The past couple of years, I conducted an informal sociological study of how strangers treat me based on my hairstyle. I didn't set out to do this, but being a person who switches hairdos with the frequency most people change light bulbs, I couldn't help but to notice the differences in behavior.

Let me start out by saying the only reason I am able to modify my hairstyle so often is because my best friend Renee is a stylist, and whenever we get together, it usually includes a bottle of wine and a salon-like experience in my very own kitchen.

So, here's the rundown of my most-recent hairstyles, and how they were publicly received:

Dreadlocks: My dreads were professionally done at a salon on the North Side of Milwaukee by a lovely French-speaking West African woman, and after 10 hours of twisting, they looked pretty good (as opposed to those uneven, matted dreads White folks usually end up with). I think the dreads made me feel extra folksy, because I have never been so chatty -- or well received -- in public as I was with the dreads. Wherever I went, people asked me about them, and I got into a number of interesting conversations with strangers while simply standing in line at Target or whatever. However, the dreads drove me nuts eventually, because I felt like I couldn't really "wash" my hair. Hence, at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve two years ago, Renee lopped them off and shaved my head down to a shadow of hair.

Shaved Head: This was interesting and fun, because I got a lot more public attention from lesbians than I normally do. It was very flattering. Especially for someone who, at the time, was still carrying around an extra 10-15 pounds of baby weight and not feeling much like a hottie.

Mohawk: This was definitely the least popular 'do among the masses. I had wanted a mohawk since the '80s, when I saw Annabella Lwin wearing one on the cover of a Bow Wow Wow record. So, two decades later, I went for it. Most people see a mohawk and they think "freak," "drug addict," "hotel trasher" or "undiagnosed mental illness." My mohawk phase only lasted a few weeks, but during this time, I either received stares or a complete lack of eye contact. In short, I didn't care for the public isolation -- or the amount of time and product it took to stay spiky -- so I ditched it.

Muppet-blue and short: This was the perfect hair color to have when President Bush visited the OnMilwaukee.com offices. I wore a red and white striped blouse to meet the prez, so the shirt and hair combo made a lighthearted patriotic fashion statement. "W" took notice right away, and upon meeting me joking asked that I never give his daughters fashion advice. Fair enough. As for public response to bright blue hair -- I got a few eye rolls (not outwardly, but I could feel the energy was there), especially when shopping at Pick 'n Save in Shorewood. Some, I'm sure, were thinking I should grow up and get myself some practical mom hair. Maybe when I'm 40. Or 50. Or dead.

Pink bangs: Pretty uneventful in public. I think pink hair is "natural" for me, and I plan to go back to it someday.

Long, normal hair: I have had long, brown, normal hair for a few months now, and I am noticing more attention from the men folk. Deep down, I think most men prefer long-haired women, and I admit it's flattering to sometimes get "the look." I like having long hair because there are lots of options. However, I'm not sure how long I'll have this hairstyle -- I guess it depends on how much wine I drink next time Renee comes over.