Hair Crisis

Last week I went through a little ordeal. It all started with Alexa Chung’s hair. I wanted my shoulder length hair to be just like hers, with a soft wave! So I decided to get a perm on my dead straight hair.

I called my usual hairdresser but they only did tight, short ‘old lady’ perms. This new place opened a couple of months ago on my street and they advertised perms so I thought I’d give them a try. I brought in a picture of the ever fashionable Alexa which the hairdresser asked to look at a couple of times for reference and I sat down to get my hair permanently waved. After two and a half hours of washing, waving, drying I sat to look at the finished product in the mirror which the hair dresser was putting handfuls of mousse into. It looked curly, not wavy. I was assured that it would look better once I went home and blow waved it the next day. So I just paid and went out to a party that night with my hair up in a bun to hide it.

Next day I realised my hair was very damaged and not at all how I wanted it. But I went to an engagement party that night. At 11pm whilst dancing up a storm I felt my scalp getting hot and itchy. The next day it was a bit the same. Sunday morning I washed my hair and the ends were so dead... it looked horrible! So I went to hairdressers and got my money back for the perm. I then made an emergency booking at my regular hairdresser. They were so shocked at what this other place had done and that they had left the chemicals on my head for 45 mins(only meant to be 20) and obviously used the harshest one for thick hair and singed my hair. So I got all the dead hair styled into a short pixie cut.

Sunday night when I was trying to sleep I could feel my hair itching and my ears and neck burning. I went to work on Monday and after 1 hour I thought my forehead felt funny so went to look in the mirror. My head was growing! So I freaked out and was crying to my boss saying “What do I do?” So I drove to the doctor which was only 15 minutes away and my head had gotten larger still! He gave me some tablets to take and I went home. My husband Sean came home early to look after me.

It stayed the same size all day then at 9.30 that night after Sean and I watched Inception... I looked in the mirror and saw my head was getting bigger again! I freaked out so Sean drove me to hospital where I sat around the ER. I felt safer there in the waiting room than to be at home waiting for things to get worse. They gave me some more tablets and I got home at 2am. After 3 days at home with a bulbous head and puffy face I went back to work.

I have bought some headbands to wear with my new hair, but I still don’t feel happy with it! I think I will cut the sides a bit shorter myself tonight. Family, friends and work colleagues have been so supportive about my hair and say it suits me and my slight frame which is nice!

I needed to find some short hair role models to boost my self esteem and here they are. Emma Watson and Jean Seberg. I am in good company!