For the love of hair

So I tried something new this week - I went to a beauty school instead of my normal hairdresser. I had been putting off a visit for a couple months because I wanted to get some length on my hair. Well, split ends (durrr.) said "Elliott, m'dear, it's time to go."

Well, downtown San Diego is home to Paul Mitchell The School. After Yelping the school, I decided to go with a "Phase Two" student, that is, someone who had a bit more experience and training than a Phase One-er. I went in for a full highlight (buh-bye roots!) and a cut.

Here's a before pic (no styling in my hair - I like to go in "naked" so they see what I have to work with):


And after:


I love the result! The whole process took a looong time (upwards of 4 hours) because my stylist was (in her words) "incredibly meticulous and anal." I said that was awesome and for her to take as much time as she needed.

Holey moley was she meticulous. We took my bangs up .1 of an inch at a time.

Here's the best part: the whole thing was under $100 including tip. Under $100! I normally pay $300 and up! It could have been even less if I didn't have so much hair (you pay per bowl of color or toner).

Verdict: It's a crap shoot. You could get a great student, you could not. You also have to invest some serious time in the chair. However, you could walk out with a great head of hair for less than a J.Crew sweater. Two thumbs up!