Hair

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

And some more . . .

 

[craftytam]

I love this thread - I think as women our hair is so important!

My hair is straight, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Straight. It's never been terribly long, even in school it was just below my shoulders.

In my younger years, my mom would give me home perms. Sometimes I didn't get a lot of curl. One year (the 1st year I was celebrating the new year with my NEW boyfriend) mom gave me a perm on NYE day. Since the last time I didn't have many curls, she put perm solution on my hair - then put the rods in my hair and added MORE perm solution.

Oh my goodness! When those rods were taken out and I rinsed it - I had more curls that I knew what to do with! It was like one HUGE afro! I cried! She cried! We both cried! I told her there was no way I was going on a date "looking like this!". Dad could not understand what the hub-bub was about - lol. Luckily our neighbor was in cosmetology class at the time and was able to calm it down. So in the end, it was curly, but I was able to pull it back a bit and it looked okay and that boyfriend eventually turned into my husband - lol.

Today I wear my hair super short - right now it is growing out after having it spikey for a few years. I do not like my natural color so will probably continue to have it colored for some time yet.

Our granddaughter had the most curly hair when she was a babe - it's calming down a bit now that she is a teenager (what?!?!) and of course, she likes it straight instead of having curls!

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I really think it is important to a lot of women. My hairstylist says she considers hair an accessory. And, considering I don't wear many accessories, it's superfluous to me. lol

My mom's hair was super straight like yours. She permed it for a long time. Then started cutting it short as she got older.

Home perms are a little scary. I'm glad you had someone who could tame it!

Your granddaughter is ADORABLE!! Look at that hair! Our daughter has very curly hair. She has used a straightener since we started letting her in her early teens. Now that she's in FL, the weather keeps it curly. I think she's come to terms with it when she's home (that or she puts it up), but when she's shooting a wedding it's straight-ish.

 

[craftytam]

Oh how frustrating....

Growing up, both my aunts did my hair. They had a shop and I always got exactly what i wanted... then one moved a few states away and then life and business... my other aunt still occasionally does my hair but its probably been about 5 years now.

My hair was straight most of my life then about a few years ago it started to curl (All the money i spent on perms in the last 30 years lol) so I started to straighten it... but I was embracing my curls n waves in the last couple years. I also had decided to let it go gray and not dye it.

But now... I had all my hair cut off into a pixie-ish cut before chemo started to make it a bit less traumatic, then last week as handfuls were falling out, I had my husband shave it, so now I am wig shopping.

Sending big hugs to you! I hope you find a wig that you feel spectacular in!

 

[craftytam]

OMG, the hair wars. I think we all fight them. I know I did until I decided to find a style that worked with my hair, which is super straight and thick and grows forward. This means I wear it short and simple. If I can't do it in less than 10 minutes, I don't want to be bothered.

When I was young I wore it long, but then in 8th grade, I got it all cut off into a Dorothy Hamilton cut. Anyone else remember that? LOL Afterward, I let it grow out again for a while and then cut it short again in my senior year. When I hit college, I started perming it and had a lot of curl. Then there was the year that I got the asymetrical cut, one side was pretty much shaved and the other was curly and big. It was the 80s after all.

When I got pregnant, I stopped the perms and let it grow out and wore it long. I always wore it up and since there is so much of it, I used to get horrible headaches. Then when I was going through thyroid cancer, it all started falling out, so I cut it off again and have had it short ever since. In fact, I have pretty much had the same haircut ever since. Super short on the sides and back and longer on top. Like in the picture. LOL

The texture has changed somewhat as I get older, it is more straight and stubborn than ever. I do color my gray because I gray in clumps. It literally looks like someone dropped bleach on a spot and wiped out the color. Last month it was right in front in a swatch of my bangs. It just went gray almost over night and ended up looking like a bird pooped on my head. So frustrating.

I think you're right! It's a battle we all seem to fight. I'm totally with you - if it takes too much time, I'm not doing it. I'll just put it up in a ponytail.

My sister had the Dorothy Hamil haircut!! She had the face for it. I really didn't.

Oh wow... I think I would dye my hair, too, if it grayed like yours is. Maybe at some point it will all be gray and you won't have to mess with it. I know when my hair was short, it seemed like I had to cut/dye it more often because it seemed to grow faster.

