Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Trouble With Curly Hair

You hear it all the time, people who wish they had curly hair tell me how lucky I am to have curls.
But if they actually had to live with curly hair, I don't think they'd be so anxious.
The problem with curly hair is that it always looks a little bit celebratory. Think about it. If women are going out for a fancy evening or a special dinner or even dancing, they curl their hair. So how weird is it to wear curly hair when I'm going for a run, or working in the garden, or vacuuming, or arguing with a teenager.The hair looks totally inappropriate -- way too dressy.
I think the French got it right by calling it frisés. Most of the time, my curly hair is frizzy.
The thing is, anyone can have curly hair, all they have to do is get a perm. To have straight hair though is trickier. None of my hair dressers (is that still a word or does that make me sound 80 years old?) have recommended the Brazilian hair straightening process because it uses some sort of chemicals, like formaldehyde.
So if I want straight hair, I have to take the time each day to flat iron it. Not really a problem in the winter time. Even if I run in the morning, I don't sweat much and my hair doesn't react by frizzing or curling, but welcome to the summer and my hair grows and grows.
The first few days after I stop flat ironing, my hair is in a kind of stupor. It curls but doesn't go overboard. By the second or third day, the curls are feeling rebellious. They start to corkscrew, especially on the right side.
My hair, when curly reaches my shoulders. Straightened, it reaches well down my back. As the humidity increases, my hair will look shorter and shorter as it takes on a global quality -- and by that, I mean it looks like a globe, a big round ball.
I tell my hair cutter (could that be the right word? At least I'm not calling her a beautician) that I need the length in the summer to help weigh down the curls.
There was one time I really embraced my curls. About 10 years ago, my hair was long enough that it almost fell into dreadlocks -- long individual curls.
I'd use a clip to pull a few curls back. My hair felt beautiful. When I ran, I'd braid it, and the braid was long enough to pull in front of my shoulder to finish. The braid swished back and forth against my back during my runs, and I had to buy pony tail holders without metal on them because they'd leave abrasions against my back where the end of the braid rubbed. I probably could have put on more clothes instead.
So here we are in May, and my curls are in full swing again. It's time to embrace my wild hair. After all, I can always fall back on the  pony tail.
Have you ever wished you had curly hair? If you have curly hair, what are your secrets to keep it tame?

12 comments:

Suzie Tullett said...

At least your hair is curly throughout, Paulita. Mines two thirds curly with the top section straight! To combat this, I did indeed have the Brazilian blow dry... It caused so much steam the smoke alarms for the whole shopping centre (I think you'd call it a mall?) went off. So there I was, hair half done, stood out in the main shopping street along with every other consumer and worker in the whole place. The fire brigade weren't happy, but hey, at least by the end of the day my hair looked ok x

Just Me said...

You'll get no sympathy - because your hair always looks fabulous. Who's hair looks good before, during and after a run? Gee wiz batman.

Beautiful picture.

Suzie that was hilarious.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Women with fine straight hair (like me) want yours and I suppose you'd like a long bob at times like mine....LOL

Paulita said...

Funny story, Suzie. I'm sure the whole adventure will work itself into one of your novels.
Just Me, your hair always looks good
Dianne, yes, I would trade for your straight bob

Linda said...

I have frizzy hair and I hate it. I've done the Brazilian treatment and it's the only time I have ever loved my hair. They have something cheaper and faster now called Blow Out too but it doesn't last as long. I wear a hat a lot because one puff of humid wind and my smooth hair is over. Tried an expensive shampoo called AP smooth and I like it but it's not a miracle.

Esme said...

Curly hair always seems to have some frizz to it-unless you live somewhere humid.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Funny you should write about this today .. I thought to myself where have all these waves /curls come from?/ I used to have straight hair with a little bit of a kink,, but in the last year it has developed curl, so much so , that my hairdresser remarked on it ,, and my hair is thick.. I Straighten my hair sometimes, depends on how I feel , otherwise I just let it go wild LOL LOL ,,

Louise said...

As one cursed with fine, straight hair, I'm always very jealous of you lucky folks with gorgeous curly hair. I would so love a head of wild curls. Hair is one of those things though, we always want we don't have.

Delana@dujour said...

You're not getting any sympathy from me, Paulita! Five years ago I found a slight BEND behind my right ear. I was so excited I started whooping and hollering. And I can't curl it cause the curls just fall out. And a perm…oh my…let's just say I CAN empathize with your global hair remark!

Stela Dimitrov said...

Curly hair is a trend nowadays. With proper care and nourishment, you can achieve dramatic looks that we always admire on our fave celebrities. You can flaunt your curly mane without worrying about tangling if you use some mousse to define the body of your hair.

ThePureSalonspa.com

DY Hair777 said...

I like this site, this is very informative article!! Please Visit:

human hair wigs
malaysian hair
best hair extensions

O Snap Hair - Best Virgin Hair Company USA said...

I know it's tough to manage curly hair, people with silky straight hair say we can never make any style etc etc, but I know how far we have to work many hours to just make them look normal.

Cockadoodle Doo or Cocorico?

 We stood in the middle of the road, having walked together 13 miles that day and Claudine grasped my forearm. "Mais non! It doesn'...