As I mentioned in another blog of mine, I once had thick-black and long hair. Which is now a chronicle of history for me.
Until my primary schooling I had a
cute bob hair cut, when my hair was trimmed regularly to keep it
short and manageable. By the time I was in my middle school, I had
stopped going to the saloon for the hair cut. May be out of choice, which I cannot no longer remember. My mother applied oil
regularly and combed my hair. She made a centre partition to tie up to
make two plait that would be folded and tied up with the help of a
ribbon. I got compliments from my class teacher for being neat and
tidy till the end-of-the-day. To set an example, Mrs. Leema, my class
teacher called me to stand in front of the class and showed the other
pupils how to pin up hair, that would not be distorted till the end-of-the-day. It encouraged me to nurture my hair. I did not take any
extra measures, but to oil and wash regularly to keep away dust and
dandruff. Oiling one's hair with plain and pure coconut oil is all
one needs for healthy hair.
As years went by, my hair had grown as
long as three-feet and still growing, may be genes in fact are partly
to credited for this. Just that it took a little longer to
wash and dry, there was nothing that bothered me. No special
maintenance, or any special oil and shampoo, just the regular ones
that the rest of the family used. But have to admit that it would
take me over an hour to wash it. Than another hour to remove knots & tangles and brush even. After washing I would never brush them. Just
wrap up in a long cotton cloth until all moisture was absorbed. And used
a wide-toothed comb, to avoid frizz and split ends. An unwritten rule
at my home would be that I enter the bathroom last.
At times, I felt low as I could not
reinvent or try some new hair style. The fancy clip and hair
accessories that generally fit my friend's hair-do, did not go well
with mine. I could not use a lot of clips, buns, slides, clutches,
pins that would allow one to style hair. Even a simple pony tail was
impossible was I could not roll up the bundle more than once. I had
to tie it up or plait it. But was happy that I grew to be popular.
People identified me by my long hair. All of us want to have a mane that we can play with at the right time. And even if a woman is not too fond of long hair, she also wants healthy hair and problem free scalp.
There were many occasion, like my
wedding, when guests wondered if I was wearing extensions. At my
wedding reception, I could not go for a bun, that was in fashion, at
that time. I just let loose the hair, with hair-spray to let it stand
in place. But, by the end of the show, a lot of it had tangled in the
garland around my neck making it impossible to remove without
chopping either one of them. I preferred to cut of portion of the
hair, not the garland. While many drool longingly at the
models in the shampoo ads, which strut their long hair effortlessly
in the wind; believe me, it was not that easy, as it looks. More than
the cost, the time and energy spent on maintenance is great. If
proper care is not taken, they could become dry and brittle, and have
split end.
At 4 ft 4 inches, I had to ensure that
I hold in my hand and bring it to the front and wear like a dupatta
across the shoulder, so that it does not touch the floor rather than
sweep it. There have even been times when I sat on my own hair.
Once, when driving pavilion in my husband's two wheeler, a
traffic inspector alerted me, if my hair would go into the wheels. My
in-laws would tease my husband asking to use me for advertisement and
endorsement of hair-care products. Or, apply for records. I knew, that
the crown sits proudly on the head of the clear winner whose hair was
long enough to set the book of records, and mine stood amid a bevy of
ladies whose hair barely reaches their knee.
At 5 ft, people would ask me the secret
of my long hair, and I would advice saying: Actually it's not too
difficult to maintain hair and have a good scalp. Apart from washing
it frequently and nourishing it from outside, it's important that you
nourish it from within. The actual secret was in my genes.
After the birth of my second child, I
went for a tonsure. I could no longer boast of long hair as in my
youth since I had now lost the treasured inheritance.
Many had earlier asked me if I felt it
heavy on my shoulder, i had immediately reply with a big No. Now i
cannot resist the urge to go to the parlour and get a trim if not a
full hair cut. I immediately dismiss the thought of growing my hair
again, if given a choice. The reason being the time and effort that
goes into growing them. Whether it is incorporating a fringe, a
splash of colour or adding length and volume to the hair, extensions
can help to attain any style in minutes. And Iam quite happy with my
less than half-feet long hair now.
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