Written By: Jessie Gutierrez
A new hair trend hits Hollywood and BAM! everyone wants in. People are lobbing, bobbing, and transforming into unicorns before you can even lock down an appointment with your stylist. You are bombarded with these images on social media, TV, magazines, e-mails and more. Somewhere along the way you simultaneously manage to convince yourself that, “Ya. I could totally do that. I have her face shape... Right?”.
The truth is maybe that’s right; it could also be very wrong. I learned my first major lesson in “hair trends” back when I graduated 8th grade. I decided chunky highlights were totally going to be a good look for me. This was my first time getting my hair colored and I was so excited. That excitement quickly fled my body when I looked in the mirror post foils and saw my brassy stripey head. But this is what I wanted … wasn’t it? I looked like Kelly Clarkson circa American Idol. Don’t remember this look? Here you go:
To clarify, I never wanted the “brass” - that just sorta happened. But the chunks - I wanted the chunks!
At the end of the day the chunky highlights, in addition to the brass, were all sorts of wrong for me. Even as a 13 year old it was hard not to be honest with myself about that.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being fun, funky and daring when it comes to your salon sessions - it is just hair after all! However, make sure that any style you decide to try out is really what you want and you aren’t booking this appointment because it is what everyone else is doing.
So how do you navigate hair trends without losing sight of you? Here are a couple of tips.
1 GIVE YOURSELF SOME TIME TO THINK IT OVER. If you start seeking the approval of others for what you are about to do - just don’t do it. Or give it a little more time. “I booked an appointment TOMORROW! And I want to do THIS to my hair … thoughts?!” 97.2% of the time (*not an accurate statistic but plausible) things that start like this do not end well and let me tell you why … as with most things in life, rectifying a wrong often takes more time than the initial action. Growing your hair back is going to take a lot longer than it took to chop it. Take 5 and think it over.
2 BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS. Getting Beyonce’s weave won’t turn you into Beyonce. It could be too much for you. You could hate it. But, on the flip side, that weave may make you feel like Beyonce ready to run the world and if that’s the case - rock on with your bad self! We know Channing did! (1:58 in case you haven't seen this yet).
3 HOW WILL THIS CUT CHANGE YOUR DAY TO DAY ROUTINE. You may think shorter hair will automatically shave time off of your morning routine (less time blow drying? Yes, please!). Unfortunately, that reality may not be your reality. Fact: Long hair adds weight. Taking inches (aka, “weight”) off of the bottom and adding layers may liven up your curls (yes!) or it may leave your ‘sorta’ curls somewhere between poof-ball and shaggy dog (nooo). Sometimes shorter hair means additional time added actually styling. If you’re unsure about this, talk to your stylist about your hair texture - remember, this is what they do and this is why you go to them.
4 CONSULT YOUR STYLIST. You know that person you pay and trust to do you hair? Ask questions and actually listen to their answers. Among the many things I did not take into account at my fateful stripe-inducing appointment was the reality that my hair is naturally almost black (even Kelly Clarkson was throwing browns at her base). Just because something looks one way on one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will look the same on you or me. We all have different face shapes, complexions, eye colors, base colors, etc. Our hairstylists think about these. Talk it out with your stylist. Take that trend and make it your own; make the necessary changes to make the cut or color work for you so that you are still comfortable.
5 DO YOU. Everyone has their own style. Whether you are shaving your head or rocking waist length waves, at the end of the day make sure your hair is an extension of your style and no one else’s. Everyone will have an opinion on what looks good but what is most important is that you feel good. Your hair will ALWAYS look best when you are happy with what’s happening on top of your head.
Hair shouldn’t be where our confidence lives and dies but it often plays into our mood. Bad hair day= blegh; good hair day = where are we going tonight?!
Push boundaries and learn what does and does not work with your style. What are you comfortable with? What is you? You are the one who is going to be walking around rocking this look so you are the one who should be happy with it.
