Raising Maine

Lady Luck smiled on Biddeford mom Heather Lauridsen twice in one week, when the winner of this month's Raising Maine complimentary makeover picked up $100 in babysitting services in the Mother of a Month contest, also put on by Raising Maine.

Heather, who works in marketing support at Delta Dental, is the sole provider for her 2-year-old daughter, Maya. The single mom is accustomed to taking care of her own hair by finding the best bargain.

"I make a decent living, but with child care and how much things cost, things like cable and nice haircuts aren't in the budget. So for my hair, I usually go to Wal-Mart or Supercuts."
Her hair is not a priority, she said, adding that she is stressed out a lot.

"They always tell you that to feel better, you should take care of yourself – get a nice haircut. But going to get a $100 haircut? It's not like I'm going to die if I don't have a good haircut!"

Heather was hoping to leave the salon with "something new and updated, just not really short." She added, "I usually color my hair with an $8 box, so this
is definitely a luxury."

SAVANNAH'S THOUGHTS
Stylist Savannah Getchius was cautious with the products she used on Heather's hair because of its texture. "She has very fine hair, so we can't use conditioners or certain products, because they weigh down the hair. Also, she has sensitive skin, so we want to be careful."
For the cut, Savannah planned to add more layers to add fullness and movement, so that it wouldn't just hang there. She planned to bring the length up to Heather's collarbone.

For the color, Savannah liked Heather's highlights and said her base color already looked good. She wanted to "brighten up her color, to give her a nice rich color. Hair is supposed to resemble wood, where you have a lighter and darker tone – a base with lighter and darker grains through it," she said. "We want to have some depth and dimension."

HEATHER'S THOUGHTS
Heather was pleased with the results. "I feel springy and rejuvenated!" When reached several days after the makeover, Heather said the upkeep was easy and that she was happy with her new look.