Monday, September 8, 2008

A Little Red Henna

If you’re a teen-aged girl and entering high school, apparently it’s a rule you can’t show up with your natural hair color. I think it must be written somewhere in the student handbook. Very popular is the tri-color guinea pig look, as is any shade of red not commonly found in nature.

The look I don’t quite get is jet black with white streaks. I know the goal is to look older, but I think this overshoots by several decades. But what do I know? I used to lie in the sun basted in baby oil, with lemon juice on my head. It’s a wonder I don’t look like a rotisserie chicken.

I think fourteen is too young to start repeatedly damaging your hair, so I conceded to letting my daughter color her hair with henna. I chose two packs of the reddest red, because I knew she’d be disappointed if the results weren’t dramatic.

The operation took more than two hours. When mixed up, henna resembles something as attractive as fresh manure. It took almost an hour to work the cow pie into every strand of her ultra-thick hair. For another hour she sat patiently on our back deck, draped in a lawn and leaf bag, waiting for the color to develop.


The only way we could figure to rinse the baked-on mess was to get her whole head in the kitchen sink. She lay sprawled on the tile counter with her head dangling under the faucet while I carefully tried to dislodge the grassy bits. Predictably, she loved the result. She’s casting a new glow.

I’m relieved her experimentation has so far been limited to her hair. One of her more creative friends just pierced her own eyebrow with a safety pin. Another is on her way to having earlobes you could pass a golf ball through. I’d rather my kids shave half their head than start using their face as a pincushion.

Of course part of the appeal is how much your parents are going to hate it. So if they ask, you didn’t hear that from me.

8 comments:

Carrie Harris said...

Y'know, that looks so good that *I* might try it. :) My mom is coming to stay with us next week, so it'll be just like old times.

Green Girl said...

Oh dear, I was a hair dyer beginning at age 15. I was all done with my color experiments by age 22 and have never gone back. But it does amaze me how MUCH kids do to look different these days. (I sound old, don't I?)

Rena Jones said...

Beautiful color in the picture.

There's a girl who works at a local market with black hair and white streaks running through it. She reminds me of Stella in Over The Hedge (the little skunk). Hee!

Kathy said...

I was 75% grey by the time I was 25, so coloring is a JOB for me.

I have super thick hair, so Henna made me look like Yoko Ono in an electric socket. Not good.

Your daughter's hair is beautiful!

Adrienne said...

Carrie - Go for it! But good luck recruiting your mom's help.

Green Girl - We might sound old, but it amazes me too. I just wish some of it was a little less permanent...

Rena - I dunno, that look always makes we think of the wigs they sell at Party City for witch consumes!

Kathy - Good thing we have friends like Miss Clairol to turn to.
Thanks for visiting my blog!

Suzie said...

I died my hair blue at 16 and shaved one side of it. I gonna be a terrible role mmodel maybe i should start hiding the pictures now

Rena Jones said...

LOL Adrienne -- we have one of those wigs you're talking about!

Adrienne said...

Suzie - deny everything! But keep the pictures.