Before...

My friend Annie and I arrived on Saturday morning in the hotel lobby, unsure and unfamiliar with the scene. Women and girls of all ages stood around, congregated in a semi-circle. The 3-hair stylist team – Terrance, Daryl and Cathy – were in the center. They carried their pads of paper, while they scoped for the girls who had the right look for their show. Terrance turned around, pointed directly at me and announced that I was his redhead! Having never died my hair before I welcomed the change and was confident in their expertise.

Daryl, Terrance's hairstyling partner, walked over to where Annie and I stood. He began to run his fingers through my hair as he concentrated on the styling fate. He wanted to cut my hair up to my shoulders, if I was willing. I had already prepped myself for anything – well, no mullet of course, but within reason. The other girls stood around in hopes of being chosen for the free hairstyle.

Cathy walked over to us and took Polaroids. My mind wandered in hopes that this Polaroid was not a photo of that would be used after my haircut as an example of what mistakes not to make! As we signed the release forms, Annie and I started to question our decision to allow this to happen. We smiled with the adventure this would bring and the sub-culture of this hairy experience. My confidence grew stronger. I was going to do this, so I better be feeling good about it. Annie and I had support from each other too.

All the girls that had been chosen cruised over to Cathy's salon to prep for tomorrow's show. Her little shop barely held all the bodies inside. People were planted all over the room, awaiting their prep for the show on Sunday. Annie and I, confused by the ways of the model life, stood to the side discussing this interesting subculture. The room was filled with high energy. Everyone was excited to reinvent their look.

As I watched with wide eyes, Daryl chopped Annie's hair. She had longer than medium-length hair, very fine. A smile strung across Annie's face as he trimmed it all the way to her ears. Terrance waved his finger at me; it was my turn for the chair. I sat down, a little nervous. What would be done to my hair?

During...

He mixed pigmented jelly dye together, truly the art of hair design. Four elaborate colors awaited to be painted on my hair: dark maroon, bright red, brownish-orange, and bright yellow. Terrance began painting the pigment on to strands of hair, switching the colors in different parts of my head. Foil glittered my hair and the sun seeped through the window, sparkling the room with the light. All the girls watched as I sat in wonder, stationed by the smock over my body.

The color had to set in, so I ate and sat outside on the back porch to enjoy the unfamiliar joy of the winter sun. Terrance popped outside and motioned me back in so he could finish his masterpiece. I laid my head in the sink as he gently slid the foils out of my hair and washed the excess dye out. I just lay there and enjoyed the pampering.

Cathy's eyes were wide open in amazement as I lifted my head from the sink to expose my new hair color. She commented on how great it looked, and I wasn't sure if this was just the routine response to make people feel good about having their hair distorted, or if my hair was truly magnificent. A chorus of "Wow!" echoed throughout the room, as the vibrant velvety red color made my head glow. Eyes were heavy on me as Cathy blow-dried and styled my new hair. I loved the vivacious color, but felt uncomfortable with all the attention and eyes glued to me.

Annie and I were prepped for Sunday. She had her hair cut, I had mine dyed. Tomorrow I would be having my hair styled on stage and she would have her hair dyed.

We arrived at the Hilton dressing room, as all the girls squirmed around, excited for the modeling debut. Annie and I laughed at the teenybopper mentality, questioning if we ever acted in such a way. Clothes were strewn across the floor, while the bathroom overflowed with girls painting make-up on their faces – war paint for the stage.

Annie and I snuck out of the chaotic, estrogen-filled room. We went to the shops downstairs, set up for all the beauty merchants. We stumbled across a booth of hot wax and other beautifying gadgets. Helen was a beautician that had a stand of hot wax treatments on display. She asked us if we wanted our eyebrows waxed. With a pause Annie hopped in to the chair first. She had never had her eyebrows waxed before, and became a bit tense at the idea.

Helen streamed hot wax on to her brows, placed a cloth over it, and quickly ripped the cloth off her forehead, taking half of Annie's eyebrow with it. We reveled in this world of beauty, which was so unfamiliar to both of us. We walked back upstairs towards the dressing room; our eyes were pink, a marked trail from the waxing.

Cathy told us it was time, as if the world was coming to end. We all scrambled to the stage, one-by-one, on display, while our destiny lay in Daryl and Terrance's scissors-wielding, sculpting hands. I stepped up on the stage and sat in the chair, facing hundreds of women that were in the beauty or hair industry. A smile was cemented on my face, a reaction and mask for my nervousness.

After.

Daryl was talking about the whole procedure as chunks of hair flew in every direction. I remembered him informing me earlier that the 80s dos were coming back into style, and hoped that my cut wouldn't be a testimony to it. I really didn't feel like walking around with a mullet for the next 3 months!

The production finally ended, and I walked to the dressing room to gaze at Daryl's creation. My hair was luminescent. The sun was shining on the deep Burgundy wine color of hair that now lay on my shoulders. I stroked my fingers through it to make sure this was real. I liked my new look. I felt sassy; my hair had attitude! I reveled in this reinvention of myself. My hair was an instrument of expression, of creativity. I felt alive and free, opened to the amazing power of spicing up my image with the stroke of a brush and the clip of some scissors. I was still Élan – but now with a little more flair!

Snip Tips
Keep your eyes open to the newspaper and other local publications. I found this opportunity in the "miscellaneous" section. There are tons of conventions that need people who are willing to do this sort of stuff.

If there's nothing going on, go to a local salon and look through all the styles and colors. Allow yourself to do something drastic! If you don't like it you can always change it, that's the beauty about hair. Talk with your stylist and tell her or him what image you are going for; they will give suggestions if you ask for them.

Lastly, imagine yourself with a new hairstyle. This is a tool for to really add some flavor and enthusiasm to you!

What Do You Want Élan to Do Next?
Click here to send Élan ideas, suggestions or comments on ways to fire up the local hometown traveler experience.