Friday, August 10, 2007

Down to here, down to there, down to there, down to where it stops by itself

Lots of bloggers have been posting photos of their bad hair, probably inspired by a Flickr group, Flashback Friday. And not content with that, the photos have been accompanied by discussion on a whole lot of hair related issues.

I of course want to join in this fun. Hmm, let's see...

Maybe there's the bad perm photos. I certainly did the whole perm thing. But when I went to look at my permed hair horror photos, I really couldn't find anything too terrible. Maybe it's because I don't have very thick hair, maybe because there's a hint of natural wave in my hair anyway, but on the whole my perm days weren't too awful. Not wonderful either I hasten to add, but not tragic. The look I really didn't like was the half-grown out perm; half-straight, half curly. Which was predominantly why I stopped getting them.

Then there was the my hair was too short when I was young and people thought I was a boy. That didn't happen to me because I had girl-length hair as a child.

I made the decision to have all my hair cut off at about 17 to embrace the idea of punk culture (hey, better late than never!) and that was a mistake. I don't seem to have many photos of this time, but I can't say I'm particularly sad about that! A part of me wishes I could be like Posh Spice and look fabulous with short hair, but sadly I don't have the right sort of face.

Maybe to deal with the whole being-ugly-with-short-hair I took to growing the fringe long and just getting it permed. Yeah. There's a look. Accompanied by multiple sets of very dangly earrings, a lot of eye-liner and very bohemian clothes.

And then I had the perm to help me grow my hair out. And even though these shots are from the nearly-grown-it-out stage, you can see, can't you, that short hair is not my friend?

The main issue with my hair was coming to terms with its colour, and acceptance really came at around 17 when I decided I was comfortable in my skin being flat-chested and red-headed. (Not so well-adjusted that I eschew the fake tan or the lash&brow tints however!)

So, hair issues? Not so much- not me-myself-personally. But having read of other hair-related scarring I am slightly worried about what I am inflicting on my young son.

When he asks of me in 25 years time what I thought I was doing making him look like a girl, will he accept my excuse that he just looked too beautiful with his cherubic gold curls for me to cut them off?

28 comments:

  1. Yes, you had decent long hair perms for the time. Even your short hair ones were trendy.
    Don't worry about Cherub's hair. My son now has longer hair than his female cousin, and old people often mistake him for a girl. He could care less, and refuses to have his hair cut.

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  2. Ah, I did the look like a boy thing, but never the perm - naturally curly hair - but your long hair ones definitely weren't too bad. Though I can commiserate with the short hair not being one's friend. You short-haired perms are pretty much what my hair does naturally it's short. So it's not, and never, ever will be again.

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  3. You look lovely with half straight and half curly hair!

    I did the whole punk, assymetical hair thing in the mid-80s too.

    There are much worse things that you could do with Cherub's hair eg shave it all except for a plaited rat's tail. That would be unforgivable...long curls are beautiful

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  4. I regularly say to my kids - when you are all grown up and famous and talking about your childhoods on Oprah please say nice things. Not how you were psychologically scarred by the clothes/haircuts/anything else I imposed you. It doesn't help that they have no idea who Oprah is.

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  5. I think my son will have exactly the same questions!!!!!

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  6. Cherub's hair is beautiful, and is far nicer than the hairstyle most favoured by boys around here - shaved. Even toddlers have to have shaved heads. Not my two!

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  7. You looked lovely, no matter what you did to your hair!

    And Cherub is just too cute, even if you did cut the curls off, he would be a heart breaker!

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  8. Alas, the way boys' minds work is that he will not, in retrospect, be pleased.

    My best friend's sister did the same to her son. Until one day at age, five-ish he showed up as if he had stuck his head under some sort of powered lawn implement.

    Turns out he had caught sight of himself in a mirror for the first time and took a Swiss Army knife to his long curls. He was manifestly displeased. Very.

    His complaint was that he looked like " 'arpo Max" and when he realized his mother was angry with him for his self-inflicted tonsorial relief, he became as livid and righteously indignant as a fiveish year old could get.

    -J.

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  9. The problem is, you're pretty. You could tie a feed sack to your head and it would look nice.

    I do like Joke's anecdote. "'arpo Max" indeed!

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  10. I think I would love to have red hair and a flat chest!

    You're lovely and svelte, and your cherub is angelic.

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  11. Oh, and not "flat-chested." Lissome.

    -J.

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  12. You were seriously working that perm! Everybody had one so we were really styling. The beautiful blonde curls on that kid are just a precursor to his rock star glory days! He will look back on them and think he is all too hip.

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  13. Shush you! Girl, boy? Who cares - beautiful child!
    Cheers

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  14. I agree with the others, you look lovely no matter what you did with your hair.

    I like Melinda's idea - Tell cherub it was the rock star look.

    Oh and Tracey - I totally agree, shaved with a plaited (or even non-plaited) rat's tails are unforgiveable.

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  15. Well aren't you cute?
    and Cherub? He doesn't seem to mind now, so just tell him that he liked it that way, if he asks later. I had the boy hair cut when I started school. I came up with a thoery when I was 15 that my mother did it on purpose because she was jealous (rubbish). I don't think boys get so upset about these things.

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  16. Stomper, I agree with Tanya here ... you could possibly shave ALL your hair off and still look stunning ....

    As for Cherub ... he can't escape his DNA now can he? Assure him it was all HIS idea and you're off the hook!

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  17. What does lissome mean, anyway?

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  18. Oh, and I STILL haven't come to terms with being flat chested.

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  19. I pay to have hair your colour. Mine doesn't look good long OR short. And I could only dream of having hair as curly and golden and beautiful as Cherub's. I'm experiencing such a bad case of hair-envy, I'm having to force myself to even type a comment.

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  20. As much as I enjoy the compliments being left here, I feel I should balance this out a bit by confessing that I only ever put up photos that I approve of and if you saw my real-life face you would know that I am not the sort of face or skull shape that can carry off feed-sacks or baldness.

    I do agree with the shaved kiddy head comments. A friend of mine did it to her 5-month old baby! It was awful! But you couldn't say that.... And at least no rat's tail.

    And finally, does lissome really mean flat-chested? I had no idea.

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  21. Yes. But in a flattering way implying grace and agility.

    -J.

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  22. I agree with all the compliments. Your face is beautiful & your hair just frames it.
    If Cherub is not unhappy with his hair now, just leave it be.
    Beats the horrible mullets- yes!can you believe it!- I see on small kids round here!

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  23. Dood, I would KILL for your hair. I love red hair, especially that gorgeous shade.

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  24. I do agree with you Stomper - no extreme poodle like perm for you! My hair was way too thick to perm - but the hairdresser was far too busy pocketing my money to say anything to the contrary.

    And I have to say, as long as the Cherub loves his hair he should wear it the way he wants it!

    And it only took me about 25 years to accept my hair colour - I'm oh so comfortable with it now, especially as it seems to inhibit the development of grey ones!

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  25. I HAVE met stomper in the flesh,

    and she's very pretty.

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  26. ARGh, I recognise the straight hair on top, curly bits at the bottom look!



    Cherub looks very handsome - his hair is beautiful. I wouldn't be chopping it either! And I'm sure he'll have a healthy attitude about himself when he's older.

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  27. I can see why you don't have hair issues - you are gorgeous in every one of those shots !!!

    Hmm - I have to grow my hair out now my HD is leaving town ( biatch ) .. maybe a perm will help me along .. ?! ;)

    And I still love assymetrical 80's hairstyles..

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  28. omg I love those photos - you look ace!

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.