Quick Post: Feel like Dying?

*note: many selfies. Photo quality is not great since I had to compile many old pictures for reference*

I have hair anxiety. An extreme case of hair anxiety. I stress about getting my hair done every single time. I cannot stand the thought of asking for a trim and looking in the mirror with 3 inches hacked off and crying the whole way home. I've spent the last 5 years growing out my hair and highlighting it so when a hair person tells me my hair is "dead and unhealthy" this is not news to me. I like it dead, unhealthy, and long instead of short. This is all personal, I love short hair on other people but I love having long hair to style (at least for now).

I had been going to the same hair lady to probably close to a decade. There is always something about a hair dresser that makes you feel as though you have spent a lifetime building a trust with them. An unspoken bond of promised satisfaction and a guarantee to do what is best for your hair. It is a relationship that you cannot cheat on. Betrayal is not allowed. You can't simply go to another hair lady because yours is booked and won't be able to get you in before your vacation. 

This is what I thought for so many years. The worst part is when I started getting honest with myself about what I wanted my hair to look like, I was really disappointed because I would always leave the salon feeling like I paid big bucks and was not completely satisfied. 

See, I wanted to go really blonde, borderline white blonde. As light as possible. This was the goal for many years and my hair would always come out some shade more similar to honey. My natural color is a dirty blonde, for reference.

I'm not saying I hated my hair color or that it was ugly, I'm only saying it wasn't what I was asking for. I would beg "go really really light!" And there would never be a big change. I love when I get my hair done and people notice, it makes the money spent feel justified. 

Everything changed when I went to a new lady because mine wasn't going to be available to do my hair before I left in Vacation to Maui. I knew I would be taking tons of pictures and hated the idea that in every single picture I would have terrible roots. I asked for a recommendation from a friend who has gorgeous blonde highlights. So I scheduled and appointment and have never looked back since. Not only did she take me lighter, but the next time I went in she went even lighter and added tons more blonde in. Yesterday I saw her again and she took it to a whole new level of blonde and I'm obsessed! Even my brother who never notices anything was like "whoa! You're hair is blonde. Like, blonde blonde".

(January 2013 after 1st appointment, April 2013 after 2nd appointment) 

Last night I met up with my best friend and she was asking me about my hair lady and wanted to make an appointment because the girl who does her hair won't do what she wants and insists on keeping it the same as it already is. This is what gave me the idea to make this post. 

If you get really honest with yourself, are you really happy with how your hair is and with your hair dresser? Sometimes you need to try someone new. Ask friends with amazing hair who they go to and get recommendations! I recommend not going to family friends because its hard to stop going to them and even harder to tell them you're unhappy with the way it turned out. I love my hair dresser now and have no problem recommending her to my friends. She does exactly as I ask and gives suggestions but still listens to my wants. When I tell her to keep the length she only "tips" the ends so my split ends are not horrendous, and when I tell her to "go blonder!" she does. Remember, you're the customer and you are paying for the service so don't settle or anything less that perfect

(July 2013)