My mom is a (now retired) hairstylist, so growing up I had the luxury of having my hair done as often as I liked. I went through the gamut of styles, from the shiver-inducing 80s perm to a failed attempt at the iconic “Rachel” ‘do.
Once I became a mom, and both my time and access to a salon became more limited, taking care of my hair became more of an afterthought. I stopped taking the time to get it colored regularly, and I chose hairstyles based on maintenance level (hint: low) over anything else.
Lately though, I’ve been feeling the desire to step up my game when it comes to my hair. Self care has always been important to me, yet for the longest time I had a narrow definition for how I implement self care in my life. To me, self care was nourishing my mind and soul with books and podcasts, indulging in the occasional (okay, frequent) bowl of ice cream, and prioritizing sleep. However, I’m starting to see that self care can mean the fun stuff too, like trying out a new lipstick, going on a solo shopping trip, or even visiting the hair salon for a spruce-up. Many people already view that “fun stuff” as self-care, but for some reason I saw these things as indulgences rather than ways to care for myself.
I’m so glad I decided to shift my perspective, because my visit to Beauty Brands earlier this week for a cut and color felt like self care at its finest. First of all, the idea of going to a salon for an hour or two of pampering is gratifying enough, but from start to finish my visit felt perfectly tailored to me.
My stylist, Ame, spent time to get to know me and asked me questions about my hair that went beyond the style that I wanted. I love how she considered my request for an easy, low-maintenance style (some things never change!) and even took into consideration my coloring when choosing the color of my highlights. She took the time to explain the process, and give me her ideas for what she wanted to do, but asked for my feedback so that I could rest assured I would be comfortable with both the cut and color. This part of the process felt so personal, and it truly felt like I was being cared for–she went beyond simply providing a service to me.
Ame did a dry cut first to help her place the color, and then added balayage highlights all over. I relaxed with my book under the warm dryer while my color processed… it was wonderful. One things I love that she did was use thinning shears to lighten up my style and add texture. My hair had been feeling so heavy and weighed down, and I love how she knew exactly what to do to give me more volume at the top where I wanted it, rather than on the ends. I complained of my cluelessness when it comes to styling my hair, despite having hair-styling in my genes, and she showed me how to make big waves with the curling iron.
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| Looking good in those foils, ha! |
I couldn’t stop grinning when I saw the finished look. I felt like me, but way better! This wonderful experience with Ame at Beauty Brands made me realize that hair care really can be self-care. I always saw it as a luxury before; something fun but not necessary to my life and well-being. Of course, it is a luxury, but it’s one that helps me feel like my best self.
Do you consider hair care to be self-care? Are there ways you take care of yourself on the outside that affect how you feel on the inside?
Disclosure: this post is in partnership with Beauty Brands. However, all opinions are my own.
