Void

Tuesday was insane.  After calling into school tardy because of what I believed to be mild aftermath of eating way too much Benchwarmers wing pizza, I was disappointed to transition into stomach flu-like symptoms.  I went to the Lucky Rooster Coffee House for lunch, only to flee back home after a couple of spoonfuls of their delicious delicious soup.  I finally actually made it into school by 1pm, feeling much better.


My first client was a really nice older lady who I'll call Margery.  I immediately liked Margery, I don't know why.  She used a cane and had a hard time walking.  She had a hard time holding still due to a serious case of tremors.  It was clear that she was in pain.  I managed to get her shampooed and rinsed, but by the time I had struggled to get 5 perm rods into her hair (I am excruciatingly slow), she was in so much pain she couldn't stand it any longer.  I tried to get help from another student to get her perm wrapped faster, but it was too late.  She decided to go home and come back another day.  She had known it would be hard on her and had requested a senior student.  Instead she got me.  I felt so bad.  I felt bad because she was in pain.  I felt bad because she didn't get a competent student and that I was so slow.  I felt bad when the instructor assured her she'd get me an assistant and it would go quickly-- Margery was so nice, she hesitated to say no.  Maybe my coping skills had been compromised from being physically ill for the first half of the day, but I lost it.  I felt a few tears slide down my face, which immediately elevated into flat-out bawling.  My whole chest seized up, making it impossible to speak without sobbing like a moron.  In front of her, in front of my classmates, in front of my instructors, and in front of all the other clients.  I then felt extra horrible because my behavior was making her feel bad.

She went home and I took some time out to weep in the student bathroom.  I swear, I have cried more in the last 6 months than I have for the last 10 years combined.  Some classmates came in to see if I was alright.  I'm not sure whether to be touched that they cared or mark it off as cosmetology students are drawn to unstable people.  Either way, thanks to them and thanks to reading the business chapter in the textbook, I was able to take my mind off it long enough to settle down.  I spent the rest of the day drawing butterflies on classmates with markers. One classmate let me color in an existing tattoo.  It was pretty fun, like a human coloring book.  After a while I was called to the front desk.  Margery had left me a tip.  By this point I was so physically and emotionally exhausted, it took everything I had left in me not to lose it again.  A day later, I met a good friend for dinner and told her what had happened.  Just talking about it, I was close to losing it again in the middle of Pizza Hut.  Writing this, I am losing it a little.  But it's okay, because no one is looking.

Week 2 Revisited

I guess it's okay to mention this since the subject has dropped out and left the state and now everybody knows anyway because the following issue was never dealt with...

During Week 2 of cosmetology school, the BASICS class did trash packs on eachother.  A trash pack is clarifying shampoo followed by a series of different conditioners that are heated under the hair drying chair. 

My partner was this sweet little redhead (given the nickname Ladybug) who I suspected of either meth use or bedbugs.  I don't know if it was the scabs and sores that covered her whole body, her erratic behavior, or the ammonia smell, but something was up.  As I was shampooing her hair, I discovered that she had a raging case of headlice.  She had previously announced that she was embarrassed about her psoriasis and dandruff--just a cover for the real problem.  I understand that this can happen to anyone.  I remember childhood days spent sitting in the sun with a shower cap full of mayonnaise.  This infestation was so severe, there is no way she hadn't seen the bugs or noticed the sores.  There is no way.  There were so many, there would have been plenty in her hairbrush or shower water.  There were old eggs on the hair shaft several inches away from the scalp, which indicates to me that she has probably had headlice for literally years.

I discreetly let an instructor know what was going on and finished shampooing her hair.  She was sent home sick a returned a couple of days later, when we were learning eyebrow waxing.  I was already doubtful that 2 days was enough to get rid of it.  I remembered all of the cleaning and laundry involved from when I was younger.  She had been given a short haircut by the instructors.  She volunteered to be waxed and everyone gathered around to watch.  Suddenly, all of the girls backed away and started whispering to each other.  When I asked what was going on (I knew fully well what was going on) I was snubbed.  Agh!  Those jerks could all tell each other, but it was none of my business?  It was the first time I was truly irritated at my classmates.  And of course, she hadn't actually addressed the headlice issue.  I had asked the instructors if she knew how to get rid of them and they said she said she knew.  The girl who asked why so much stuff was made in China said she knew how to get rid of headlice.  My doubts were confirmed. 

A few weeks later she dropped out of school due to marriage issues.  She still showed up for pamper day to get her hair done.  And she still had lice.  At this point, I couldn't even feel sorry for her anymore.  She blamed it on her sister-in-law sleeping on her couch or something lame like that.  I hope that someday she is able to own up to and address her health issues before becoming a cosmetologist, otherwise her clients will run screaming.  It wasn't her health issues so much as her denial of them that got to me.  I'd like to emphasize again that she was very sweet and truly wanted to get along with everyone.

A couple of weeks after that, a classmate said they wanted to trade an eyebrow wax with someone for their level sheet.  I offered and she withdrew her offer.  I asked why and another girl hesitated for a moment and then said it was because I had been partners with Ladybug.  Everyone in the room stopped what they were working on.  I actually had to think for a second and then realized everyone thought I had headlice.  Oh holy hell was I pissed.  I insisted that they were free to check me for headlice and then demanded it.  They did and of course found nothing.  I've since given up on asking my peers for anything.  I'll turn to more advanced students from now on.

BASICS Test Out!

BASICS Test Out is our final practical exam before our mad skillz are unleashed on innocent human beings.  One day is mannequin work and one is on a live model (usually a friend or family member).  My long-time friend Katie was nice enough to be my first model.

Katie wanted a perm, but first her hair needed to be cut.  She had a ridiculous amount of fine silky almost black hair that fell below her shoulders.  I cut her hair to about 5 inches in the back and angled it forward in the front into a diagonal forward, keeping as much length as possible.  The whole thing was cut at 0 degree elevation.  Looking back, I wish I had gone with my instinct to cut it at closer to 90 degree elevation.  The 0 degree elevation gives a triangular shape to her hair when we really wanted a rounder shape.  Anyway, I wrapped her perm in the gemini style and used a perming solution with ammonium thioglycolate.  Naturally, the whole thing smelled like a catbox until we were done.  The photo was taken right after the perm was dry, no products or styling.  I'll post another photo once the cut is corrected and her hair is styled.

Thanks, Katie, you are awesome!!