Why I caved on colouring my hair

by guest writer, Laurie McConnell of bigpacific.com

circa 2004, keep in mind I'm almost 10 years younger

I always swore – when it comes to my hair – I would stay au naturel. I disdained the hair colour I saw on other women a decade or two  I, and felt my integrity around issues like body image and ageing would mean I would be freed from the need to redo the do.

Then I hit my forties and came out, and the combination of the age and stress turned my hair from bland into an ageing mouse toupee and I had to admit it: I felt older than my age.

I did attempt to accustom myself to visible signs of aging – my life continues to get more beautiful with every year that passes – but I found to my unending dismay that even the briefest look in the mirror generated a sense of diminishment.

I tried the drugstore variety of hair colouring, but as the next couple of years passed, the growing grey increasingly fought off the restorative effects of the colour, and the colours themselves were so conservative I just couldn’t get into them.

Then I met Patti Lunan, of Patti’s Place. She came in to Bad Dog, my web design company, with her partner, Dennis Kennedy of Structural Manoeuvers Contracting to create a web site. While working on that site I found out what Patti did and she talked me into a PROPER colour and cut.

I love this part, the colour simply looks delicious

Over the last couple of years we have slowly been refining the colour balance for my hair, which ranges from a dark pink/purple at the finish of the cut and fades out over 5 weeks to a lighter version. Patti uses Schwarzkopf colour, for great colours and vibrancy, especially over grey. And if you don’t need something quite so extroverted as purple, the more standard colours can be maintained with a 10-minute root boost between cuts. That’s sweet!

My hair plays a key role in everything about me. It expresses my personality to everyone around me: I am gregarious and outgoing and love meeting new people; I strike up conversations easily and enjoy providing opportunities for people around me to engage; I like to think of myself as pretty invigorating and vibrant.

My hair says

• I am not conservative
• I’d like to talk and engage with you
• I have a sense of humour
• I’ve got lots of energy
• I’m independent and spirited
• I’d like you to remember me

I can’t tell you the number of conversations my hair has instigated. I’ve met and made friends because of it, and forged relationships with people in the community who have then created new connections in the circles I travel in that actually effects the greater community. Kids talk with me, men find themselves blurting out “I really like your hair” (you look so cute when you blush, guys) and of course it’s popular in the gay community

I can honestly say my life is different because Patti does my hair.

Why don’t you give it a try?

Patti’s Place: 604.740.0525