« Photo Story Friday & The Many Phases of Hair »
Friday, June 13 
I have a bit of an obsession with my hair. You see, I have had long hair for quite awhile now.
I grew my hair long in the late 80's, with bangs, left the curls. Oh, I have naturally curly hair and I used to just go with it.
When Friends came out, I got the Rachel cut, just like everyone else. I learned how to blow dry my hair, to straighten my hair and used a curling iron to make it even straighter. This was before flat irons were sold on every counter! I liked my hair straight, but didn't like it short. So, I grew it out, but continued to straighten it.
When I met my husband, my hair was in the process of growing out my hair from a freak out period where I let my hairdresser cut my long hair. I HATED IT SHORT!! I almost cried daily for two straight months over my short hair. By short, I mean I had it cut above my ears. It was cute, but I felt naked, and like a boy!
I continued to let my hair grow and grow and grow. When we married, my hair was just past my bra strap. A defining moment in hair! I can't ever seem to get my hair any longer. No matter how long I wait or what I do, it just will not grow any longer than that length.
I get pregnant and oh, the lucsiousness of my hair. Hair is beautiful when you are pregnant. At least mine is! It is shiny and thick, something that I don't normally have as my hair is very fine.
I have my beautiful baby boy, start nursing, hair still gorgeous and long. About 9 months into the nursing business, my hair starts to fall out, in massive clumps. Quite literally in a span of three months, I lost about half the volume of my hair. I was devasted. Hairdresser told me I had clumps of hair missing on my head. I had to cut it.
Fortunately, I got pregnant again and the luxurious thickness started to return. Second baby is born and I nurse this baby as well. My hair did not take 9 months to fall out, but started to fall out almost immediately! Again, I had to cut, and cut and cut. By the time my daughter was one year, my hair was once again - short. And damaged by this time from years of coloring, highlighting, blow drying & flat ironing. It was a thin mess!
My hairdresser told me to give my hair a rest and no more color or bleach or anything. I thought I might try curls again, but I just don't like curls on me anymore. Plus, straight hair is so much easier to maintain. I can just pop it in a pony and be done. So for a full 2 years (2005-2006) I did not, I repeat, DID NOT, color or highlight my hair once! ARGH!! Double ARGH!!!! Living in China in 2005, my hair really didn't have any recovery period because the water out of the faucets is not filtered. So all the dirt, sand and grime that is in water, is in your hair (and everything else for that matter). At the end of 2005 I was pregnant again, and very happy for my hair. HAIR would grow again!!!! And it did, slowly, oh so slowly.
I am happy to say that today my hair is just past my bra strap again. I do color my hair, but I will never highlight again (I think I'm too old for highlights now anyway). Unfortunately, my hair will never be lustrous again because over half (YES-OVER HALF) of the hair on my head is grey! Sad, but true. I don't really have time to keep up with this coloring business either with three small children running about at my feet. But I hate the greys more than I can ever put into words.
My favorite thing right now is my long hair. I will never cut it short again!! Although I really need a hair cut right now. I have had the same hairdresser since I was 19 years old. Unfortunately, she only works Friday mornings right now and I can never get an appointment with her to coordinate with my schedule. Someone recommended a gal at the place where I get my hair colored (I had to find someone else for this- I was desperate for color). Well, I told her a trim, but get all the split ends. I don't know if she cut my hair, because it certainly didn't look like it, it didn't feel like it and I still had numerous split ends AND it STILL cost me $55!! Need less to say, I won't be returning to her! I want to go to my hairdresser, but the issue I have with her is that when I say a trim, she really trims me. NEVER no less than three inches! Then it take me six months to grow back the hair that she chopped off and I see her again and she chops off the same three inches again, or more! SO, I really am afraid to go back to her! I have been snipping the ends myself for the past year, but my hair is very unruly right now and needs a good trim.
Another issue I have right now is the weather wrecks havoc on my perfectly straighten hair. I step out in this humidity and I just feel my hair expanding again! But never curly, just frizzy! And, don't recommend any hair products, because the landfills can't take anymore of my rejected tries!
See, I'm obsessed with my hair!
Reader Comments (25)
you have excellent hair !!
I agree with Feener, it is gorgeous and I love to see what everyone "really" looks like. I am surprised there was no tiara.
