What's your profile?

Part 47 in a series by Karen A. Stevenson, President, Studio K Salon

When we hear the word profile these days, I am not certain if we are thinking a profile on yahoo.com or profiles of our teenage kids on myspace.com.  Maybe it’s a financial profile?  How about a criminal profile?

When you look in the mirror and see your reflection, what are you actually looking at? Do you ignore your profile?   Are you analyzing your face, your hair, your eyes and nose, your throat?  What exactly are you focusing on when you are checking yourself out in the mirror?  People do not see themselves as others see them.  I suppose it’s because we become numb to what we look like, or just fail to have an objective vision of what is seen.

For amusement sake, I asked a number of both men and women what they saw when they look in the mirror.  I heard mostly criticisms of themselves.  Answers were anywhere from their ‘overly kinky hair’ to ‘big nose’ as they responded.  I heard answers about blemishes on their face that apparently stood out like a goose egg in their mind, to how their teeth were crooked.  Yet, rarely does anyone mention that they look at their profile. 

I bet that most people would tell you they see your profile more than any other view of you.  It is very sad how neglected our profiles can be. 

If you were to look in the bathroom mirror, holding a smaller hand mirror, and checked out your profile, what would you see?  Do you see a large chin?  A diminished or double chin?  Do you see a jaw line that seems nonexistent?  How could you improve your profile?  If you were to have lift at the top crown area of your hair, would that create a nicer profile?  What if you were to have your hair cut over and in front of your ears to point to your jaw?  Would that help increase your natural jaw line and give you a more uplifted look?  If you are a man, what if you take the heaviness off the bottom of your hairline in the back neck area, and raise it up by tapering it sharper?  Would that improve your head shape from a side view?

There are many varied ways to enhance the way people view you if you manipulate your haircut just right.  Do you want a more professional profile?  A more fun, or more sassy look?  What if you had straight, very flat hair and stepped up your profile by getting a very loose, flowing texture perm with larger rods that would create wave and delicate curl?  Would that create fullness in your hair and a more desirable profile? 

What do you see in your hair color and highlights?  Do they fall natural in sunlight enhancing directions?  Does it look better from the side view if you tuck your hair or leave it out and in front of your ears?  Many people try to pull off long, straight hair, but unless you are a teenager, it becomes more difficult to look your best when you need some illusionary improvements.  A heavy traditional bob cut is a haircut that is all one length around the jaw line.  That particular haircut is not all too flattering to many women above the age of 35. Those women can still have a bob-like haircut just with a twist of lift at the bottom back that creates height and volume.   

Just because you may need a slightly different angle to enhance your overall appearance, doesn’t mean it will be higher maintenance.  Certainly most haircuts these days are cut to do all the work for you.  You shouldn’t have to argue your hair with it’s end result too much at all.  If you do struggle with that situation, it may be time to think about a change.