Weight loss reward majorly backfired!
Turtlesallthewaydown
Posts: 64 Member
I promised myself if I went from 198 to 173 (25lbs lost) in 2012 I would splurge on a fancy haircut and color. I did achieve that and went to the salon with hair down my back and a picture of a Victoria's Secret model asking only for a trim and to have my normal hair color freshened up a bit to match said model's color. (kind of a natural dark blonde)
I had a bad reaction to the dye and my hair began to crumble, break and fall out. This was not strong dye or bleach, it was actually just a color depositing glaze of some kind but my hair freaked out. The girl rinsed it as soon as possible but my hair was badly damaged and almost all of it had to be cut, to the point where it's barely longer than my chin.
(Not the salons fault, I've never had a dye reaction before but they are the reason for strand tests. I've been dying my hair since I was 13 regularly with no ill effects and suddenly this... so strand test it, everyone)
So now I am a fat girl with an unflattering, short, expensive haircut. I have a round, puffy face and the hair is pretty much falling in the least flattering way making it look much worse. The dye job is nothing special either, now I'm some kind of shabby dirty blonde color. It's like that first really bad haircut you ever got where you tried a trend that just was not you and you felt like you ruined your whole head. (mine was that bowl cut / bob thing in 5th grade, made me get mistaken for a boy)
My hair was the only thing that made me feel good about how I looked. It was long and beautiful and now it's gone. It took 2 and a 1/2 years to get it to grow past my shoulders so this is not something that will be a quick or easy fix. This is reverse motivation for me as it was meant as a reward but now it's punishing me and reminding me that my weight loss will take even longer than my hair re-growth. It's going to suck to go into work and have to play it off like it doesn't bother me when people notice and make comments like "Why did you cut off all your hair!" blergh.
I had a bad reaction to the dye and my hair began to crumble, break and fall out. This was not strong dye or bleach, it was actually just a color depositing glaze of some kind but my hair freaked out. The girl rinsed it as soon as possible but my hair was badly damaged and almost all of it had to be cut, to the point where it's barely longer than my chin.
(Not the salons fault, I've never had a dye reaction before but they are the reason for strand tests. I've been dying my hair since I was 13 regularly with no ill effects and suddenly this... so strand test it, everyone)
So now I am a fat girl with an unflattering, short, expensive haircut. I have a round, puffy face and the hair is pretty much falling in the least flattering way making it look much worse. The dye job is nothing special either, now I'm some kind of shabby dirty blonde color. It's like that first really bad haircut you ever got where you tried a trend that just was not you and you felt like you ruined your whole head. (mine was that bowl cut / bob thing in 5th grade, made me get mistaken for a boy)
My hair was the only thing that made me feel good about how I looked. It was long and beautiful and now it's gone. It took 2 and a 1/2 years to get it to grow past my shoulders so this is not something that will be a quick or easy fix. This is reverse motivation for me as it was meant as a reward but now it's punishing me and reminding me that my weight loss will take even longer than my hair re-growth. It's going to suck to go into work and have to play it off like it doesn't bother me when people notice and make comments like "Why did you cut off all your hair!" blergh.
0
Replies
-
I believe, and this is true in most cases...that shorter hair actually makes you look slimmer. If you ever see an over weight person with their hair down and it's past their shoulders, I'm sure you'd agree that the long hair accentuates their curves and isn't as flattering.0
-
That's sux really badly. I'll try to strand test like I know I should from now on but hey your body is going to be smoking hot very soon so keep up the weight loss and your hair will grow back while you're busy doing that. Don't let this put you off. Go spurge on a nice gift for yourself to makeup for it ASAP!0
-
I'm so sorry this happened to You...epecially since it was a reward. Next time maybe you'll want to buy a nice outfit!0
-
That is hard. I went in for a trim a week before my wedding- it was down my back- came out with it above my shoulders. I cried that night and now I chuckle when I see the photos, it's not a very good cut for a wedding and was still spasing out that day! Give it a couple of weeks then see if you can find a style that will work as you re-grow. You are beautiful!0
-
sorry. That is bad. Although it may not look as bad as youthink. I know you love. your long hair, but look at it as a new start for you. 0 -
I've had my share of bad haircuts/color. It's horrible!
