Hairy Encounters

I don’t know about you but I am a bit precious about my hair. This wasn’t always the case. When I was little I had very short hair. Cropped. Like a boy.

It stayed like that for a few years. And then I grew it. Just till just below my shoulders. I can’t remember why. But in Year 6 at school, we had a rule that anyone with long hair had to have it tied in a ponytail or braided and oiled. Yes, oiled. Now I know it’s common for Indians to oil their hair but I hated oiling mine! I didn’t mind having a bit of oil and then shampooing it off thoroughly straight after but hated keeping it for longer than a night.

So the rebel in me decided that the only way to ‘follow’ the school rule was this: Cut my hair!

Which I did. To a short boyish cut. Best decision ever. Except when I tried to grow it again. You know that stage where your hair gets completely out of control? Well, that was mine. It just grew all over the place and I couldn’t do much about it. Falling on my eyes. Sticking out everywhere. Not long enough to tie or cut appropriately. Not short enough to just let it be. And I got into trouble at school. From my worst ever teacher. Who yelled at me in class for having a “fashion show”. Yes…tomboy me was apparently involved in a fashion show. Consequently, I endured wearing a headband to school for a few weeks. Weeks I have repressed.

For the rest of my school years until I came to Australia, I had the same boring hair style. A short blunt cut/bob cut.

I remember my uncle would make fun of my hairstyle and its dagginess and ask me to change it. But back then, I wasn’t open to change. So it stayed. After coming to Australia though, I grew my hair. It had nothing to do with wanting a change. Just that as a poor uni student, I couldn’t afford a haircut! 😀

So it grew and grew. And it made me realise just how wavy my hair was. It wasn’t as I’d envisioned when I was young — no long and straight and smooth. It was wavy at the ends and oily. Sigh. But then, one of my housemates introduced me to one of the best inventions in 2007 — a hair straightener.

I never looked back.

I straightened my hair almost everyday since 2008.  Let’s face it — it was easier to manage. It looked better. And it was straight! A few months ago though, I got told off by the hairdresser when I had my usual 6-monthly haircut. She told me that there were parts of my hair that looked a bit singed.

That did it.

Like I said at the start, I am precious about my hair. And I will look after it. If that meant stopping the straightening except every now and then, I would do it. So for the last couple of months, I have in fact allowed the waves back. And you know what? they aren’t so bad. Especially when it’s tied up and I can’t tell anyway!

I discovered something new though. On the weekend away last month, my friend B tried something with my hair. She attempted to curl it. And you know what? For someone who didn’t like waves and hated the idea of curly hair, I loved it!

What do you reckon?

Are you a fan or long hair or short? Straight, curly or wavy?

At the end though, I reckon we all want what we don’t have! 🙂

Share your hairy stories…

***Linking with Grace for FYBF***

Until next time,

Cheers!!!