 

[craftytam]

First, Tammy, I love all your pics and your stories. Really, from everyone here, it's so cool to see how we change our appearance!

My hair has seen a lot of action over the years. I had very dark hair as a young child. I started highlighting my hair sometime in 2002. I went back dark for about 6 months and despised it, so I went very blonde after that for a while. Now that I have autoimmune psoriasis on my scalp, I've had to discontinue highlighting and lowlighting. The last picture you'll see is of me and my sister yesterday and my gray hair is all that's there now with the exception of a little bit on the ends. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, so all highlights/lowlights should be gone then. I didn't want to go gray this early, but I need to take care of myself. I'm only 5 years early on what I presumed would be my going gray age (60).

I've had the same hairdresser since 2000!


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Thank you for sharing all these photos, Cheryl! You are so beautiful!

I'm sorry you're dealing with autoimmune psoriasis on your scalp. I do think your hair looks fantastic in that last photo with your sister. Is your hair naturally curly or did you have to perm it?

What a blessing to have the same hairdresser for so long! I really do like my girl, I just wish she would listen. lol

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Thank you for sharing all these photos, Cheryl! You are so beautiful!

I'm sorry you're dealing with autoimmune psoriasis on your scalp. I do think your hair looks fantastic in that last photo with your sister. Is your hair naturally curly or did you have to perm it?

What a blessing to have the same hairdresser for so long! I really do like my girl, I just wish she would listen. lol

Thank you! Most of the time I feel like a troll LOL but I'm working on positive self talk.

My hair has lots of body. After hormonal pregnancy changes, my hair went curly but there were sections that would stay straight so I'd use the curling iron. Now that I've straightened it for so long, it's less likely to be curly. I loved Bedheads curling product so I'd need to pick that up again to be curly.

 

[Studio Liv]

• Childhood
  • Long with CHONKY bangs
  • Then I didn't want people to look at my hair or talk about it so I chopped it lol (also I had some bouts with lice so I kept it shorter)
• Middle school and high school
  • I kept my hair pretty long , minus a chop right before freshman year
• Adulthood
  • I keep generally the same cut and style
  • I had one haircut from hell ... a chunk was chopped out of the back when my hairdresser accidentally used normal instead of thinning shears. Yikes.
  • I tried a wolf cut last year-ish... not for me lol
  • Last summer I bleached and dyed my hair for the first time. Was blonde for a month then went pink.
  • Tried purple in the fall... missed the pink. Just went back to pink last weekend.

I'm very low maintenance (other than dyeing). I typically don't do anything more than leave-in conditioner , hair oil, curl gel or salt spray. If it's not down I use a claw clip or hair tie.

 

[Sherly]

Love your gorgeous hair, Liv!

 

[Natascha]

I LOVE all your pictures ladies!!

Hair...I have very curly, thick, high maintanence hair and it's driving me nuts sometimes!
But other times, when I put in the effort of making something of it I really love my hair!
When I was just a little kiddo I had really, really blonde hair and when I got older it got
darker and darker...I also had straight hair. The curls came when I was about 15 or 16
This is me through all those years (with a gap somewhere in between)






And this is my hair when I went to see a specialized curly hair dresser (which is very expensive by the way so
I only went once in my life)

 

[craftytam]

Thank you! Most of the time I feel like a troll LOL but I'm working on positive self talk.

My hair has lots of body. After hormonal pregnancy changes, my hair went curly but there were sections that would stay straight so I'd use the curling iron. Now that I've straightened it for so long, it's less likely to be curly. I loved Bedheads curling product so I'd need to pick that up again to be curly.

You are the most un-troll like person I know!!

My hair did the same thing. I think maybe the curl doesn't stay as well because we have VERY low humidity in Idaho, so lots less moisture.

