I Finally Learned How to Accept and Appreciate My Fine, "Lifeless" Hair ~ health and fitness,celebrity news,fashion blog,beauty women,whole foods,quotes about love

mercredi 18 avril 2018

I Finally Learned How to Accept and Appreciate My Fine, "Lifeless" Hair

Over the years, I have struggled with liking the texture of my fine hair. In my 30s, I'm finally at a place where my thinner hair and I are pretty content, but it hasn't always been this way. In high school, my hair was long, blond, and straight and just laid there flat and lifeless. It was never voluminous even with all the products I scoured the pharmacy shelves for that said it would be. I tried every layered haircut that hairdressers convinced me would help lift it. It would never hold curl, even after paying big bucks at the salon for fancy curls and half updos. I never jumped to purchase any of the fun, new flat irons my friends raved about because my hair was so straight to begin with. I let it grow and grow, then chopped off 11 inches and donated it. It hasn't been as long as it was in my teen years for a long time, not just because I cut off so many inches but because it wasn't growing back as quickly as it had previously. Then, just before entering college, my sun-kissed, blond-since-I-was-born hair started growing out darker; it looked like I had highlights and hadn't gone back for any root work for a while. I learned the hard way that over-the-counter hair-dyeing kits were NOT for me, due to the orange hue that came out of a box claiming it would make me blond again.

Some women with straight hair want curly, curly want straight, thick want less hair to bother with, thin want more, brunettes want to be blonde, blondes want to be blonder - the grass is always greener on the other side. I even had about a year I simply refer to as my "crunchy hair phase" because I was so desperate for some oomph I would towel it dry after a shower then scrunch it with all kinds of gel, moose, and hairspray until it looked (or as I thought at the time) like I had a natural wave. I also paid a lot of money for a salon body wave, thinking I would leave with a new semipermanent beach-wave look since it promised extra volume for fine hair. It did not give me extra anything, except more to pay off on my credit card.

I don't know why it took me so long to appreciate my super low-maintenance hair texture.

I am fairly low-maintenance when it comes to my beauty routine, usually donning just mascara and lip gloss when leaving the house, so I don't know why it took me so long to appreciate my super low-maintenance hair texture. What I've come to realize is that many women would love to skip the flatiron step of their routine or even having to blow it dry, which also isn't a must for me. My hair may be fine, but I've learned that doesn't mean it has to lay flat. Along the way, after trying countless body-boosting shampoos, I found a natural, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner I really like that actually does give a little volume if I blow-dry right after the shower. And if I don't? My hair dries stick straight, and I never have to worry about flyaways or uneven texture if all I do is run a brush through it after washing.

I've also come to terms with the fact that my new hair color is a dark blond or, dare I say it, light brown! (Can you tell I'm still struggling with loving the color? Give me a minute, I'm just now in a good relationship with the texture.) And the texture, what I used to see as annoyingly fine, thin, and laying there lifeless, is now appreciated when I can easily walk out the door with little-to-no prep time. I've found ways to make it lay nicely - not lifeless - by simply using the right round brush when blowing it dry. I also came across an awesome volumizing root spray I spritz on after a blow dry that actually works! I've found different braids that I can tweak to look full by watching a few YouTube videos, I can make top knots and messy buns work, and finally, after all these years, I can fully embrace my not-so-full hair. So, while the grass may seem greener on the other side, I'm pretty happy with the fine green that's happening right over here.

mercredi 18 avril 2018