...friday flap: hair!

On Thursday's Today show, Meredith Vieira interviewed famous hairstylist Sally Hershberger and Dominique Browning. to discuss the most pressing issue of the day:

Should middle aged women cut their hair? 

Ms Browning is a former H&G editor and author of Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on My Pajamas and Found Happiness (don't you love her already?) who she recently wrote this apparently much discussed article in the New York Times about the length of her hair. (I guess it was a slow news day.)  It defies logic and fairness that this is even a question that is discussed on national television.

You know I'm obsessed with my hair, as noted here. My hair is the longest it's been in over 20 years. It's past my shoulders now, and easily tied into a long swingy ponytail. I'd been dying to grow my hair out for years and finally found a hairdresser who doesn't cut when I come in for just a trim. So now it's long and I don't know what to do with it. And it turns out my 49 yr old hair doesn't have the same texture or bounce as my 25 yr old hair...

But you know what?...It's MY hair. I may continue to grow it. I may get a pixie cut. I may get full bangs. I may go blond. I may just go grey. It's MY hair.So what I do with MY hair --regardless of my age, face shape, height, fitness level-- is up to me and is nobody else's business.

Unless one is a celebrity like the Goddess of simplicity and all that is kind, one's hair should not be up for discussion. I once cut my hair from shoulder to chin length and an in law dared to say "I liked you better with long hair." My immediate answer? "I didn't ask for your opinion." End of discussion as air chills considerably around the dinner table. I know... I'm that sister in law.

These beautiful women are over 45, and clearly happy with the flattering hair length of their choice. Shouldn't we all?  Your hair is YOUR hair. Don't let anyone (fashion expert, your hairstylist, your mother, an opinionated blogger) tell you whether it should be anything other what YOU want it to be. If they do, tell 'em to take a hike.