Well a love/hate story for me.
My hair today is naturally wavy which means it leans frizzy.
Before I had kids. Before I got married. Before I got old. My hair was smooth, thick and very healthy. I’m not blaming my husband and kids for any turn of events, I’m just stating facts.
Beside a low point when I decided to try to “perm” my hair and ended up with a tight Afro for half a year – my hair has been good to me.
It’s the kind of hair that people would comment on. It’s so shiny. It’s so pretty. Yada yada. Indians have good hair. Ask Chris Rock – he did a whole documentary on it.
Sometimes stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.
I spend a lot of time thinking about my hair.
For those of you reading this who can’t relate, good for you. I would love to be so irreverent. But I can’t. For me, it’s all about the schedule. The hair washing schedule.
If I’m having a good day, if I’m not having a good day…it’s about the hair.
No. Not a good hair day. That’s cute. I’m talking about a daily, hourly evaluation of where my hair is at.
Day one to two of washing – it’s amazing. I’ve cared for it. I’ve blown it out (or I’ve had a very nice woman named Lydia blow it out). It’s peak. I’m peak.
Even during these peak days there is a struggle. Or at least now there’s a struggle. When I wasn’t working out – it was no big deal. But now there’s a delicate but immense balance between clean, blown-out hair and working out.
In the winter months I was walking my literal ass off and breaking a minor sweat. My hair was in great shape after a 10K walk.
Now…in this thick, hot, steamy heat…I look like a drowned rat after I walk. And that’s me being kind to myself.
I have to plan my workouts/walks either before or after a peak day. That’s right. My health journey is fully dependent on my hair schedule. I told you this shit was complicated.
Oh…try dry shampoo you say? Genius. I’ve done it. I’m on it. I’m in it. It can help – but it can’t perform miracles. I’ve also tried hats, hair bands, hair nets, etc.
I plan my workouts and hair washing like some people do meal prep during the week. Here’s my week….here’s what I need to look good for…here’s what I can get away with…ugh. It’s an ordeal.
Listen – I know I have like tier 2 hair issues. There are black girls reading this and rolling their eyes. I get it. I bow down. But it’s still a thing for me. A big THING.
To add insult to injury, last year, during the height of Covid…I started losing hair. It just started falling out. Was it stress? Was it hormones? Was it a cosmic joke? I dunno – but what I do know is that it was DEVASTATING.
I freaked out. I bought hair vitamins. I bought expensive products. I googled every hair remedy I could find. I prayed to the hair gods. And then finally, I let it go.
It was what it was. I no longer had that thick, rich head of hair that people commented on.
I was now buying products for “thin hair”. Oh the irony of finally buying something for myself labeled “thin”!
I asked my doctor about it and she said words that resembled menopause and I tuned out completely. What do they know? I’m going back to my old, trusted friend. Instagram.
On Instagram I found my new favorite shampoo.
It’s expensive (by my CVS standards). It’s hard to find. Gwyneth Paltrow uses it. These are all good enough stats for me.
And because my algorithm is now ABBA dance routines and hair products, Instagram also brought the WOW and IGK products into my life. And of course I love them too.
I’ve been using these products for about 2 months and I have to say…legit not one thing has changed. But I’m still into them.
So! If you want to try something that I cannot say has done anything for me except make me feel good -give it a go. My only bit of good news recently has been that Lydia noticed baby hairs growing and said,” Meha (that’s what she calls me), your baby hairs are coming in black not grey!”.
I cried I was so happy.
Hair. It’s ruining and ruling my life. Who wears wigs? DM me.
Here’s 3 peak days I’ve had this summer (one is just to show off my earring TBH):
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