I Got My Hair "Did"!

It had been 14 months since my last haircut.  I loved the length of my hair, but it was getting very unmanageable.  If it wasn't so thick and heavy, I wouldn't have minded, but getting a comb through it, waiting for it to dry completely (so it wouldn't mildew), and/or wearing it on top of my head were all factors going against me keeping it this length.  The pros were the compliments, tying it back with ease, and the weight of my hair really pulled the "bigness" out of it and made the curl more wavy versus kinky.

 BEFORE

Believe it or not, I do NOT have a hair dresser.  At the recommendation from a friend, I chose to go to an Aveda salon called "Salon Del Sol".  It was a glamorous experience.  Upon arriving, I was given a steaming hot towel to clean my hands and offered a hot coffee or soft drink. Your hair cut includes a oil scalp and neck massage from the hair dresser herself.  THEN, while being wash, your scalp receives another amazing massage WHILE the chair massages your back.   I think I said it twice while I was there, "If I ever win the lottery, I will be making a trip to this salon daily."  My hairdresser was a "master stylist".  Her name is Kayla.

DURING

Kayla spent the first 20 minutes brushing through my hair.  She wanted to get all of the knots out, so washing would be easier.  This is what it looked like after she was done.  She said two things during and after, 1. "You are the prime subject for dreadlocks if you are ever interested."  2.  "If you ever want to create a realllly cool halloween costume, you should consider being a lioness."  LOL!

This was the look I was going for.  This is a picture of a picture, so I apologize for the poor quality.  It was taken 10 years ago.

Out of the 15 people I asked, 13 said "Cut it!"  They reassured me it would just be fun and refreshing to do something different.  LOL! I spoke to Kayla about it and she thought it was a very becoming cut for me.  So I took my chances, stressing that I DO NOT want my hair as short as my shoulders.  

Kayla wasted NO time cutting my hair off.  She cut 8" off.  I am excited that 8" allowed me to donate my hair to "Locks of Love".  Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. I can't believe a child, in need of hair, will be wearing a wig thanks to my hair. I feel so privileged to offer that to someone.

The diameter of my ponytail was the size of 1 1/2 half dollars.  

It would have made a perfect blush brush.

On top of all of the length cut off, I also got all of the above cut off.

2 hours LATER, this is what my hair looked like, when I left the salon.

It took Kayla that long to cut and style my hair.

She personally twisted over 100 sections of my hair to create a big curl.

AFTER 

I came home from the salon and immediately showered.
I wanted to use my products and styling techniques to see the true outcome.

 The back.

I'm not sure how I feel about my decision.  I'm sure you think it's still reallllly long and I guess it could be a whole lot shorter, BUT, the proof is in my ponytail.  It is so itty bitty.  Overall, it's just hair.  I guess it will grow back.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The hubby does LOVE it, so I guess that's all that really matters :)

Deva Curl Experience Of A Lifetime.

A few months back, I had one of those amazing moments of just "being in the right place at the right time". I believe it was back in April. I was at my whits end with my hair. I recall leaving the Fresh Market and walking into Les Cheveux Hair Salon. It always looks like a busy, hip hoppin place. So I made an appointment to get my hair cut. I thought I would do something drastic... haha, yeah right. Who am I kidding? I vividly remember Darren saying, the morning of my haircut, "You better come home looking different!" I don't think he really meant that in a way that revealed dissatisfaction in the appearance of my hair, but rather, he knew how much I was dissatisfied and he wanted me to be happy.

My hair BEFORE Deva Curl Cut & Style.

I dropped the twins off at school and arrived to my appointment 15 minutes early. I was so anxious. My hair dresser was "running late" because she was in a "Deva Curl" training session. I had no idea what that was or what it meant, but after finding out that it was every bit of what I needed AND learning that the instructor was flown in from LA to teach Les Cheveux's hair dressers how to perform the cut and the style.... I HAD TO SPEAK UP!

I basically asked the owner if they could use me as a hair model to teach his staff. He politely obliged and sent me down to their training room. The Deva Curl rep from LA spent 5 hours on my hair, which included the cut, "wash", and style. His average hair cut runs anywhere from $150 - $250, just for a hair cut. Oh by the way, I was there so long, Darren had to go pick the twins up from preschool for me. YIKES!

(You can't see it in this picture, but I had over 25 hair dressers witnessing the two hair dressers working on me. It was intense, exciting, and a little embarrassing.)

This was a VERY BIG privilege to have such experienced hands working on ME AND my haircut only cost $35 too!

My hair AFTER the Deva Curl Cut & Style.

(When I pulled in the driveway, Darren ran out with much anticipation. His first words to me were, "Wow! You look beautiful!")

I was in LOVE with the outcome of my 5 hour extravaganza. My curls looked shiny and flawless. Unfortunately, while I loved the cut, I was unable to produce the same outcome with the Deva Curl products, so I returned all $225 worth of product. Needless to say, anything can look this good after spending 5 hours on it. I, obviously, am lucky to be able to spend 30 minutes on my hair per day, if that.

Since this experience, Deva Curl has really become popular amongst those I attend church with. It's funny, once someone does something, everyone then gives it a whirl. This might have just simply been a coincidence. I'm certainly no trend setter.

So... why have I waited this long to post this? WELL.... mostly because I do not normally make posts on my blog about ME personally. It just feels weird talking about ME! I don't mind sharing things about my kids, my friends, my family, or my husband, but not me. BUT... I am once again DISSATISFIED with my hair and I have begun doing MOUNDS of research on techniques, products, water temperature, etc. and I will be doing a 6 week before and after experiment on my hair. Most people could care less about this, but I am hoping to help others who have the same curly mess as me!!!!!

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, thoughts, opinions and more importantly encouraging words. Don't be offended if I ignore them. LOL! The truth is, unless you are walking in my shoes, you simply have no idea how "involved" my hair really is. God has definitely blessed me with a full head of hair and I am thankful, but I am still learning how to handle it... 35 years later.

Be on the look out for documentation of WEEK 1, probably tomorrow.