Sunday, November 25, 2007

Miss Clairol aka Miss Idiot



I had my hair coloured. First time ever.

I don’t like it. I miss me. I miss my natural colour (s) which I shall graciously describe as, “Nature’s Streaks and Highlights.”

I would like to blame everyone who encouraged me to do this (including my hairdresser) but that won’t make things better. I am a big girl. The final decision was mine. (Idiot!)

Of course, everyone is telling me it looks great but what else are they going to say? “What the hell did you do to yourself??” They know I’m stuck with this strange head of hair for…..how long? Must check that.

Someone suggested I have this new colour coloured. Right. I’ll just add to my already excruciatingly itchy scalp. Apparently 20% peroxide and my sensitive skin are not a good mix. I may solve the problem with my frantic scratching and end up bald.

I could scream.

I’m startled when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror which, unfortunately, cannot be avoided. (I would if I could.) I am so not used to Beth with a uniform hair colour. Hello, stranger. Smile. Oh, alright, stick your tongue out. Be mature.

Oh, I do miss me…

My motto for the future: Leave well enough alone.

Crap. Hold on. I can’t just leave it alone. I’m going to have to deal with the roots when they start peaking through.

I believe I have entered Dante’s 10th Circle of Hell.

This is a new circle – reserved for foolish women with strange hair colours.

P.S. Hell will freeze over before I post a picture of the new me. Not even of the back of my head. Correction. Especially of the back of my head. My (new) hair still does that wispy fly up in the air thing there.

25 comments:

The Guy Who Writes This said...

What colour is it now? Ypu must be able to dye it back closely to your natural color even if it itches for a few days.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. That's not fun at all...

Hats?

Sherry said...

I'd be crying over a purple mohawk too!!!
Okay, you're not up for laughter...you took the chance, and you don't like it...because you can't see you...and you always need to be able to see you.
It can be changed and your hairdresser should be able to do that for you..he can put in some high or lo lights on top of the all over colour...and it doesn't need to be anything that will affect your scalp. Seriously. It's an easy peasy fix...and if he does it "right" you won't be plagued by unsightly roots when they come in...it can be blended. Trust me. I wouldn't lie to you.

Maggie R said...

Hi Beth, Came upon your blog by chance... Hi there fellow Canadian... I am in Ingersoll about 2 hours from Toronto... Come to your town often to see the ballgames:0)
I was chuckling about your "New Look" I remember the days when I use to do the hair color thing, It was fun at the time and fun for my DH since he got to sleep with different babes through the course of time!!! haha
Anyway I got tied of keepin up with it and now I am just "me" and I like it... So Beth.. this too shall pass, it either will grow on you or grow out!!!!
Nice visiting you.
((((hugs))))
Maggie

Anonymous said...

Any chance of getting rid of the dye? Sometimes I would have 'nightmares' of my hair being cut short accidentally and I'd wake up totally perturbed. I know what you mean - especially one time when my hair turned into Garfield! I was livid and told the colourist to fix it right there and then.

joy
The Goddess In You
Norwich Daily Photo
Your Love Coach

Beth said...

guy:
You crack me up commenting on a post like this!
The new colour? Dark blonde? Light brown? God knows.
A magician could not dye my hair back to its original colour - because it consisted of many shades and colours.

trish:
Hats? Everywhere?
I think I'm going to have to grin and bear it.

sherry:
Are you laughing??? Ah, it's okay if you are.
You're right. I need to see me.
I'm going to try highlights. It can't get any worse, right? I'm trusting you...

maggie r:
Thanks for visiting and for your words of advice and encouragement.

joy:
I figure getting rid of the dye will be just as harsh a process for my poor scalp.
(Thanks for stopping by.)

Anonymous said...

Hugs. You never completely know who you are before first knowing who you aren't.
I know someone who has had the same hairstyle for 10 years! It's wonderful that you took a chance. Good for you.
Sherry has it right. Your hair stylist can fix it "easy peasy" unless it's damaged (even then, there are alternative fixes). Make the appointment, and you'll be in the... er... pink before you know it.

PG said...

Ack. Sorry you don't like your new colour. Your stylist probably should have encouraged you to start small (maybe subtle highlights and/or lowlights) instead a full colour.

Maybe, for example, if your colour is too light, you can add some lowlights to tone down the colour.

Amie Adams said...

Hmmm. If your hair was already streaky it shouldn't have turned out so uniform.

I'd love to stop dying my hair but I am so, so, so grey and I refuse to age 10 years by letting it grow out naturally--though it would save me time.

Amie Adams said...

PS--If you go to a good colorist and tell them about your scalp being so sensitive, they can put something on it (or in the dye I can't remember) that will make sure that doesn't happen.

You know, if you ever decided to do it again. I would suggest going back if you don't like it and having them add some lowlights. That will break up the uniformity and it won't touch your scalp so it shouldn't bother your scalp.

Princess Pointful said...

I'm sure it isn't nearly as dire as you think, but simply a matter of adjustment. Give yourself another week before you panic too much!

And your hair is pretty short already, right? So growing out won't be that long!

Angel said...

awwww....COME ON!!!! You know tyou can't post about a hair color change and then NOT post a picture! You didn't even say what color you colored it!!

give us a little hint at least....

