Lynne, aka PoeticlySpkng won the Kim Coles Grow Out Challenge grand prize and was flown to LA last weekend to attend the par-tay. We had an amazing time. Over breakfast she shared this story with me, and now, we’re sharing it with you!
Lynne writes;
Well, I started the Grow Out Challenge back in January. Two months later, I had a bit of an encounter with my (then) hair dresser which left me feeling quite discouraged. I went in for a trim in March and came out with a chop. Trim… Chop… There is a difference, right? The difference being a 1/2 – 1 inch trim versus 3+ inches chopped. My bangs went from my chin to the bridge of my nose. The rest of my length suffered the same fate. We all cried “FOUL!” Needless to say I was upset and only took a few photos of my hair from that point until now. Why? Because every photo would remind me of … dun-dun-dun-de-dun… the incident. The Chop. And the reminder was followed by anger. So! Moving on…
I know, I know. I am not my hair. I’ve heard this before! It grows back. Yadda. Yadda. But as for me and my hair- We’re in love again! This after I realized I was blaming punishing myself every time I looked into the mirror and viewed my shortened strands. Today. Again… I love my hair AND myself. Among other things, my hair has encouraged me to love and honor the rest of me. So, when people assert I am not my hair… I think– I am also not my limbs, my eyes or my smile. Rather- I am the sum of all my parts. We’ve been together nearly 3 years… (I know… we’re still newlyweds!). At the end of the day, we stick together, for better or worse. And for that I am grateful!
keep up with Lynne on her blog– Girls With Glasses ROCK!
I can definetly relate. 3 weeks ago, I went for a trim. She ended up cutting off 2 inches of hair. It took me two years to reach APL, and now she set me back at least four months it's very frustrating!
I had already cut my hair short(think the Halle Berry style back in the 90's) and I dyed it blond. So I get tired of the blond hair and find a so called natural salon listing in Essence Magazine (that's a whole other story) that I would go to and get the blond cut out. The stylist tells me his name is "Snacky" to do my hair. He was only to cut my ends where the blond hair had grown out. While "Snacky" is cutting my hair I hear this voice (you all have heard it) "something ain't right…he has been cutting in that one spot for too long". I pay the voice no mind and when he is done he turns me to the mirror and after I screamed and asked him what in the hell did he do to my hair…in his words he says he "thought I would look better with a ceasar cut"….YES! This man cut all of my hair off…nothing…gone…I couldnt even use a hair brush my hair was so short! I swear I looked like Michael Evans from good times! He acted as if he was done so I ask him "arent you gonna put some type of product in my hair so it doesn't dry out"? This guy pulls out a jar of AFRO SHEEN BLUE GREASE!!!!! YESSSSS! and proceeds to put it in my hair….I just wanted to die. I ran to my car and went straight home and wouldnt leave the house for days. So this is how Karma will get you…this "Snacky" guy was the same guy who started the whole "Copa" hair straightening product line where women were losing their hair and the Consumer Affairs division shut him down. Karma will get you every time!
Well, I'm glad I'm not alone. SaBrina asked how I wouldn't have known… Well, the truth is I was engaged in conversation with her, and there was a level of trust that existed after years in that chair. This was not my first pony ride! I should have trusted my first instinct… Honestly, I'm over it now but I did have to deal with and question myself for not paying attention just as you suggested. Lesson learned!
@anon at 2:55pm that was funny on your exit part… just imagining the looks on their faces as well. lol….
Me personally though this is sad that this has happened to alot of women. But what I don't understand is how can you not get up and go off earlier instead of still letting them comb and blow dry w/o doing it properly. I mean it's your money that's paying for this and if after the 1st time you say something and it falls on death ear you should have left. How can you not feel your hair being cut off that much is amazing, there was another lady who was bsl and went to apl .. and even on here from chin to nose how can you not feel that there is more than an 1/2 to 1inch being cut. I would have gone all on Madea crazy on their arses. But I guess it's a lesson that's learned and you move on from it and just let your hair grow back the growth and go from there.
