I’ve been highlighting my hair since high school. A few years back, I had an acting teacher who told me I’d be more marketable as a redhead. It was not a good look for me. Coupled with the cut I was sporting, I looked like Mamie Eisenhower. My mother was horrified. I went back to being a blonde.
But being blonde takes a lot of commitment, money and of course, coloring. When I turned green (my lifestyle, not my hair), I found a salon that used students, charged less, and colored with a naturally derived permanent hair dye. How much better could it get?
I was so excited for my new salon. I even planned a new look -- uber blonde. I sat in the chair for three hours while they showed me color swatches, chose my perfect shade, and layered my hair in foils.
When they took the foils out, my hair looked like it had hardly been touched! I was about to burst into tears. The girl got her teacher, who picked through my hair, saying, “Sometimes the lift doesn’t take.” Now the student looked like she was about to burst into tears too.
They offered me a complimentary re-do. When I went back, they assured me that this time I would be REALLY blonde. Three hours later, I was REALLY not.
The teacher said that for some reason my hair wouldn’t take their natural dye and that I needed to use a bleach-based product.
Great. So I was green, but my hair wasn't. If I wanted to get my blonde ambition on, I was going to have to fry my follicles.
Then I went home and my husband said, “I thought you were getting your hair done.”
That did it. I was going to have to go for bleach.
And so I did. I sat in the chair and was slathered with chemicals, all to make me look like I had just returned from California. When it was time to rinse, my hairdresser said that I should breathe through my mouth since the fumes were strong. What was I doing?
I left there with my perfect blonde hair, which I loved...but which came with a hefty environmental price tag.
My roots will be coming in in about two months, which means I have that amount of time to find a salon that uses naturally derived products that my hair -- and my conscience -- will take.
But being blonde takes a lot of commitment, money and of course, coloring. When I turned green (my lifestyle, not my hair), I found a salon that used students, charged less, and colored with a naturally derived permanent hair dye. How much better could it get?
I was so excited for my new salon. I even planned a new look -- uber blonde. I sat in the chair for three hours while they showed me color swatches, chose my perfect shade, and layered my hair in foils.
When they took the foils out, my hair looked like it had hardly been touched! I was about to burst into tears. The girl got her teacher, who picked through my hair, saying, “Sometimes the lift doesn’t take.” Now the student looked like she was about to burst into tears too.
They offered me a complimentary re-do. When I went back, they assured me that this time I would be REALLY blonde. Three hours later, I was REALLY not.
The teacher said that for some reason my hair wouldn’t take their natural dye and that I needed to use a bleach-based product.
Great. So I was green, but my hair wasn't. If I wanted to get my blonde ambition on, I was going to have to fry my follicles.
Then I went home and my husband said, “I thought you were getting your hair done.”
That did it. I was going to have to go for bleach.
And so I did. I sat in the chair and was slathered with chemicals, all to make me look like I had just returned from California. When it was time to rinse, my hairdresser said that I should breathe through my mouth since the fumes were strong. What was I doing?
I left there with my perfect blonde hair, which I loved...but which came with a hefty environmental price tag.
My roots will be coming in in about two months, which means I have that amount of time to find a salon that uses naturally derived products that my hair -- and my conscience -- will take.
1 comment:
Grace Heaven Salon in the East Village? They're all organic and I've been going to them for years.
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