As your hair greys it can develop some interesting personality traits, manifesting as anything from a slight change in its overall temperament to that of a rebellious tyrant with no intention of doing anything you want it to. Fun huh? Sure, the tyrant can be kicked and tortured into consent, but wouldn’t it be nicer to sit down with it, find out what it wants, and see if that’s what you might want too?
Grey hair can be fine or coarse, thick or thin, but is often a little wiry and a tad on the dry side, so it needs to be cut in a way that’s in harmony with that. And you’re probably long past the stage of spending a half hour styling it, so the cut needs to be good enough for the hair to fall into place on its own. This requires skill and experience.
Many hairdressers will take hold of grey hair, cut in any way they desire, regardless of what it desires, and blow dry it into submission with enough goo to build a fortress. A few, very polite others will have a quiet conversation with it, listen to its challenges and pleasures, translate everything it has to say back to you, then create a haircut that works for all concerned. The hair is happy because it’s finally been heard and no one’s staring at it in the mirror, wondering what terrible thing it will do next, you’re happy because you no longer feel compelled to do that, the hairdresser is happy because everybody’s happy.
I’m quite happy to say I am of the latter group and was spared the “torture and coerce” phase by not being trained by hairdressers who utilized it. The “converse and cooperate” approach has been the way since the beginning, over 40 years ago. Hair and I get along nicely. I’m nice to it, it’s nice to me, and since that’s going on, it’s nice to its owner.
Your grey hair is not a problem, it just needs a haircut by someone who truly understands its nature and knows how it, and you, will come to peace and harmony.
Since my apprenticeship I have been trained in and utilized the techniques of Vidal Sassoon. It’s a beautiful way to cut hair and I feel blessed to have learned it. For more information about my approach to hairstyling please visit salonserene.ca.
Jay Lamb
Comox