I was looking on You Tube for a particular clip of The Glaswegian comedienne Dorothy Paul, but sadly it doesn’t seem to exist. It was something which she said about bad hair styles, to the effect that a bad perm meant house arrest for 3 months because you couldn’t go out in public until it had grown out. It was Peggy Ann’s comment on a dodgy hairdo which had her crying for ages which set me off thinking about Dorothy Paul.
I think we’ve all probably been the victims of bad hairdressers in the past, in fact that’s why I avoided going to a salon for about 30 years, it is safer to hack at it myself!
In the 1970s for some unaccountable reason I got my hair permed for the first and only time. Unfortunately the woman who should have done it had to take her child to an emergency dental appointment, you see how all of the details are seared into my memory! The upshot was that my poor locks were assaulted by a junior who was obviously clueless and I left the salon about four hours later with the most hideous bubble hairdo and stinking of perm solution. My hair felt like cotton wool and worst of all she had even permed my fringe (I think that’s ‘bangs’ in the US). Anyway I looked like something which had escaped from a mental institution and I had to go straight to work in the library like that as my shift was 1 p.m. until 8 p.m.
When I eventually got home I washed my hair about half a dozen times in an attempt to get it back to normal, or at least get rid of the smell. I managed to make it look a bit better but it felt like cotton wool for ages afterwards, is that normal with a perm? Anyway, I learned my lesson the hard way, no more perms!
I did find a Dorothy Paul clip which does mention a haircut, I think I’ve had some of this clip on here before but I thought it might be of interest to some people. In this clip which was filmed at a Glasgow theatre, Dorothy Paul is in character as a theatre cleaner. I wonder if non Scots can understand it all?! We actually saw the whole show when it toured the provinces years ago. She’s really very funny.
I once went into a salon with my hair about waist length, intending to have a couple of inches trimmed off the ends. At that time some kids in the library called me ‘the lady with the golden hair’. The hairdresser raved about my ‘beautiful’ hair – then trimmed it all off up to my ears!
Have you been assaulted by a hairdresser?
A hairdresser once suggested I perm my naturally curly hair. It was awful! And yet a different hairdresser could cut it so it was very curly, without a perm. I think the difference is just unskilled hairdressers.
And haven’t we all gone in and asked to have an inch taken off and left feeling scalped. Thank goodness hair grows!
You know I often cut my own hair and have decided to just let it grow this time – forever. I quit my last hairdresser when I noticed that she gave everyone the same cut – including my husband (whose hair is on the long side)!
Joan,
Just about every time I’ve been to a hairdresser I’ve come out saying to myself at least it grows quickly! I’m growing mine too, it’s less trouble that way and cheaper. I think it’s quite common for hairdressers to have a ‘signature’ cut which they give to everyone. At least your husband has a great Zappa-ish mustache so there was no chance of people getting you mixed up!
She is just too funny! Ironically I just went for a ‘trim’ of my already short hair and came out looking like the lady on the piano at the end of this video! I always said I was going to be an old lady with long hair in a braid. Maybe that is the only option! Except since my hair has turned gray the texture is awful. Sounds like that beautician burned your hair. Left the solution on too long. It shouldn’t have been so rough.
Peggy Ann,
When my hair gets long enough I’ll just keep it in one long plait/braid. I don’t care if I look like a mad old witch. Maybe one of those ‘kitchen’ conditioners would help with your texture. Like mashed overripe banana, some runny honey and a wee bit of olive oil all mixed up and kept on your hair for half an hour. I haven’t tried it mind you but someone was talking about it on the radio today – I might give it a go.
Hello Katrina
Long time no view! Well I do remember having a perm – and yes the worst part was that she permed my fringe… I distinctly remember waking up the next morning and having the truly awful smell of perm on my pillow reminding me painfully of what I had done….
Michelle,
I was ‘in the silver room’ not long ago, very impressed with the earrings the ladies made under your instruction! I still haven’t got around to reading that book of short stories- The Ladies of Grace Adieu yet, I have so many to read.
That perm smell seemed to follow me around for a long time and other people said I was imagining it but I’m sure I wasn’t. Well, we lived – and we learned.