‘This haircut suits me, it makes me feel more powerful and beautiful’
Image: Nine IJf
Eef Lanoye (46) and Rutger (48) have two children: Elodi (8) and Tiurin (7). She millimeters her hair because it makes her feel good.
“I never quite understand why I have such short hair. I don’t ask someone with long blond hair why she has that haircut, do I? My answer is simple: ‘Why not?’ I like to color outside the lines. For example, I once quit my job and sold my house to travel through Italy in a motorhome – simply because I felt like it.
close-up
In terms of hair, I’ve tried everything: short, long, different colors. But never had the feeling: this is it. Nine years ago I decided to take it off completely, purely out of curiosity: what does my head actually look like? I turned out to have a nice round head and thought: so short is pretty cool.
Because I wanted to dye my hair dark again, I let it grow again. A few years later I was getting grayer – especially after having children – and I decided to go for Madonna blonde. That was not a success: I was busy every day with the fact that I thought my hair was ugly. By now I had a kind of half-quiff and felt like a boring mom with a Lucky Luke haircut. Three years ago, I was so tired of it that I repainted it. In hindsight, I should have done that much sooner. This haircut suits me, it makes me feel more powerful and beautiful.
Also read: ‘Why I find it difficult when my children have been to the hairdresser’ >
One less headache
My kids weren’t surprised. I have taught them from an early age that you should above all be yourself. My in-laws had a hard time with it. The older guard, in particular, feared that I would ask people if I might be sick, but that has never happened. Complete strangers appeal to me that they think it’s cool and whether they can ‘feel for a moment’. Some women say they don’t dare or fear that their husbands won’t appreciate it. That doesn’t bother me – Rutger thinks it’s all fine, he’s the kind of man who doesn’t even notice when I put on something new.
“It’s also nice: I never have to think about whether my hair is right”
The funny thing is, my hair grows like weeds, so I have to shave it weekly. There is something sensual about feeling those hairs move, soft and tingling. It’s really my me-time moment. And just as nice: I never have to think again whether my hair is in the right place. One less headache.”
This portrait is in Kek Mama 02-2022.
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