How Gorgeous Are These Hair Before-and-Afters?

We asked eight friends to share their hair journeys, and we want to see yours.

Hi! How’s your week? We’re so excited for this issue.

“Hair is everything,” Fleabag famously said, so today we’d love to ask about your hair journeys. What cuts have you loved or hated? Any teary disasters? Colorful dyes? Prom updos? Breakup bangs?! Hair can make you feel like yourself — or very much not yourself. Today, in partnership with RŌZ (my all-time favorite hair brand), we’ve asked readers and friends to share their hair memories…

“One of my greatest regrets is whitewashing myself while attending predominantly white schools. I was so committed to doggedly ironing my hair that I didn’t even know I *had* curly hair! I thought it was just frizzy? In high school, my friends and I were obsessed with Breathless actress Jean Seberg, so we got pixie cuts. My friends looked impossibly chic, whilst I ended up resembling a mushroom. When my cut grew out, I discovered this voluminous curly mop that I now rock today. My ‘ethnic’ hair has still been policed in work settings — a boss asked me to straighten it to look more professional; a client asked me to take down my bun to see ‘what it looks like’ — and one of my goals as a privileged person of color is to empower young people of color to take up the space that is rightfully theirs.” — Sukhie Patel, printmaker and educator

“I had a bob for years but realized the maintenance wasn't working for me — I needed to get haircuts every month! Now, my hair is very nothing-length, boring, but way less work. I like it this way.” — Erika Veurink, novelist and writer of Long Live

“My hair has always been dark, but at age 19, while living with my parents, attending community college, and arguing with my boyfriend, I decided to dye it purple. It felt sultry and exciting. Every time I saw my hair in the mirror, I felt a confidence boost, like, if I can pull off purple hair, what else can I do? I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend, finding a new job, and joining my college newspaper. Now whenever I see a woman with purple hair, I can't help feeling excited for her: what big move is she going to make next?” — Jannelle Sanchez, Cup of Jo editor

“I grew up with jet black hair but went gray early — I noticed my first streak at 18! By the end of my twenties, I was 50% gray. I constantly dyed it black throughout my thirties, but badger stripes appeared every couple weeks since my hair grew so quickly. Finally, I decided enough was enough, and when I turned 40, I went fully gray. I felt older — like a grandmother vibe — but in my fifties, it turned predominantly white, and that’s when I fell in love with my hair again. Now I don’t do anything, other than get a good cut. It’s cheap to maintain and really shines.” — Janey Goddard (my English aunt)

“When I did chemo for breast cancer, I lost all my long hair. Afterward, instead of regrowing it, I tried a long bob, which I loved! It felt like a hair cut with a chic point of view.” — Dulci Edge, creative director

“As a teenager, I gave myself at-home highlights by pulling my hair through a cap and bleaching it. It was painful, but I LOVED my senior photos and even handed one to my crush when I passed him in the hallway. (He still didn’t ask me to prom.) In my twenties, I experimented with different colors before landing on my natural shade: chestnut brown. By the time I got married at age 24, my hair was down to my waist, which sounds romantic but was actually a huge pain. After our wedding, I chopped it into a pixie cut. Over the past 15 years, I’ve kept experimenting (including pink dye before a Tokyo trip and a pandemic chop I gave myself in our tiny bathroom), but these days I always end up back in the same place: loose waves around my shoulders with blonde highlights.” — Alison Piepmeyer, Cup of Jo partnerships director

“Growing up, hairstylists always tried to prevent my curls from turning into ‘triangle hair’ — like it was a bad thing. It’s the shape I had in kindergarten. But after wearing it straight for years, I finally learned to love my natural curls again. The shape I now request? A triangle.” — Simone Kitchens, journalist and writer of Secret Strategist

“My first big hair decision, in elementary school, was to ditch the bangs my mom had cut since I was a toddler. The grow out process was awkward (think: middle part and snap clips). Yet, after all that effort, my first big hair decision in college was to get bangs again. Turns out, my mom was onto something — they’ve always just worked for me. Twenty years later, my bangs have reached adulthood.” — Kaitlyn Teer, newsletter editor

Now we’d LOVE to see yours. Please share your favorite hair photos on Instagram and tag @rozhair and @cupofjo — we’ll repost and reshare a bunch next week. Can’t wait to see!!! Xoxoxo

Here are three of my favorite RŌZ products, which I use every single day:

1. Foundation shampoo — gentle and hydrating

2. Foundation conditioner — detangles and softens

3. Milk Hair Serum — adds definition and smooths; I comb it through my hair every morning and it makes such a difference. I even bring the travel size on trips.

1. Viv Chen Found the Perfect Cut

2. At Age 46, I Finally Figured Out My Hair

3. Our 16 Favorite Budget Beauty Finds

1. How Are You Doing? I’d love to take a moment to check in...

2. “I Chose to Stay Home With the Kids. Now I’m Freaking Out.” “Did I make the wrong call?”

3. How Natasha Pickowicz Styles Her Rapunzel Hair. “I love wearing giant bows, Minnie Mouse style.”

4. What Are Your Favorite Under-the-Radar Movies? This weekend, I had a cough and cold, so I turned on a movie…

(Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like and use ourselves. Thank you so much.)

Thank you so much for reading. Coming up: a fascinating conversation with author Lindy West, fun Brooklyn street style photos, and a relationship question I’m dying to ask you guys. As always, we’re so glad you’re here.