Raising Maine

Scarborough mom Jessica Charland wanted her old self back. Before she became a mom, she said, she used to be put together when she left the house – "cute, with adorable clothes, my hair always done with the latest style and makeup."

Now, "I am a complete mess and have totally let myself go," she said. "I want to be a 'hot' mom, but right now, I am a complete 'not' mom."

The recipient of this month's Raising Maine and Bei Capelli makeover has little time for herself. The mom of two girls (a 2-year-old and a 7-month-old), she also works twice a week on the overnight shift as a pediatric nurse at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital and teaches LPNs at a local college.

"I tried letting my hair be what it was going to be after I had kids. You know how your hair changes – but I didn't feel like me," she said. "You lose your identity when you have kids, and it's important for them to know I'm a person, too!"

Jessica was ready for a big change: "I'm not at all afraid. Where I work, I'm just happy to have hair; it'll grow back." Working with sick children gives her a unique perspective, she said. "It's frustrating, because a lot of people take their kids for granted. Because of what I do, I don't take any second for granted."

Her daughter's worst day is better than some of those children's best days, she added. "I try to remember that… when my 2-year-old is throwing a tantrum, throwing her toys at me… I remember that she's well enough to throw a tantrum."

Stylist Ashleigh Cabana was eager to help Jessica get some of her old confidence back.

ASHLEIGH'S THOUGHTS
"Jessica wasn't feeling like herself after her second child. She used to be really blonde, so that feels natural to her. So for the color, we want to make it a lot lighter.

"For the cut, we want to reshape her layers, texturize it and make it easier for her to style."

JESSICA'S THOUGHTS
When Jessica turned to face the mirror after her morning of pampering, she was radiant. "I feel like a person again!" As she played with her hair, she added, "It's exactly what I had in mind."

Reached by phone a few days later, Jessica said taking care of her hair is a piece of cake, and she is thrilled with her new look: "I absolutely could not love my hair more. It is so gorgeous. I'm so happy; it makes me feel a lot perkier!"

NATE'S THOUGHTS
Jessica's husband, Nate, said, "When she first came home, I'd forgotten she was going to get a makeover, so when she walked in, I was surprised. I was pretty impressed. She looked really good. I hardly notice those things sometimes, but this time I did."


– TEXT AND PHOTOS BY BETSY RING