Home Hair Color *ETA*

Most of us have tried it at one time or another - coloring our hair at home. I've never had it done professionally; instead I color mine at home. That's not to say that I do it very often. I've only colored the whole thing on half a dozen occasions - like before my prom, when I was at university, before my wedding, and before my graduation. More often I put highlites in my hair.

A few weeks ago my friend mentioned she bought a highlighting kit and wanted me to help her. I was more than willing, but a bit worried since she's Fijian and has very different hair than my sisters and I. Nesi has very dark, very thick, very coarse hair. Which is exactly opposite of me. It doesn't take me long to highlight my hair, because there simply isn't much to it.

I thought of Nesi this morning, and realized that since I'll be flying to Samoa on Saturday for two weeks, and she's due to have her baby boy in three weeks, this week was our last chance to do it. *I think the idea was to have highlights before baby was born)*.

***Note: Spare me the "you shouldn't have colored a pregnant woman's hair" comments. Please!***

I gave Nesi and call and would you believe she was sitting at her dining room table mixing the kit and cutting out foils? Havie and I got dressed quickly and ran out the door for Nesi's house. It took us two hours to complete her foils and wash them out. It would have gone quicker, but there weren't any gloves (again, spare me) and it was killing my hands!

I'm a chronic nailbiter (spare me) and I also had some cuts and dry skin on my hands. After an hour and I was nearly biting my lip to keep going. We started alternating - Havie and I - and finally finished her hair. It came out bright - orange-ish streaks in fact, but that's what she wanted!

I'll do just about anything for Nesi. I love that girl!!!! I helped her plan her wedding. I sewed her wedding gown. I threw her baby shower. And I offered to be her doula, if she wanted one. I'm on the "Sweetie, we're going to the hospital, call these people" list - right before the midwife's number. Hahaha! I had a laugh over that one!

***ETA: Ok. So I should have just kept my mouth shut about not using gloves. But just so you won't do it in the future, thinking "Well, Susie did it, and she was fine." - I'm not fine. Let's just say I was on the phone with my (nursing school attendee) sister saying, "Ok, so what are the symptoms of chemical burns?" Yeah, that's right. Chemical burns. I thought perhaps they were a bit burned, and then I plunged my hands in the hot sinkful of dishes and learned - they were. Don't bleach hair without gloves. Dry, cracking, edema, redness, and minor pain. And I can't complain, because it's a Darwin Award type injury.***