There isn't a think better than having red hair. Wahoo!
Almost my entire head is gray and I feel too young to let that be my signature. I have a great colorist that hardly charges me a dime. I had short hair for most of my adult life but the last few years I let it grow long. I figure I only have a certain amount of time left before that is acceptable to do. Besides as we age shorter hair actually makes us look younger, so eventually I will go back to that willingly. I am willing to bet you lost your hair because of the breast feeding. It takes 1000 calories a day to breast feed and your body needed all the nutrients and energy it could get, hence it didn't have anything left for your hair. :-(
Thanks to all! Carrie - always a tiara - in my dreams!! Yes, all the hair fell out due to nursing!! But I really wouldn't have had it any other way. Strangely, this time around, hardly any of my hair fell out??
I like the red hair - my daughter was born with red hair and seems to be the only one that has it (i have a few cousins and an aunt who do as well) - we love it!!!
I had a hair obsession too - i can't ever be quite happy with one look!
Mine is long to but would love to cut it shorter but I am a chicken. I have dirty blonde hair but am also thinking of going really blonde for the summer - well see...
I am with you on the hair obsession. I am currently trying to grow mine out from some BAD layering. The color is great too. Nothing is better than red hair.
Yep. Obsessed.
Your hair is beautiful though. I love the colour. I hope my daughter will not lose her strawberry blonde curls, it's so striking.
I love the different looks. InStyle does this with celebrities to show the different hairstyles and the years.
My hair also fell out out the birth of my children. Totally freaked me out.
I think you're absolutely beautiful!
You are HOT!!! And in every picture I feel jealous. I LOVE your red hair! Curly, straight, post pregnancy, nine months later....oh, I am coveting!!!
So glad you are playing PSF with us again!!!
Where are the high school pics? I don't think you are fully disclosing everything.
I'm so jealous of the red hair! I've always thought it was so pretty and when I would dye my hair I would always go as red as I could without bleaching it. I'd do it again if I could afford the maintenance.
I'm the same way with long hair. I just love it on me, and it's so easy to maintain. I have really fine hair, too, so it's a struggle to keep up with. I had it really short a few years ago, and it was cute but too much work. My husband wishes I had it back, but I told him to get over it.
Also, I wish I'D looked that good after giving birth! You look so refreshed, like you'd just been to a spa. Jealous!
high school pictures - well, I'd really have to dig for those, then I'd have to buy a scanner - too much work.
my hubbie will kill me if I ever cut my hair short again, he HATES it.
and getting a CSect does have its benefits! Walk in, wheeled out, harid perfectly coifed, makeup in tact, just all juiced up on good meds!
I think most women obsess with their hair. Or maybe I'm generalising because I do too ;)
You have stunning hair though, no wonder you don't want to cut it.
Oh the hair woes of women. I can certainly relate girl. I have very fine hair and it has fallen out with each pregnancy. I have it cut into a pixie everytime and then I hate that and spend the next year growing it. Your red hair is gorgeous and I am so jealous that it is past your bra strap, something I will probably never see.
I am envious of your hair! It really is gorgeous & looks like you can do anything with it! fabulous pictures!
I have red curly hair too!
I gave up on the straightening a long time ago...It takes too much time. Now, I just straighten my hair on "special occasions" and am always surprised at how long it looks.
I feel your pain woman...gray stinks!
Hair!
Hahaha, fun post! I should do this, I've had my hair just about every color and length possible!
love the color, r u naturally a red head??
I have the hair line of an old man after having a baby! It is so terrible. It is finally starting to grow back now, but I have not had it cut in almost a year. I know, strange, especially for me. I normally have it cut every 6-8 weeks, but since it fell out so bad, I think I have been in hiding. I found that if I curled it, then it would hide the bald spots. I am so ready to go have something done to it now.
You have such beautiful hair, short and long. There is just something about long hair though, makes you feel so sexy. As least, mine does. (when I dont have huge bald spots)
oh, I know those bald spots - I hate them! They take YEARS to grow out!
and Yes - I am a red head by birth!
Just dye it now due to LOADS and LOADS of grey hair!!!
Thanks for stopping by our blog and saying hello! What a fun foto friday! I think it's great that you experiment with so many different hairstyles:)