If it's driving you nuts, you could try some hair extensions..I had to do that last year when I got a real hack job done to my hair. I didn't get crazy long ones, but just enough to fill in my hair so that it didn't look so terrible.0 -
MAKE IT INTO A DESIGNER HAIR STYLE... A-LINE IT WITH AN EXTREME STACK IN THE BACK!0
-
That really stinks! I agree with Mcgraw, an A_Line that is stacked in the back would look really sassy on you.0
-
MAKE IT INTO A DESIGNER HAIR STYLE... A-LINE IT WITH AN EXTREME STACK IN THE BACK!
^Her hair looks super cute!! You should copy haha0 -
You said expensive. They didn't do a strand test and messed up your hair and THEN made you pay for it?
What?
I am so sorry. Don't let this stop you from becoming a better you. Your hair is not everything. You can do this and rock that short hair.
I want to lose my weight and then chop mine off!0 -
plan b reward?? it does suck but think of all the things you can do lol.... you could eat something messy on the freeway with the windows down... you can wear chapstick when it's really windy. you can swim laps in the pool without your hair eating your face... when you jog, it's not sweating on you. p.s. hair grows back yayyyy
0 -
I'm sorry to hear about this unfortunate surprise! I had a similar experience about seven years ago, and it honestly ****ed my self image up more than I ever thought it would. However, it was my own fault: I used cheap, store-bought lightener for over a year, and my hair broke off and fell out, forcing me to cut it (it looks like yours was about the same length mine was then). I don't remember when I started to hate the way I looked, but I guess the thought sort of crept in gradually, and before I knew it, I was insecure - and about 20 pounds heavier to boot!
I know you want your long hair back, but I want to encourage you to embrace the change. Looking back at photos of myself from that time, I think now that I looked great!
Several years later, I was married (and had gained even more weight) and was learning to love my appearance even if it wasn't what I remembered it to be. I woke up from a nap one day and had this thought that I wanted to shave off my hair. "Surely I'm more emotionally mature now than I was then, right?" I asked myself. I gave myself a week to ponder the change, and then my husband shaved it down to the scalp!
Now, I know not everyone wants to be bald - I'm not telling you that you should shave your hair. But - when I decided to get rid of my hair, I was overweight (about 25 or 30 pounds heavier than I am now), I didn't (and still don't) wear makeup, I didn't (and don't, of course) have the "facial bone structure" that everyone said was so important to have if a woman had no hair, and I didn't try to look ultra-feminine. I just got rid of the one feature to which I'd unknowingly hitched my self esteem for so long, simply to see how I'd feel about it. Spoiler alert: I felt great. Sometimes my head was cold, but I loved being bald. I also liked seeing how my natural hair grew back:
I didn't cut it for a full year, at which point my husband gave me a floppy, lazy mohawk:
I didn't wear hats or scarves, though I thought I might like to, and when I got tired of the uneven hair lengths, my husband cut the middle part to about the same length as the rest. It's been about 10 months or so since then, and I've let it grow again because it's been a while since I had long hair, and I'm too cheap to pay for a hair cut.
So anyway, I'm sharing this with you because, like I said earlier, I want to encourage you to love your hair and its story. Your hair is just part of your overall appearance, and it's transient, and sometimes it's neat to see what you can do with it just for the hell of the experience. I also "hid" behind long hair when I was heavier, and again, looking back at photos revealed that, while I looked fine, I wasn't fooling anyone into thinking I was thin and gorgeous just because my hair was beyond my shoulders. You're still the same person you were before you went to the salon, and you have a huge accomplishment (your weight loss) to be proud of, hairstyle be damned! Congratulations on reaching your goal, and I hope you come to love your haircut before it grows out. I bet it's cute!
- Becky0 -
don't hide behind the hair...I realized that long hair does not compliment me well at all. Give the short sassy a chance.
