I'm Scissor-Happy.

(Is it just me, or does hair look smaller in pics than it does IRL?)
August 2011

My fro is getting to be quite large, making my typically easy routine a bit more intensive. I enjoy and am thankful for length and thickness, yet it requires more time, energy, product, etc.. So what am I going to do about it? My first thought: CHOP.

Aug 2011

Every time my hair gets to be about this length, I develop a strong urge to cut it. I'm not talking about a trim or having it shaped into an uber-cool style like Patrice (Afrobella), Cassadie (NaturalSelection) or Nisus (ItsJustHair). I tend to go for broke, straight back to TWA, which is precisely what I did two years ago this month. After about 18 months of growing out my loose natural hair, I took my husband's electric clippers and shaved it all off in the bathroom. He just shook his head...

Niagara Falls, August 2009

I kept my hair short purposefully for several months following that shave-off. Now, I'm about to completely out myself to those close to me who looked at me with concern and said, "Why did you cut your hair?"

The length wasn't my only issue. The night I cut it two years ago, in a moment of spontaneity and in a desire to darken my hair for the fall, I dyed my hair black. Actually, it was blue-black. And see, my hair has always been reddish dark brown, but for a long time I thought it was black, or that at least I could get away with dying it black because of my skin tone. I thought I could wear just about any color, except maybe blonde. Boy, was I wrong.

Pretty on the box, not-so-pretty on me.

After the L'Oreal Feria #21 home dye job mishap, I looked vampy and washed out, like an extra in a Twilight knock-off flick. The black natural Elvira. It was really bad, ya'll. I could hardly look at myself in the mirror because it was such a drastic contrast with my skin tone, and no amount of make-up I tried made me look alive, and it was so big and fluffy, I couldn't cover it up, and I was about to start a new job as a government consultant... it was just a hot mess in every direction. *Sigh* I was overwhelmed, so I chopped it off.

But this time I'm not going to cut it. For one, no more spontaneous decisions regarding my hair or anything else, for that matter.  I've got nothing against functional and stylish haircuts, nor do I have any issues with women who have a length goal for their hair. Why should anyone need to justify wearing her hair in a particular way -- curly, straight, long or short? I simply know for myself chopping would be the easy way out. Too often when things get tricky -- even with small things -- I want to cut and run, but that's not a mark of maturity. To speak of hair in this way might seem trivial to some, but I know that even the small things count for something.

I don't have an actual length goal, but I do want to see what I can accomplish creatively through length and volume. I will keep watching videos for style inspiration and will start washing my hair in twists to improve detangling sessions. I will keep the promise I made to myself and my husband not to cut it the first chance I get.  I will have amazing Michelle Obama biceps from doing more twist and flat twist styles. I'm just going to do it.