shapeshifting

Project Natural: week 10

While I wait for Lost to appear on my computer, I'm going to treat you to a fascinating look at the roots of my hair. I know, with these posts I am really spoiling you (with apologies to those for whom this is not a cultural landmark).

Last time I posted a pic was at four weeks without dye. Remember? Of course you do, you think about it daily.

Here's week 10. Yowzer.

Hair twisted back so you can see. Pretty darn white in places, huh?

I have to say it's not an easy ride. It looks a bloody mess, especially since I had my hair cut and then cut off a load more myself. Yeah, good move. I don't really know how to 'wear' it when it's not all long enough to tie back or up. But it grows fast.

I've wobbled once and put a toner on it that lasted about a week and wasn't very convincing. It's as if my hair has developed a mind of its own and henceforth will not be accepting any calls from Mr Clairol.

I have days when I love it and days when I think I'm making a huge mistake. It hasn't been well-received by anyone I know. They all look at me as if perhaps I've developed a drink problem and simply forgotten to bathe and look after myself. Charlie says I don't look like me anymore.

It is hard.

I may cave in.

But if I do, I think it will be by growing it out a bit further - with the help of temporary colour - and then maybe recolouring it but in a much lighter colour than I had it before. Not blonde, but very light. I don't know.

I don't know.

Posted

Can I just say...

...I'm not having a good grey hair day. I'm gritting my teeth and trying to keep going but oh dear, it's tough.

Haircut tomorrow to try to get rid of the very dark ends. Family reunion (with the posh peeps) on May 23rd. Maybe just a shampoo in, shampoo out eh?

Posted

Project Natural: week four

Here it is at four and a half weeks. Typically, I am impatient. When I'm at home, I twist back the front of my hair and pin it so that I can see more grey. I want it to grow faster. When I look in the mirror, the grey looks right against my skin while the rest looks hard.

Who knows? Maybe in a month or so I'll bore of it and not want to spend the summer with the two tone hair but today I don't think so. Today I think I'm more likely to cut a load off as soon as it'll look okay.

It makes me feel brave and wild and determined. All things I seriously need to feel. It feels like the truth.

Maybe it sounds strange to describe the simple act of letting your roots grow through as a profound experience but believe me, profound it is.

As you can see, up close there's a lot of grey for just four weeks! And the hair at the ends has horrible colour build-up despite my best efforts to avoid it. I should say, I'm using medicated shampoo at the moment. Not for dandruff - I've never had it, touch wood - but because it lifts colour out of your hair. The newer hair, with less colour to start with, is clearly fading fastest.

Also, in all my un-Photoshopped glory, you can see that when my hair is down or up, you can only see a little bit of the grey. I usually wear it up.

I have to say, it's waaaay whiter than I thought it would be and it goes further back. But then I go pretty far back myself.

Next update in a month.