One of the biggest fears for kids of my generation is that there are going to be no jobs for us after college. We're all gearing up. I'm sticking with my undergraduate major in psychology because "I can get hired anywhere". I have no idea if there is an validity in that statement, but it gives me hope.
The standards are a lot higher than when my parents and grandparents went to school. Back then, a high school degree was like a bachelor's degree now. That means that I have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in education just so that I can be considered for jobs. Also, we're going to hit the job market at one of it's toughest times and we're going to have to compete with other people our age with nearly the same credentials. Not only am I stressed about how far I'm going to have to take my education (and how I'm going to pay for it), but I also have to find the time to pump up my resume with research and other extracurricular pursuits. I'm freaking out, worrying that I don't have enough time to devote to my schoolwork, training for my job (so I can pay for food/grad school), looking for undergraduate research work, and still finding time to relax so that I don't go insane and can function at a normal level.
And what do I keep hearing? Get a job. The general conception is that there are too many people, not just college students, lazing about and complaining that they can't afford basic necessities like health care or good food. Everyone thinks they should get jobs. They make it sound so simple. What about the fact that there are probably too many overqualified applicants for positions, making it that much more competitive to get a position. Or maybe there simply aren't enough jobs. A couple years ago our parents were dealing with fears of being laid off and in a few more years, we're not only going to have to compete with our own age group but also older people still in the job hunt.
What particularly frustrates me is that section of an application where you list prior experience in the workplace. Until this past summer, I had none. I had to list my position as "volunteer" at the local hospital and my salary as "0". What is particularly frustrating is when I have to give the reason for leaving the position and I have to write "I stopped volunteering so that I could get a paid job". See how well that worked out. It seems that all jobs expect some sort of past experience, but what if you can't get your foot in the door? It seems like there are fewer entry-level jobs being offered nowadays and yet you can't be hired without prior experience.
I'm sorry, all you people who say "just get a job". It's just not that easy.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
How Disney awakended my sexuality
I am extremely happy that I grew up during the Disney Renaissance. I can still remember those advertisements on the VHS tapes saying “Coming summer of 1998….” or having one of the Channel Surfers tell me about how the animators of Tarzan took inspiration from surfers and skateboarders. Since I didn’t get cable until I was almost 10, my childhood was mostly shaped by these movies. In our tape cupboard in the TV room, there is a fairly impressive collection of Disney DVDs. I don’t have all, but needless to say I have all of the princess ones. And in a way, despite Disney’s squeaky-clean and family-oriented image, they helped to introduce me to the concept of sexuality.
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In the beginning, there was Ariel. Extremely goofy bangs aside, she is pretty attractive. It seems like the earlier princesses of the Disney company were very conservatively dressed, coming straight out of fairly conservative eras. However, with The Little Mermaid, Disney was dealing with a concept that was already loaded with sexuality. In fact, I think I heard once that the legend of mermaids came about by extremely horny sailors spotting manatees and wanting have sex with them. But I might be off the mark here. In any case, one thing can be said for Ariel’s attire: the only thing keeping us from seeing her boobs is a pair of shells. That’s it. Plus, her midriff is showing. This was intriguing to me because I first saw this movie in the mid-90’s (I was born in 1991). At the time, cropped shirts were fairly commonplace and I somehow instantly internalized the notion that a bare stomach was sexy. In fact, I thought belly-buttons were supposed to be sexy before I discovered breasts. Ariel had the whole package. I realized there was something provocative about her and how she was dressed (or not. There aren’t really any “clothes” to speak of) and that started to get me thinking that about what makes people attractive.