I've used Bedhead products, too. They work wonderfully. I just hate the hassle

 

[craftytam]

• Childhood
  • Long with CHONKY bangs View attachment 680073
  • Then I didn't want people to look at my hair or talk about it so I chopped it lol (also I had some bouts with lice so I kept it shorter) View attachment 680074
• Middle school and high school
  • I kept my hair pretty long View attachment 680075, minus a chop right before freshman year View attachment 680076
• Adulthood
  • I keep generally the same cut and style
  • I had one haircut from hell ... a chunk was chopped out of the back when my hairdresser accidentally used normal instead of thinning shears. Yikes.
  • I tried a wolf cut last year-ish... not for me lol View attachment 680077
  • Last summer I bleached and dyed my hair for the first time. Was blonde for a month then went pink. View attachment 680078
  • Tried purple in the fall... View attachment 680079 missed the pink. Just went back to pink last weekend.

I'm very low maintenance (other than dyeing). I typically don't do anything more than leave-in conditioner , hair oil, curl gel or salt spray. If it's not down I use a claw clip or hair tie.

Your hair is gorgeous, Liv!! I love the pink in the front. I did pink one time in just small strips underneath, but decided it was too much hassle.

Oh wow! Having a chunk cut out on accident really sucks.

One time I was at my mom's salon and one of the girls got a round brush stuck in the front of someone's hair. She tried everything to get it out. They ended up having to cut it out!!! Can you imagine?!

 

[craftytam]

I LOVE all your pictures ladies!!

Hair...I have very curly, thick, high maintanence hair and it's driving me nuts sometimes!
But other times, when I put in the effort of making something of it I really love my hair!
When I was just a little kiddo I had really, really blonde hair and when I got older it got
darker and darker...I also had straight hair. The curls came when I was about 15 or 16
This is me through all those years (with a gap somewhere in between)


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And this is my hair when I went to see a specialized curly hair dresser (which is very expensive by the way so
I only went once in my life)

View attachment 680097

Wow Natascha! I love your curls!! You have beautiful hair!

I think that no matter what type of hair we have, it's high-maintenance. That's hard on this no-maintenance girl.

 

[LJSDesigns]

I think that no matter what type of hair we have, it's high-maintenance. That's hard on this no-maintenance girl.

I am with you on that. Like I said, I found a style that worked with my hair and not against it and I have stuck with it. It is so much easier than trying to fight it every day. And, TBH, I think it looks better too.

 

[Brendazzle]

View attachment 680095

I really love your hair color(s) here. It's such a beautiful gradient, especially with your curls.

 

[Natascha]

Wow Natascha! I love your curls!! You have beautiful hair!

I think that no matter what type of hair we have, it's high-maintenance. That's hard on this no-maintenance girl.

Well this!! Just this...that's why I usualy have my hair in a bun

 

[Natascha]

I really love your hair color(s) here. It's such a beautiful gradient, especially with your curls.

Thank you!!

 

[craftytam]

Well this!! Just this...that's why I usualy have my hair in a bun

lol! I can appreciate that!

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Oh wow! Having a chunk cut out on accident really sucks.

It was AWFUL. Seriously AWFUL. Especially since it's my hairdresser that I've used for so many years. Olivia (with good reason) never went back to her. In my hairdresser's defense, she was going through a separation/divorce, and I can't remember what it was that particular day, but she was quite upset.

As a Mama Bear, I was heartbroken for Olivia. Just chalk it up to one of the many mistakes I made. Geez. Being a mom should come with a manual!

 

[craftytam]

It was AWFUL. Seriously AWFUL. Especially since it's my hairdresser that I've used for so many years. Olivia (with good reason) never went back to her. In my hairdresser's defense, she was going through a separation/divorce, and I can't remember what it was that particular day, but she was quite upset.

As a Mama Bear, I was heartbroken for Olivia. Just chalk it up to one of the many mistakes I made. Geez. Being a mom should come with a manual!

Oh no!! That mom guilt is real.
It so wasn't your fault, but I can understand why you would feel badly about it.

 

[angiekey]

Oh my word, I love all these photographs! It's kind of reassuring to know that we've all struggled with our hair at one time or another. And how funny that none of us tend to be happy with the hair we're born with. If it's thin you wish it was thick, if it's thick you wish it was thinner, if it's curly you wish it was straight, if it's straight you wish it had more body...

