Photo: Courtesy Colleen Kratofil
What It Is: With COVID-19 mask mandates lifting and group gatherings returning, it’s time to pick up a makeup brush and hair styling tool again and learn how to rejoin the world. For me, that meant shedding the thick mane of hair I amassed after a year without a cut. With my strands at their longest and healthiest, I decided to donate my hair to Locks of Love, which meant I’d be doing a dramatic 10-in. chop and going chin-length for the first time in many,manyyears.
Level of Difficulty:7. The cut itself is quick and easy, but that doesn’t account for all the time I spent beforehand contemplating the decision; and after, mastering how to style hair at the new length and getting accustomed to having shorter strands.
Ever since I had a very unfortunate bob as a kid that was at one point so wavy and unruly it exceeded the frame of a school photo, I have never gone back to short hair. (And before you ask, no, I will not be showing said photo.)
I’ve been so precious with my long mane, that a slightly shorter trim could send me spiraling. When I got highlights for the first time? It was a major decision (which you canread about here). No scene on television has ever spoken to me more thanFleabag’s speech on how “hair! is! everything!”
As someone who has been quarantining solo for the majority of the last 15 months and mourning the loss of a close friend and colleague,Ali Schwartz, I knew reentering society was going to be a particularly daunting process. But it could also be a way to embark on a new chapter if I made my first post-vaccine activities (like my first haircut) really matter.
The more I complained about my heavy strands, the more I knew I needed to give them to someone who would appreciate them, just as I had all these years. So I decided donating them was the answer.
Courtesy Colleen Kratofil
After doing some research, it was clear many places required 10-in. minimum donations. I chose the most widely known organization,Locks of Love, because the process is the most straight-forward. Just secure the hair, either in one grouping or sections and in a ponytail or braid, and send it in along with aneasy to-fill-out form(which could be written out on a piece of paper if you’re like me and haven’t owned a printer for the last 10 years).
To mentally prepare myself, I scheduled a free virtual consultation with my hairstylist, Brooklyn-based proDevin Rahal, before booking an appointment to ask any questions I had — like at what length could I still wear my hair in a ponytail? (Answer: shoulder length.) During the chat, I was able to get a feel for Rahal’s process and prepare what I needed to bring with me. (Answer: inspo pics!) I still wanted time to be sure, so I booked my appointment one month out and furiously Googled short hair styles. (I landed on pics ofSelena GomezandIrina Shayk.)
Getty (2), Irina/instagram
The day of the cut, I made sure to arrive with a tape measure and Ziploc bag to store the hair in. I was stressed, but Rahal immediately put my mind at ease, talking me through the process and reminding me of the great organization my strands will go to.
First, he divided the hair into four sections and braided each. Next, he measured each one to reach 10 inches before securing a ponytail at each end. This helped me envision how short the cut would be, just in case I wanted to opt out. (And yes, I was pretty nervous my hair was not going to reach “ponytail length.") Then, it was time to chop!
The drying process is very important for a frizz-free look.
Don’t touch your curls.
“After towel drying, put in a curl enhancing product that’s a mix of a gel and a cream. Saturate the strands without messing them up too much,” he advises. “And then the biggest thing — do not touch again until it’s bone dry. Ignore it, pretend you have a helmet on. Let it air dry in place.”
Should I use a diffuser like I did with long hair?
“Diffusers have a time and place,” says Rahal. “They diffuse the air and give a soft air flow to help speed up the drying time. It’s the next best thing to air drying, which has no frizz created most of the time; but the diffuser still moves the hair around slightly. I always tell people to start with air drying, because some people are just not great at diffusing their hair and they mess it up too much, resulting in hair that’s ‘too big.'”
Best tips for styling on hot, humid summer days?
“On days when it’s humid and sticky out, add some dry shampoo to your finished look. It roughs it up and it helps absorb some of that oil that comes from sweat. Use it as you would a texturizing spray.” (A great go-to?Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo, $25; ulta.com.)
After the Big Chop, Rahal thinned out the remaining hair, evened out the length and touched up a few pieces with a curling wand, instructing me to pick a few pieces on each side to curl when I start styling my hair myself.
The Verdict:It took a few days for me to be able to touch my hair and feel comfortable with the new length. After washing it myself and following Rahal’s tips, I discovered my hair dried with a natural beachy wave that really didn’t need any other styling (see above). I wasn’t expecting my hair to react so well to the short length, that it’s taking me a minute to accept compliments from friends (and strangers!). I kept my expectations low, so now I’m having a delayed reaction in realizing that I really love the look — and the freedom — this new style brings.
WhatFleabag’s Anthony gets so wrongis that haircanhelp change your life. As I try to get over the fear of entering indoor spaces again and walking around maskless outside, feeling the weight of my hair in my hands was a cathartic way of physically letting go of the past 15 months. It’s time to get back out into the world in this post-vaccine life and now, I’m not returning as my old self. It’s a new start and a new me.
source: people.com
