Will This Haircut Make Me Look Thin?

Yes.  A client did ask this very question the other day, albeit, with humor in her voice.  We laughed.  The question made me pause.  As a hairstylist, I am asked many things or am considered many things, some of which are spoken and not spoken.  Sometimes I am seen as a magician, who performs daring acts of color combinations, or haircuts that make one take a second look. No, I don't pull rabbits out of hats, and I don't disappear in front of the mirror or make lines disappear on the face. But yes, I can make someone look thinner with a haircut. It's all about the shape of the head, and of the haircut.  What type of hair, the texture, the condition, and the client’s willingness to let go of the concept "more hair is better", are all elements to consider before I cut.  Different line designs accent different features or facial shapes, or they can completely drag them down.

In general, when someone has a broad, square shape face, I am going to go in and soften the face by cutting a nice, layered haircut, how short the layers depend on, again, how much hair a person has, or texture.  I am not talking about bulky, fat layers, but square layers, more shaped around the face.  The length can be mid-length, or shorter, again depending on hair type and texture.  If a shorter length is desired, I would go in and do round layers quite short, leaving some hair in front of the ear, but shorter above the ear, leaving some hair on the neck.  In front, I tend to cut asymmetrically.  It works to offset a long, and or broad face.

If a client has a round face, I would tend to want to elongate their look and take hair away from their face, by creating an oval shape in the perimeter.  Then graduate into round layers, and a bit more movement  Again, this is very general.

If a client has a heart-shaped face, I would tend to do bobs, shorter, more dramatic looks, unless they prefer length, too long is too much of a drag on the face, but some women want it anyway.

Although I don't do facelifts or weight reduction, a great haircut can make a dramatic change in someone looking more alive, taller, chic, and definitely thinner.

Liberation

I'm convinced that cutting my hair off is not only allowing me a certain kind of freedom, but evokes a discomfort for some clients, and the hope of freedom for others.  I knew when Savanna left, I would cut my hair.  Something about her leaving the salon, and moving to the UK that set in motion a personal change within myself, an affirmation that when one person changes-everybody around them does as well.  The minute some of my clients have entered the salon and they see me, they gasp, do a double take, blink a few times, the words tic-tac across their forehead, "No, you didn't, did you?", like clouds moving across the sky. 

My change affects them, whether they like it or not.  Their reality has shifted, and I see how they struggle to find the old me to relate to, searching for our connection, as if it lies in the hair.  As if that weren't enough, my new cut reveals the grey hair I've been coloring for a long time for reasons of fun, beauty world infused ideas that grey hair just makes people look old, and I'm a hairdresser after all.  Some clients inquire if I'm going to keep it grey, asking, "You want to show the grey?"  As if to say, why would you want to.  Some people jump into defending their color and why they do it, and my grey hair clients, say why fight it, let it be.  There is plenty of conversation in the chair about why women should color their hair, why it's nice on some, but not everybody.  So who decided when and if it is okay?

Frankly, as a hairdresser it is absurd to possibly turn away hundreds of dollars, if not, thousands, by setting the example of how a woman can grow their grey hair out.  And, I am aware that to encourage clients to show their grey hair goes against most beauty industry professionals out there.  But truth be known, after 26 years of doing hair, I can operate my buisness as I see fit.  I want clients to see what they look like without color, at least once in their life.  Why not?  Then they can make a concious choice based on what they see and experience.  Then color can take on a whole new meaning.  Is it for fun, or is it stale?

I stopped coloring my hair because of the maintenance, and I felt ready to see the real me.  What do I look like at 48, and as my acting coach use to say, warts and all?  The freedom of cutting the dead, dark hair off, made me happy, and yet vulnerable.  I wanted to see what I had underneath all the dark hair, and have my look on the outside mirror the change going on inside.  I don't always love the way it looks, but I didn't the other way either. 

Some clients look at my hair, and say, "Wow, I want to do that!  Can I do that?"  Their tired of being slaves to color for all sorts of reasons.  They are terrified to see themselves without hair color.  They say, "You're leading the way. " I don't know about that.  What I can say is that I feel completely at home with it, and I love how bold it is, both energetically and visually.  Although, I have never felt I needed hair to make me look feminine, shorter hair does move into the sterotype of the older and less feminine realm.

