Hairy Reflections

It would be pretentious not to admit that my hair is a source of stress. It’s not straight, or curly, or wavy, but a combination of frizz and tangles with a generous helping of messy. You know how some people contend with bad hair when it’s humid? My hair doesn’t care about that; it’s uncooperative everyday regardless of humidity if I don’t do anything to force it into submission. 

My childhood years saw me with thick unruly hair and my mother had to pull it up tightly into a braided pony so I wouldn’t look like a street urchin. So you can believe that when Japanese straightening became a thing, I was one of its avid fans. I did it for 10 years before I decided that subjecting my hair and scalp to those chemicals could not have good long term effects. So I switched back to my good old friend, the iron. 

The one thing I’m not fond of, however, is using gel/mousse/hair spray. I like to run my fingers through my hair and those products make it feel weird. Argan oil is an exception because it doesn’t leave any icky residue, makes my hair feel softer, and a tiny drop before I use the blow dryer protects it from the heat.

In college, I experimented with my hair a lot such that if the notion that women change their hairstyles after a heartbreak is true, then I’ve had my heart crushed several times. How about that! Anyway, I’ve tried different lengths and styles to figure out which suited me best. Most people think that short hair is the easiest to manage; but I am not most people. Long locks are better because if you don’t have time to tame them, you can just gather them up in a bun or, yes, a braided pony(!). But, to each his/her own. 

Some of my friends say that I fuss way too much about my hair and they’re not wrong. I am of the opinion that well-groomed hair is important. Just as you don’t leave the house without a shower or with dirty clothes, one shouldn’t forget to mind one’s hair. Some of us just need to work harder at it. [If you have hair that’s gorgeous regardless of what you do, don’t talk to me. Hahaha!]

Nth attempt at having perfect beach waves. Fail! The struggle is real.