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Once that seed was planted, Beauty and the Beast started to develop the idea that characteristics other than physical ones could be sexy too. It seems like almost every girl I talk to who is a fan of Beauty and the Beast experienced the same emotional journey as Belle. In the beginning, Beast is downright scary. He’s big, he looks like a cross between a vampire bat, a werewolf, and the devil, and he snarls. Enough said, and Belle has every right to hide in her room. But then the story feeds us little girls the myth that we all wish was true: men can be changed. You can take a gruff and emotionally abusive man and turn him into a kind person who feeds birds with you. Sheer bliss. Beast’s edges soften, he gives Belle the library, and then there’s that amazing ballroom scene. Who didn’t want that dress? By the final battle, the Beast was sexy. He had that deep voice, he would do anything to protect Belle (even letting her go), and yet still had the bad boy thing going for him. I didn’t care what he looked like; I loved him. And then he had to go and turn into a human. That was the most disappointing transformation ever. He didn’t even keep his gravelly voice. When he and Belle are dancing together in the end, I keep thinking that she could do better. She doesn’t look as happy with the human prince as she did with Beast. Good looks actually killed his sex appeal for me, and left me longing for the “monster” that the whole movie wanted to get rid of.
And then there was Aladdin. Oh dear goodness, I don’t know who to be attracted to in that movie. First off, there’s the title character. He’s adorable, a bad boy, and his vest is open. Need I say more?
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Plus, his voice is so soothing when he sings…. Really, he seems like a fun guy. He takes you places, he’s willing to do anything for you (even lie), and he fights a giant snake. Perfect boyfriend? Possibly. But then there’s Jasmine. Damn she’s hot! Her design harkens back to my interest in Ariel what with the bare stomach and ample cleavage, and her voice is low and sultry. Plus, she doesn’t take sh*t from anyone! A light bulb really flickered on for me when she tries to seduce Jafar in order to divert attention from Aladdin stealing Genie’s lamp. My reaction was pretty much the same as Genie’s. The scarf ripples off of her and she moves like a cat. Hot. Damn.
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This was the point as a child that I realized that she had a certain…something, and that she was using it to get a man to do what she wanted. I didn’t quite know what sex actually was, but I did know that there was something about certain people that made me want to look at them or listen to them. I remember when I saw the cover of Cool World (I know, sooooo not a Disney flick) at the local video store and I was curious as to why the little cartoon guys at Holli’s feet were slobbering.
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Maybe it had something to do with her cleavage or her posture, but these were things that I had seen hinted at in Disney movies and with this cover it was adding more evidence that a certain….something made people act in a certain way. I now realize that what they were reflecting was sex appeal. I am not saying that Disney made me into a sex maniac. I just found it interesting that the most family-friendly entertainment company is what started making me think about what makes people attractive to other people.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Hey you, stay out of my cervix (and do you know what goes on in there anyway?)
I am not only outraged, but I'm terrified that the general trend for this country has been that white, middle-aged, Christian, upper-middle to upper class men have started to try and determine what a woman can do with her body. I know that these men do have followers who agree with their standpoints and that they represent a portion of the American people, however they do not speak for all Americans. 98% of American women use some form of birth control, so who are they to think that they can alienate the many to serve the few?
Take for instance Rick Santorum's stance against contraception. Not only abortion, contraception too. Am I the only one who thinks that this sounds irresponsible? And then there was Mitt Romney's mishap when he didn't understand hormonal birth control. It was so bad that a television host took it on herself to educate him. I think some people, my self included, feel that should at least know all the facts if they are going to oppose something outright.
The issue with reproductive rights that I see is that the people (men) who are so anti-abortion and anti-contraception is that they are unable to see the real world consequences. They seem to believe that America will turn into the old school Norman Rockwell painting where every man and woman having sex is married and they have as many children as possible by having bland and non-kinky sex and abstaining when they do not wish to have children (ignoring the male gender role that also comes along with this mindset in that men are animals who cannot control themselves when it comes to sex and that women are supposed to capitulate, or else not tempt them at all). What about us people who don't prescribe to this mindset? What about the married couple who own nipple clamps? What about the couple who want kids but are unable to support them? What about the people in a committed relationship but are unable to get married or those who simply do not want to get married at all. We can't just flip a switch and turn off our sexual urges, and it's not just men who think about sex constantly.
