My Hair story

When I was a kid my hair was something my parents were proud of. I had thick long black lustrous hair.

And I was very thin, so thin that I was not called pencil but pencil lead ! Well wishers told my Amma that all I ate was taken by my hair and that’s why I was thin and my hair was thick. Amma was worried. After all, any parent would want their child to be healthy and healthy means chubby and so in an attempt to make me healthy, she cut my hair to shoulder length. And she waited for the magic. But alas! neither I became chubby nor my hair grew. It took one full year for my hair to grow back and touch my bums, as it used to. And I was pencil lead for another 4-5 yrs. Since then, cutting hair, even the split ends, is a sin for my Amma.

I did not care if my hair was short or long. Hair care was my Amma’s and dee’s duty. Till 12th std, it was either my Amma or dee who made my hair.  In school we had to wear it in pigtails (plaited and folded ) with a red ribbon. All that plaiting and pigtailing of wet hair for hours together, for 12 long yrs left my hair into a state that it was neither straight, nor wavy nor curly. But did I care ? No !!!

As I reached my teens, my hair size started reducing and waist size started increasing. By the time I was in college I had put on weight and my hair fall miseries had started. The hair in my comb/towel/floor seemed to be much more than what was left on the head. But did I care ? No !!!

I would sleep leaving my hair open and when I woke up it would a ghosla. My dee patiently combed my hair and tied it in a bun on the top of my head. But sometimes sleepy me wouldn’t allow her to do that.

From appreciating my hair and being anxious about my thin frame, well wishers  started sympathizing for my leftover hair and giving suggestions to reduce weight !

I started noticing my hair and then I started hating my hair. I tried all the home remedies and the shampoo and oils available in market, but nothing worked. My hair fall saga continued.

And then I got the idea of straightening my hair. My shame in the name of hair would at least look presentable if straightened. I checked at a saloon, for permanent hair straightening. That was 4 yrs ago. They said it would cost me 5k and then if I maintain ( who me ?) it properly using special shampoo + conditioner, I would have straight hair for upto 6 months. What ? 6 months! But I asked for permanent straightening!. They laughed.  There is no such thing as permanent hair straightening. Whichever method you use, you’ll have to do touch ups at least twice a year. That was ridiculous, spend 5 k on hair that too twice in a year! I said good bye to them.

I thought of alternate (read cheap) methods of straightening hair.

1. Using Iron box – Nope. I can’t burn my hair like I burn my clothes. ( I burnt a hole in my FIL’s brand new shirt  just a week after I became his DIL! 😦 )

2. Tie rulers to my hair. No! I would come to know the measurement of my hair, which would be highly demotivating.

3. Watch a horror movie and get my hair to stand up? Good idea. I sat to watch Raaz 2, all alone in a dark room in the midnight.  My hair became straight all right but not by standing up. The movie made me pull my hair out.  I don’t want to do it again.

4. A little electric shock treatment? No way! I can’t risk being normal. I am happy being a little mental, the way I am 🙂

5. Use balloons rubbed with cloth for the hair raising experience ? But the balloon of straight hair expectations bursts with the balloons 😦

6. Wash my hair with Ujala stiff and shine ?

Hmmm.. But would I be able to comb my hair later or tie it up when its too hot and sweaty ? OMG! sweat and starch.. I hate the sticky combination.

7. I can decorate my hair with metallic beads and wear a magnet on my belt. Wow great!! But, what if all staplers, paperclips,scissors get attracted to my belt or if I get attached to the door of my cab?

8. Put my hair in a tube ? My hair turned out to be like kutte ki dhum, khabi seedi hi nahi hoti.

Finally I gave up the plan and left my hair to its fate.

But now my son is bent upon straightening my hair. He pulls,chews, then pulls again whenever he is able to lay his hand on my hair.

One good thing happened to my hair this month; after years of pondering ‘to do or not to do’, I finally cut my hair shoulder length, a layer cut and voila it looks better.

Image Courtesy : All the images except the last one are taken from Google images.

This post has been submitted for  The Straight Hair Experiment Contest sponsored by Sunsilk on Indiblogger.