I can definitely relate. I just wanted her to trim off the relaxed ends. I was so proud of my new growth. I figured she could easily see the line between perm and new growth…a good 4-5 inches. Nope! Relaxed hair and almost all my new growth was on the floor! AND I had a dent (uneven) cut into my new TWA. SMDH
Congrats on the win. Off to check your blog since I too wear glasses.
@anon 3:26 As a natural who has gotten her hair blowdried and flatironed a few times, I often feel as if I have to educate the professionals who do my hair. I carry my products, and if something feels uncomfortable I inform them immediately. In an assertive manner, (neither haughty nor condescending), I assure them that I respect their position, but my hair needs are specific.
@ anon 2:55 p.m. Perhaps your experience helped you to appreciate your natural hair color. "Ugly mousey color" doesn't speak kindly of yourself. You can tell my prejudice, because I have never colored my hair.
I have to say that this hasn't happened to me, but I've definitely gone to the hair salon and allowed a stylist to do something to my hair that I didn't like. What is it about being in a hair salon that is so dang intimidating?! Do we just assume that because the person doing our hair is a professional, that they must know better? I'm newly natural and terrified of getting my hair trimmed because I don't want to experience that disempowered feeling. Anyone else feel this way?
My story is similar to Moni. 3 mos after my BC, i went to my relaxer stylist (who was doing a great job straightening my sister's natural hair every now and then). She ripped through my hair without conditioner. I told her I wanted a blow out and trim. She ripped through my hair with the blow dryer comb attachment – high heat and all. I was in so much pain that i didn't realize when she started HOT COMBING MY HAIR! I said no i don't want it bone straight, i just need a trim! she said well i've already started so might as well finish. she began to rush and rip the hot comb through my hair. She trimmed it and i told her not to worry about styling it. i left the salon looking crazy and defeated. i'm still traumatized.
I can relate too! It wasn't with a cut but a color! However, it was on the day I got my BC…that actually went well! A Barber cut my hair though.
Back to the diaster! After the fab cut my hairdresser preceeded to put a Burgundy color in my hair. OR SO I THOUGHT! Remind you I really wanted this color to POP especially since I had just cut all of my hair off! And in its natural state. and I had to wait a very long time for all of the color from the rises I was using weekly to finally get out. It took me I swear almost a year! So I WANTED this color bad!!!
This women had me all Excited…I was ready for my new look! Right…WRONG! This women put a brown/redish color in my hair…it was so close to the Ugly mousey brown hair that I usually have that I couldn't tell any difference and neither could she! I was so DAMN MAD! To add, she washed my hair which made my hair shrink which DID NOT HELP! I was not use to this at all!
Everyone in the salon was STARING at me! I was so furious that I took the freakin comb out of her hand and preceeded to finish my own hair.
I paid her half of the money…got up and said to everyone staring at me… POWER TO THE PEOPLE…FIST PUMP! AND STEPPED! LAUGHTER FOLLOW'S ME OUT THE DOOR! LOL
This JUST happened to me on MONDAY!!!! As you can still, I'm still furious and trying to tell myself it's just hair, it'll grow back, etc, etc, etc. I asked for a trim and roller set. The stylist was natural herself, so I assumed she knew what she was doing. Wrong! She combed through my wet hair with absolutely no product (drying by the time she got to the top, which made it worse), probably ripping through it with that comb. Then she tried to claim that it was hard to comb through because my ends were so bad. Yes, my ends were bad, but she also didn't know what she was doing! My hair was over 14 inches long, and now is probably less than 10. And to add insult to injury, it's not even!
From another girl with glasses who was unintentionally scalped, you rock and I know we'll both come back with longer, stronger, healthier hair!
I can relate! In March I went in to get some layers cut in the back of my hair and ended up with damn near a fade and a hi-top…with the front still really long! Like a reverse mullet.
It was pretty bad but it's growing out now and it gave me more incentive to do things like drink more water, take fish oil, exercise, etc – things that will support healthy hair growth in addition to keeping me healthy overall!
PS is sooo deserving of the win 🙂 im happy for you boo!!