Western society has tried ignoring sex. In the Victorian era, women were thought to be pure, asexual beings while men were still the dogs that they are thought of as today. In order to maintain their wives' purity, men were not supposed to press their wives to have sex constantly. Instead, they were expected to discretely purge their urges by visiting prostitutes. Meanwhile, women would become agitated and become "hysteric", so they would have to visit a doctor who would administer a "pelvic massage" until the woman experienced a "hysterical paroxysm". Translation: the women were sexually frustrated so they went to the doctor who would then masturbate them until they had an orgasm. In fact, it's because of this sexual repression that the vibrator was invented so that women could "relieve" themselves at home without being at the doctors for literally hours. The vibrator was the fifth electrical device approved for home use.
So sex happens. And despite people's best attempts to be upstanding and abstinent citizens, it doesn't always work. Just look at Herman Cain and his sex scandals. And just think of us poor sods who aren't trying to be upstanding citizens. If sex does happen, everyone, not just women, deserve to have it safely and with minimal risk of disease or unwanted pregnancy. Sure, contraceptives don't work as well as flat out abstinence (a success rate of 99.99...%, counting the Virgin Mary), but at least it decreases the risk.
And what about if a woman does end up pregnant unexpectedly. What if the contraceptives fail, or if she is sexually assaulted because she was dressed "like a slut" (clothing doesn't cause rape, rapists do)? What if she can't support a child and giving it up for adoption would already add one more mouth to already crowded foster homes? It would make sense that she should be able to make the choice to have an abortion in a safe and controlled environment preformed by trained professionals who would minimize the risk of her having any complications. However, I feel like the majority of people who claim to represent the majority don't see it that way. I'm afraid that if it is harder to find a place that preforms abortions under professional care, there will be an increase of back-alley abortions that will result in hundreds if not thousands of women dying because of complications. Baby's father from Dirty Dancing isn't always going to be there to make sure the woman makes it out alright. And like it or not, contraception and abortion has been a part of our culture for centuries. The Classical world used the Silphium plant as a contraceptive, and this practice was so popular that the plant became extinct. In fact, it is speculated that the seeds of this plant are the reason for the Valentine "heart" shape.
Politicians need to look at the real consequences for their decisions of public health. They are focusing too much on the ideal and not enough on how people actually act. If I say "people are going to have sex, like it or not", the counter argument should not be "well they shouldn't!" Not everyone prescribes to a man's way of thinking, and if they are going to make decisions on what is and what is not allowed to happen in a uterus they should at least get the input of someone who has one
Take for instance Rick Santorum's stance against contraception. Not only abortion, contraception too. Am I the only one who thinks that this sounds irresponsible? And then there was Mitt Romney's mishap when he didn't understand hormonal birth control. It was so bad that a television host took it on herself to educate him. I think some people, my self included, feel that should at least know all the facts if they are going to oppose something outright.
The issue with reproductive rights that I see is that the people (men) who are so anti-abortion and anti-contraception is that they are unable to see the real world consequences. They seem to believe that America will turn into the old school Norman Rockwell painting where every man and woman having sex is married and they have as many children as possible by having bland and non-kinky sex and abstaining when they do not wish to have children (ignoring the male gender role that also comes along with this mindset in that men are animals who cannot control themselves when it comes to sex and that women are supposed to capitulate, or else not tempt them at all). What about us people who don't prescribe to this mindset? What about the married couple who own nipple clamps? What about the couple who want kids but are unable to support them? What about the people in a committed relationship but are unable to get married or those who simply do not want to get married at all. We can't just flip a switch and turn off our sexual urges, and it's not just men who think about sex constantly.
