisturiser. Once you actually feel the difference, you will wonder how you ever managed without them.
That’s the part of the story I conveniently forgot to mention. I do use the exfoliating things, cleansers, moisturizers and so on. I used hair products too. This was a progress to a whole new level, and hence the excitement. I mean, a spray mist just for shine? Come on. And you’re right, once converted, stay converted. Women are evil. They know all this and keep it like some hallowed secret.
This was a poor attempt to keep the post a little straight. I mean, shoulder length hair is bad enough. We like to ease into this world, rather than scare ourselves or anybody else at the possible implications of our extreme shifts in grooming habits.
i’ve found that trips to the salon and/or hair product stores often cheer me up. helps get my mind off of other crap when i have cool new stuff to put in my hair or different things i can do with my hair…
which reminds me, i should really go get myself a haircut soon.
Hmm…i would like a Tom Cruise or a Cary Grant hair style. But my hair aint like theirs. You think any of the hair products will actually ‘transform’ my hair? I doubt it.
anita: Yes, that’s exactly what this is about. Just a time to feel relaxed and out of reach from the chaos. It feels good.
I should do this more often, and not worry about snip happy maniacs.
adi: I doubt it too. But who cares? You could try and end up along some “middle path”. Probably cooler looking than Cruise :). Actually, Cruise’s length, I feel, is the hardest to maintain (and actually see). It is barely long enough to be pulled over the ears, so will keep arbitrarily falling into your face.
Cool on the big screen, not when you’re crossing the road.
Wahgnube: I’ll probably be going to the stylist this weekend. Yay \o/
Adi: I’m sure there is a product that will do it. You have pretty straight hair, so thats a good head start.