Beth said...

seraphine:
I don't think you ever completely know who you are - the journey is too full of surprises.
"In the pink?" A reminder that it could have been worse...

psychgrad:
New territory for me. Even the words "your new hair colour" make me chuckle.
And it's too dark - I'm going with highlights.

mamma:
Bless you - you sound like an expert. I'm going back, will have that cap put on my pointy little head and get highlights.
What women endure....

princess pointful:
Nothing is ever as dire as I think! I have fretting down to an art.
This will be fixed...

beth:
Post a picture? No way.
A hint? Well, the goal was "dirty blonde" (his words, not mine) but it's not blonde and it's not really brown. Blondish/brown? Who really knows? It's not a real colour!

Anonymous said...

I remember when I was a haughty young woman in my twenties, I swore I would never color my hair. I would embrace my gray. I was such a liar.

I write a somewhat large check three times a year for highlights. I wouldn't touch all over color with a ten foot pole. Too much upkeep.

You could always pull out a saucy
beret.

Mrs. G...still can't find my google password.

Anonymous said...

Beth,
So sorry to hear about your hair coloring stress. The color can and should be changed with highlights, so it is not so harsh. What worries me more is how your scalp reacted to the dye. That does not sound good at all!! I hope you get some relief soon, having an allergic reaction is never a good thing. I hope it doesn't happen with the highlights.

I bet it doesn't look as bad as you think. We are our worse critics!! Let us know how you resolve it!
XOXO

Unknown said...

Just remember hair does grow out. I was an idiot once and coloured my hair ssshhh red. My husband just about had a fit and I cried for days. Never listened to my hair dresser again.

Barrie said...

I don't think I'm adding anything someone else has't suggested. But....could you go back to your hairdresser and a) have him give you a colour as close to your natural colour as possible (to help with the upcoming root situation) and b) put in highlights which will also help with roots and will make you feel better since you're used to a variety of colours? Re the itchy scalp: do you have a decent conditioner? Or how about a hot oil treatment? So sorry it didn't work out. :(

Shari said...

:( Sorry to hear that. If you go back to the hairdresser to dye it back/get those highlights, maybe you shouldn't have to pay for it, I think.

Recently, I got my hair cut a lot shorter than I am used to. :( I MISS my long hair. It just hangs right above my shoulders. I'm growing it back. Hubby says, "Go shorter." In your ear.

Beth said...

anon./mrs. g:
A saucy beret would be just the thing - to draw attention to myself!
(I have to write down my 538 passwords, HIDE the piece of paper and then try and remember where I hid it...)

eileen:
I know I'm my worst critic - must either lower my standards or be kinder to myself!

jackie:
Kind of like Anne of Green Gables? Although she went from red to green (?). That story has crossed my mind lately.

barrie:
I like the hot oil idea. I can control (sort of) the scratching during the day but at night...

shari:
Don't ever cut your hair any shorter than you did. It's a bitch growing it back. (Another one of my mistakes.)

Tammy said...

So sorry to hear that you are unhappy. I've decided to quit coloring my hair after my favorite actress Jamie Lee Curtis quit doing hers. I got tired of the maintenance...sigh, besides it doesn't stopping the aging process at all...

(((hugs))) to you today Miz Beth!!

Charlotta-love said...

I had a roommate in college who died her hair all the time. I decided to get mine done as well. I'm dark brown and wanted to go to blonde all at once. I turned out brassy orange. Eek!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I'm gonna run and duck for cover, 'cuz I KNOW I was one of those evil people who encouraged you to do this!! (Darn. I really wanna see it! I bet dollars to doughnuts that it's not as bad as you say, but I digress...)

The first time you ever colour your hair is pretty traumatic. You think you look like a freak, just because it is so different from what you are used to. I would say give it time. I would also say, "Let's have coffee, soon! I gotta see this!" (Sorry, couldn't resist).

Did you get a rinse? Even if you did, yes, if you're not used to the chemicals, it will feel weird. (Even after using rinses for over a year, it still itches the first couple of days, then it goes away).

Hopefully this will make you feel better. About eight years ago when I first started colouring my hair, I went a little nuts one time coloured it RED!! (Sort of an orangy-red). I thought it looked kind of neat, 'cuz I had hazel-green eyes. One friend as soon as he saw me said, "What the hell did you do to your hair??!!" I was studying Graphic Design at the time and when I came into class, one teacher whom I respected a great deal did not say a word the entire class. At the end of the class I came up to her to talk about my work, and then finally as I was just about to leave I said, "I coloured my hair, you know."

She looked at me with a slight frown on her face, and said in a rather condescending tone, "Yes. I know." And that is all she said.

So...I'm sure it ain't as bad as you think! And please don't hate me!!

Beth said...

t*mmy:
Belatedly, I realize I am now stuck with the maintenance factor - unless I choose to go back to nature's gift!

charlotta-love:
I'm so grateful I was simply given a colour I didn't really like as opposed to being the victim of a colour experiment gone hideously wrong...

patricia:
Did I name names???
And, HAH, you will never see my at my worst. Got (emergency) highlights today and look simply stunning. (Or would that be stunned?)

Lainey-Paney said...

Oh no.

I love changing my hair color. Of course, every time I do---it takes a few days for it to grow on me. Then, I love it.

...and yes, you're going to have to deal w/ roots if this is a major change.
:(

And, I'm sure people are NOT fibbing to you. I'm sure it looks great & you're just not used to it yet.
If you want a brutally honest opinion, I will give it to you. But, you have to show me the pics!

Unknown said...

well, I heard if a girl has a nw hair made it means something had changed in her life.