Western society has tried ignoring sex. In the Victorian era, women were thought to be pure, asexual beings while men were still the dogs that they are thought of as today. In order to maintain their wives' purity, men were not supposed to press their wives to have sex constantly. Instead, they were expected to discretely purge their urges by visiting prostitutes. Meanwhile, women would become agitated and become "hysteric", so they would have to visit a doctor who would administer a "pelvic massage" until the woman experienced a "hysterical paroxysm". Translation: the women were sexually frustrated so they went to the doctor who would then masturbate them until they had an orgasm. In fact, it's because of this sexual repression that the vibrator was invented so that women could "relieve" themselves at home without being at the doctors for literally hours. The vibrator was the fifth electrical device approved for home use.
So sex happens. And despite people's best attempts to be upstanding and abstinent citizens, it doesn't always work. Just look at Herman Cain and his sex scandals. And just think of us poor sods who aren't trying to be upstanding citizens. If sex does happen, everyone, not just women, deserve to have it safely and with minimal risk of disease or unwanted pregnancy. Sure, contraceptives don't work as well as flat out abstinence (a success rate of 99.99...%, counting the Virgin Mary), but at least it decreases the risk.
And what about if a woman does end up pregnant unexpectedly. What if the contraceptives fail, or if she is sexually assaulted because she was dressed "like a slut" (clothing doesn't cause rape, rapists do)? What if she can't support a child and giving it up for adoption would already add one more mouth to already crowded foster homes? It would make sense that she should be able to make the choice to have an abortion in a safe and controlled environment preformed by trained professionals who would minimize the risk of her having any complications. However, I feel like the majority of people who claim to represent the majority don't see it that way. I'm afraid that if it is harder to find a place that preforms abortions under professional care, there will be an increase of back-alley abortions that will result in hundreds if not thousands of women dying because of complications. Baby's father from Dirty Dancing isn't always going to be there to make sure the woman makes it out alright. And like it or not, contraception and abortion has been a part of our culture for centuries. The Classical world used the Silphium plant as a contraceptive, and this practice was so popular that the plant became extinct. In fact, it is speculated that the seeds of this plant are the reason for the Valentine "heart" shape.
Politicians need to look at the real consequences for their decisions of public health. They are focusing too much on the ideal and not enough on how people actually act. If I say "people are going to have sex, like it or not", the counter argument should not be "well they shouldn't!" Not everyone prescribes to a man's way of thinking, and if they are going to make decisions on what is and what is not allowed to happen in a uterus they should at least get the input of someone who has one
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Stop it
SI don't know if I have ever mentioned this on either of my blogs, but I am currently working toward a bachelor's degree in psychology. I mention this because it means that even though I am not a fully licensed psychologist, I have taken a few courses and I kno what it means when someone is schizophrenic: it means that they have a psychological disease usually marked by delusions and/or hallucinations. There are more complex and technical criteria that I admittedly can't rattle off without looking through my Abnormal Psych notes, but I do know that "schizophrenic" does not mean "self contradictory".
Schizophrenia is an extremely difficult disease to understand, even for those in the mental health profession. Patients percieve and see things that others do not. They can be dogged by paranoia and thoughts that their caretakers could be trying to harm them. Sometimes they become catatonic, retreating within themselves and not moving for days, weeks, or even longer. Needless to say, communication can be very difficult. The cause could be genetic, environmental, or a combination of both. Treatment is tricky, and sometimes the medication is more difficult to deal with than the disease itself.
The misuderstanding of schizophrenia reaches far back into history. Even after the mentally had stopped being imprisoned and started being treated, the public had begun to understand that "schizophrenic" meant double personalities. It isn't hard to see why. Definitons of mental illness have been written and re-written over the last century, and this constant flux paired with the media success of Sybil and The Three Faces of Eve probably paired multiple personalities with the term. However, it seems that new people have begun to use "schizophrenic" in a way to mean something self-contradictory. This isn't just hearing it on the street either. I've read articles which use the term in this way, and these are articles from otherwise intelligent and informed people.