And yet, this shorter, new, grey look makes me feel better.  I wish this feeling for every client, every person.  Right, or wrong, fashionable, or unfashionable, I love it.  Every woman needs to decide for themselves what is right for them, regardless of what others say.  If your hairdresser is stuck on you coloring your hair, than I would find someone who is willing to take you through the process.  Take the leap!

Photo:  http://search.creativecommons.org/mag3737's photostream

http://search.creativecommons.org/Magic Lantern Shows' photostream

http://search.creativecommons.org/angusf's photostream

The $30,000 Pyramid

"So, what do you love about your hair?  What don't you like about it?  And when did you last get your haircut?"  I asked to begin the consultation with Leslie, a new client. Through Squaw Valley Writer's Conference in "07, I met a group of women writer's from the Bay Area.  Some of us have remained in contact, some have read at the readings I've held at the salon, and a few have even become clients.  One of the writer's that I had become a client, referred her friend Leslie.  Her curly hair was lovely, and way over due for a cut.  The longest layer on top reached to about her chin, sagging her beautiful face down "I'm one of those annoying clients, who wants to keep some length, but feel it's too heavy up here,"  she replied, pulling at her hair on top.  "I just got it cut six weeks ago.  That isn't very long is it?"

"No, it isn't, not for curly hair." 

"I feel like always leave with the same haircut."

"What attitude do you want your hair to have?"

"Ooh, that is a good question.  I've never been asked that.  Hmm.  Well, what do you think I have?"

"Long hair."

"Yeah, I feel like I look like a hippie, but without the hippie."

"Do you want to move into something a little more edgy?"

"What does that mean?"

"Edgy means to me a stronger shape."

"What does that look like?"

"Okay well, let me get my hands in here.  I think if you brought the length up to shoulder length, then took this hair away from your face a bit, slightly off center, then layered out this top, we'd be getting somewhere. I want to round out it out, so that you don't have a pyramid shape, and I'll do some dry cutting."

"Sounds, good.  Yeah, I've had the $30,000 pyramid quite often."

"You are funny." 

"Well, you come up with all kinds of names when you've had this kind of hair for a long time."

She removed her glasses, which was as slight discomfort, because she could not say anything. And so we cut, and cut and cut.  I asked at one point I asked if she would like to put the glasses back on.  No, she said, she was enjoying not seeing.  Then product instruction, then I twisted the hair and diffused.  Her hair looked fabulous.  Bouncy, full, sassy.   

I unwrapped her, she reached for her glasses, and as we spun the chair around, she exclaimed, "Oh wow.  I love it." She remained in the chair a bit, wanting to take in her image a bit.  We laughed about her looking for reflective surfaces to gaze in, on her way home.  We agreed it was a transformation.

http://search.creativecommons.org/photogirl7

http://search.creativecommons.org/Neil Carey's photostream

Intuition or Practice

What part of coloring hair is intuitive, and what is years of practice?  As I worked with a new assistant yesterday, she said she used to work with Logics hair color, and where she worked before, they couldn't look at a color chart.  They learned by knowing the boxes of color, the color level, and the tone.  As we talked, I realized I trained myself in hair color, and that has its pluses and minuses, right? Knowing levels and tones of hair color without a chart is a definite must because it is about training the eye to see color.  Some stylists have this gift, this natural ability.  Since I did train myself, and with practice, it is intuitive and knowing what level and tone is second nature.  And, I still refer to a chart to get a visual strongly placed in my head, and it happens within minutes.