I can't image growing mine past my chin (I tried once and it looked like I was wearing a wig)0 -
Nice glass half full! :-)plan b reward?? it does suck but think of all the things you can do lol.... you could eat something messy on the freeway with the windows down... you can wear chapstick when it's really windy. you can swim laps in the pool without your hair eating your face... when you jog, it's not sweating on you. p.s. hair grows back yayyyy0 -
Who cares, it's just hair. And even better, it grows back! Focus on the health, fitness and aesthetic improvements you've made and will hopefully continue to make.0
-
Several years later, I was married (and had gained even more weight) and was learning to love my appearance even if it wasn't what I remembered it to be. I woke up from a nap one day and had this thought that I wanted to shave off my hair. "Surely I'm more emotionally mature now than I was then, right?" I asked myself. I gave myself a week to ponder the change, and then my husband shaved it down to the scalp!
- Becky
Heeeeyyyyy! You look good with no hair. I just said the other day ... if I lose the weight one of my rewards is to climb to Tirumala from Tirupati barefoot. Last time i went I was sick and it was raining and fat as i was I was afraid i would get stuck in the middle. Anyway ... it is not uncommon to tonsure once you reach the temple. I promised i would tonsure to show no attachment to my looks. Let's see if I go bald this time next year.
Anyway ... you can take hair vitamins to make it grow back faster. I take it for skin and hair ... mostly for skin but my hair grows super fast now. I henna often tho too so it's getting good hair food. Guess being blonde you wouldn't want to henna. :P0 -
Who cares, it's just hair. And even better, it grows back! Focus on the health, fitness and aesthetic improvements you've made and will hopefully continue to make.
It grows back? Oh really???
(Okay, fine, I guess you meant that specifically for OP and not me. :kicks rocks: )
But seriously, he's right...don't sweat the petty things (or pet the sweaty things).0 -
Heeeeyyyyy! You look good with no hair. I just said the other day ... if I lose the weight one of my rewards is to climb to Tirumala from Tirupati barefoot. Last time i went I was sick and it was raining and fat as i was I was afraid i would get stuck in the middle. Anyway ... it is not uncommon to tonsure once you reach the temple. I promised i would tonsure to show no attachment to my looks. Let's see if I go bald this time next year.
Anyway ... you can take hair vitamins to make it grow back faster. I take it for skin and hair ... mostly for skin but my hair grows super fast now. I henna often tho too so it's getting good hair food. Guess being blonde you wouldn't want to henna. :P
Thanks, ChinniP! I love your pilgrimage plan; how awesome would it be to make good on something you've wanted to do for so long? I will advise doing a skin test with henna as well - after my experience with bleaching, I tried a henna dye to go darker, and had an allergic reaction that had to be treated with prednisone. My scalp was horribly itchy and blistered, and my ears even swelled up for a few days! After that I swore off hair coloring altogether, as it had such ****ty consequences for me. :P0 -
I am 45. I've always been heavy and have had my hair from very long to very, very short. I know now that shorter hair is much more flattering when you have a fuller face. (That was the case for me.) I keep my shoulder length hair in layers for body and movement and to "frame" my face rather than overwhelm it. Once you get over the initial shock, you might want to "fine tune" your shorter hair. (It's much easier to care for!)0
-
Longer hair makes you look old! I used to wear mine to my waist and thought (at the time) that is was just gorgeous. Then I cut it all off and have worn it shoulder-length ever since. I look 10 years younger now than I did back then. But I'm actually 10 years OLDER! LOL0
-
You are too cute!I'm sorry to hear about this unfortunate surprise! I had a similar experience about seven years ago, and it honestly ****ed my self image up more than I ever thought it would. However, it was my own fault: I used cheap, store-bought lightener for over a year, and my hair broke off and fell out, forcing me to cut it (it looks like yours was about the same length mine was then). I don't remember when I started to hate the way I looked, but I guess the thought sort of crept in gradually, and before I knew it, I was insecure - and about 20 pounds heavier to boot!
I know you want your long hair back, but I want to encourage you to embrace the change. Looking back at photos of myself from that time, I think now that I looked great!