I realize that terminology is constantly changing. Dumb used to mean someone who was mute, but now it means stupid. Gay used to mean happy and exuberant, but now it means homosexual or is a more unsavory term for stupid (I hate that particular usage). I don't know why people using the word "schizophrenic" annoys me so much. It could be that it is because I am more familiar with the technical and psychological definition, just as I am sure that scientists must get frustrated when people say that they "have a theory" when what they really have is a hypothesis. But really, can we stop using schizophrenic to mean this? I'm afraid that people's perception of the disease will get warped. Again.
Schizophrenia is an extremely difficult disease to understand, even for those in the mental health profession. Patients percieve and see things that others do not. They can be dogged by paranoia and thoughts that their caretakers could be trying to harm them. Sometimes they become catatonic, retreating within themselves and not moving for days, weeks, or even longer. Needless to say, communication can be very difficult. The cause could be genetic, environmental, or a combination of both. Treatment is tricky, and sometimes the medication is more difficult to deal with than the disease itself.
The misuderstanding of schizophrenia reaches far back into history. Even after the mentally had stopped being imprisoned and started being treated, the public had begun to understand that "schizophrenic" meant double personalities. It isn't hard to see why. Definitons of mental illness have been written and re-written over the last century, and this constant flux paired with the media success of Sybil and The Three Faces of Eve probably paired multiple personalities with the term. However, it seems that new people have begun to use "schizophrenic" in a way to mean something self-contradictory. This isn't just hearing it on the street either. I've read articles which use the term in this way, and these are articles from otherwise intelligent and informed people.
I realize that terminology is constantly changing. Dumb used to mean someone who was mute, but now it means stupid. Gay used to mean happy and exuberant, but now it means homosexual or is a more unsavory term for stupid (I hate that particular usage). I don't know why people using the word "schizophrenic" annoys me so much. It could be that it is because I am more familiar with the technical and psychological definition, just as I am sure that scientists must get frustrated when people say that they "have a theory" when what they really have is a hypothesis. But really, can we stop using schizophrenic to mean this? I'm afraid that people's perception of the disease will get warped. Again.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Lying to my parents
Parent: "So, how does it feel to be done with this semester?"
Me: "Actually, I still have a paper to write." (this part is true)
Parent:(stern look) "And when is it due?"
Me: "Uh, the 19th" (also true)
Parent: (stern look)
Me: "What? It's mostly written. It just needs some polishing. Unfortunately, it needs a lot of polishing, so I'm going to be working on it the next couple of days."
Translation: By "mostly written" I mean that I have done some research. By "polishing" I mean writing, and by "a lot of polishing" I mean that I need to start writing. And by "working on it the next few days" I mean watching College Humor videos on YouTube. For some reason, I end up watching this one over and over...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ83EBh3r7g
Me: "Actually, I still have a paper to write." (this part is true)
Parent:(stern look) "And when is it due?"
Me: "Uh, the 19th" (also true)
Parent: (stern look)
Me: "What? It's mostly written. It just needs some polishing. Unfortunately, it needs a lot of polishing, so I'm going to be working on it the next couple of days."
Translation: By "mostly written" I mean that I have done some research. By "polishing" I mean writing, and by "a lot of polishing" I mean that I need to start writing. And by "working on it the next few days" I mean watching College Humor videos on YouTube. For some reason, I end up watching this one over and over...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ83EBh3r7g
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Turn, turn, turn
I go through many craft obsessions. I am a bit of a craft project polygamist, because at any given time I could have two knitting projects, a crochet project, some cross stitching, and some bobbin lace to work on. Lately I've been in the mood to spin some yarn.
Last year when I visited Webs in Northampton (a yarn store with a 21,000 square foot warehouse out back) I found that they had a little section dedicated to spinning. I had been interested in learning how to spin for a few years so I picked myself up a Louet top-whorl drop spindle and some wool roving at 99 cents per ounce. I left very happy. My first yarn was extremely clumsy and lumpy. As was my second and third. This past summer I ordered another 8 ounces of wool and it got a little better. A month ago I suddenly decided that I needed alpaca wool so I hopped in the car and did an after school trip to the warehouse. The result of this spinning effort was a yarn which vaguely resembles a misshapen worsted weight/chunky variety. This will become a hat. I also picked up a very small bag of local wool from the farmer's market and spun it into a worsted weight yarn in about two hours.
