I Feel Pretty? Oh So Pretty?

So, I finally got my hair cut this morning.  I’d been needing a haircut for some time.  I have incredibly thick hair, and I knew that if I was continuously putting my hair up in a bun (normally to keep what seems like tons of sweat from creating Niagara Falls on the back of my neck; I am a notorious head-and-neck-sweater, as opposed to an armpit-sweater or “pitter”), then it was getting too long.  And it was getting way too long.  Long, thick hair and hot Florida summers go together like pure wool and and a washing machine on hot (felting joke for all you yarnies out there).  You risk getting sweat and water and hair products caught in the deeper layers of your hair, it is trickier to comb and brush, and most of all, it is just plain heavy.  My hair was very shapeless and just hanging off my head.  I looked, in my opinion, quite frumpy.  My hair is also quite naturally wavy, and so the wave was occurring near the ends of my hair, but was weighing down the roots.  I was about ready to get rid of all that excess hair.

I went to the salon this morning before we went to get our groceries, and the lady who cut my hair was really nice.  She was probably about my age, had a few tattoos, and seemed pretty knowledgeable about different hairstyles and helped me figure out what to execute what I had pictured in my head.  I knew I wanted a bob, on the shorter side, and bangs.  I hadn’t worn actual bangs since I was about 10 years old, when I started training my bangs that I had worn since my toddler years to lay back on my head with headbands.  I didn’t quite know which bangs would flatter my face and forehead, so she suggested side-swept instead of full bangs.  I felt a little adventurous, so I went with it.  We decided on an A-line bob (shorter in the back, longer in the front) that would help keep my neck cool during the summer, with layers that would complement both the thickness and the texture of my hair.  She said she was actually excited to get to work with my hair, because thick hair is apparently a hairdresser’s dream (much more versatile to style than finer hair, although even thick hair has its styling drawbacks, like any other thickness).  She was not the first hairdresser to say this about my hair, by the way.  It took probably around an hour or so to get it all done, but once I did, I must say that I quite liked the result.  And now you’ll get to see it for yourself.

The “before” picture was taken last week.  My hair is normally not that dark, I took that picture in the shade.  The “after” picture was taken earlier this afternoon, not long after we got home.  I wasn’t wearing my glasses because my current ones need to be replaced…the frames are pretty worn out.  This picture was also taken in the sunlight, with a little cloud cover.  I had also taken some when the Sun was out, but the glare was a little too much for my liking.  In other words, I did not color my hair.  Here are the pics:

Overall, I like how it came out.  The bangs look a little awkward at the moment, but I hope they’ll look better after they grow out a for a few weeks.  Otherwise, this is probably the best haircut I’ve had in years.  Agree? Disagree?

My niece has her first birthday party on Saturday, and her actual birthday on Tuesday.  This will be an interesting next few days.