haircut ideas - self cutting?

sure, go for it if it is what you really want to do.

make sure you braid it first and put the elastic on the braid really tight -- it will last longer that way. I discovered this when I cut my long hair off one time.

t

quote:

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Shea originally wrote:
Hi..

I'm considering making a major hair change.. cut, colour, texture, I'm willing to try out anything fun. Right now my hair is superlong, brown, straight, all one length. I would like to cut it shorter.. probably chin length or shorter, but not quite as short as a pixie. Wouldn't mind dying it; would even consider perming or other suggestiions. Right now I normally wear my hair up, because I get irritated with it when it's down, so that might be a consideration. My face is roundish oval.

One thing I was considering, and I know I'll get all the stylists yelling against, and all the fetishists warning for this idea, but I have a mild fetish, and one of the reasons I haven't cut my hair is because I don't want to "waste" the opportunity to make a major change and really enjoy it. So I think the best way to take advantage of this huge cut would be by cutting it off myself. Even if I just cut off a ponytail or something, and then had a stylist doing the real styling. Any words of advice?

N.B. This is a serious post, so I would appreciate good answers, not fetishist-type "You should shave your head you'd look gorgeous!"

Thanks,
Shea

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Shea, I`ve got a lot of thoughts on this, so bear with me:) I can really sympathize with your question, because I had a lot of hair cut off (15 inches) 3 years ago, but I didn`t "really enjoy it" as you would like to do because it was late on a weekday afternoon, I had to rush home and cook dinner, then go somewhere else, etc. Now I`ve grown it back out and have no plans to cut it again any time soon, but like you I would want to enjoy it if I do.

Of course, make sure you`re ready before the big plunge! Superlong, straight, all one length hair is really special, so think long and hard before cutting it.

Now, as to ideas to enjoy the experience.... First, you might want to look at the November 2000 Vogue magazine, if you haven`t seen it. In it, model Kirsty Hume cuts her below waist length hair short. She did the initial cutting (to chin length) herself! There`s a photo of her holding the hair on one side of her head while cutting it at chin length. Afterwards, celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger finished the cut. The article quotes Hershberger as saying that when she has a client who`s ready for a big change, she LIKES them to cut the bulk of themselves, so they get into the new look and feel invested in it. That sounds like what you are talking about!

On that occasion, Kirsty Hume`s hair was not put in a braid or ponytail, and the article talks about "skeins" of hair falling to the floor. That can be fun. The 3 times in my life I`ve gone from long to short (at ages 16, 24 and 38), my hair was not braided or put in a ponytail first.

On the other hand, if you want to save the cut hair it is much easier to do so if it is braided or put in a ponytail first. So, consider if you want to do that.

Do you think you would like to be in a private setting, or more public? If private, consider consulting with the stylist ahead of time (including your idea to do the initial cutting yourself) and arranging a time and place for just the two of you to be present. Ask around if you do not have a stylist in mind, to find somebody who has both a great personality and is a great stylist! Have a glass (or bottle) of wine handy, if that would help you enjoy the experience! That`s what soap star Fiona Hutchison did a few years ago - I`ve saved an article about her going from waistlength to just above shoulder length. In one of the pictures, she`s holding up the cut braid in one hand and a glass of wine in another, toasting the experience!

If you want a more public experience, I suggest you call your local newspaper or even a local TV station. Tell them you are donating your hair to charity, such as Wigs for Kids or Locks of Love. The media loves to cover such events. Then you`ll have a bigger crowd, if you think you would enjoy that. Your hair could be put in four ponytails or braids (one for each "quadrant" of your head - I understand that those organizations prefer that hair be sectioned that way and labeled), and you could cut them off at chin length.

Finally, if you want a record of the experience, bring along a friend to videotape or photograph it. Of course, that would be covered if you have media coverage!

Sorry for such a long post. It`s just that really enjoyed my long to short makeovers at ages 16 and 24, did not enjoy the one 3 years ago as much, and have a lot of thoughts on the subject. I`m really more of a long hair person, so again I say make sure you`re ready before you cut off superlong hair!!!:)

A word from the fetish community. Think Cash !!! If you decide to go through with it, may I make a few suggestions. First, I highly recomend you have someone video tape you cutting your hair. You WILL be able to sell the video for $10.00 - $15.00 each on EBay. If you don`t want to keep the ponytail/braid, you WILL be able to sell it on EBay and if it is as nice as you say then you can expect to get between $150 & $200 if you include before and after pictures. If you are willing to have someone else cut the tail off and get to keep and video the whole thing, I personally have paid $300 and have seen people pay $500. These are only suggestions, but perhaps ones that you may not have considered. And lastly, I think it only fair to remind you of the Locks of Love charity who uses hair (and sometimes sells it) to make wigs for children with medical hair loss. I have donated several ponytails to them over the past couple of years. To check out what is on the market, go to EBay and search for "human hair". There you will get an idea of what hair and videos are selling for.

Hope that helps a little,

Jeff B

Get a pair of professional haircutting scissors - don`t just use ordinary scissors. Ordinary scissors give you split ends. I cut my own hair.

That one lady made a good point about your ponytail, donate it to locks for love, they have a website under the same name. First consider your age, you wouldn`t want any thing drastic if you have to deal with the public every day. Self cuts are fun and better then having a salon doing it, I have cut my own hair since i was 12 years old, I`m 25 now. I also have a fetish but I will give you an honest answer. Try starting at ear lenght then if you like try going slowly shorter, I am partial to pixies, and buzzed styles, like an angled bob with a buzzed back. There are alot of hair magizens you look to for ideas also, almost every one on these sites have a hair fetish and are going to try to talk you into some thing crazy. Good luck and have fun,

Sincerly Scott In Michigan. :->