Beauty
Mom rocks beehive hair-do for 37 years until finally kids convince her to change
Joan Irvine has been so dedicated to her French twist that she once forewent a vacation because she was worried her hairpins would set off the airport metal detector. Needless to say, this is a big change for her.
Jenny Brown
06.28.22

Joan Irvine has been devoted to her gorgeous French twist hairdo for the past 37 years.

Christine and Cindy, her children, said on The Oprah Winfrey Show that their mother’s twist is an inherent part of who she is.

Christine and Cindy described how their mother had postponed a family vacation out of concern that her hairpins may trigger the metal detector at the airport.

One day, Joan decided it was time for a change.

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Youtube - OWN

The two daughters of Joan, who grew up close to Lake Adirondack, New York, recalled how their mother rarely went swimming with them since it would require undoing her twist.

Turning to Oprah for help.

The two women pleaded with Oprah to change their mother’s hairstyle.

The French twist, in Christine and Cindy’s opinion, belongs in the 1950s and makes their mother, who is 63 years old, appear older than she actually is.

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Youtube - OWN

Time for a style change, too.

They also requested that Oprah improve Joan’s style, which is primarily made up of khaki and denim clothing.

Joan was more than happy to accept Oprah’s assistance, but she also wanted to show the audience what she did each week to take care of her hair.

Every Wednesday, Joan wakes up at about 5:30 AM to start the laborious procedure.

She cleans her hair and removes the hairpins from the previous week before inserting a wide variety of rollers.

Then she spends up to an hour sitting in front of a hairdryer.

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Youtube - OWN

After using copious amounts of hairspray and several hairpins, Joan shapes her hair into her spectacular French twist.

Joan needs roughly four hours to complete the task. Whew!

From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, the French twist was the most fashionable hairstyle among women.

Oprah recruited Ken Pavés, Rita Hazan, and Cathy Highland, three of the best celebrity stylists and makeup artists in the nation, to help upgrade Joan’s style.

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Youtube - OWN

When the three of them analyzed her style, Joan remarked that she doesn’t feel a day over 50, despite Christine and Cindy’s perceptions that her twist makes her seem a bit older.

Then, the experts worked their magic!

Not long after, the time for the big reveal has finally come. To the cheers of the audience, Joan walked with confidence onto Oprah’s stage.

Christine and Cindy barely recognized their mother as they embraced her tightly while Oprah gazed in awe at the remarkable makeover.

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Joan looked incredibly stunning in her short hairdo with bangs. Her hair color was also lightened to a gorgeous golden blond.

She looked decades younger.

Her hair makeover was highlighted by soft, feminine makeup, and the rest of her look—neutral-colored clothing—only showed that she is a modern lady.

She was obviously happy with how everything turned out!

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Youtube - OWN

The Oprah Winfrey Show later checked up with Joan 13 years after her remarkable change.

As she spoke to the camera while still sporting her shorter hairstyle, Joan was absolutely delighted.

“It was just a part of me, people just didn’t know me when I came back from the show because it seemed to be like a trademark,” she recalled.

“I can’t believe I went through that without falling on my face or something, you know. I’ll say that it was a moment in time for me, definitely,” she fondly said.

While outside beauty isn’t everything, it sure does impact how one lives.

Watch the video below to see Joan’s new look!

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