I started growing out my hair to my shoulders soon after going to college. 1. Because, I wanted to see if I could and 2. Because I wanted to be able to say that I had. After meeting this goal, I really had no specific plans to what I wanted to do with my hair. That is, until I realize that it really irritated my sister that I could grow my hair longer that hers, even though see had been trying longer than I had. She had made a sarcastic remark to me one morning when she had come home to visit: "What are you going to do now....donate it?" Which I responded in turn without missing a beat, "Yes....Yes I am".
Since then, every 1.5 - 2 years I start interviewing various salons to see who I want to cut my hair. I am very picky about who gets to cut my hair. I have been growing this "crop" for 2 years and by this point it's become rather hot and annoying at times and I want this to be a fun experience. The problem with cutting your hair is there is no instant undo button. Sure it will grow back but it takes time and patience. So, hair stylists really have a lot of pressure on them to get things right the first time, and many people can be very demanding and harsh if the person "messes up their hair". I mean who hasn't had a bad hair cut in their life? I also know that a lot of people will have a rough idea of what they want and either don't know how to ask for it or can't put it into words. In other words, a person saying they want you to do whatever you want with their hair....often doesn't really mean that. There are usually hidden strings attached to that statement that the stylist must figure out, sometimes the hard way.
My approach has always been, I'm donating my lock of hair, why not donate the rest of it to the stylist. I figure I am going to look how I look. If I look funny, it will pass soon enough and I'm comfortable with that. I also believe that stylists don't get enough real world opportunites to have a true blank slate. So I always insist that they should do whatever they want with my hair. They are free to do whatever their creative vision inspires them to do. The funny part is that I seem to get the same basic hair cut as I did in High School, without ever telling them or showing them what that was. Which is probably a clue that it's a good look for me. Or, it's a secret conspiracy by hair stylists everywhere to try and make me look like a 16 year old boy.
My hair goes to the charity Locks of Love. Locks of Love is an organization that accepts hair donations (min 10in) for use in making real hair wigs for financially disadvantaged children who are experiencing long term medically related hair loss, for whatever reason. Often these children have lost their hair as a side effect from treatments for diseases such as cancer or leukemia. It takes about 6 donated locks of hair of at least 10in long each to make one wig. Which means that as of the 1st I will have donated 1/2 of a wig. Which is a pretty cool thing to be able to say.
This time I've gone all out. I have purposely grown my hair out, including my beard, so I look like I'm a grizzly hippie mountain man from the 70s. By doing this, I am now the ULTIMATE blank slate. My stylist this year will be able to do whatever she wants with all of it. Even if I end up looking like my Photoshoped April Fools photos. (completely bald) Which would be rather interesting because I've shaved my head for real once already. I seem to remember I didn't have the right skull shape for that to look good.
So, without further delay, here are the official BEFORE photos: (After photos and video to be posted soon)
Hears to a good harvest.
-Cheers
Brian
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment