Random Ramblings

To Bang or Not to Bang

And by this I mean I'm trying to decide whether I should get my hair cut into bangs again. So get your minds out of the gutter people. :-P

I need to start with a little story.

When I was a kid, the first sign of summer was my mother dragging me to the hair dresser where I would be given a pixie cut. This is like the girl's version of a brush cut. I loathed it. I suspect my mother did this because it was easier to brush a day's worth of childish wanderings out of short hair than long hair.

After I graduated from grade six, I was allowed to make my own decisions about my hair and I chose to never get it cut again. Now, while of course I didn't keep that sweeping vow, I've only had my hair short a couple of times since then and both times were entirely by accident.

Once was when I was about 16 and I tried to layer my own hair. It was a disaster and the only thing the hair dresser that my sister dragged me to could do for me was turn it into a short shag. Ironically, I've probably had more compliments on that cut than any other I've ever had, but I hated it with a passion. It was too short!

The next time this happened it was to salvage what was left of my hair after a really bad perm. The pre-perm cut was not what it should have been and my hair came out a couple of shades lighter from the over processing. The texture was like straw. And granted I didn't get this perm from a high end salon that would have cost the same price as a small car, but it wasn't a discount salon either. I did, however, visit the high end salon to see if they could salvage my hair. Incidentally, this was the last time I ever got a perm.

I've had bangs before, with my hair long and straight, and I became quite expert in trimming them myself. The problem is, I don't remember if I liked them or not. I do remember what a pain they are to grow out of. This involves letting them grow until they're driving me nuts by hanging in my eyes, at which point I start parting my hair on the side until my bangs are long enough to tuck behind my ears.

Right now my hair is halfway down my back, which is about where it was last summer when I lopped a few inches to make it look neater, an act I almost immediately regretted. While it wasn't enough for most people to notice, I noticed. And it seemed to take forever to grow out again.

One of the reasons I like my hair long is that I can do more with it. I can let it hang straight, I can braid it, I can pull it back with pretty barrettes, I can even put it up. And honestly, I find it less work than short hair. Short hair needs to be styled, and hair product applied to make it stay put. It needs to be buffed and polished before you can be seen in public.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to start some campaign to get people to grow out their hair. Some people prefer short hair and that's fine. I know a few people who look much better with short hair than long, more power to them. This is just my preference. I don't care what someone's hair looks like as long as it's clean.

I once worked with a woman whose hair was in one big dread lock. We often speculated if she ever washed it, although no one was brave enough to ask her to her face. It was hideous - who knows what could have been lurking in that giant rat's nest. This was a professional woman who could easily have afforded the price of a visit to a hair salon, or at the very least a comb. One of our co-workers had training as a hair dresser and was going to offer her services to this woman, but unfortunately I left before I ever found out what happened.

But back to me. :-)

Do I want bangs or don't I? I'm thinking . . . probably not right now. As I recall, bangs can be a little annoying in the summertime when you get all hot and sweaty and they stick to your forehead. Maybe I'll wait a few months and revisit the issue when the weather turns cold and they can keep my forehead from freezing. ;-)