random thoughts – Day 1,578 – (Saturday) – hair day

Today’s scheduled activity was marked in ink in the weekly planner book at least four weeks ago. That's when it had to be changed from the original date booked 13 weeks ago due to a change at the salon side of the event. It was the usually much anticipated hair appointment, which rolls around every 12 to 16 weeks depending upon a number of variables. Do I have bangs and do I want to keep them? Then the next appointment booked before leaving the salon will be at around 12 weeks, and the bangs will have been too long for about eight of them.

If the most recent style preference has been no bangs or long bangs, then the next appointment might have been scheduled at 14 or 16 weeks and set around things like vacation, dance performances, family events, etc. Even then, it may need to be rescheduled once or twice around other important events that pop up.

Short hair was a lot of work.

Once upon a time my hair was short (around age 30), visits to the salon chair were six to eight weeks apart. Tons of time was spent with styling and tons of money on styling products to defy gravity and then other products to get rid of the buildup from the first products. It didn't take much to ruin a short style. Wind, rain, humidity, and growth were all the enemy. Never mind dudes who thought it was okay to rub my hair like I was a pet dog or something after I'd just spent an hour getting ready to go out. Seriously. Not cool.

When it’s long, my hair is so much easier to deal with. In the summer when it’s too hot to use a blow dryer, I can twist it into a bun and boogie on out the door. The downside to that is when the bun comes out and the hair might still be wet eight or nine hours later. 

Going back to the teen years when my sister and I would sit in front of the TV and comb and style each other’s long hair, it’s always been relaxing. When I get headaches, sometimes the feel of the brush on my scalp is a comfort. The professional salon shampoo with scalp massage are always amazing, and the combing and styling in the stylist’s chair is relaxing.

After the trim. Longer hair is much easier.

Today, bangs were trimmed and an overall tidy up took off a half-inch to an inch or more depending upon where it was being snipped from. We’re still cutting around the regrowth after the double whammy of a Vitamin D deficiency and likely COVID-related alopecia areata. Mega doses of vitamin D and steroid injections have done wonders. I love science.

By the time of the next one or two salon visits we may not have to tippy-toe around the several spots growing in with the new darker, super wavy hair and they will be blending in more. I’m just so glad it’s growing back in.