Cutting My Own Bangs
So I was trying to save a little bit of money--more like a whole hog load of money--by cutting my own bangs the other day. I know. But some Allure-type magazine assured me that anyone could do this and look really cute, just like the model in the article who had cut her own hair. Yeah, I know.
Bangs grow really fast, or at least mine do. And there's no such thing as a bangs-only haircut price in Japan. Oh, no, whether you cut it all off or just get a little bit of a trim in the front, it's always 6,000 yen, which is ludicrous. And a grave financial threat, since my bangs reach eye-stabbing length every two to three months.
I think a trip to the hairdresser's in Tokyo is so exorbitant because, sometimes, it feels like there are more salons than human beings per block in this city--and that's saying a lot. Seriously. In my podunk little neighborhood, we've got about three supermarkets and about 40 salons, and there are more opening all the time. It's like, you're pondering what kind of business to start, and as you walk pass six struggling, unpatronized hair salons all lined up in a row, you think, "I know! What this place needs is a hair salon!" Groan.
Anyhow, in the spirit of frugality, I grabbed the kitchen scissors, and started snipping in front of the bathroom mirror. After the first few tense moments--particularly when I had to bring the scissors extremely close to one of my eyes--I got rather into it, and was soon feeling pretty happy. A revelation: cutting one's own hair can be addictive. Wasn't long before the sink looked like a scene out of a Japanese horror movie--i.e., lots of black hair everywhere. But I thought the results weren't so bad.
Until my husband got a good look at me. For an entire weekend, a disturbed expression would spring up every time he glanced in the direction of my forehead. At one point, he declared that I looked like a samurai--and I don't think he meant this as a compliment. And, no, he wasn't referring to those samurai who seemed to work quite hard at achieving a look some men seem helpless these days to prevent from naturally occurring. No, I'm quite certain he was talking about this guy.
Hello! I do not look like that. I don't. Okay, maybe on a very windy day or right after I get up in the morning. Or if I went to bed with wet hair. That's it. Otherwise, my forays into hairdressing really did not go too badly at all.
Bangs grow really fast, or at least mine do. And there's no such thing as a bangs-only haircut price in Japan. Oh, no, whether you cut it all off or just get a little bit of a trim in the front, it's always 6,000 yen, which is ludicrous. And a grave financial threat, since my bangs reach eye-stabbing length every two to three months.
I think a trip to the hairdresser's in Tokyo is so exorbitant because, sometimes, it feels like there are more salons than human beings per block in this city--and that's saying a lot. Seriously. In my podunk little neighborhood, we've got about three supermarkets and about 40 salons, and there are more opening all the time. It's like, you're pondering what kind of business to start, and as you walk pass six struggling, unpatronized hair salons all lined up in a row, you think, "I know! What this place needs is a hair salon!" Groan.
Anyhow, in the spirit of frugality, I grabbed the kitchen scissors, and started snipping in front of the bathroom mirror. After the first few tense moments--particularly when I had to bring the scissors extremely close to one of my eyes--I got rather into it, and was soon feeling pretty happy. A revelation: cutting one's own hair can be addictive. Wasn't long before the sink looked like a scene out of a Japanese horror movie--i.e., lots of black hair everywhere. But I thought the results weren't so bad.
Until my husband got a good look at me. For an entire weekend, a disturbed expression would spring up every time he glanced in the direction of my forehead. At one point, he declared that I looked like a samurai--and I don't think he meant this as a compliment. And, no, he wasn't referring to those samurai who seemed to work quite hard at achieving a look some men seem helpless these days to prevent from naturally occurring. No, I'm quite certain he was talking about this guy.
Hello! I do not look like that. I don't. Okay, maybe on a very windy day or right after I get up in the morning. Or if I went to bed with wet hair. That's it. Otherwise, my forays into hairdressing really did not go too badly at all.
9 Comments:
Your post got me laughing as I read through it, not only because of those samurai pictures you had thoughtfully provided, but also because I went through the same thing. The first time I had attempted to cut my own bangs was when I was 10. Needless to say there was lots of hair everywhere and in the end, my entire length of hair had to be shorn to make up for my adventurous foray into hairdressing. The second time I tried to cut my own bangs was a few months ago. It wasn't as bad a cut as the first attempt, but I'm still suffering from it. I had cut too much of my hair so now it's like a big black blob on my forehead - very annoying and unattractive. From your descriptions, yours sound nice and wispy - very cute! =3
from Tea
I try to cut my own bangs, too...I have gotten better at it lately, but my first attempts also went tragically.wrong. :-) I also very much enjoyed the Samurais!
from jessica
Rachel, I love your writing. I never tried to cut my bangs but I used to cut my kids hair when they were, well, kids.
Sufice to say they were not particularly impressed with the result but I saved some money anyway.
from Ana
I bet a lot of women have tried cutting their own bangs, possibly unsuccessfully.
Tea, if your hair can make a big blog, it sounds like at least it's long enough to pin up? See mine, if you want to draw *very loose* parallels to the samurai, is too short to do anything but float gaily above my forehead.
Jessica, you give me hope. So I should just keep persevering, huh?
Ana, thanks! Yeah, too bad I don't have children on whom I could practice my hairdressing skills first. It would be so much less humiliating if I weren't the one sporting the bad hairdo. Maybe Edward...
from Rachel
I can't believe you didn't post a picture! Ok, I have got to see you before your bang grows out. Incidentally, I saw on TV once that the trick to cut your bang is to snip vertically, not horizontally. Not that I ever tried, but it's supposed to produce a more natural look
from Lynn
Oh, that was funny! I especially enjoyed your photo explanations.
from emi
Hi emi, of course you have to believe that I look *nothing* like the picture. Nothing!
from Rachel
please can you tell me what bangs are ive heard it alot but dont know xxx
Okay, going on the assumption you're not being cheeky, "bangs" are also called "fringe" in some parts of the world, and they're the part of the hair that usually covers the forehead area.
from Rachel