Wednesday, April 18, 2007

A hairy tale

I have curly hair. Masses of thick, frizzy, corkscrew locks that remind you of Alice from Dilbert. Yes, my life is one long bad hair day.

My mom recalls a newborn me, with sparse yet curly locks, scattered like little question marks across my scalp.

As a tousle-headed toddler, I defied all attempts at taming my curly mop by refusing to wear any sort of hair slide, pin, or rubber band.

Until I was 7 or 8, my dad cut my hair and I was always quite pleased with the result of his 'monkey cut', as he used to call it.

But as I grew older I realised that the 'monkey cut' was not quite the couture coiffure that my dad would have had me believe. And with my first few attempts at getting a real hairstyle came the discovery that my hair was born to be wild.

Having lost the battle with my medusa locks, (partly due to the limited hairstyling resources available to a 12 year old), I had them all chopped off and sported a GI Jane hairstyle for the next few years. I was merciless. The smallest curl that put in an appearance was executed immediately. Life was peaceful.

But then came college, and with it a desire to live wild and free. And accordingly, so did my hair. Live wild and free, I mean. It got to a point where I could stick a couple of pencils, half a Kit-Kat (wrapped, of course), and my keys into my untied hair and they would stay there! It was rather convenient really.

Not the sort of hairstyle that would encourage a panel of professors trying to determine my suitability for admission to a Well Known Institute of Management in Western India (WIMWI). However, I must have had some other redeeming points, since I did get in.

WIMWI was where I met Moppet's Papa. I knew he was the man for me when he told me he actually LIKED my hair. It's true. Now, armed with a lot more resources than I had at age 12, I consider straightening, re-bonding and all manner of ways to change my hair. And he resists - because incredibly, he really does like these loopy locks of mine.

What's more, he's hoping Moppet gets my hair. And indeed, at first it did appear that she would have curly hair. But after we had her head shaved (her first head of hair was growing all on one side of her head!), it appears to be growing back straight.

What do you think?

7 comments:

Mala said...

Is the keys bit actually true ? :-) :-)

While I haven't been having the "6 months of great hair" that I heard about, I'm enjoying the "no hair fall" days while they last - I'm assured that it'll start again with a vengeance !
M

Maggie said...

Mala: It's true! Although I should have said 'key' - because it was a single key with a small key chain - but yes, it would stay in my hair with no trouble at all!

Doorva Bahuguna said...

Hey I hope she gets your hair. I have always been jealous of your curly hair. I think its quite sexy.

I have had the same experience as you with my hair. Only difference being - I have absolutely straight hair. But, blessed as I am with silky.. soft etc etc (whatever virtues companies like Moppet's dad's sell)... they always covered my face and more important my eyes. Hence, they were 'mercilessly'chopped (mostly by my dad) & "I defied all attempts at taming my mushroom mop by refusing to wear any sort of hair slide, pin, or rubber band "

Its only in the last few months that i've grown my hair (and discovered a blow dryer). I finally look a bit feminine and not like 'GI Jane' :-D

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

I know what you mean because I had a mop of "kerala coir" as I used to call it during college days.

Now I have smoothened my hair (it's one step down from rebonding). It looks a LOT better and most importantly, I can just wash and air dry without any styling..Low maintenance and time saving.

Still my poppin has curly hair and I love it. Is it true then, that the curls go away when you shave the head? Hmmmm..then maybe I should reconsider my plans on shaving the poppin's head off.

Unknown said...

You should check pics of mine when I was Moppet's age. had curly locks like yours. But after the parents shaved my head, it's gone all straight, and only curls at the ends.

But you really can't say, cos my cousin, who had poker straight hair for about 15 years of her life, now has to straighten it, to avoid the "kerala coir" look that she hates... :-))

And I do love your Maggi curls... :-D

Maggie said...

Doorva, Poornima: You're too kind. My hair is a mess, and we all know it! :-)

Poppins: Really? Smoothening? I should see if these Thai hairstylists know what that is. It's always an adventure going to the salon here. They can barely speak english and you never know what you'll end up with!

Just Like That said...

There writes the mallu girl! If you hadn't told me there was a mallu connection, would've immediately latched onto it after this post. Seriously our hair is such a pain...

But curly hair or straight hair, Moppet looks absolutely cute any which way!