In the Hair Chair

I am not sure what hair appointments are like for you, but for me, they resemble the makeover scene in the movie, The Princess Diaries. Apparently it takes a good bit of effort to maintain things at my age and a typical salon visit includes a head full of foils, time processing and a little time under the heat, some shampoo and conditioning treatments (with the best head and neck massage), eye brow dye, eye brown waxing, haircut, and finally a blow dry. All in all it takes a few hours which is perfectly fine with me!

This is a mini mom retreat that happens every 6-8 weeks and and appointment that does NOT get cancelled! I look forward to these appointments for the obvious reasons- to get pampered and some tune ups, but mostly for the connection I have in the hair chair. There is a special bond that can happen in that chair and a relationship that goes beyond hair.

My family has quite the variety of hair experiences. My sister in law is a super talented hair stylist and took care of us all when we lived close to her. When we moved away, we had to find new people and new connections for hair- you know- it’s a big decision. The kids go to a sweet friend of ours, Kim, who not only does their hair, but invests in them. She was there for my daughter when she had a big knee surgery and was in a wheelchair for a while. She pampered her and made her feel like a little princess. Her investment in our daughter has led to Mattie wanting to do hair and she soaks up every minute she can with Kim, listening and learning about hair and so much more. Mattie spends time with her at her salon and recently Kim told me she wanted some time with her so that she could “check on her heart.” What a gift Kim is to us and I am humbled to know she would want to mentor my daughter and minister to my family in more ways than hair.

Levi seeks out hair people that do not know the Lord personally. He knows that for the time he is in the chair, he has the opportunity to share Jesus and takes advantage of those times with a captive audience. If you have listened to him preach for long, you have probably heard hair stories come up in his sermons. For some reason, he usually has funny things happen along with the Gospel conversations he gets to have!

Our son, Gavin, is what we call a “hair snob”. He is particular about his hair and wants it looking just right. I remember telling his doctor one time that I knew he was really sick because he wasn’t fixing his hair! He has found a place he likes to get his hair cut- the Dominican barber shop. He hops up in the chair and asks for a fade with a hard part and walks out of there feeling ten feet tall! 🙂

Then I have my hair person, Carolyn. We go to church together and I started seeing her not long after we moved here. Carolyn is a natural teacher and is the sensei of hair! She teaches for huge hair shows, teaches women going through cancer how to “look good and feel great”, and teaches every person that sits in her chair. She teaches me about hair health, color, protein bonds, cuticles, and all kinds of hair terms. She is knowledgeable and practical and I trust her to do whatever she wants with the hair. I asked her to share some of her hair tips that you can find at the bottom of this post!

Carolyn is incredible at her profession, but I think the connection we have doesn’t necessarily have to do with protein bonds and toners. She and I have been through a lot in that hair chair. In that chair we have discussed joys in our lives, changes and decisions, hard places with children, celebrations, ideas and dreams, renovation plans, ministry, heartbreaks, and so much more. I was literally IN her chair, leaned back getting my hair washed when I first choked and knew something was wrong with my throat. That experience led to doctor visits and thyroid cancer.

Carolyn uses her chair for ministry. I know she could use it for stories and getting the latest scoop, but she uses it to build up and encourage those that sit in it. During my visit last week, the first thing she asked me was, “so, what is God teaching you right now?” When I leave her chair, I not only feel good about my hair, but leave being built up and edified. I know I’m not the only one that she does that too either. I just happened to be in the salon one day when a friend of ours was getting her head shaved due to breast cancer treatments. I still remember how Carolyn approached this sensitive time with such grace. I was a bystander but will never forget the emotion that comes with that kind of experience and I won’t forget when that hair fell to the floor, how beautiful the lady’s face looked when it was completely uncovered. I hear her conversations with other ladies and how she talks about Scripture and listens closely to whatever they are sharing. I was in a Bible study when our leader was teaching through Psalm 6 about bringing others near to the Lord when they are suffering. Then our leader mentioned that a person that does that for her is her hair stylist, Carolyn. She said, “I knew God was near because of the way she cared for me.”

Is that something that can be said of you? Whether you stand over a hair chair, students’ desks, a counter at work, the stove at home, or a computer, can others say of you, “I knew God was near because of the way they cared for me?” You have the opportunity to display the love and compassion of Christ to them in your day to day connections. No matter who’s chair you find yourself in, or who is in your chair, it is no accident. God, who numbers your hairs and causes them to grow, spreads us out into hair chairs all over communities with a purpose. Next time you go it could be for you to encourage your stylist, for them to encourage you, or for you share the message of the grace of Jesus to them. Consider the opportunity you have and how God wants to use it.

I can’t write a post about hair without including some of the great advice Carolyn gives me!

Carolyn’s Top 5 Tips for Shiny Hair

Hydrate. Put back what summer has taken away. Use a deep hydrating mask once a week for several weeks.
Chemically or heat stressed hair may need protein treatments to help strengthen the bonds that are compromised.
Micro oils can help smooth down the cuticle layer to make the hair look shiny. Use it often, like lotion for your hands.
Shampoo less. Shampoo is a detergent that swells the cuticle layer. Conditioner lays the cuticle layer back down.
Turn down those irons!