We are playing with Dia hair color now.  I like it.  The range of tones, flexibility, and shine is wonderful.  The other day, I saw a new client for a weave and haircut.  I liked her, she seemed to respond to my ideas, our communication felt on track and we articulated a plan.  She had a natural level 5, and she was heavily highlighted.  We decided to not go that light. So I highlighted her hair with slices of Blondor and 9%.   Then I went back through with a thin slice of light brown, with a bit of copper, and a bit of gold.  I like that you can add a squirt of this and a squirt of that.  I thought after I shook the formula in the jar that maybe I needed to add more gold or natural to the formula, but I didn't.  but I did at a toner for the blonde of Richesse 9.3, which undid the shine, I am sure.  Next time, I would see what the Dia equivalent would be. 

The color was beautiful, with definite coppery lowlights, but not brassy.  The overall look had a zing to it.  I loved it, and she was happy.  The finesse of color formulating is to see what the gut says, and listen, or to follow through with what you worked up, and take a risk.  To me being a great colorist is not a perfect formulation, but knowing how to get back when you've gone too far.  Some of it is intuition and some of it is practice.

She's Still Letting Her Hair Grow

When Jeanne first walked into the salon for a haircut, wearing a gray work uniform and her hair in a Twistie. I told her I would be right with her. As I finished the short, sassy haircut on my last client of the day, I could see Jeanne's eyes peeking over the half-wall that separated my station from the waiting area. Then, within minutes she was purring, barking, and lusting after my client's short haircut that she witnessed.

After I grabbed my bag, we headed out into the sunlight, my sensory neurons on my skin waking up after a long day of being inside. We embraced, and I could feel the missing her right in the center of my chest. As we ordered tea and sat outside in front of Betty's Diner in Berkeley, CA, we immediately got to the hair topic. She is having a hard time with it. She is a short-haired woman. Long hair doesn't feel comfortable or like an expression of herself. Even more poignant of action then.

We talked about art and agreed we needed to keep the art going. But do we need to let the world know about our craft? She doesn't think so. It's like painting in the back of the cave. Paint because you have to, and for nobody else to see. Somebody else will paint over your work. It's about the process, not the result. Art for money? That's a whole other conversation. Sometimes we feel more private with our creativity, and others must let others into our process. We agreed we thought many more people would be functioning adults if they had had their voice come out through something they had created.

By the end of our conversation, Jeanne thought that maybe she just needed a slight trim to give it some shape as her hair continued to grow. I agreed. I said she wouldn't be defeating the process by getting her ends trimmed. Was it a plea for her hair or about our connection? She might be moving, and that would sadden me. Maybe it saddened her as well.

Unsolicited Hair Stories

I can pretty much guarantee you, the moment I let someone know I am a hairdresser, that I will inevitably hear a hair story.  But the one I heard the other day, came unsolicited.  I was at the hospital with my sister waiting long hours while she healed at an imperceptiblespeed.  During the day, I had made runs out to the nurses station for various requests, i.e., water, cotton swabs for the mouth, robe change, etc.  The last run out to the nurses station was complicated for me.  I was looking for a sign that it was okay to leave, and that my sister would be in good hands if I left.  The nurse Becky, upon seeing my awkward attempt at having her absolve my guilt, said, "No problem!  We will take care of her. In fact, we will check on her more since you are leaving." I said, "Oh good. I have got a 5 year old I need to take care of at home." 

"Oh, no.  She doesn't need you."  You know, when I was five, I cut my hair and stuffed it in my father's shoe, thinking he would never find it there." 

"Really?"  I asked.  "Did you know I was a hairdresser?"

She went on to tell me her father found the hair, and they did cut the rest of her hair off.  (I would have liked to have seen how that story played out)

It seems to be a theme. Because when I returned home, I slept most of the night, and although it was hard to get up in the morning, I was excited to spend the day with my family.  We get to the park where a July 4th party is in full swing, put on by the city of El Cerrito, and I run into a friend, who's daughter I get to finally meet.  The girl is beautiful, and her hair is cut as short as mine is now. My friend says, "She took the scissors to it yesterday," as she motioned at the front of her daughter's hair.  "We cut the rest of it to match."  Her daughter covered her head in embarassment.

I guess I better keep scissors out of hand's reach of my five year old.

