Ok, yeah, so that’s Lady Lovely Locks over there. I’m just giving you an idea of the hair I’ve always wanted. She was one of my first hair idols. Back in 1986, I would have traded my thin Laura Ingalls braids for her golden tresses any day.
My hair has never been thick, and if it gets too long, it becomes stringy, yet too heavy for any volume to thrive at the roots. I discovered this at the tender age of nine or so.
In the years since, I’ve tried layering, going darker, a touch of red, bangs, overwashing, underwashing, volumizing shampoos, high end salons and the “budget” cuts at Meijer.
Ultimately, I’ve wound up where I started. Apart from washing my hair less frequently, and with more natural products, I’m back to the home hair cuts, true color and little to no styling. It seems to be working.
The thing that I had to accept was that I was never going to have thick, wavy hair that looked luxurious in an easy up-do and had that cowlick-free kind of sexy when I awoke. I also had to stop washing with cheap, overkill shampoos once or twice a day.
You heard that right. Twice a day. Horrendous. I quit that habit a decade ago, and weaned myself to every other day.
For over a year now, I’ve been washing my hair just once or twice a week (with some water rinses in between) with Nature’s Gate products. I don’t use any styling product, and rarely a blow dryer. I’ve even gotten a little more adventurous with how I wear my hair. In addition to embracing the Ingalls braids, I’ve incorporated pigtails, ponytails, buns and pin curls. Of course, I’m sure the better diet and hydration have helped as well.
After years of a dull, broken mane, I finally learned that many cheap shampoos strip the natural oils from hair, and conditioners use waxy synthetics to make up for it. I also came to understand that ending the cycle would allow my hair and scalp to find balance. Now, I’m amazed at how clean my hair looks, even when I’ve only rinsed it with water and brushed it… three days after the last wash.
I’m fortunate in that it suits me to not adopt a highly “manicured” look for my hair. I tried highlights, and smoothing the slightest frizz with gel, but feel much more myself with messy knots and realistic color. Of course, there’s this small part of me that will always want to bleach and go blue. But that’s another post for another day.
Be nice to your hair and scalp. Both might last a little longer for it. And for pity’s sake, don’t drown yourself in products… your body is absorbent, and I’m sure you don’t want everything in your aerosol can soaking into your skin.