That is the point when I got spin crazy. I had no wool left. On top of that, my awesome friend gave me a brand new Turkish spindle, so now I have two lonely spinning tools with nothing to spin. Sure, I could work on my other projects, but nothing is as satisfying as seeing a fluffy lump of fuzz run between your fingers and turn into a thin strand of yarn. I love stretching out the lumps and feeling the fibers run past each other until the piece is smooth. I love feeling the weight of the spindle and the thrum as it spins. I feel all out of sorts. And besides, the blanket I'm working on is getting fairly large and unwieldy. I would much rather deal with a spindle than about 6 pounds of blanket.
I do have a sort of project to keep the spinning part of my mind active this winter break. In the basement there is a spinning wheel which has belonged to our family for years. The crankshaft is disconnected from the treadle and it's so gummed up with dust it looks gray instead of brown. I don't even know what kind of wheel it is, it's that old. Well, that and I need to seriously educate myself on spinning wheel parts. So that is what I shall do. If possible, I want to fix it up a bit and get it working so that I can learn to use it. Then all that's left is to raise some sheep/alpacas/angora rabbits and then shear the wool, wash it, card it, and then I can start spinning. I think I have more work to do...
Last year when I visited Webs in Northampton (a yarn store with a 21,000 square foot warehouse out back) I found that they had a little section dedicated to spinning. I had been interested in learning how to spin for a few years so I picked myself up a Louet top-whorl drop spindle and some wool roving at 99 cents per ounce. I left very happy. My first yarn was extremely clumsy and lumpy. As was my second and third. This past summer I ordered another 8 ounces of wool and it got a little better. A month ago I suddenly decided that I needed alpaca wool so I hopped in the car and did an after school trip to the warehouse. The result of this spinning effort was a yarn which vaguely resembles a misshapen worsted weight/chunky variety. This will become a hat. I also picked up a very small bag of local wool from the farmer's market and spun it into a worsted weight yarn in about two hours.
That is the point when I got spin crazy. I had no wool left. On top of that, my awesome friend gave me a brand new Turkish spindle, so now I have two lonely spinning tools with nothing to spin. Sure, I could work on my other projects, but nothing is as satisfying as seeing a fluffy lump of fuzz run between your fingers and turn into a thin strand of yarn. I love stretching out the lumps and feeling the fibers run past each other until the piece is smooth. I love feeling the weight of the spindle and the thrum as it spins. I feel all out of sorts. And besides, the blanket I'm working on is getting fairly large and unwieldy. I would much rather deal with a spindle than about 6 pounds of blanket.
I do have a sort of project to keep the spinning part of my mind active this winter break. In the basement there is a spinning wheel which has belonged to our family for years. The crankshaft is disconnected from the treadle and it's so gummed up with dust it looks gray instead of brown. I don't even know what kind of wheel it is, it's that old. Well, that and I need to seriously educate myself on spinning wheel parts. So that is what I shall do. If possible, I want to fix it up a bit and get it working so that I can learn to use it. Then all that's left is to raise some sheep/alpacas/angora rabbits and then shear the wool, wash it, card it, and then I can start spinning. I think I have more work to do...
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By the way, did you know that there are some crazy spinning fibers out there? There is the usual sheep's wool, alpaca, angora and whatnot. There non-hair fibers like silk and flax. But then you can also get camel, yak, and bison wool (bison runs for about $40 per ounce. Yak is a little cheaper at $20-$30). And then things get really crazy. You can buy milk protein (casein) fiber which I shouldn't get because that's precisely what my boyfriend is allergic to, as well as a blend of 70% merino (sheep) wool, 15% cashmere, and 15% New Zealand common brushtail possum. Yes sir, I can spin myself some possum yarn. Challenge accepted!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Henna'd
In my sophomore year of high school, I went through that phase where I dyed my hair blue. The front sections of my hair next to my face were bleached and then slathered in blue dye, sometimes with multiple applications. My hair became straw-like and the dye would wash out pretty quickly (something about the color molecule being too big for my hair follicle...) so I would be left with tealish/green hair with blonde poking through. Also, my hair grows rather quickly, so I would have brown roots which would then have to be bleached and dyed. Overall, I had an inch of brown, then a couple inches of blonde/green where the dye wouldn't stay, and then faintly blueish/green for the rest of my hair. It was time consuming, expensive, and I didn't really get the affect I wanted. So I switched to purple for a couple of dye sessions and then decided to go back to my natural hair color.
For the last two years, the last remnants of my dyed hair have been growing out and this summer I finally cut them off. No more bleached hair for me! So what did I do to celebrate? Dye it red with henna.
I had been thinking about having the under layer of my hair dyed red for a little while, and when I noticed that henna was relatively cheap at the local health food stores, I decided I might as well. My awesome roommate stayed up with me at 11:30 and applied the greenish-brown gloop to my hair and then wrapped my head in plastic wrap. I don't know if it was because we had no idea what we were doing or if it was because the under layers of my hair are fairly dark, but it didn't show up. So I figured that I might as well dye the rest of it one night in the bathtub of my dorm's bathroom. And I liked it.
I like the results of henna because it adds sort of a red coat around your hair, so you still see a bit of your natural color through it. This also means that the red affect is a bit more subtle and doesn't really look like you just bought a bottle of Manic Panic from Hot Topic. Plus, the henna powder only costs around six dollars. After that all you need is some plastic gloves, plastic wrap, hot water, and some old towels and you have a new hair color for under 15 dollars. Plus, it conditions your hair, so your hair feels all soft and amazing instead of feeling like straw. Win!
One thing I have to say, if you are considering using henna be prepared to get messy. Henna powder is made from the ground leaves of the henna plant, which when mixed with hot water releases a reddish dye which not only stains your hair, but your skin, your clothes, your bathroom tile, and your nails. If you wear clothes while using henna, make sure that they are ones you don't mind getting red splotches all over. If you can, try finding an application bottle or something you can use to squeeze the dye onto your hair with. Both times I've used henna, I've mostly just set down the bowl of dye in front of me and applied it using my hands. It's messy to say the least. Some directions suggest using a paintbrush, but I don't think that will prevent any drips from happening. Also, henna hair dye is a little gritty and it doesn't spread all too easily.
Also, if anyone sees you applying henna, you will look crazy. When prepared, the henna dye looks like those mud masks for your face that are supposed to be really good for you. It looks even crazier on your head. Some people are put off by the smell, which I think is a little like wet straw with coffee. Your hair smells a little grass-like for the next few days, but so far I haven't gotten any complaints. But then again, how many people smell your hair up close during the day?
After your hair is shellacked with the muddy mixture and you've mummified your head in plastic (keep the wrap close by while you're dying), clean the tub or wherever you did the coloring. I recommend dying your hair near an area with a hand-held spray nozzle. The henna will most likely drip everywhere, including on you, and you need to rinse it right away or it will stain. Dry off with old towels and I suggest wearing old clothes until your hair is mostly dry. My pajamas have orange splotches around the collar because the drips stained. As soon as my hair stops dripping, my clothes are safe.
If you don't mind a little mess and want to try out a new color, I would definitely suggest using henna. I even pipped some of the henna paste onto my nails using a plastic bag with the corner cut off. I left it on for a half hour and then wiped off the paste, which left my nails an orangey color which will stay until my nails grow out. I would have left the paste on longer for a redder result, but I was trapped in the bathroom with no computer or any source of entertainment other than to watch my nails dry. Can you blame me?