Nobody is Brushing Their Hair

It came to me yesterday that as the world becomes more intense all the time, with people killing each other, starving in most of the world, and holed up in their homes craving touch, I had a solution to the ills of human nature.  Brushing your hair.  Nobody is brushing their hair anymore.  When did it stop?  The stress goes right to the scalp.  In fact, I will start polling scalps and give you an update on how many people have tight scalps, and how many people brush.  I can guarantee you this, most people do not brush their hair.  I touch scalps all day long, and at least 75% are tight. So, now we have tight scalps, and more people do not brush their hair because of hair color, or hair products, and then we go to bed with unbrushed hair(yuck!), then we wake up and do it again.  More product, more air pollution, more stress, and no brushing, then back to bed again.  Then we do it all again.  I wonder what goes on for our skin too, resting on that yucky pillowcase over and over.

The perfect anecdote is to BRUSH your hair!  Not only does brushing feel good, it relaxes every part of you, but all the toxins, and tension gets brushed away.  And as if that wasn't sweet enough, the oils get brushed out to the ends of the hair, which mostly are dry.  The softness starts to permeate everywhere.  You can't just use any brush...you have to check out the Mason Pearson brushes at www.masonpearson.com.  These brushes feel so good, and last a lifetime they say.   You will never need another brush, nor will you want one.  These brushes get right down to the scalp, without digging in, and without little plastic, tips coming off.

While you are at it, brush right down over your body, with your clothes on.  Brushing in downward strokes the arms, the sides of the body, your legs, your back, your legs, right down the feet.  You've never felt anything like it.

When you brush away your stress, you are tuning into your own body, you can feel your own energy again, and you are tending to yourself.  Isn't this where world peace begins?  Maybe you will want to do it for someone else.  We will have hair brushing parties...we will do it for our kids.

Hair Can Undo It All

Over a bottle of Chardonnay and a seafood platter at the Martini Oyster Bar in Sonoma, three of us couples talked about everything.  We laughed so much that my cheeks hurt, and my eyes watered.  One couples are a husband and wife team that are clients of mine.  I commented on the fact that Joanie is a dream client.  She is a client of Julie Schindler's as well, she knew exactly what I meant.  Julie is a wonderful fashion designer and designs most of what Joanie wears.  They have known each other for a long time now.  And what we love about Joanie is her ability to trust in, and pull forth the best work of those who provide a service for her.  She loves to turn it over.  When I pull off the cutting cape and she goes to the dressing room to change, I wait to see the finished look.  She walks out looking stunning every time.  Why?  Because she dresses, and her hair always looks good. There are people whom I have never seen dressed in their best, and yet they may wear great hair.  But then, some dress well but never make changes to their hair.  We all agreed that the hair can undo it all, the hair is the crown and glory. It must come down to fear.  Fear of looking good, fear of not looking good, fear of change, fear of attention.  I know women who can spend thousands of dollars on a wardrobe, per season, and who refuse to dress when they come into the salon. They wear sweatpants and Uggs.  But not Joanie!  She is confident in who she is, and she doesn't need approval from anybody... but she receives more positive feedback where ever she goes.  When she walks into a room, people look, because everything is congruent.

Every designer I know works very hard and deals with quite a bit of stress, every designer needs to find what they love in what they do, and not waste time doing all the other stuff.  Julie loves designing for Joanie because she is appreciated, and Joanie wears her clothes with ease.

Julie's designs are fabulous!  Classic with a twist;  beautiful fabrics, lined slacks, interesting shapes, detailed finishing.  Julie has class, and provides quality fashion, for a modest price.  She, unfortunately, doesn't have a website yet. The success of her business manifested through word of mouth.

I wished I would have brought my camera with me.

Nymph in the Woods

We had the clothes, shoes and jewelry, location, and a wonderful model.  Everything went as planned.  Racheal arrived on time, and we met up with Dee as scheduled.  Then the fog cleared, giving us some sun highlight in all the right places.  We decided to go with two looks, complete with dress, lipstick, and hair changes. I even needed to let go of the updo concept I had prepared, because what was happening with the hair in the moment was lovely.     Shooting with Dee Conway was the most pleasurable experience I've had doing hair and make up on location. She has an amazing eye, she is flexible, she goes for what she wants with a light hand. She is creative with her direction, spontaneous, and unafraid to say what she is loving.  She could have walked off into the sunset with Racheal, clicking away.  I should have let her go down into the meadow.  Buy by then, Racheal was getting cold, we had shot for three hours, and I knew we had captured some beautiful images. 

