Blog - Hairspiration

I've been growing my fine, plain brown hair out and it's taking a long time. I've heard most people's hair grows at the same rate but I cut it to the nape of my neck two years ago and it's only now just barely touched down below my shoulders. My fiance, on the other hand, hasn't trimmed his hair in a few months and now has a veritable hair cape. This is my struggle.

When I was a teen, my hair grew like a thicket. It was hippie long and tragically, perpetually parted down the middle. As I got older, my hair lost the strength to support itself. When it started getting long it would start breaking, especially around the crown. There's a special kind of humility that manifests when buying hair thinning solution from the salon (with a gift card, of course) at 28 years old.

I use Aveda Invati

It's a tonic that invigorates your scalp to open pores and promote hair growth. It does this with chemicals and magic. Amazingly, and thankfully for the price, it works! I use it sparingly enough, targeting only the worst areas. While my hair isn't model-thick, I can no longer see my scalp anywhere I'm not supposed to.

On suggestion of my hair stylist I try to keep it short in the front to prevent the hair from breaking under it's own weight. However, I usually cut my own hair, and since I have the skills of a hyperactive monkey figuring out how to use scissors for the first time, I've managed to fashion myself one hell of a lady mullet.

(i.e. but 1000% less cute)
I have done my worst trying to get it to look respectable so there's nothing left to do but leave it alone and let it grow out. Time heals all wounds.

But I hate it right now. It's boring and I'm bored and winter is long. So I'm going to do something that the introvert in me is railing against and dye it a bright and crazy colour.

My experience with this begins and ends with high school experimentation with Manic Panic. And since I went to a progressive, do-it-yourself, fascist high school, I was never allowed to actually dye all the hair on my head, just the tips. This worked when my hair was long but since it's now 16 different lengths, I fear replicating that look will make me appear like some kind of diseased clown. So it's all or nothing.

But there are so many options:

and I'm not crazy confident that I can do it properly myself. I'd also like to avoid bleaching my hair if at all possible.

Which is why I'm asking you, dear blogosphere, for your help. Have you ever dyed your hair a bright colour? Did you do it yourself? Is it possible to get great results without bleach? How do you avoid looking childish, or cheap? What colour do you think would be best for someone with a very pale complexion?