What I thought I knew - Growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, hair went from long and straight (Cher and hippies) to shaggy and layered (Farah). In the beginning, I had almost no hair. Also, I was blond for a time. My mom always cut my hair when I was little. The first haircut I remember getting at a salon was when I was about 5 or 6. We were in Nebraska visiting my mother's parents on the farm outside of Fremont. My grandma took my sister and I into town for pixie haircuts. We appear in old photos with short hair and bangs, wearing the shorts and shirt outfits my mother had made for us. The shampoo I remember being popular was Breck, and conditioner was not yet a necessity; mom only washed our hair once a week when we were young.
During junior high and high school, I always had my hair tapered to a V in the back. It was thin and limp, with waves in inconvenient places, accentuating a high forehead. I did not use hair spray, and the most volume I got from my style was flipping it over upside down. (Stand with your head at your knees, your hair hanging in front of you, then flip it over your head as you straighten up.) This technique produced about five minutes of volume. My hair would grow out to resting below my shoulders, then it would fray and get split ends. I pretty much hated my hair, especially when the layered shag look was introduced by Farah Fawcett in the TV show, "Charlies Angels." The best I could do: after washing my hair, I would put it in about 12 braids to dry. The resulting look was wild, frizzy and somewhat freakish.
Getting a real haircut was not a budget item when I was growing up. However, I recall my mom gradually getting away from curling her hair a la the 1950's and changing to the short, teased and sprayed late 1960's look. She would often have her hair done at the end of the week, and Aqua Net became a grocery list staple. She looks hip and cool in photos from house parties in the 1970's. My mom also began coloring her hair early in the 1960's. I later learned that she, like my sister, went gray and then white early in life. My sister had thick wavy brunette hair and my great grandmother (mom's side) had pure white hair. My dad maintained mostly brown hair until he died. When I was in my 20's my mom stopped dying her hair and began experimenting with new styles and perms. I got my first perm during my 20's and it improved my hair immensely after the first week of frizz wore off.
I can't remember when I started wearing bangs, but I believe it improved my look. Probably during college. I had a terrible haircut in 1978 that was free from someone's friend who was getting their beautician's license. It shows up in my wedding photos. I tried a few times to grow out my bangs, but have been unable to get past the in-between stage where your hair hangs in your face. This seductive look is fine for my daughters, but annoys me. After I got married, I cut my husband's hair for about 10 years. I began spending money on my hair when I lived in Seattle, going to the local beauty college, where, you get what you pay for. After moving to Boise, I began going to an inexpensive national chain. This was especially affordable because I had three daughters. We would walk-in during their haircut sales and thumb through the ridiculous hairstyles that beauticians invent for contests. Actually, that's half the fun of getting your hair cut.
What I know know - It is always worth the money to get your hair cut at a real salon. I found someone on the recommendation of my sister, and she worked wonders with my limp and thin hair. She cut it shorter, and taught me to use a blow dryer. I had a style for the first time in my life when I was in my 40's. I spent more money, made an appointment every eight weeks and loved how I looked. Or is it that I cared about how I looked? Maybe it was having a better job and the budget for a good cut. Somewhere along the line, a friend recommended that I use a leave-in conditioner, and that did wonders for my look and my ego. I still use the same conditioner 20 years later.
After turning 50, I had a hair surprise. No one tells you this will happen - but for me it was great! My hair became curly and full of body waves. It had gradually gotten darker and darker, looking more like my sister's hair when she was in her 20's. Her hair now has gone from salt and pepper gray to a beautiful white color, thick and generous and long. At this point, my hair has become highlighted by silver here and there, just like my dad's and will probably never be totally gray. My three daughters all have different hair. The oldest has that thick long dark hair you envy in shampoo commercials; the middle daughter has curly and thick and long light colored locks and the youngest has my straight, sort of flat hair, but much darker. My youngest spends the most time on her hair, occasionally adding extensions, getting highlights or fiddling with it in front of the mirror. They all stopped curling their bangs after high school, and look much better for it. We all got our hair styled in an up-do for the oldest daughter's wedding, we looked elegant and formal for the event, even though the appointment with the beautician started at 9:00 AM.
Now, hair can be any length and cut in any way. Men went from long hair in the 1970's to short hair. The weirdest look at my high school was the guy who shaved his head. Now, shaving your head can be a style (for men). I still see men with long hair, and that's the style I prefer. Today's styles on young men somehow make them all look alike to me. I even heard someone's dad telling their son to get their hair cut! (Deja vu from the 1970's.) Women, or at least myself, spend more time on haircuts and styling than ever. You can use hairspray, straighteners, blow dry your hair or just get a cut that allows you to just let your hair dry naturally. Take that Farah! If you don't like your hair style, change it. The best thing about a hair style is that it will grow out eventually, allowing you to be re-created at the hands of your beautician. Get a good one and trust her or him.
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