Upon seeing the writing prompt ‘Layers’ on The Daily Post section of Word Press, a phrase instantly came into my mind “Do you want layers?”

Anytime I go to any hair-dresser, there’s a usual long and lazy wait in the salon’s waiting section, and many a magazine-pages-turns later, when I finally get to occupy a seat meant to improve my looks a bit, they (she) almost always ask, “Do you want layers?”

“Layers? Not sure. Can you tell me exactly what they would look like?”
Well, this used to be my dumb response long ago, when layered style just came into being.

Those days I had not experimented much, and I almost always carried straight hair that I was born with. Blunt cut suited me. Hence, imagining myself in some new style called ‘layers’ made me uncomfortable, and my reply sounded dubious. I was afraid they will cut them erratic and it would be embarrassing to go out the next day

Probably the expert hairdressers used to find my response dumber than it was and they would start explaining, “You don’t know layers? When…mmm…it means hair not cut straight. Some are shorter. See, your hair are too heavy, so layers will make them lighter and comfortable!”
The stylists could not explain as well as they wanted to. In order to convince me, she would show the pictures.  But layers still continued to confuse me. Should I get them? Should I not?

Soon I began responding positively, “Yes I want layers!” Well I did that off and on. But anytime I had a layered haircut, I ended up getting very different looking layers. If every time you end up with a different hairstylist even within the same salon, what will she do? Add her own touch to whatever style she imparts us with. Thus, many-layered-haircuts-later, I still never got to know essentially what true layers are.

Now I kind of know, for I have discovered that layered hair is not some standard hair style. It is not supposed to be same all the time. As the name implies, it generally does mean some sort of layering, implying unequal length hair. Possibly top hair are very short. Or they are not. The longer hair may be very long, or not too long. All in all, there are no rights and wrongs. Check this link  for variety of layers one can have, curly-haired, very short at the top with pointy back, bouncy etc.

As per Wikipedia too (yes wiki has a topic on layers):

“Layered hair is a hairstyle that gives the illusion of length and volume using long hair for the illusion of length and short hair for volume, this way it is easy to style and manage…Popular hair styles of today involve creating unique styles between the different layers. There can be distinct layering with obvious layers, or blended layering with soft layers.”

Sounds so complex and tricky – this layered hair thingy, doesn’t it?

Finally, I am happy with my own kind of layers, the ones I get when I cut my own hair. Yes that’s possible. I do that sometimes.

When I first came across one of the videos that demonstrate how to trim our own hair, I had a good laugh and dismissed it as some impractical hack from some of our girly-womanly sites. But after trying it once, and after seeing it works, I got a satisfactory feeling of being knowledgeable in a life-skill for which we always have to look for others’ assistance.

If we can become expert in this basic skill we are liable to feel good that we don’t always have to depend on others for a simple layered trim. As such, when we go to a salon to get one, we don’t expect miracles, and how many of us are truly happy after a hair-cut?

Moreover, if we compare men’s hair to women’s, women usually have longer hair, that also seem to be heavier, take longer to cut, involve greater expenses for a simple hair style. They seem to be growing faster too, so we need a hair-cut all too often. Girl students or women with younger kids find it hard to squeeze time for salon visits. Hair becomes a liability and not just our crowning glory.

So, home or salon – suits me either way – depending on what is convenient for the day. After all, life is meant to be made easy (ier), especially for us women who have so much to do, in and out of home. Do you agree with me or not?

 

Another good one:

And another one

 

Written by WeW admin staff.
WeW is not personally connected to any of the women in these videos. If you like this article please do share it in your circles.