DOES SHE OR DOESN'T SHE?

Does she or doesn't she?   That is the question that was posed quite a few years ago by a hair dye company.   There was also a jingle that was about washing the grey away.  I don't remember which company or companies they were, but both statements had a way of staying with you so you'd remember them and hopefully buy their product.

Back then I suppose there was a stigma associated with women coloring their hair.  Why they needed to keep it a secret, I don't know.   Everyone knows people get grey hair.   What's the big deal about putting a color on to hide them if you didn't like them?

By the time I started dying my hair, there wasn't much said about it anymore. Now here we are in 2013 and we can see that lots of people have color on their hair...women and men...and there is acceptance.  There are as many colors available now as there are personalities to wear them.   I like that.

I have had fun experimenting with different colors, myself.  I have had my hair red, black, frosted, brunette, and everything in between.   I've used colored hairspray, hair mascara, chalk, and even cherry Kool-aid (which, by the way, looked awesome!).

Mostly I've  done the dying here at home.  Occasionally, I'd go to a salon to have it professionally colored, but that tends to be expensive.  So I go through the whole preparation, which is a bit of trouble.  It can be messy, so here's what i do.


I gather up old newspapers, or an old sheet to spread out on the bathroom floor to catch any drips. I put on an old t-shirt that I don't mind getting dye on. Then I take the product from the box, setting them on the old towel I've covered the sink area with.  Reading the instructions over a few times (no matter how many times I've done this) so I won't forget a step, I then mix the color with the developer, snip the top off the applicator bottle, then start shaking it...a lot, because they tell you you should.  Taking a few deep breaths to actually psyche myself into actually doing this, I start squirting the dye on the top of my head. 

"Don't let it get in my eyes, don't let it get in my eyes!" I say to myself. Everything is going along fine, but then I worry I won't have enough dye to cover all my hair.  The bottle feels like it is getting empty!  By now, my arms are aching from being held up in the air for so long, squeezing that bottle.  So finally finished with that part, I grab a wet washcloth and start wiping the smears from my ears, neck, forehead, arms and anywhere else I can see a spot of dye.  

"Oh, no...what time did I finish...I have to time this for 20 minutes!"  I start counting on the clock trying to determine what time I can take this mess off!  I check several times during that 20 minutes, because, maybe I miscounted the first time.

Looking around, I notice there were drips on the sheet on the floor, and also on and in the cat's litter box.   Well, now what?  Can't let the cats get in there and get poisoned by hair dye on their feet...and you know cats lick their paws, so now I have about 5 minutes before the time is up and I'm scrambling to change out the litter box, because for real the cats are scratching at the door to come in!

"No, cat, you can't come in...you'll be poisoned!" I yell at the door.

So, now the time has come for the washing off the dye.  Hurry up and get the shower water the right temperature, get another washcloth ready to hold over my eyes, because for sure I'll be blinded with the water and dye running everywhere.  And I rinse, and rinse and rinse some more.  I'm supposed to keep rinsing till the water runs clear, but tell me, how are you supposed to know?  I have my eyes squinched shut and can't look at the water right now!    Huh, crazy directions, seems to me.  Now for the last part. Putting on the conditioner and standing there waiting for 2 more minutes...and those are really long minutes.

Now I'm out and it's time for the big reveal.  Did the dye actually work?  Did I miss any spots?  Does it look good?   Yes! Success, it worked!

Now I'm good to go....that is until next time, which comes around before you know it.

So, here I go...getting out the old sheets or newspapers, etc., etc.


Peace, Love, & She Does!