Several years later, I was married (and had gained even more weight) and was learning to love my appearance even if it wasn't what I remembered it to be. I woke up from a nap one day and had this thought that I wanted to shave off my hair. "Surely I'm more emotionally mature now than I was then, right?" I asked myself. I gave myself a week to ponder the change, and then my husband shaved it down to the scalp!
Now, I know not everyone wants to be bald - I'm not telling you that you should shave your hair. But - when I decided to get rid of my hair, I was overweight (about 25 or 30 pounds heavier than I am now), I didn't (and still don't) wear makeup, I didn't (and don't, of course) have the "facial bone structure" that everyone said was so important to have if a woman had no hair, and I didn't try to look ultra-feminine. I just got rid of the one feature to which I'd unknowingly hitched my self esteem for so long, simply to see how I'd feel about it. Spoiler alert: I felt great. Sometimes my head was cold, but I loved being bald. I also liked seeing how my natural hair grew back:
I didn't cut it for a full year, at which point my husband gave me a floppy, lazy mohawk:
I didn't wear hats or scarves, though I thought I might like to, and when I got tired of the uneven hair lengths, my husband cut the middle part to about the same length as the rest. It's been about 10 months or so since then, and I've let it grow again because it's been a while since I had long hair, and I'm too cheap to pay for a hair cut.
So anyway, I'm sharing this with you because, like I said earlier, I want to encourage you to love your hair and its story. Your hair is just part of your overall appearance, and it's transient, and sometimes it's neat to see what you can do with it just for the hell of the experience. I also "hid" behind long hair when I was heavier, and again, looking back at photos revealed that, while I looked fine, I wasn't fooling anyone into thinking I was thin and gorgeous just because my hair was beyond my shoulders. You're still the same person you were before you went to the salon, and you have a huge accomplishment (your weight loss) to be proud of, hairstyle be damned! Congratulations on reaching your goal, and I hope you come to love your haircut before it grows out. I bet it's cute!
- Becky
Op you should watch a documentary called "Good Hair". It talks about the struggles black women go through to achieve the kind of look you are talking about. It may not be what you are going through but I walked away from it thinking 'I am more than just my hair'0 -
You said expensive. They didn't do a strand test and messed up your hair and THEN made you pay for it?
What?
I would also like to ask this question...TF?!
Also...try Mane and Tail. It's actually a horse shampoo but it's super good for your hair. I think they even sell it at Walmart now. I used it once when my hair got butchered and super damaged and it made my hair super healthy and grow really fast.0 -
I had a bad dye reaction last february and big chunks of my hair broke off right in the front and left frizzy little stubs. It was AWFUL! I feel your pain! It grows back eventually. I got it all cut to the shortest length, and went and bought a couple "fashionable" hats and just waited it out. Now I have a ponytail again, and I'm DONE with dying my hair ever again! (until I get grey, probably) Sorry! :-(
It really sucks.0 -
I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. I know how horrible it can be when your hair gets ruined. I have not had that bad of an experience but I have had bad experiences. I hope you find a different way to reward yourself and not make unhealthy decisions because of this bad experience. ((hugs))0
-
This happened to me many years ago with a perm I got that went horribly wrong. I went from hair to my mid-back to a pixie cut after cutting off the damage.
Strangely enough though, the pixie cut looked great on me, and I ended up keeping it for two years before growing back out.
Sorry this happened to you! Just try to make the best of it that you can.0 -
Forever Young has some great modern wigs that i really love.0
-
With a gorgeous smile like yours you have nothing to worry about. 0
-
Rock a sassy and sexy short cut that you like until your hair grows out.
Myself, I love my short hair! I didn't care when I was heavier and my face was more round, either. But a cute stacked bob that comes just under the chin can be slimming to the face.0 -
Biotin. Enjoy!
Just drink it with lots and lots of water so you don't get the acne. 0 -
I considered the method like a visual weight loss journal that allowed me to showcase my effort to myself and to prove to those who doubted me just how much I was doing to loose weight. http://fightflabandwin.tumblr.com/post/37797583872/introduction-to-weight-loss-bingo0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions