Alright ladies, by show of hands, who here has looked in the mirror and not felt 100% content with what they see? It’s okay, you’re in good company. And who has fallen victim to the wishful thinking that occurs when we see someone else and think, “Man, I wish I had her…. height, shape, hair, skin, etc.”
We know. Us, too.
Between the rise in popularity of photoshop in media, and the ever increasing unrealistic expectations placed on physical image, it can be easier than we would like (and easier than we would imagine) to slip into the mindset of not loving ourselves. How we look on the outside can deeply impact how we feel on the inside.
Do you remember the first time you got a cut or color at the salon and walked out the door feeling like you were walking the NYFW runway? Did you go home and stare in the mirror, take about thirty selfies, or swish your hair at everyone you knew just dying for them to tell you they loved it, too?
Do you remember that day (you know the one we try to forget) when you were just having the WORST hair day? Maybe your bangs weren’t laying right, or your curls were just frizzy as all hell, or maybe your color didn’t turn out quite the way you expected. Have you ever been so frustrated with your hair that it literally brought you to tears? Every single one of us here at Garnish sure has.
Many of us even joined the hair industry because of those days—the sky-high amazing ones, and the viscerally painful ones. Throughout our time as stylists, each one of us has fallen in love with the ability to help women experience more of those face-glowing, smile-beaming, best-hair-of-life kinda days, and less of (let’s just call them) those other ones.
Whenever an element of our life is out of our control—whether it’s a situation at work, the weather where we live (*cough* NC humidity…) or perhaps a feature we were blessed with that we haven’t quite learned to embrace yet (erm, can you say love handles?), it can cause us anxiety and frustration despite knowing that we cannot force it to change.
The amazing thing about hair is that it can be changed. Hair can be cut, hair can be completely transformed through color and texture treatments, it can be enhanced through product and styling, and extensions can be added for volume, length, or both. If you look in the mirror, and you don’t absolutely LOVE your hair, the question becomes not just why not, but what are you waiting for?
As a salon that specializes in transformations—cuts, colors, and extensions—we know ALL about the emotions that are attached to our hair. We know the love, the hate, the frustration, and the confidence. We understand spending years yearning for something different—a different color, a different texture, or a different thickness. We understand that health, environment, genetics, and more can impact how hair grows, and how hair changes throughout our lives. Whether or not we believe it should—how we feel when we look in the mirror does mean something, and taking positive steps towards falling more in love with what you see cannot be overvalued.
The Benefits
When you feel good about yourself, your mood increases, and research actually shows that when you go through your day feeling positive, more positive things happen to you. In the words of owner Candice Motley, “Confidence leads to bigger, bolder moves.” And as Demi Lovato said, “There’s nothing wrong with being confident.” Being able to empower other women to feel confident in themselves empowers US as well, and the circle of positivity just continues to grow.
As stylists, hair is an emotional experience for us. You are placing your trust in us, and in turn we are offering you the chance to transform your hair, your look, and your confidence. We completely understand that hair is an emotional experience for you, too. It’s not always easy to admit that we want to see something different, and it’s not always easy to commit to investing in ourselves.
We believe in the power of hair transformations because it’s something only YOU can choose, and therein lies the magic. You are choosing YOU. And at the end of the day—you are your longest commitment and greatest investment. There are no limits to the magic that can happen as a result of choosing self-love and self-confidence.