Some things are worth doing, just to do it.  This shoot brought me so much pleasure, it was truly satisfying.  The vision of Racheal, in the woods, looking exquisitly beautiful made me teary eyed, and grateful for the opportunity to create beauty.  

 For more about Dee, photographer extraordinaire.  www.deeconway.com   

Thank you Dee, Racheal, and Cari! 

                 

Past Lives

Once in awhile you meet someone who reminds you that there is such a thing as past lives lived, and maybe you come back together to continue the dialogue.  I had met Laura in the salon I worked at in downtown Oakland for 14 years.  She was a long time client of Joni's.  Laura is an artist, and we all had met working for the Personal Style Counselors, or PSC, in Oakland back in the 80's.  Laura would select color palettes for our clients.  After a client received their "harmonies", they would walk down the stairs to our salon, Kay's Collective, to have their hair done by the likes of Joni, myself and fourteen other stylists.  All this to say that Laura and I knew of each other, and then, eight years ago, she sat in my chair.  This is when we began to explore our connection. 

Laura is an artist who truly sees color, and has a deep respect for the canvas, the paint, and her relationship to the craft.  Her paintings capture a light essence, and yet her technique shows the depth of her understanding of the medium.  Her paintings delight me with her use of color, they are magical and inspirational, and yet I feel if I let myself gaze longer I can enter into the painting, and go many places.  After the birth of my daughter, I decided to take a painting class with her, and loved every minute of it.  I met Delfina Piretti there, and other delightful women.  And so, in our exploration, we not only share PSC in the past,  but now the desire to create beauty.

She not only is a wonderful artist, but a beauty, on the inside and out.  She works in the are of Transofrmative Arts.  She coaches, she speaks, as well as creates her own art.  Her list of accomplishments go on to astound me.  She has a great ability to drop down into pithy conversation, and on the other hand, we can laugh, and do.  As time goes on, we realize more and more, and appreciate the fact that, indeed, we have known each other a long time.  I have tremendous respect for Laura for many reasons, one of which is how she is determined to live a life that contributes to those around her. 

                                                    

Check out the interview with her, she shares her ideas on Color.

We did her makeup and hair last week and took these photos.           

To find out more about how talented, and how much this woman offers up to the world, check out her new website www.whitebirdrising.com

Thank you Laura, I look forward to discovering, and remembering our dear connection and how this thread will weave our lives together.

Museums

I stand in the very three foot area that my favorite hairstylist has performed her craft for years.  It's as if I stand in her own personal museum.   Not because there are artifacts of hers hanging around me, or relics of her hair do's that line the wall behind me.  I feel as though her energy surrounds me, encourages me, reminds me of the creativity that abounds. I just need to tap in to the resevoir that has lived here long before I have arrived.  And, I believe she will haunt us to be kind to each other, to draw upon each others strengths, and let the small stuff fade away. It will be interesting to see how the energy shifts however, how the group of stylists reconfigure around her not being there, and being with what is.  Who and what will fill the space. She doesn't leave town till next week.  So, we will go have breakfast at one of my favorite places, La Note in Berkeley, and then go to SFMOMA to visit the Freida Kahlo exhibit.  Two weeks ago we visited the Annie Leibowitz exhibit at the Veteran's Memorial.  I was so impressed with the vulnerability I experienced in viewing her work.  My only regret is that we didn't explore our relationship outside of the salon before this.  I will cherish every moment as we take in the art, talk and share time with one another.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm busying myself not only with writing one of the most challenging stories of the book project so far, but I'm preparing for another editorial shoot on Sunday.  I called Savanna yesterday in search of size 10 heels.  Dee Conway the photographer and I will work together, which I'm really looking forward to.  She has a creative eye, plus she is funny as can be.  We have a great model from Rabaat shoe store, Rachael, who once modeled in Europe for a period of time.  We've come up with the concept for hair.  

