Trina Machacek: Cutting bangs is an art

Often when things come up, I am still amazed that the boy-girl chasm isn’t all that far apart. Like hair. Hair on our heads only! But! Yes, a hairy “but.” Off-the-head hair could cause sensitive conversations. So, I best stick to head hair. Wild and wiry. Long and wispy or short and spiky.

Actually, the hair on heads is something that has many discussion points. Some of us remember when longer hair on the male of our species began to be a thing. Long and wind-blown even when there was no wind. At the same time females grew long, straight, flowing hair that never seemed to be out of place. I remember when I learned that some girls even ironed their hair to get that straight shine. That became a thing a few years after the time when girls would stand at mirrors to get the tightest but bounciest ponytail that wagged and wiggled as she walked down a hallway at school wearing black and white saddle shoes.

Right beside the guy with a slicked-back duck tail and a comb in his pocket sticky with butch wax. Oh, the hair on our heads has come through many, many styles, cuts, non-cuts, curls, straighteners, products and yes colors. Before I get all into the bangs let’s give a look at the color palette of hair today. I must admit I am one that will mention hair if it is unusual and eye catching. I don’t think my head would be a good match for pink, blue, purple or green hair.

Not all one shade or a mixture of those wowzzer colors in any design. But I seem to have to ask, “How long does that color last?” when I see it on someone. I didn’t know until recently that the length of time the color will last depends on how often the wearer washed their hair. I think that says it all.

Some of it is really quite amazing and lovely. I applaud anyone with the life of a happy heart that can enjoy the brightness that comes with some of the colors I have seen. Brava. The other side of color is color for necessity, or what is perceived as necessity. Age.

Those little streaks of new colored additions to every head that has hair. Coloring gray, or grey, is a multi-bazillion dollar industry I would bet. Some of the jobs are just a little cover and some are “make me look 27 again” colors. Again, I say “Brava” to anyone that will color to make themselves feel better. Personally, I use a titch because I like the way the stuff leaves my hair all soft and shiny. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Sure. Wink. Wink. Dye or a rinse or a spray put on to cover roots is all in the eye of the wearer. Most of us do not care if our friends color or go au natural. It’s that the heart is happy. That’s important, to and for, a good friend.

Now about bangs. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we decide to grow out our bangs. There are bang horror stories. Good advice is “Never cut your bangs when you are mad, or hungry, or hot, or cold or yes a bit on the tipsy side.” Oh, especially on the tipsy side. There is an art to cutting one’s bangs. Because of necessity I have cut my own bangs for years. It’s a real learning process!

Bangs have a life of their own. You can go through your days, and all is right with the world. Then suddenly, like thinking you don’t think there is a funky smell in your refrigerator, but there is. You find yourself trying to see past hair that seems to always be in the way. Then you know it’s time to cut those little bangs back. Recently that is where I found myself. There’s more of course. Every time I get to the point of getting mud when I am working in the garden or soap when I wash my face or grease when I grease my lawnmower – getting all those things in my hair because I am wiping my bangs out of my eyes, I start to think, “Maybe I’ll just grow them out this time.” Just when they almost get long enough to reach behind my ears.

Just when I see all the cute ways to wear long bangs. Just when I think I can do it. That’s when I cut them back. Miraculously finding it’s so much better to see the world with shorter bangs.

Trina Machacek lives in Diamond Valley. Subscriptions to her newspaper and her books can be purchased on her website www.theeurekacountystar.com.