Day 67: Hair Coloring

I was scared of Day 67 for a while and even thought about canceling my appointment a week ago. I've never gotten my hair colored before, and today's New Thing was to finally devirginize my hair. I have always been curious about what I might look like with a different colored coif and wanted that "whole new woman" feeling that ladies swear by...but I can't help but freak out about such a change.

The morning before my appointment, I was reviewing things with Mark.

Me: Should I not do this? I mean, think of all the maintenance involved. You're going to have a high-maintenance girl now!
Mark: I think this will be really good for you. I think you're going to like it a lot.
Me: But what if I hate it?
Mark: You can get it re-colored or grow it out. Hair grows, you know.
Me: I AM SO SCARED.
Mark: Chill out, it's just hair

After freaking myself out enough over the situation, I drove down Piedmont to G Salon and Spa, the place where I got Reflexology in October. I walked in, approaching my hair's potential demise. Hair can fall out if you color it too much, right? And if I have to get it recolored after this, today will be the last day I have a pretty head of hair.

Sigh.

I had an appointment for partial foils, which to my knowledge meant that I would get the top of my hair colored, leaving the base color, my natural brown, intact.

I got to talking with my hairdresser and told her I wanted a dark color that picks up auburn and honey tones in the sun. She got a little too giddy with excitement and scampered off to bring back hair color samples. What she showed me, I liked, a dark brown and a honey color, which thereby sealed my fate.

The hairdresser got started on the foils and away we were. We chatted about the holiday season, boyfriends, girlfriends and social lives, and how I looked like I was picking up radio signals with all the foils.

All was going pretty well until, out of nowhere, I received a wet slap in the eye...a piece of hair went rogue, protesting violently that it be colored, and punishing me with poisonous goop IN MY EYE.

I groped around for her arm or anything to hold on to to get myself to a sink. We flushed the eye out with water, and my hairdresser insisted, "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, oh my gosh!!" Then, she swore, "This is the best kind of coloring you can possibly get in your eye, it's made of 85% fruits and vegetables!!"

And 15% ammonia that is currently burning a hole IN MY EYE, thank you. NOT COMFORTING.

After this fiasco, she said, "We're done with the foils now and onto the hair, so that won't happen again."


Wait, what?? Done with the foils? I requested partial foils...

Whatever. I think the hair coloring had seeped its way through my eye into my brain, clouding my judgment. I should have stopped her, but I didn't say anything--afraid I might pounce on her like a cheetah on an antelope.

We finished with the color and let me sit and process for a while. After processing and a wonderful massaging washing (hair washers should get paid way more money, that stuff feels awesome), she began to dry my hair saying "this looks a little dark...I hope it dries the right color"

F$*%. That is NOT a vote of confidence. That is NOT a way to inspire the customer that you did your best work. That is NOT what you say to a first-time freaker-outer like myself.

After three hours, this is what it came out as:

Before and After

It's not horrible, not bad even, but I don't look much different! The ends of my hair look darker and that's about it. I just paid her to torture my eyes and my hair, to achieve the same look I already had. Brilliant.

This is why I don't get my hair done.

Now I'm full of new questions. Do I get it re-done? Is darker better for me anyway (outsiders looking in)? Did my experience cloud my opinion?

Let me know what you think!