I just had to invest in a new flat iron which I use to straighten my unruly hair. The purchase set me back a cool $200! Talk about inflation since my last acquisition a few years ago, but as is the case in all necessities (yes, I consider this a necessity of life), I had no choice. As I handed over my Visa card I tried to think about the air miles I was accumulating rather than the cost of the item.
I did feel that my well-being merited the expenditure since any woman knows that having a good hair day not only promotes happiness but also wards off grouchiness. And my husband agrees that this is a small price to pay if it helps keep me in a good mood.
Some people tell me that I am lucky to have wavy hair, but this usually comes from those with poker-straight hair or those who just don’t understand my dilemma. I don’t possess nice uniform waves that fall perfectly into place and that produce beautiful, bouncy curls. No, I am stuck with rebellious, kinky waves that tend to go in all the wrong directions, in all the wrong places and in the most unflattering fashion.
That is why my morning routine consists of carefully blow-drying my tresses and then even more carefully straightening each segment of hair. Oh, how I envy those gals who can just shampoo and go. They don’t have to worry about getting caught in a rainstorm, or their appearance after being in the pool, or about the ravages that a hot, humid day can produce. They just run their fingers through their hair and it looks great!
Mine has been a lifetime of battling this stubborn head of hair. Back in high school (before the days of modern flat irons) I tried fixing the problem by literally ironing my long hair, but it was really tough trying to lay my head flat on an ironing board. Plus, a trusted friend was needed to wield the iron without burning my scalp. I have also tried using chemical straighteners but after one disastrous result I have stayed away from that option.
Travelling to foreign lands always presents a challenge as I try to pack as lightly as possible and rely on hotel supplies. On one trip with my daughter in Australia, the hostel did not provide a hair blower, and the flat iron by itself was no match for my dominant waves. I whined most of the next day about my awful hair until my daughter (tired of listening to me) plopped a cap on my head and that solved that!
The other day one of my friends posted a picture of her younger self with permed hair and the caption OMG! To be honest, I sort of miss those days. Although I have no intention of going back to curly, permed hair, it was the only time I could shower, put some product in my hair, comb it out and let it dry on its own. Those awful, smelly perms were the only thing powerful enough to tame my wild hair.
Thank goodness I am now retired and have the time to fuss with my hair in the morning. Plus I am old enough to realize that I can’t control everything in my life and my hair reminds me of that on a daily basis.
