Tuesday, April 6, 2010

hair’s the story

I’m working on an experiment. I haven’t shampooed my hair in four days. Before you say ewwww and run away, let me explain.

Since watching the docu-comedy,
Good Hair, with Chris Rock, I’ve had hair on the brain. I’ve also had a few hairbrained ideas about how to tame the hair that sits on top of my daughter’s head. Iz has hated her beautiful locks since she arrived at the ‘tween stage of her life. She now spends a lot of time each day with the straightening iron in her hand, whipping her curls into submission. Any comments, or compliments, about her hair from either parent often results in tears.

I grabbed this shot on a day when her hair was left to its own devices...


_MG_8210

In one of my many attempts to get my daughter to make peace with her hair, I picked up this book:







I placed the book into her hands, and she seemed grateful to receive it. Maybe she was thinking it would help her eliminate her curly locks once and for all.

Now if this book was one that Iz was at all intrigued by, she would have taken it up to her room and read every word in private. When she left it lying on a table in our living room, I knew that she didn’t intend to pick it up again.








So, I borrowed the book and took the “Are you a curly girl?” quiz. Based on the results, I decided to see what would happen if I followed the author’s advice, taking the steps she recommends to bring out my inner curl.


And guess what?


I’M A CURLY GIRL TOO!



self portrait

self portrait

These photos were taken today. Day four. No shampoo.

Lorraine says that the worst thing you can do to curly hair is shampoo and blow dry it. She has actually made her home a no-shampoo zone. I’m not going that far. Since I don’t have the corkscrew curls she does, I’ll be shampooing mine eventually. She recommends about once a week for my type of curls. I’ve spent a lot of time round brush rolling and blow drying my hair over the years, only to have it work like a weather barometer, frizzing at the first sign of humidity. When is it not humid in Portland?

“It’s your head, not your hair, that needs straightening,” says Lorraine.

Now, how do I persuade my daughter to embrace her curls?

10 comments:

Susan said...

Cindy! Your "curly girl" hair is gorgeous!!! It's so much longer, and it makes you look ten years younger! I L.O.V.E., love it!!! You should never straighten it again...seriously. Who knew?

I wish my hair was like that. I'm blessed with just enough wave to make it aggravating and on top of that, the gray hair has it's own agenda in the humidity.

Your hair looks just as clean as mine does right after I wash it. I think you found a real gem in that book.

I love Isabel's hair, too. I've always wanted curly hair. Why do we always want the hair that we don't have? It's the mystery of the ages, for sure.

Fannie said...

Oh for the love of...my daughters agonize over, and blame me for, their stick straight hair! We would collectively kill for your curls!

Cindy said...

Susan, Your hair looks thick, straight and beautiful to me... what I always wanted. My hair has always had a few waves, usually where I don't want them, but this amount of curl is new. Pretty sure it came along with menopause. Big hugs and kisses for thinking I look ten years younger.

Cindy said...

Fannie, It's so true we always want what we don't have. I'm hoping my daughter learns to appreciate her curls someday, but for now, I'll just continue to buy her those straightening products.

jazgal said...

I agree Cindy - Your hair looks GREAT au natural! Here's to "curly girl"!

I hope that Iz is inspired eventually - one of the hardest things is for a teen to accept and appreciate how they are and their innate beauty.

I've come back to washing my hair every three or four days, and pretty happy with the results. I get that automatic barometer of frizz when things get humid. I'm working with my stylist to do more layers and live with the waves. I'd like to get away from the hair dryer too.

Sharon said...

Love your curly girl look! It's perfect for Portland weather!

My hair is curly underneath and straight on top so if I want to go au naturel, I have to boink in some pincurls (remember those?) on the top.

Cindy said...

jazgal, thanks! I've heard that your hair actually halts oil production if you wash it less frequently. I'm on day six now! and after a rinse and condition this morning, it still looks clean. I haven't exactly solved any of the world's problems with my little experiment, but come summer it'll be nice to not have a hair dryer blowing hot air at me. See you soon I hope!

Cindy said...

Thanks Sharon! I actually twist in a few curls on top after the rinse and condition and leave them clipped for about an hour. This morning I realized the clips were still sticking out of my head as I was leaving the house.

Anonymous said...

I love the curls! I wish I had them. Ha! Maybe I do! I shampoo and blowdry daily.
First time here . . . found you from PW :)

Cindy said...

Lumberjackswife, Thanks for visiting! You should try the condition only routine and find out... you could be a curly girl too! Hope to see you again soon.