Hair, It's Everywhere

My hair. Oi vey, what a topic. I can’t think of a time where we got along. During my most tenderness of childhood, I had a whole lot of curly, fro-type hair. It was pretty intense. It also grew quite quickly, so by age two I had lots of frizzy curls, as evidenced by this photo here. In preschool it was at my waist. It had lost its curl because my hair was also so incredibly heavy, that it pulled it out. Throughout all childhood, I was known for having such long hair I could sit on it. My sister now lovingly refers to it as “a rats nest.” To make matters worse, I had two very definite cowlicks at my bang line, so I had to grow my bangs out in 4th grade because I looked like a nutter. I finally trimmed my hair in 6th grade to below my shoulders, then went above shoulders in junior high. Since then I have never had long hair, it’s been a perennial bob. Why? Because it is too darn hot and heavy to have long.

Fast forward to two years ago. I was getting my hair cut by a lovely girl who worked at Los, named Claire. She was going to hair school at Paul Mitchell, so it was dirt cheap ($8) for a haircut. Plus, she was the best. Everyone even at the school knew it.

When she graduated, I didn’t really know how to contact her, plus I was so busy I didn’t have time to drive to Provo to get it cut. So, I did the tried and true method of just letting it grow. I did have to get a small trim at one point because I, who never gets split ends, was getting split ends.

So, basically I am saying that in 2 years, I’ve only had a trim. So, now it is long long long. I’ve debated getting it cut. But there are other reasons than just being completely lazy. 1) I love being able to pull my hair back into a bun. Anyone who has met me within the last year probably thinks that is the only way I do my hair! 2) I don’t have to round brush my hair when drying it. Just the flip it upside-down treatment.

Over the years I have tried creams, I have dried gels, I have dried other liquids to tame it. At one time, there were 5 separate products going into my hair before I even styled it. I have wittled it down now to about 2. For those of you thinking that I should just wear it curly, let me present this picture to show you how unruly it is. There are no uniform curls or waves. It is a shock of uneven, messy kinks. (This hair picture has been tamed with gels, mind you, so not as big as it can be)

Every hair lady I’ve ever had does this the first time she touches my hair: “Oh my gosh, it is so thick! I have never seen hair so thick!” Then following the cut: “Look at all that hair on the floor, holy cow! There is more on the floor after your trim than is left on other people’s heads.” My long time hair lady said that not only do I have more hair follicles (causes the thickness), but the strands themselves are thicker (makes it heavy), and about 30-40% of the strands are black black and kinky (makes it frizzy). I enter this photo as evidence of the black, kinky nature (both of these strands come from my head).

I write this post because no one ever believes me when I complain about my hair. They only see it after it has been shellacked, preened, and forced into submission. And probably pulled back. I submit these photos as evidence, though they can’t even really show how thick it is. And, might I add, I look terrible in these photos as it is early morning, so note the sacrifice.

It’s not all bad, there is a positive. What I love about my hair: it is so thick, and has such coarse texture, I don’t even have to wash it every other day. Every 2nd day for me, thanks! And honestly, I can go even longer without washing, but I usually don’t….. Unless I really don’t want to and then Hello dry shampoo!

(This is the process from hair dry to straighten. The second picture shows one side done, the other side not)