The secret to a proper shag is not precision layering, but being expert at doing a razor cut.
However, razor cutting is random and can never be repeated exactly. So, the first haircut may be brilliant- but when you go a second time, the stylist is working with 'leftovers'. THAT is where the talent comes in. Unless the stylist can navigate well and circumvent the irregularities, the next shag will fall short of being spectacular.

I would suggest instead, a precision haircut throughout, using a razor cut at the perimeter only- around the neck and face. That will give you the wispy edges (which can easily be reproduced) that you desire. :)
Sorry, I do not have stylist recommendations. I cut my own hair.

I never knew why the second cut always fell short. Thanks for the info.

Barefoot, thank you for the suggestion.

Uptown Girl, thank you for the information. I was not thinking about it being a razor cut. That makes perfect sense.

Even though the shag is alive and well in various forms in pictures I have seen, I don't see it much in real life. I have to think razor cutting takes a lot of experience and artistry in order to do it right. That is interesting about cutting a shag after the first one.

The shag is my favorite haircut ever.

Norma at Cal's Colony store uses a razor. I have a shag and she gives me a great cut. I keep the ears trimmed and go to her about every 4-5 weeks.

LW888

Bare, after having brain surgery and then subsequently having a severe allergic reaction to the drugs they gave me, I was very frightened to put color on my hair but I found a vegetable based color at Whole Foods Market that I used and it seemed to work as far as not increasing the allergic reaction. You may want to look into this while your working through this problem.

I am a bottle redhead. I was also born auburn. No one here seems to know how to cover the white roots without them coming out pink! Oh well, if anyone in the villages sees an old woman running about town with pink and red hair, just say hi.

Have you crossed over from needing only semi-permanent color to needing permanent color?

Semi-permanent color is when they put it all over at the same time and the color gradually fades until next time.

Permanent color is a stronger process. It is a retouch of the roots only, as they grow in.

We can get by with semi-permanent for a long time but one day the white just gets to be too much and will turn pink.

Sometimes, even with a permanent color process, white hair can be particularly resistant to grabbing color. But there are salon products that should work. Wella is one of the best. It has been around for a long time and can work on even the most stubborn white roots. I think it has more pigment than some of the other salon brands.

Please consult with a professional though because I am not one. But I know what you mean. We do not go gently, do we. A good colorist also has to be a good chemist. It's all about the process. Good luck. :)

I agree, Wella is one of the best. In order to cover my gray, they must use a double pigment die, and Wella's is best for me. Urban Hair Salon across from Walmart on Wedgewood uses Wella. A single pigment only mildly covers my gray roots, after which I look two-toned.

(snipped)Uptown Girl, I went here to see about Duri Rejuvacote, and there are many different varieties. Amazon.com: duri nail rejuvacote

Can you tell me what to use?
Thanks!

During the day, I often wear a baseball hat. It's a great solution, but not for going out at night.
Because my hair isn't silver, it's "salt and pepper", I wrongly thought I could grow it out with just a lot of highlights. But the roots are very obvious.
I actually have a wig that I really like a lot. But pinning up my real (shoulder length) hair under a wig with bobby pins and then a "net" is hot and itchy and uncomfortable.
I think the solution is getting my hair cut in a pixie. Did you grow your hair long again after it turned silver?

If I use a lip plumper I get a fever blister. Always.
I think not going gently, not going grey or white, is the best image enhancing practice for us. I don't care how beautiful the natural hair is...dyed is better for us.:spoken:

I agree. Going gray isn't something I want to do at all. But I suddenly developed an extreme allergy to hair color, and I've tried at least five different types at hair salons.
I am so allergic that I want to tear my scalp off when they put on the color, and for three weeks after.
Plus I've always thought it wasn't a really good thing to color hair right next to your brain because some of the bad stuff must be absorbed? (Although it hasn't stopped me in the past).

I've never heard of getting a fever blister from lip plumpers. But then I've never found a lip plumper that actually works either.

sorry
 

Right after I wrote that I had to leave and felt so bad about the know-it-all tone of my post. Of course, all those chemicals we use so close to the brain cannot be good for us. And truthfully, I really do like long, mixed, or grey or white hair....it's kind of whimsical....a little youth, earthy...
Yes, the lip plumper gives me a blister and also those long-lasting lipsticks if I use them several days in a row.

Any chance your lip plumper has been contaminated? Or there is a chemical in it that your body can't tolerate. Try an all-natural product. I make lip stains that have no chemicals or preservatives. If you are interested, check out my website: Home | timeout4me. I hope to get a brick and mortar store when we move to TV, or at bare minimum sell at the Farmer's Markets.

No, I now keep it short - kind of like a tousled boy cut with choppy bangs…. It works best in layers for me (my silver is not uniform) fits my face, and is easy to manage.
I can make it look sophisticated ( for special occasions- like weddings) but mostly do a random piece-y thing for everyday. A little gel or hairspray helps to hold the fullness at the roots…. I use that sometimes.

Since menopause, my hair is less abundant, especially at the temples and crown. So, shorter hair looks like more on me.
I take water aerobics 3 days a week and we ride in our golf car a lot, so with these factors a short haircut, for me, is now the way to go.
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Jeesh- gotta learn how to make these photos smaller! Hope I didn't scare anyone…. HA!