One last note, I should mention that the finished result of the henna depends on your natural hair color. My hair is a medium brown, and the first time I dyed my hair with henna it worked out to a nice auburn. I used Rainbow Henna in the color Persian Red. This last dye job (which I did a couple of nights ago) has turned out to be a darker red which should mellow out a little bit over the next few days. This time I used Light Mountain Henna in the color "bright red". What's the difference between red and bright red? Bright red has a wolf on the box. Enough said.
Light Mountain Henna color chart
Rainbow Henna color chart
(image from here)
For the last two years, the last remnants of my dyed hair have been growing out and this summer I finally cut them off. No more bleached hair for me! So what did I do to celebrate? Dye it red with henna.
I had been thinking about having the under layer of my hair dyed red for a little while, and when I noticed that henna was relatively cheap at the local health food stores, I decided I might as well. My awesome roommate stayed up with me at 11:30 and applied the greenish-brown gloop to my hair and then wrapped my head in plastic wrap. I don't know if it was because we had no idea what we were doing or if it was because the under layers of my hair are fairly dark, but it didn't show up. So I figured that I might as well dye the rest of it one night in the bathtub of my dorm's bathroom. And I liked it.
I like the results of henna because it adds sort of a red coat around your hair, so you still see a bit of your natural color through it. This also means that the red affect is a bit more subtle and doesn't really look like you just bought a bottle of Manic Panic from Hot Topic. Plus, the henna powder only costs around six dollars. After that all you need is some plastic gloves, plastic wrap, hot water, and some old towels and you have a new hair color for under 15 dollars. Plus, it conditions your hair, so your hair feels all soft and amazing instead of feeling like straw. Win!
One thing I have to say, if you are considering using henna be prepared to get messy. Henna powder is made from the ground leaves of the henna plant, which when mixed with hot water releases a reddish dye which not only stains your hair, but your skin, your clothes, your bathroom tile, and your nails. If you wear clothes while using henna, make sure that they are ones you don't mind getting red splotches all over. If you can, try finding an application bottle or something you can use to squeeze the dye onto your hair with. Both times I've used henna, I've mostly just set down the bowl of dye in front of me and applied it using my hands. It's messy to say the least. Some directions suggest using a paintbrush, but I don't think that will prevent any drips from happening. Also, henna hair dye is a little gritty and it doesn't spread all too easily.
Also, if anyone sees you applying henna, you will look crazy. When prepared, the henna dye looks like those mud masks for your face that are supposed to be really good for you. It looks even crazier on your head. Some people are put off by the smell, which I think is a little like wet straw with coffee. Your hair smells a little grass-like for the next few days, but so far I haven't gotten any complaints. But then again, how many people smell your hair up close during the day?
After your hair is shellacked with the muddy mixture and you've mummified your head in plastic (keep the wrap close by while you're dying), clean the tub or wherever you did the coloring. I recommend dying your hair near an area with a hand-held spray nozzle. The henna will most likely drip everywhere, including on you, and you need to rinse it right away or it will stain. Dry off with old towels and I suggest wearing old clothes until your hair is mostly dry. My pajamas have orange splotches around the collar because the drips stained. As soon as my hair stops dripping, my clothes are safe.
If you don't mind a little mess and want to try out a new color, I would definitely suggest using henna. I even pipped some of the henna paste onto my nails using a plastic bag with the corner cut off. I left it on for a half hour and then wiped off the paste, which left my nails an orangey color which will stay until my nails grow out. I would have left the paste on longer for a redder result, but I was trapped in the bathroom with no computer or any source of entertainment other than to watch my nails dry. Can you blame me?
One last note, I should mention that the finished result of the henna depends on your natural hair color. My hair is a medium brown, and the first time I dyed my hair with henna it worked out to a nice auburn. I used Rainbow Henna in the color Persian Red. This last dye job (which I did a couple of nights ago) has turned out to be a darker red which should mellow out a little bit over the next few days. This time I used Light Mountain Henna in the color "bright red". What's the difference between red and bright red? Bright red has a wolf on the box. Enough said.
Light Mountain Henna color chart
Rainbow Henna color chart
(image from here)
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