                                                         

I sped around town yesterday, looking for jewelry, leggings, and shoes. I didn't find shoes.  Kind of critical. I can spend 100. on a pair, but do I want to for the shoot.  I don't want to fall short of a fabulous shot, just because of the shoes, they are pretty important.  We are going for romantic and feminine, perhaps a bit of a period feel to it.

Maybe I need to hunt earlier next time, instead of waiting till the final week. We have a fabulous dress, loaned to us by the talented Cari Borja, a designer in Berkeley, CA. Check it out.  This loan is a very generous offer.  Thank you Cari.  To see more of her designs, check out:   www.cariborja.com

                                                                                                       

A museum of Savanna's haircuts?  Not a bad idea.  She gave me this latest.

How to Look Like You

Yes, it was another informative, fun, and lively event with Jennifer Butler.  You've got to listen to some of the audio to get a sense of how she works. She is a wizardess and a priestess, helping women to know themselves better.  She gives them complete permission to play, and have fun with clothing.

Here are some photos from the event held at the Mill Valley Holiday Inn, last Saturday evening.  There had to be fifty people there to hear Jennifer, who never seems to tire.  She pours out love and acceptance, and yet, when she needs to, a shaking of the head, with a twinkle in her eye, seemingly to say, "It won't work...do you know why?"

 

Then to see people give away clothes they've had in their closet, and don't wear, is quite a generous event. To see people being willing to give up their coveted item on someone for whom it works for, is a complete joy.  The people who have their colors done are looking hot, and like themselves, the way you expect them to look.  Everything is lined up and congruent.  Your eye does not roam, looking to understand what is not working.

 

Wonderful evening Jennifer!   Thank you. 

We Walk a Similar Path

However different we make think we are, it is minuscule compared to what we have in common.  Marcia Branca and I have known each other since 1988.  For twenty years our relationship has winded down a path that hugs the earth, and comes upon vistas that one can see as far out as eye can see.  When she first became a client, we realized we had a couple of mutual friends.  Her personal interests seemed to be similar to mine, and to the friends we had in common.  And although our relationship has not brought us together socially, it's as reliable.  It's as if each time, we fumble for a few minutes to see where we left off, but then quickly get back into a rhythm of sharing that makes us laugh, cry and remember why we carry on for this many years.

Some of the ways we knew each other were from unrelated arenas, giving us the feeling that really this is too much.  We have seen each other grow, and shrink, and grow again.  We both have one daughter, we both write, we both have a similar spiritual practice, we both paint, we both love travel, we both want something better for our daughters.  We have both dreamt, and have had our dreams shattered.  We are survivors, and after a kind of life that we catch glimpses of, and mirror for each other.

The other day, she did her makeup and I colored her hair and took a photo.  Because the time before, I colored and cut her hair, we applied makeup, and she looked fabulous.  The camera had no card.  So, this is what we captured this time.  And this is what she had to say about our presidential campaign:  Click here to download.

There is a certain kind of beauty in knowing that certain people you are sure you've known before, and will always feel a connection to, no matter how much time goes by, and how little you do see each other.  Thank you Marcia for the years of friendship, loyalty, trust and laughter.  You are a beauty.

Hot Topics in the Chair

Topics were all over the board yesterday, all the while, awesome hair color of magenta and Special Effects yellow on Anne, level 3 and Special Effects yellow on Frankie, and cutting a client's hair, then needing to be in dialogue about, her still wanting it shorter.  And yet, I thought we were growing it out.  One needs to be flexible.  And in the end, the client needs to be happy, and sometimes this translates to me letting go of my vision. Suicide of a 24-year-old on one side, people thrilled about Obama and the possibilities he represents on the other.  How is it our youth want to take their lives?   Overworked, overwhelmed, over-achieving women, women shaming men, pathos in full living color in the chair, and promotion of small business owners...also how women are afraid of calling attention to themselves, so they dress frumpy.  Why does anyone want to put out that kind of energy into the world?  It's for us that we dress.

