Curl Up and Dye

Hair.  We either have too much of it, not enough of it, it's growing too fast, growing too slow, we're changing the color of it, or we can't control what color it is changing.  Good hair days and bad hair days.  Split ends, roots, and bald spots.  Bumps that won't straighten, hair that won't curl.   Gray hair, black hair, blond hair, and ginger hair.  


This summer, I think I had a bar hair day everyday.  It was too hot out to style, but too humid to let it air dry.   I spent at least ten minutes a day in the bathroom at work trying to do something fun with it other than pinning it back with thirty bobby pins.  Since the weather has changed, my hair is more tamed, but it is not always on its best behavior.


Mullets, "Mom" cuts, the Rachel from Friend's haircut, perm, afros, the reverse mullet (thank you Kate Gosselin), the bob, and the pixie cut.  Out of all the haircuts my parents could have given me, at the age of four my parents gave me a bowl cut with a mullet.  My haircut was probably meant to be a bowl cut but it wasn't the same length all around.  Because of my round face with Asian features, I looked like my brother or just another Asian boy.  The picture below is a picture of me on a pin that my dad still has:

Who likes the turtleneck with corduroy flower overall dress? 

This has left me traumatized.  I will never give any of my children such a wretched haircut.  My parents insisted on me keeping my hair short.  I do not understand how this haircut came to be a trend.  Who thought it was a good idea to give an innocent girl a haircut that resembled a shaggy dog or a man in the 70s who couldn't grow an afro so it just fell straight?  I was so envious of every girl who had long hair.  When it came time for me to make my First Communion, all I wanted was French braids, but could I have them? Nope.  My hair was too short.


I have had my fair share of highlights, experimenting with Sun-in, I used a "Twist a Braid", and wore my hair like every Spice Girl.  I have ironed my hair, curled my hair with every mousse out there, learned every technique with a curling iron, and even got my hair braided with beads when my family traveled to the Dominican Republic.  


Through all of the hair trends, the one thing that has stayed the same is my hairdresser, Leona.  I LOVE HER.  I will not say that I hate change, but why fix something if it isn't broken?  I saw my pediatrician until this past summer until she told me I could not come back anymore.  When my dermatologist retired this year, I asked multiple times if he still could take personal calls from me, and I meant it.  There were only two times I have gotten my haircut by another hairdresser and both times were at school.  The first time the lady tried to straighten my hair while it was wet.  The second time was because I was poor and a hair salon was cutting hair for $10 and the money was going to Haiti.  With my luck, a local news station caught wind of the hair salon running this promotion and came in while I was getting my haircut.  Obviously, the news aired me getting my haircut with my hair slicked back, no make up on, and a double chin.  


Leona works at Curl Up and Dye which is conveniently five minutes away from my house.  Just when you thought I was being crafty with the title of this post, you were wrong.  Ironically, before the owner of Curl Up and Dye took over, this was the hair salon where I got my horrendous bowl cut from Jim.  Even more irony, Jim is also my dad's name, who sometimes still says to me "If you hate your hair so much, you should just cut it short like when you were younger, it looked really nice."  Thanks Dad.  


The number one reason why I love Curl Up and Dye, they are so honest.  With every new hair cut or style I have ever wanted, Leona has always been honest telling me the pros and cons.  Leona knows me well, she knows that I like to work out, I really do not want to spend a lot of time styling my hair, and that I am really too poor to have to dye it every six weeks.  With all of this essential knowledge, when I wanted bangs, highlights again, and extensions, Leona put me in my place.  Sometimes it is important for me to hear the word no.  I appreciate that Leona could make money from me monthly by coloring my hair, but every time I suggest it, she warns me of the upkeep and how unattractive roots are.

Kate G with a reverse mullet and roots, she should fire her hairstylist.

You really have to appreciate an honest citizen.  I just saw Leona on Friday because I was long over due for a trim.  She really does everything I ask her: keep it long, layers for body, side bangs that aren't too short so I can pin them to the side.  I really must be the most annoying client ever, whenever I think I am balding or my hair splits are too much, I stop in, unannounced of course, and talk to her.  Curl Up and Dye is actually on my running route, so there were multiple times this summer I came in sweating, talking at 40 miles an hour, asking for advice.  

All of the other hairdressers are phenomenal too.  They are all funny, honest, and know what they are talking about.  I remember when the Beckham's were wreaking havoc on the United States by moving here.   Their move was so influential that a girl no older then seven wanted her haircut like Victoria Beckham.  This seven year old was cute, with a round shaped face, a little chubby and had gorgeous thick hair.  After all of the hairdressers explained to this girl that a haircut like Victoria was a "grown up" haircut, a lot of work, and worked best for people who had thinner hair then hers; she insisted that she still wanted the cut.  It was apparent that the mother was sick of the girl asking and was just going to let her have the haircut.  The little girl even had multiple pictures of her haircut just to remind her hairdresser.  It only took 30 seconds after blow drying her hair that she realized she had dug her own grave.  The haircut looked great, just not on her.  Everyone knew that the haircut wasn't going to look good on her, so when she started to cry it was no a surprise.  Another hairdresser gave her a lollipop, the mother quickly paid, and the seven year old Posh Spice was gone.   

Curl Up and Dye also does tanning, make up, cuts men's hair,and up dos.  They are reasonably priced too.  My wash, cut, and dry was only $35.  I can honestly say I have not had a bad haircut from here ever and I am one fickle bitch.  Unfortunately, Curl Up and Dye does not have a Facebook page or website, but they are working on it!  Their phone number is 617-296-4034 and they are located at 2275 Dorchester Ave.  If you are brave and willing to leave your old hairdresser, I suggest that you try here.  I referred my friend Mary to Leona and she is now rocking beautiful healthy locks with awesome highlights.