Enzo
Gina, her parents Joe and Angela, and Agent Harris sat in the US Marshals office, listening intently as Agent Harris explained that their lives were about to change drastically. Joe had agreed to testify against organized crime members, and in exchange, he would avoid prison and be placed into witness protection with his family immediately.
Agent Harris outlined their new life in a new town, leaving behind their lavish lifestyle in New York for a modest existence in Ohio.
After the meeting, the family embarked on a makeover. Agent Harris noticed Angela’s teased brunette hair with blonde chunky highlights, which stood out in a crowd. Gina’s very long, bleached blonde, and teased high hair, however, would not blend in with their new surroundings.
Agent Harris escorted Gina and Angela to a government salon, where their identities would remain confidential. As they entered, Gina inquired, “What are we doing here?” Agent Harris smiled and replied, “Girls in the Midwest don’t wear their hair like yours. You’ll be getting a makeover.”
Agent Harris instructed the stylist to give Gina a midwestern schoolgirl look and Angela a more midwestern housewife style. The stylist glanced at the mother and daughter and suggested, “I have a few ideas. I’ll do them simultaneously.”
Angela was seated first, and the stylist tied a cape around her, assessing her hair. “We’ll bleach your hair first to restore your natural color,” the stylist said. After mixing the developer and lightener in a bowl, the stylist began applying the bleach to Angela’s hair.
Once the bleach was applied, Gina took a seat, looking at her mother with pleading eyes. However, her mother reassured her, “Go, it won’t be that bad.”
Gina reluctantly made her way to the chair facing her mother. Once seated, the stylist tied a cape around her and lowered her head into the sink. A torrent of water cascaded over her head, followed by a generous amount of shampoo. The stylist vigorously washed and scrubbed Gina’s hair. “There’s a lot of hairspray in this; you’ll need a thorough washing,” she said.
After cleaning, the stylist combed through Gina’s hair, which was untethered and straightened as long as her breast. The stylist then grabbed Gina’s hair from behind and swiftly hacked off 12 inches, transforming it into a rough shoulder-length bob. Gina let out a horrified scream with each snip of the scissors, while Angela watched in sorrow as Gina’s hair cascaded onto the floor.
Recognizing the need to wash out the bleach, the stylist returned to Angela. She lowered Angela’s head into the sink and rinsed out the harsh bleach. Once clean, the stylist applied a toner to neutralize any yellow undertones in Angela’s hair.
Returning to Gina, who had witnessed most of her hair being cut off, Angela looked in fear as the stylist approached her with her scissors once more. This time, the stylist positioned the scissors just above Angela’s jawline and sliced through her hair, creating a clean, crisp line all the way around.
Checking her watch, the stylist realized it was time to rinse the toner from Angela’s hair. After washing, the stylist began applying hair dye to Angela’s hair. As Angela waited, she couldn’t help but wonder what color her hair would turn out to be.
When the stylist finished applying the dye to Angela, she returned to Gina and combed her hair forward over her face. Gina couldn’t see, but suddenly felt the cold blade of the scissors on the center of her forehead. She heard the “SNIP SNIP” sound, and then she saw blunt bangs forming above her eyebrows. She let out a sigh, thinking of how much she detested bangs. From her chair, Angela watched as the stylist skillfully framed Gina’s face, leaving her with a sharp, blunt, box bob.
With Gina’s haircut complete, the stylist turned her attention back to Angela, who was eager to have the dye rinsed from her head. After rinsing her hair, Angela asked, “What color is it?” The stylist replied, “I examined your roots and gave you your natural color… Gray.” Angela frowned in disapproval, but the stylist assured her that she looked great with it. Gina couldn’t resist mocking her mother’s earlier comment by retorting, “It won’t be that bad.”
As the stylist picked up her scissors, Angela expressed her desire for a different haircut, saying, “I don’t want a blunt cut like my daughter’s.” The stylist smiled reassuringly and assured her that she was getting a much softer style.
She then sectioned Angela’s hair and began cutting off 6 inches of length, bringing her hair to her shoulders. Each section she let down was progressively shorter, creating layers in her hair. Gina watched in awe as her mother underwent a remarkable transformation before her eyes. Her long, highlighted hair was now gray and gradually shortened as each tuft of hair slid down the cape.
After completing her final snip, the stylist moved to the corner of the salon and returned, carrying a roller trolley with a perm kit. She retrieved a plastic tail comb from a drawer and began sectioning Angela’s hair.
She then applied a blue perm rod to the length of Angela’s hair, securing it tightly at the scalp with a plastic clip. She repeated this process until Angela’s head was fully encased in neat rows of small plastic rods. Next, she saturated each rod with the perm solution and covered the rods with a cap.
As the stylist returned to Gina, she announced it was time for her color. Gina whimpered as the stylist applied brown dye to her long, sunny blonde hair, transforming it into a muddy shade. While the dye set, the stylist returned to Angela.
The stylist rinsed Angela’s head and applied neutralizer to the rods. After a five-minute rinse and removal of the rods, she towel-dried her curly hair and wrapped it in a towel before returning to Gina.
The stylist rinsed the dye from Gina’s hair, giving her a rich, chocolate brown color. As the stylist dried and styled the cut, a sleek, polished silhouette emerged, a stark contrast to the teased, wild style Gina had arrived with.
Declaring her work complete, the stylist removed Gina’s cape and returned to Angela. She gently towel-dried Angela’s curls and trimmed the ends in a circular motion. Using a diffuser and pick, she dried Angela’s hair, forming a perfectly round head of curls.
As the stylist removed Angela’s cape, Gina turned to her mother and laughed, remarking, “You look like a dandelion!” Angela, not amused, retorted, “Why don’t you look in the mirror? You have a helmet head.”
Agent Harris observed the two women with a smile of approval and said, “Your hair looks perfect. Now, let’s shed those Gucci and Prada outfits and replace them with some affordable clothing from SHEIN. Then, you’ll be ready to take those passport photos.”