The owner and I went to a book reading for another client, but we had the day wrong.  So, we walked to a restaurant a client recommended.  This fabulous Cajun restaurant, Angenline's in Berkeley, has created an authentic, fabulous, inviting ambiance.  The restaurateur, Robert is friendly and loves talking about the menu.  The food was delicious, and the music added the finishing touch!  We talked about business and possibilities for the salon.

Hair and Politics

Everybody I saw today had lots of hair. They all had hair that needed more attention than most or didn't have much hair, but they decided today was the day their hair did need attention—lots of color, lots of focus, lots of foils. And only one client and I talked about politics.

How can that be? The rest of the world is waiting. How will the American people vote? We are making history now, no matter how the election turns out. Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have people talking. Will they decide to work together for the better of the Democratic Party and the country? Will they choose to work together for the better of the Democratic Party and the country? Will the Clinton constituents realign with Obama?

Politics, writing, moves, changes, good stories, music, suicide, friendships, Squaw Valley Writing Conference, the economy, and loyalty were discussed in the chair today. I felt fatigued at the end, and yet I couldn't stop. I had to race to pick up my daughter. She reminded me she was almost the last one to be picked up(thankfully, it had been a long time since that happened). I needed to leave my previous client with my assistant to finish the blow dry. Unfortunate situation, even though I trust my assistant to treat my client well.

When I walked past the newsstand to get a cup of coffee, I read the headlines as I always do. Today was the first day I had bought a newspaper in at least a year. The front page of the San Francisco Chronicle caught my eye. I wanted to read the paper; this was highly unusual behavior. I don't know if you call it real news, but it was the first I'd read beyond the online news through moveon.org or truemajority.com. It provoked conversation.

Clients seem to be excited or entirely in fear and still anxious about politics. The campaign is not over until it is over. Will the American people be willing to move beyond their fear and small minds and allow the white patriarchal to rest? Whoops! What does this have to do with hair? A regular client sometimes sits in my chair and wants to talk politics and not hide.

Hair Salon Personnel Change

Savanna, my anchor, and colleague is leaving the salon.  Her last day will be June 17, and it will be a sad day for me, although I am terribly excited for her.  She, and her husband Jeff, are heading to the UK, where he is from, and where she has spent time. Her father is English as well.  Savanna is a talented hairdresser, who is down-to-earth, unpretentious, and somebody you want to know forever.  Her hair designs are creative, detailed, and daring.  Her bobs are perfect, her one lengths impeccable, and her short haircuts are original and well suited for the hair texture and the facial features of her clients.  And, she is a beautiful, genuine, gentle, funny, and kind soul.

Then there is the way she dresses.  Vintage most of the time with a Savanna twist.  She will not wear makeup if she doesn't feel like it.  She is regal, yet funky.  She is grounded and steady.  She changes her hair more than any hairdresser I've known.

Her presence in the salon will be missed by a lot of people.  Her level of care for her clients from the moment they show up, until the time they walk out of the salon, is superior.  She takes care of their hair, describing it to them at length to them, informing them of things they have never known.  I have never heard the cuticle of the hair be so interesting before.

Savanna's future will be fascinating.  She plans to go to design school, with an industrial focus.  She was already a painter before she studied hairdressing at the Paul Mitchell school in San Francisco.  Savanna and Jeff dined at our place the other nite, and as usual, there was lots of laughter, good food, and stories.  In true Savanna style, she walked in with a wet painting to which she had just applied the finishing touches.  It was an oil portrait of me, with my latest haircut and color.  I think she captured a lightness of being, that I will treasure for all time.

Thank you Savanna for your artistry, professionalism, care for people, your beauty inside and out, and your dear friendship.  You are an inspiration to me, and words cannot define the deep level of respect I have for you.  And even though I shall miss you, I am proud of you for taking this leap.  I will see you in the UK.

