All About the Hair

Okay, I can't really believe I'm writing this, but here goes.

(This is for you, J.J. and Lisa, and even you, Julie)

Disclaimer:

Now, if you're like me, and think my hair is hideous, you're not going to want to read any further.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away {that's how my dad used to begin every story}, there was a little girl named Elizabeth. Elizabeth had a LOT of hair. Like, a lot. And her mom tried so hard to tame Elizabeth's unruly mane. She would put it in braids and pontytails. She would use gallons of Dippity-Do. But alas, Elizabeth's hair was just too thick, and too long. Eventually {when she was 8}, Elizabeth got her first major haircut. Over 12 inches was chopped off, and only then was her hair slightly easier to manage. As she grew older she came to embrace the hair that drove her crazy as a child. She realized that, while she often still longed for stick-straight, fine hair, too much hair was probably better than too little. And, in the end, Elizabeth and her hair, lived happily ever after.

Okay, so that's not quite the way it ends. But there is some truth to that story. A lot of truth, actually. I have very thick hair. Most people can't tell how much until they start working with it {like my poor, former, hair stylists. Poor things. They didn't know what hit them until they were about halfway through a weave!}. My hair also happens to be a bit coarse, and wavy. But not the all-over beautiful waves. Oh no. It's selectively wavy. As in, it chooses to do a wave thing in the oddest of places. I learned, at an early age, that management is key. I also learned a trick that most hair stylists will tell you. Do not wash your hair every day. Though my hair has changed a lot with each pregnancy, I still try to stick to the every other day washing as much as possible.

Rules of thumb:

*Do what works for you. I say, if you just have to wash your hair each day, do it. What works for one doesn't work for all.

*Know your hair limitations. For years my hubby begged me to get my hair cut short with layers. My hair just won't do that. If I were to cut my hair above my shoulders it would take on a triangular effect. My hair would be as wide as it was long, and that's just not the look I was goin' for.

*Change it up, but I don't recommend going too drastic. Of course, this is another ~ to each his own, rule. If you are a drastic, daring kinda gal, go for it. I, however, find that if I change it up too much, I regret it.

*You don't have to spend a ton of money on hair care {see below for more details}

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What cracks me up about y'all's comments regarding my 'do from the Pumpkin patch picture is that it happened to be my no-wash hair day. I may have run a brush through it one or two strokes, but that was the extent. Brush, brush, throw in a clip, and there ya have it. As for frugal hair care . . . I used to think that I had to have the most expensive wash and rinse. Well, that just doesn't always fit into the family budget, don'tchaknow. Now, I often use Suave's daily clarifying shampoo {I've heard that you always want to use a shampoo that you can see through. They are less likely to leave residue}. And you can get a bottle of that for less than $2! I am a conditioner kinda gal. I have to use it. I don't think I've ever gone without it, and I'm actually getting the chills just thinking about what might happen if I didn't use a conditioner after washing. I usually go with a deep conditioning conditioner, but I'm not all that picky.

Following those lines of frugality, I used to have my hair done at the salon on a regular basis. Once every 4 months I would have a weave and a trim/cut. I realize that that isn't all that often, only 3 times a year. BUT, I have a lot of hair. It often cost {at our small, local, country hair salon} upwards of $120. That is over $350 a year! This is what I've found . . . for about $20 I can have my mom come over and help me with my highlights {yes, this does involve a cap, but beggars can't be choosers}. That's a savings of $300/year. Also, I cut my own hair. Don't judge. I've found that not only am I saving money, but my mom and I do a pretty good job, AND I don't have to find a sitter or leave my baby ;)

So, that's that. My hair secrets. No real secret, huh? Let me just leave you with this {and it's taken me a long time to get here}, work with your hair, not against it. Embrace your hair positives. Everybody's got at least a few ;)

Happy Saturday! Here's to a good-hair weekend!