Important thoughts about my hair
February 5, 2013As you all know, because you follow everything I say and do and think, I've been growing out my short hair. I've long been a fan of short hair, and in fact have had short hair for most of my life. Every now and then, though, I overdo it and get some kind of super-pixie and am promptly freaked out by how much of my face you can see. And so I attempt to grow it out.
Such was the case with this cut, which was this short mostly so we could cut off all the dyed hair. Also, I can't believe this was two years ago. Hair grows slowly. On the other hand this seems like a week ago. Time in a bottle, etc.
All I could think after this cut was NOWHERE TO HIDE. Also, OH MY GOD MY FOREHEAD. Let's be honest: I have a long face. I need, at the very least, more bangs than this. I spent a good month after this tugging at my bangs, as if that would cause them to grow faster.
So! Growing out the hair, and I've reached the length wherein I am wondering Why The Hell Does a Person Do This? The hair, she is all over. I have a LOT of hair, and I'm overdue for a trim. It feels wild and unruly. I am used to tame, not to mention ruly. I was just complaining to someone (my postal worker?) about how ungodly long it is, and then I was compelled to take a picture to complain to the Internet, and this is what I got.
Okay, never mind.
Is it possible to have Hair Dysmorphia? I really did think it was pretty long before I took this. It seems I have a way to go until it's legitimately long or even not-short. And so, I shall hang in there, my friends. I am a model of courage and perseverance.
Reader Comments (46)
My hair hibernates in summer and grows in winter, so it was on the long side (for me) when I got it cut over the weekend. My hair stylist cut it far shorter than I wanted it AND CLEARLY EXPLAINED TO HER and it was very hard not to cry this morning when I was trying to do something with it. One of my coworkers told me it looks good, but she is obviously LYING.
For what it's worth, I absolutely lurve how it looks right now. Super-gorge!
It looks good, in any case! And I so appreciate your willing embrace of the grey. I am rapidly headed toward more grey than brown and I waver constantly about whether I should go back to coloring it. It's really great to see someone around my own age who's doing grey so well.
I think the current length is really charming! (I was going to say "cute," but as a short, youngish-looking woman closer to 40 than 30, I know how dismissive that adjective can sound.)
Well, it is longER now. And I likes it. I likes it a lot. I, on the other hand, am thinking of going the opposite direction. I ain't be gotten no pictures though.
Hey Alice -- Why the long face?
(hardeeharhar)
Sorry. That's what I say to my husband. It's terribly funny here in this house. I'm not sure my humor translates to the rest of the world. OK, I'm hiding behind my computer again.
I have hair about the same length and am always wondering - cut it? grow it longer? I am impatient and want change! But short short hair is scary and i'll look like a mushroom (I have curly hair).
Mostly all I can think about your pictures, though, is how very pretty you are in both long- and short-haired versions.
I like both! I know what you mean about "nowhere to hide"--I like bangs, and I like them to be off my eyebrows, but sometimes I get a leeeeetle too much taken off and feel like my forehead is a big billboard and everyone is looking at me and thinking "wow, she has a big forehead"...
Perhaps an adjective for your hair that has less baggage then "unruly" might be "tousled"? Hm.
*than*
(arg)
I like it a lot. To me it looks "ruly," not unruly. Kempt. On the other hand, a trim is always something fun to have in the dead of winter; just make sure they don't take off more than 1/2". Thanks for posting this. I have too much serious crap going on in my life today and desperately needed time in deep contemplation of Alice's Hair. Post again when you get the trim!
I think it looks cute how it is now! I wish my hair was so thick. Unruly is very in right now so enjoy it. :)
I think that hair has certain lengths in which it is horrid, unruly and a monster. Give it time, and suddenly you'll love it again. Then give it more time and you'll be cursing it's existence. THEN give it more time and you'll be stepping on it.
I'm swooning over the grey. Really, it is so lovely. YOU are so lovely, long or short hair.
I'm currently growing out a pixie and am now wishing I'd gone grey before growing it out. Sigh. Hair. Are ever happy with it??
I think your hair looks great the way it is now; very pretty! My main hair problem is that I absolutely hate getting it cut, to the point where I would rather cut it myself, except I really don't know what I'm doing so I just sort of cut AT it and hope it looks ok. But I haven't cut it in almost a year because I'm afraid of screwing it up and having to get it fixed and being embarrassed about cutting it myself. So maybe I'll just see how long it will get ...
I feel your hair pain, Alice! I too am in the awkward throes of growing out a pixie, which I loved but grew tired of. I always do this — chop off my hair, then desperately want hair that I can do things with (braids? top knots? dreds?), conveniently forgetting that I have no skill or actual interest in doing things with my hair, hence the original decision to cut it. I broke down and got a trim last week because I had developed what can only be described as a mom mullet, so now I'm in short bob territory. I think your longer locks look good and you should totally hang in there (insert image of kitten dangling from power line) if you're hoping to go longer!
I *love* the short version - you look very confident and professional. Kind of like Annie Lennox, at your age, and it says in its androgenous way,"I win!" (no matter what the debate). OTOH the new look is much softer...You would look smashing in a pageboy cut under the chin :)
You're really pretty. But I don't mean that stalkery. Just, I like your writing, and you're pretty.
Aw, MARIA. Thanks!
GORgeous.
I read this on my blog reader and had to click over to comment, which I never do -- but anyway, in the reader, the picture of you with longer hair happened to line up right next to the lovely painting of your grandmother from your earlier post, and I was really struck by how much you look like her. Take a look!
First impression?
You look beautiful.
Second closer look?
Hot and sexy, too.
The pixie was adorable but the longer hair looks great, too. After a lifetime (a looooong lifetime) of long hair, I cut 13 INCHES off and gave it to Locks of Love. And a month later I got my hair cut even shorter. I am all about the short hair now, even if it's not terribly flattering to my pumpkin-shaped head.
But don't you realize you have THE it haircut of the moment? It's the haircut that "everyone in the universe wants." It looks lovely but I understand the frustration with lots of hair. I have a lot of hair but I always feel better and lighter when I have it razor cut by people who have been trained at Bumble. I say it's not the length of the cut but the cut itself. You look gorg with your bob.
http://jezebel.com/5976691/every-woman-in-america-on-earth-in-the-entire-universe-now-wants-karlie-klosss-amazing-wonderful-completely-perfect-haircut
In the first picture, with your short hair, I thought, "oh, she's so pretty." And in the second picture, with your longer hair, I thought, "oh, she's so pretty."
Official diagnosis: yes, you have hair dysmorphia.
Ya know - normally I don't like short hair. But... I think the shorter cut looks bold. It makes you look confident. Meanwhile I could never never never never never get hair cut that short. See, I'm a weenie.