“THE RIPLEY”
The roots of my bleach blonde look—jet black—didn’t look right. The tiny dots of black against my head reminded me of armpit stubble. So I went back to brunette. I also tried a home-straightening kit, which didn’t straighten my hair so much as slaughter it. It clung to my head, lifeless, collecting dust and lint. No amount of conditioner in the world could revitalize it. I didn’t think I had any choice but to shave it all off—hence, the “Ripley” (nicknamed for Sigourney Weaver’s bald, alien-busting heroine in the third movie of the Alien franchise) or, as it was known more commonly in the 90’s, the “Sinead O’Connor.” I loved having a shaved head. I was in and out of the shower in minutes; I never had hat-head or bed-head; and rubbing it felt reeeeally good. Moreover, I got props from friends and co-workers for my “bold” hairstyle. Women with long, shiny hair marveled that I had the “guts” to shave it all off. But, of course, at some point I decided I wanted to move on. I began a long, long growing out process.
