My Inner Delilah Wants to Cut my Hair

In other words — Should I cut my hair?

Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Hook

Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Hook

Hair is a powerful thing.

Pretty hair can make a plain woman not plain.

Take a pretty woman, and give her pretty hair and it can make her look WOW…

Conversely, not pretty hair can can make a pretty woman look not so hot.

Remember what Julia Roberts looked like playing Tinkerbell in Hook with that dreadful pixie cut?

Yes, this is a vanity post – prompted by a number of things swirling about and coalescing in my personal orbit:

  • my universal impatience with how long it takes stuff to ACTUALLY happen – instant gratification is my mantra – I blame TV and TV commercials for this affliction
  • an aging in midlife post by my blog buddy, Cheryl of a Pleasant House
  • I’m easily bored, and change is fun
  • I’ll admit it, I’m vain and these days I’ve had to step up my fight against the hands of time

Oh, The Lengths We’ll Grow

Last summer, after having hair hovering around my shoulders for the better part of the decade, I succumbed to the ‘longer is younger’ thinking

– not there was much arm twisting, cos I’m easily swayed when it comes to looking younger, better –

and decided to grow it to a most glamorous length.

Selfie from our trip to Houston, Memorial Day Weekend

Selfie from our Trip to Houston, Memorial Day Weekend

The goal was for my hair to reach the bottom of the bra hook/strap area of my back.

And yet, now that I’m almost to the most glamorous of lengths, I’m dissatisfied with the look.

IT HAD NOTHING! NO FIRE! NO ENERGY! NO NOTHING! You know I have a show to run here, you know? Hmm? Hmm? AND IT MUST POP POP POP!!

(three points if you can name the movie reference)

It doesn’t look like it from the selfie, but one more inch, and the initial goal is reached, however, given my consternation about the style, will another 1 inch make much of difference?

Advice From the Pros

Monday, I was reading advice from a hair stylist in the June issue of InStyle magazine, and she opined that when a customer wanted to make a dramatic hair style change, the stylist suggested waiting 6 weeks to see if the desire lingered or went away.

Another consideration, the magazine shared: women typically want a new style when they lose a job or end a relationship.

Neither attribute applies, since I am still gainfully (and happily) employed AND I married two months ago. My restlessness has more to do with concern over aging, looking modern and competent.

Hair Envy, I got it

Our recent Memorial Day trip to Houston started me thinking about a new hair do. It all began innocently enough…

Jessica Lange's hair style

Jessica Lange’s hair style

We had lunch with some friends of my west coast cousins, and I really was struck by how great our friend’s new hairstyle looked.

It was so chic, and clean, and graphic.

She said she was tired of messing with the longer hair and with the heat coming in the summer, this just made sense to her to cut it shorter.

Heidi Klum's hair style

Heidi Klum’s hair style

Somewhere between Heid’s style above and Eva’s style below, I think is the cut for me…

My Inner Delilah Wants to Cut my Hair

Eva Herzigova – Rocker Chick Hair Style

You might notice that all the styles I’m considering are similar in length and kind of style, its currently called a “Lob” translation: long grown out bob (haircut).

The photos of this hair style are of celebrities, not because I’m obsessed, or would compare my self to Jessica, Heidi or Eva in the most common of ways, but because they’re the easiest photos to find of the style I’m contemplating, and there are important elements they possess, that I mere, mortal, also possess, making my choice more likely since they already took the risk:

  • Golden blond hair color
  • Square-ish face
  • Over age 40
  • You can still pull the hair into a ponytail when its a mess or too darn hot to care about ‘style’

I’m feeling a little less than neat and professional with my longer hair, and am wondering does this longer length still work on this almost 50 year old?

Or is it ‘time’ to cut my hair?