Monday, April 09, 2012

H is for Hair

I feel like this post launches me into the category of 'Girl who takes pictures of herself in the bathroom mirror and then posts the entire collection to a facebook album entitled "Just Me."'  I'm going to risk it.

I never used to have to worry too much about my hair.  It was down to my waist and straight as a stick.  I could curl it with hot rollers or leave it straight.  I could put it up or wear it down.  Yay for straight hair.  Of course I complained about how it was so straight, etc.  Doesn't everyone complain about their hair, just a little?  But at least I had the time to fiddle around with it if I wanted to and it usually cooperated.

Despite threats and warnings from my friends of my youth, I had it cut over the years.  Yes, slowly snipped away at the length until it was to my shoulder blades, then just below my shoulders.  I still could look at the "long hair styles" in the magazines at the salon.

First "short" cut
With each child something changed in the chemistry of my hair.  Subtle at first, a little more body and less straight.  Something also changed in the amount of time I had to even care about my hair. Pony tails were my friend.  On the occasional date with my husband I tried to make it look nice and it still seemed somewhat possible.

Finally in an effort to ditch "frumpy" I had it cut into an angled bob.  I really like this style.  This is what I do- I cut it, let it grow long, then cut it again.  I don't usually visit a salon more than once every 9 months (*gasp*).  It goes through the stages of nice, ok, straggly, frumpy, going crazy, then back to nice when I get it cut again.  Slowly the angled bob got shorter and shorter.  Now I have to look in "short hair style" magazines and somehow it hurts my feelings- in my head I'm still a long-haired girl.
Shorter and shorter, oops

Then I moved to a hot, humid climate.  Hot and humid year round.  At first everything seemed fine.  Then slowly my hair started rejecting all the shampoos and conditioners I tried and staged a protest by alternately looking greasy and spastic, or dry and spastic.

With the birth of my fourth baby my hair officially declared that it is wavy now.  I can't even convince myself it is straight anymore.  Not even close.  What to do?

Finally last week I decided maybe I'd better look into something for it.  I hate spending money on it (hence, a haircut once every 9 months).  Money and blog posts on hair are completely ridiculous and self-absorbed.

Yesterday I bought two curl cream product thingys.  One exorbitantly priced cream product and one cheap, cheap, cheap hair lotion (lotion for hair, really?!).  I was so embarrassed to show them to my husband.  I muttered the price and told him to take it out of my very own hobby money fund.  Because that is what this is, a hobby to figure out what to do with this mop on my head.

Result of exorbitant cream applied to hair this morning: ----------------->

I'm looking forward to trying the cheap stuff- hoping it works well so that I won't feel tempted to spend that much on a bottle of silliness ever again.

And so ends my diatribe- with all the women who are reading this nodding and thinking of their own hair saga and all the men who have made it this far shaking their heads and wondering why they read the whole thing.  Sorry, folks.  There is no redeeming moral at the end.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

hahaha :) Totally laughed at your last few lines ;) You are so right. And it's OK not to have a redeeming moral at the end! I'm finding I need to give myself freedom to just post about something frivolous because often I feel like in order to be "blog worthy" it has to have an amazing point and all tie together. And I feel guilty if it doesn't...Why do I think like that!?

Java with the Johnsons said...

hahaha...awesome...i was totally going to do H for hair too...but in the end...i had the stuff prepped for an easter post...hence the h for holy week...but don't worry...my "hair" one is coming too...whenever i can get it written. love your curly looking hair...super cute!

Sabrina said...

* hug * That's a share hug, one for you and one for myself, and one for anyone else who can empathize :)

Skylark said...

Val I LOVE your waves! So nice! I keep having dreams that my hair will change like that with each baby (thicker please?), but it's been two and my hair is exactly the same. Enjoy your new hair! And I hope you can afford another bottle of silliness because sometimes it's ok to look nice! (unless it was 100 dollars or something...)

Sarah said...

I am about a once a year hair cut person. Usually it is when I am so frustrated I have to chop it off again. So Soon I think I will be off to the chopping block again. Right now we are in Pony tails and a bit of a disheveled look most of the time. I think your hair looked great- mine used to be so curly and in control when I lived in Zambia. the Dry climate over here has changed it a lot. Enjoy the Humidity - for the positive effects it has on your not so straight hair :
).

Anonymous said...

Val i LOVE this look. I have heard of this crazy phenomenon where hair radically changes with many babies... well, it has done well for you :)
I like it, but the question is, do you?? :) ps. thanks for sharing B, its good to have her back.. Sarah M

Mel said...

hold the phone! You BLOG.. and I'm just finding out about it... well sheesh! I will now 'follow' you and be delighted to stay more in touch with your world again - your hair is super cute - I'm all for hacking it off and being spunky in our 'older age' now. heh.
Blessings to you all!
Mel
www.needleandnestdesign.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

My hair turned red when I was pregnant, but didn't stay that way. Never done much cutting, now just *thin and grey. ~Mom

*hair, that is

Dana said...

Love this! I have really fine hair cut in an angled bob, which seems to work as long as I get regular trims. It did get a little thicker during my pregnancies, but it seems to be back to normal now. Enjoyed your post!

Stopping by from the A to Z Challenge. Nice to meet you!