Baby Green Steps

Okay, so I'm taking a moment out of the presidential campaign flurry of interviews, and updating you on what changes are occurring in the salon. It's amazing, that hairdressers can actually change their ways. I voiced the opinion that there ought to be three plastic, same-size bins for the break room. One for trash, one for plastic/bottles, and one for paper.  One day they showed up, and, they are actually being used, not only that but filled up. The color boxes are being recycled, instead of ending up in the trash. I've encouraged the use of bringing your own cup to get coffee. I overheard Wayne, say today, "You may as well have asked me to walk with books on my head." Milky white, hot liquid spilled over his chapped hands. It was filled to the brim, I might add. Savanna has actually instigated a trend of bringing a bowl to get her lunch in. I just love it! Nick has asked Kerastase to please stop their waste of shipping products with a huge amount of paper, and boxes.  Stay tuned for their response.

There are still issues to work out, like light bulbs(I'm not even sure why we haven't changed over). We still use toxic cleaning sprays. And I have to say, as I hilite clients’ hair, I am more sensitive to the waste produced by all the foils. Adding to the problem is becoming more difficult to ignore. Could I offer less toxic means of coloring the hair? Could I give up an enormous part of my business income because of this sensitivity? Can one person's actions change all that much? Probably not, but what else do we have, but living our own truth? I've got to be able to live with myself and my choices.

As I ponder nontoxic thoughts, I ponder the idea of cutting my hair off and exposing my grey hair. Radical thought in radical times. There is something about just letting it be that sounds attractive, knowing full and well it doesn't mean that I'm interested in being frumpy, or not feminine. But this idea counters the general philosophy of the beauty industry.

Back to the green conversation, though.  We are taking baby steps in the direction of being conscious, but we have still, a long way to go.  I acknowledge the great job my colleagues have done arriving to this point.

Obama vs Clinton

Three out of four of my clients polled on Wednesday said Obama was the man for the job.  A couple of Hilary voters, are disgruntled with her old-style politics and have moved over to the Obama side of things.  The fourth client was a Hilary supporter and has not decided to give up until Hilary does. We all agreed nobody is perfect.   Not one of my clients is looking for perfection.  They are interested in diplomacy, integrity, and intelligence.  We all agreed whoever gets the job will have a mighty task ahead of them.  Nobody cares for the classic style of politicking, in fact, everybody I talked to, four out of six clients, was ready for somebody very different. 

Is Obama that person...it remains to be seen.  We would like him to be, not only because of his potential but because the alternative, McCain, is dreadful.   Everybody I talked to was sickened by McCain and seemed to be worried more about who would he bring along as Vice President.  May it not get to this point.

I've heard a lot of people talking about Obama's message of hope, more than actually talking about a plan, or course of action.  Frankly, I feel that I'd rather not have the promises.  Hope is not a bad word, hope is what people need to rise above their situations in life.  Somebody needs to say,  peace is possible, this is how we will do it.

Obama or McCain

Instead of interviewing clients about their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to color, I want to know which candidate the Democrats are going to vote for and why.  At this point, it is a little frightening to think that if the Democrats in America can't get behind Obama, and they decide for malicious reasons they will vote for the antiquated McCain, a guy that even the Republican party doesn't like, we are heading down further into dark times.  Maybe it's too late for this sort of inquiry, but is it?  Shouldn't we fight with determination in the ways that we can to affect those around us, to have a dialogue about what matters in the final moment? In fact, I need to be recording people's responses, NOW.  What better place than the hairdresser's chair to gather a consensus based on this particular segment of society, in Berkeley, California?  It's a bit intimidating to open up the political conversation in the chair, because who knows what beliefs people have, and if they consider it too personal a topic to go into, and what if they are Republican?  In the past, maybe I would have had a reaction, but now, I think it is more important to discuss our viewpoints, especially if they differ from mine, to understand other viewpoints.  I think I could interview clients from a neutral position. 

Mrs. Page in beauty school might not approve, but interviewing clients right now about their political views would bring me the satisfaction of a different sort.  I've always been trying to get to the underbelly of the beauty industry, knowing from experience, that there is much more than what meets the eye when somebody sits in the chair.  Why not take the opportunity?