GinnyB Home: Hair today....

How forgiving is your crowning glory?

Mine deserves a medal, or a knighthood or even a sainthood for putting up with what I've done to it over the years.

Born a light blonde, the descent into mousiness during my early teens sent me into shock and despair...but not for long, because I discovered the wonder of hydrogen peroxide. So began my love affair with all things lightening for my hair. I was warned by hairdressers how bad this could be, but the ever elusive return to those carefree childhood days of super blondness ever beckoned.

There may have been some rollers involved with this particular "do".
Mum, what were you thinking?

With spiral perms, super blonde mixtures, curling tongs, the red hair phase and the rest, only once did my hair just plain old give up on me, and snap off, so the hairdresser could wash it down the plughole. I remember it very clearly because he stopped mid rinse (I had perming solution in my hair), muttered some expletive, called over the manager, and the both of them studied the contents of the basin for a very long, and silent time - wondering how they were going to explain the plastic, melted mess that was now my short, spiky look. I had to roll with it because...you see...I may have been less than honest about the naturalness of the blondness while getting a perm. Yes...I was in love with a hair lightening product you could just spray in your hair...AND NOT RINSE OUT! It was a product that, if you were into giving yourself that "sun kissed" look during the decade that fashion forgot, would have been hiding in your bathroom cabinet. I'm sure it was the nightmare of all hairdresser during the 1980's. Bleach + Perming Solution....never a good mix.

Check out the attitude the red hair gave me!

I think I was channeling Dynasty...or something!
That was one heck of a perm...

My last perm was obtained at the age of 28, when I finally decided to embrace the straightness, but not the mousiness, never the mousiness!! Because in the choice of curl versus colour, colour was always going to win.

As I matured, so did my taste in haircuts and salons, until I was seeing one of the most expensive hairdressers in Christchurch at that time. With some successes and some disasters, and always an expensive bill at the end (I was blessed with quite a mop of hair), I took to colouring it myself. This was a little bit about putting my salon disasters behind me, and a lot about having to pay a mortgage. Yes...my fancy free days of having my hair coloured at the hairdressers every four weeks was over.

While there have been some hits and misses over the years, the colour I get most complimented on is one of the less expensive brands - good ole Nice'n'Easy.

Things were going along swimmingly with the home colouring until the grey started appearing. Just a couple to begin with, then a few more, then a lot more. And (love you mum...but sorry - it has to be said) if I do take after my mother, which I appear to, each of those grey hairs will be twice the thickness, twice as wiry. and pretty much impossible to colour. But the good news is, no more mousy roots - just plain old grey.

So am I ready to give up the dye and let the natural grey take over? Not a chance in....well, you get the gist. I will succumb someday, but not just yet. Thank goodness for the supermarket home dye kits.

Now, if home colouring is something you want to try, the most important thing you can do is check out whether or not the product is going to suit your hair. I've been doing this for years, and through trail and error, have found the best products for me.

Before you start...always...always...ALWAYS read the instructions and follow the allergy test first....then after you have waited the allotted time...you are ready to go! If unsure, check with your hairdresser first.

First grab the tools you need - including old clothes and towels - I hate to think how many tops I've ruined over the years...

Prepare the product as per the instructions then start applying (to the roots only for a retouch)

Work down one side...and don't forget behind the ears and your neck line...

Work down the other side

Check out yourself looking glamorous - maybe this is a good time to remind you to lock the door, and pull the curtains...you do not want surprise visitors today!

Check the time you have to wait until the colour processes - then blitz your housework...