Changes in Hair

Recently, I was looking to restyle my hair and found myself surfing the web to look for possibilities. This brought to mind the various ways I have worn my hair in years past. As I looked at the new pixie styles, I remembered the day that I decided to go pixie. Now, I have always been at the change end of hairdos, meaning I would get bored with a style and be on the cutting edge of changes, as they slowly emerged. That was the case with my deciding to go pixie short. I had seen the style in a fashion magazine, but the trend had not yet made its’ way to the south. Since none of the beauty salons were offering the cut, I decided a barber would be perfect.

My husband and small son went to a barber in Dandridge, so I decided to follow suite. I remember walking into the barber shop and sitting in the chair, waiting for the barber to get to me. When everyone else had finished their cuts, the barber looked at me and inquired if I needed something. I replied that I wanted a haircut. I saw a shocked look, but he was game. I knew him and felt I could trust him to produce the look I desired. After explaining to him where and how I wanted him to modify a man’s cut, to achieve my goal, he simply said, “are you sure” … I said “yes”, and we, in that moment, made history, as I was the first girl to get a haircut in the all-male barber shop. He did a great job and was proud of his creation. Needless to say, I continued to frequent the barber shop for my haircuts as long as I wore the short style. I loved the experience and sometime, after my many visits, other girls followed my lead to the barber shop for haircuts.

I remember the 1960’s and the flipped hair, the side bangs, the Dippity-Do, the rollers, the beehive up-dos and… oh, yes, the ironed hair. Becoming bored with the flip, a friend and I decided to do the unusual to our hair. We decided to go straight. At that time there were no straight irons. Women in the 1800’s had gone to great extremes to straighten their hair, but the popularity had long since died. Well, the girls of the 1960’s were not to be without straight hair, so they got out their mother’s iron and ironing board. Laying their hair straight out on the ironing board, a trusted friend would iron the hair in small sections. The result was very straight hair, much like straight hair today. My friend ironed my hair and looking back, I must have had great faith in her ability not to burn my head and/or hair. The end result was a needed change from the flip. The straight hair then led to a nice bubble style… and so on… to other styles, too numerous to mention.

I still like change, and it is time to exert my free spirit, once again. I’m still looking for the style of the day. I will know when I find it… and then… on with change!