A Year of Blogging: April 30, 2011

Today is Hairstyle Appreciation Day. It's a day to celebrate your hair. I try. But my hair makes it so difficult. For most of my life I have hated my hair. It has only been in the last five years or so that I have hated it less. That's when I realized it has a mind of its own, and it isn't worth the daily battle. My hair is thick. Incredibly thick. I once compared a strand of my hair with a strand of a friends, and mine was three times as thick. Growing up in Berlin, we went to the local hairstylist. There were usually elderly ladies there, and they would comment on my 'lovely' hair, and wish for such thickness. I told them they could have it. I was serious! The thick hair is ok when my hair is short. But sometimes, I decided it would be so nice to have it long. This always seems like a better idea than it really is. For example- when my hair is short, it is pretty much wash and go. I wash it, towel dry it, run a brush through it for a little style, and by the time I get to work it's dry. With long hair, I have to work at it a little more. It's harder to towel dry- the back of it sucks up water like a sponge. I either have to take the time to dry it and style it, or I need to pull it back. Even pulling it back takes more fuss than when it's short. On the plus side, when my hair is longer I can wear cute barrettes, pretty clips, and neat ponytail holders. Another negative is that my hair is heavy. This also translates to hot. Especially in the summer. So in the warmer weather, I usually wear it pulled up and off my neck. Which seems to defeat the purpose of having it long, yet we go back to the clips and barrettes argument. When I started growing my hair out a couple of years ago, I bought all kinds of hair ornaments. I have a whole basket full now, so it seems a waste to cut my hair. When my hair is down, it can be pretty. It's full, and I know people spend a lot of money looking for the volume I was blessed with. It is so thick, I lose my peripheral vision if I wear it down. I only wish I were kidding. I can't see through my hair! There was once a time that my family said I didn't leave the house without every hair in place. Hairspray was my best friend. I've gotten over that. Partly because I know that the time spent styling my hair is so much better spent grabbing a few extra minutes of sleep each day. It also seems silly to spend so much time doing my hair, when I don't wear makeup or jewelry most days. It seems just when I made peace with my hair and it's thickness, my hair decided to have the last laugh. For most of my life- over 33 years to be exact, my hair has been stick straight. My parents both had wavy hair. My sister's hair has always been incredibly curly. We were the two extremes. I got perms to get curls, and my sister got straightening perms to get rid of the curls. I always wanted her hair. Whenever she had to put her hair up for a special occasion, such as her wedding, she just pinned up the sides and away she went- with perfect springy Shirley Temple curls. I also had those curls for her wedding: I spent four hours at the salon getting my hair done. There was so much hairspray in my hair that it felt like concrete! And suddenly, about a year and a half ago, I started noticing this curl in my hair. Well, it started as a kink, and it has now become a full blown curl. My stylist and I are stumped. Every time he cuts a little length off my hair, it gets curlier. I'm half afraid to cut it short again, fearing that it will become a very tight curl. So I'm learning to adjust to the curl. I know I have to put some kind of product in my hair, or it frizzes. When my hair dries naturally, it is about 3 feet wide. I've been trying to figure this curl thing out. If I wear it down, I feel like it looks great for a couple hours, then the curl sags and frizzes. It's so frustrating. I was thinking about it this morning in the shower, and that I'd have to ask my stylist what to use. Although I hate to do this, he will recommend something at the salon that is super pricey. Then it hit me! My sister has dealt with this hair for years. Her hair always looks great. So I will ask my sister what she recommends. Hopefully, her tips will help me truly appreciate this mane!