I've got naturally red hair that goes from strawberry blonde to a light auburn depending on how much time I've spent in the sun. I'm the only one in my family in two generations with hair that's red. It's naturally stick-straight and the individual hairs are very fine, and if you use a curling iron on it you can literally watch the curl slip out of the hair as it goes back to straight.

This is my natural hair texture, circa 1983:



And in 2010:



While I've added volume with body waves over the years (which is the only way to get my hair to take a curl from a curling iron) I haven't messed with the color except for once when I tried a temporary dye in a darker shade of red. I had a hairdresser tell me once that if I did a permanent dye on my hair, I'd never get it back to my natural color without shaving it all off, so I always swore once I started to go grey that I'd play with its color.

And then in 2021, I was hospitalized with COVID pneumonia. And three months later, my hair began falling out. That trauma-induced hair loss that can happen after a big injury or illness? I lost about 1/3 of my hair.

When it grew back, the hair on the top and sides was straight as always, but the hair on the bottom - basically a line from my ears down - came in curly.

So I had a choice: I could straighten it all every day, or pay for a straightening treatment quarterly, or I could start perming it all again.

Thankfully, I have a hairdresser who is an absolute master at perms. She mixes the size of the rods and the curls come out natural-looking and soft, not like the awful perms I had in the 80s and early 90s. Now, I can let it air dry, and I only have to wash it once every 3 days. It works well for me with my chronic pain issues that make it super difficult to round-brush and blow dry, though I can still do that for special occasions.

But the timing on this post is funny. I went in for my every-8-weeks haircut this week, and my stylist dried and styled it differently - she basically gave me the stereotypical Texas Big Hair. My husband got a good chuckle out of it. And when I washed it and let it air dry, it was back to the soft curls I like.

In this photo, I had just washed my hair and let it air dry. No product in it other than my normal shampoo and conditioner. So perms have definitely come a long way! (Forgive the medical gown; I had a procedure done on Friday.)



I didn't know this until recently, but you can only do one or the other, perming or color. Perms strip color from hair, and color strips out perms. So I'm grateful that my grey is coming in white and it mixes in pretty well with my natural red.

My stylist has a sign on the wall in her salon that reads, "Invest in your hair. It's the crown you never take off." And it's funny, I guess I've taken that to heart. When I stopped working 15 years ago and gave up luxuries like manicures and pedicures and expensive make-up, I still kept seeing my hairdresser. I've had to stretch my appointments out to 12 weeks sometimes, but my husband never questioned me leaving it in our budget. And since he shaves his head daily, I've always said I get to spend his grooming dollars on my hair instead. LOL!

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

I got my hair cut on Wednesday, so I have officially left my highlights and lowlights in the past. My wallet is VERY happy, but sometimes I miss having my highlights. I'm trying to embrace the gray, but I have to admit to being insecure about aging.

My hair in April 2025:



My hair today:

 

[Studio Liv]

I got my hair cut on Wednesday, so I have officially left my highlights and lowlights in the past. I wallet is VERY happy, but sometimes I miss having my highlights. I'm trying to embrace the gray, but I have to admit to being insecure about aging.

My hair in April 2025:

View attachment 680445 View attachment 680444

My hair today:

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You still have highlights but totally understand they aren't as much as before. You're aging gracefully, Mama!

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

You still have highlights but totally understand they aren't as much as before. You're aging gracefully, Mama!

Love you, Baby Girl!

 

[craftytam]

@angiekey It's so true that we want what we don't have! It sounds like you have an amazing hairdresser. That's such a blessing! I'm glad you've found what works for you.
Your hair is such a beautiful color and I imagine the gray will only highlight it

 

[craftytam]

@Cheryl Ashcraft Your gray looks like highlights! I agree with Liv...you are aging gracefully

 

[angiekey]

I got my hair cut on Wednesday, so I have officially left my highlights and lowlights in the past. My wallet is VERY happy, but sometimes I miss having my highlights. I'm trying to embrace the gray, but I have to admit to being insecure about aging.

My hair in April 2025:

View attachment 680445 View attachment 680444

My hair today:

View attachment 680443 View attachment 680442

Liv is absolutely right - you're aging gracefully and beautifully, Cheryl! Honestly, while your highlights were super eye-catching and fun, I think the natural grey highlights suit you perfectly.